Since the European Commission has presented its long awaited draft on Chapter II Investment for the negotiations of the EU with the USA, the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (Bundesarbeitskammer, BAK) is taking this opportunity to present its critical analysis of investment protection, as well as the investment arbitration system, the Investment Court System. This analysis is based on the opinion of the BAK on the public consultation regarding ISDS in TTIP dated 14.05.2014 and the opinion of the BAK on the corresponding negotiatingmandate dated 22.04.2013.

“Better Regulation” in the sense of deregulation and fewer laws has become a Europe-wide trend. Complicated administrative regulations, but also safety standards are increasingly regarded as inhibiting growth for the economy and especially for SMEs. The European Commission has also jumped on the band waggon and presented on 19 May 2015 a comprehensive package on the subject of “Better Regulation in the EU”.

Taking into consideration the foreign policy of the EU, the new approach of the trade and invest-ment strategy was presented to the European Commission in Brussels. This shall ensure that the common trade policy will benefit as many people as possible. The approach is based on the princi-ples of effectiveness, transparency and values.

Effectiveness shall ensure that the new economic opportunities promised by trade will be created.

This week, the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment Affairs presented a study on labour rights in the Internal Market, which examines the relationship between economic freedoms and the rights of employees.

On Monday, a study was presented in Parliament, which had been commissioned by the Committee on Employment Affairs. It deals with the issue of the relationship of social and labour rights and the law of the Internal Market. The study finds that the free movement of workers in the EU initially also guaranteed their equal treatment in the labour market.

Coming back from their holidays, many consumers were faced with a very high bill from their mo-bile service provider. The reason for this is using a mobile phone abroad and the associated roam-ing costs. 2017 shall see the end of this at last. According to the plans of the EU, using a mobile phone within the EU shall become significantly less expensive from then onwards.

The European Parliament has taken the decision that roaming costs within the EU have to be abolished by June 2017.

TTIP, CETA, and the secretive collusion between business lobbyists and trade negotiators.

TTIP, CETA, and the secretive collusion between business lobbyists and trade negotiators.

This week, Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis (Euro and Social Dialogue) and Jyrki Katainen (Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness) presented the Commission’s roadmap on the future of labour mobility within the EU: They said that the free movement of workers is one of the fundamental freedoms within the EU and had recently come under criticism.

This week, AK Europa, the Brussels office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour together with the ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation and ALTER-EU, hosted a panel discussion on the subject of the Lobby Register and Expert Groups.

This Monday, the EU Commission presented its Annual Report on Tax Reforms in the Member States. Following the increase in tax in recent years, it is expected that it includes on average a slight tax reduction for 2015, which above all will be a result of reducing social insurance contributions.