Due to broad resistance, in particular by labour representatives, civil society and NGOs, the European Commission has initiated a public consultation on the international investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). The objective of the consultation is to provide all (EU citizens and organisations) with the opportunity to let the European Commission know their opinion on ISDS.

On Monday, 5 May 2014, 10 EU Member States agreed to implement a Financial Transaction Tax on shares and a small number of derivatives from 2016 at the earliest. However, the adopted model makes a mockery of the fundamental idea of a Financial Transaction Tax. Highly speculative financial products are being left out whilst small investors are asked to pay up.

The different concepts of Eurobonds - hence joint borrowing by states of the Eurozone - were associated with the hope of leaving the debt crisis behind and to meet the mighty financial markets as a unified Eurozone. An Expert Group of the Commission chaired by Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell has now reached the sobering conclusion that the discussed concepts can hardly be implemented without lengthy treaty changes.

Last week the European Parliament voted on the Package Travel and Assisted Travel Arrangements Directive. Due to the fact that the booking behaviour of consumers had significantly changed (keyword: online travel market) over the last years, it was high time to revise the 1990 EU law on package travel. The new law shall in particular take these changes into account. However, instead of using the opportunity to undertake some long overdue corrections, the proposal by the European Commission contained a fair amount of causes for conflict.

In doing so, the Commission called a halt to the plan by EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas, to follow the call of the haulier lobby to allow the cross-border transport of particularly large and heavy HGVs (so-called Megatrucks or Gigaliners). Hence, the European Parliament affirms its commitment to shift transport from road to rail and clearly demonstrates that the approach adopted by the EU Transport Commissioner is simply unacceptable.

The far-reaching plans of the responsible EU Tax Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta to tackle tax evasion and avoidance are running the risk of being watered down. The Expert Group of the Commission’s DG TAXUD, which is in charge, largely consists of corporate representatives and their advisors, who are well known for tax avoidance. An evaluation of the Expert Group does not seem to change anything, but there is still hope.

The proposal is for a Regulation that regulates emission values, the type approval and the market surveillance of internal combustion engines in non-road machinery and equipment. The key point of the proposal is the specification of a new emission level (“Stage V”), which, depending on the engine category, will come into force between 2018 and 2021 for type approval and placing on the internal market. n general, the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (BAK) welcomes the Commission’s long overdue proposal for a Regulation.

On 21st January 2014, the Report on Employment and Social Developments was presented in Brussels by László Andor, the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. The report documents the dramatic impact of the austerity policy on the social situation of employees in Europe. However, the Commissioner himself did not hold back with a certain amount of criticism for this policy and demonstrated that even within the European Commission not everybody sings from the same hymn sheet.

On the occasion of the communication from the Commission and in light of the forthcoming debate on the consolidation of the EMU, the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AK) wishes to once again express a view on the strengthening of the social dimension in the economic and monetary union (EMU).