The closer the date of publishing the European Commission’s “Social Fairness Package” on 13 March 2018 comes, the more frequently Brussels debates the possible responsibilities and competences of the European Labour Authority - ELA - proposed therein. On 27 February, the German Trade Union Confederation and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation invited representatives of the Commission and social partners to the presentation of their study “Towards a European Labour Authority” to the Representation of the State of Hessen.

“Minimum rights for each employment contract”, “inclusion of new types of work”, “upwards convergence” through “creation of minimum standards“, “improved enforceability”, as well as “respect for the role of social partners“: all these are features Employment Commissioner Thyssen attributed to the new draft directive of the Commission during this week’s hearing of the Parliament’s Employment Committee.

When the European Commission presented the European Pillar of Social Rights at the end of April 2017, the Work-Life Balance Directive was back then the only legislative measure in an otherwise very non-committal package. This week, the European Parliament’s Employment Committee held a public hearing on the Directive proposal, which is to provide legal certainty for parents and carers.

The proposal for a regulation amending the existing legislation on the access to the international market for coach and bus services, which the European Commission presented in November 2017, is to further liberalise local and long-distance bus services. This would mean that long-distance bus companies such as Flixbus or Eurolines would obtain fundamental access right to both domestic transport and public infrastructure – above all to bus terminals.

The negotiations on reorganising the European energy market have entered the home straight. With the Directive and the Regulation on the internal electricity market, the ITRE Committee of the European Parliament, which is in charge of energy, adopted its final reports on 21 February 2018. These reports contain positive approaches to take up the fight against energy poverty in Europe.

Following lengthy discussions, the heads of state and government agreed on the “European Pillar of Social Rights” in November last year. A short time later, Commission President Juncker announced a “Social Justice Package” for 2018.

The current Juncker Commission has made a political vow to make Europa social again. And it is slowly starting to deliver. In November last year, European leaders finally agreed on the "European Pillar of Social Rights".

Shortly after, Commission President Juncker announced his "Social Justice Package" during his State of the Union address. One of the substantial proposals is the establishment of a European Labour Authority (ELA) to be presented in March 2018.

The first European Education Summit took place on 25 January 2018 in Brussels. As a follow-up to the Social Summit in Gothenburg its aim was to launch an inclusive educational area, built on European values. Last week, the European Commission already presented some new initiatives within the scope of the “Future of Learning” package.

AK EUROPA, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour, ÖGB Europabüro and the Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation in cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Brussels hosted a discussion on the future of social security in Europe. Hereby, the study of the London School of Economics on the Efficiency Review of Austria’s Social Security and Healthcare System by study author Professor Elias Mossialos was presented for the first time in the EU Capital.

Mid November 2017, the European Commission presented its Gender Pay Gap Action Plan. At 16.3 %, the pay gap between men and women in der EU remains constantly high and working women are still confronted with a glass ceiling. The AK therefore welcomes the measures of the Action Plan, which are aimed at women’s equality in the labour market. These must now be put into action!