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BackEvery five years, EU heads of state and government agree on the political priorities for the next legislative period in connection with the elections to the EU Parliament. The Strategic Agenda for 2024-2029 was adopted by the European Council on 27 June 2024. Key European policy concerns from a workers' perspective are given too little attention.
With a letter to the EU heads of state and government, EU Council President Charles Michel initiated the drafting of the new Strategic Agenda in June 2023. In addition to what has already been achieved, he outlined four new priorities to guide work in the coming years, including tackling the energy crises and strengthening security and defence capabilities. The first in-depth debate on future priorities took place at the informal meeting of heads of state and government in Granada on 6 October 2023.
In addition to the regular meetings of the European Council, several consultation rounds were subsequently held in European capitals in November 2023 and April 2024 with different degrees of participation by Member States, most recently in Vienna on 12 April 2024. The Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 was finally adopted at the European Council on 27 June 2024. It is now based on three pillars: a free and democratic Europe, a strong and secure Europe and a prosperous and competitive Europe.
During the last legislative period, the realisation of a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe was one of the four priorities of the 2019-2024 Strategic Agenda. Building on this, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set out the political guidelines for her first term of office. In addition to the European Green Deal, the focus was on an economy that works for people and a Europe fit for the digital age.
Where shall the common journey take us?
When the Strategic Agenda 2019-2024 was adopted, it was already noted that the ways out of the climate crisis and the social dimension of the EU remain vague. This is even more true regarding the new priorities. The Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 begins and ends with references to the Union's founding objectives of securing peace and economic prosperity. By contrast, the European Green Deal is not explicitly mentioned and the European Pillar of Social Rights only once.
However, in addition to strategic competition and global instability, the damage caused by climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution are mentioned as challenges right from the outset. The EU will strengthen competitiveness, lead the dual transformation to success and leave no one behind. In addition to a competitive social market economy, the European spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship is invoked above all. They should boost investment and bring Europe to the forefront of green and digital technologies.
The most comprehensive pillar, 'A prosperous and competitive Europe', emphasises the need to harness the potential of the green and digital transitions pragmatically, not least to create high-quality jobs of the future. Favourable framework conditions and investments in cross-border infrastructure are crucial requirements for this. The aim is to achieve a just and fair transition, remain globally competitive and strengthen energy sovereignty. Under the heading "Advancing Together", reference is also made to the European Pillar of Social Rights, with the aim of strengthening social dialogue, upholding equal opportunities and reducing inequalities.
But above all it also the issue of deepening the internal market, achieving the Capital Markets Union, safeguarding EU interests in trade policy and building strategic capacities in areas such as defence, artificial intelligence, health and green technologies. Innovation capacity is to be strengthened and the administrative burden on companies reduced.
The pillar on a strong and secure Europe also addresses preparations for the next enlargement and the protection of external borders in the context of current security and defence policy challenges. And under the pillar on a free and democratic Europe, tech giants, should also be held accountable for protecting democratic dialogue on the internet. The EU should continue to be the strongest advocate of the international legal order and the United Nations Charter and endeavour to promote world peace.
Priorities of trade unions and civil society
ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch already expressed concern in a letter published on 22 June 2024 that the necessary focus on improving the situation of working people and their families is missing from the Strategic Agenda. The clear objective must be to create quality jobs in every sector and in every region, to make progress in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights - in line with the La Hulpe and Val Duchesse declarations - and to take action against social dumping and fraud.
ETUC calls for the right to access high-quality public services, trade union involvement in the management of change to ensure just green and digital transitions fair conditions of employment, as well as social conditions in the awarding of public contracts and funding. The focus on competitiveness should not put pressure on wages, collective bargaining or workers' rights. Further details can be found in the ETUC manifesto "A fair deal for workers".
In a letter to the Austrian Federal on 21 June 2024, the leaders of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) also emphasised that consideration must be given to core European policy issues from an employee perspective. In the view of ÖGB and AK, the priorities take insufficient account of the major challenges of the present, such as tackling the climate crisis, increasing social inequality and the risk of poverty. Europe should strive to become the first continent to offer all people secure, good and decently paid jobs.
They call for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, adherence to the European Green Deal with a framework for a just transition, a coordinated long-term industrial policy strategy with concrete targets and sufficient financial resources, and the democratisation of the EU with a right of initiative for the EU Parliament in legislative procedures. At the end of May, a broad alliance of civil society, businesses, cities and regions recommended in an open letter that the Strategic Agenda should build upon the success of elevating the EU’s transition to a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe as a strategic north star.
From strategy to programme
All of these demands are only partially reflected in the document that was finally adopted. However, according to observers, the document also lost some of its clarity during the lengthy negotiations. Although the required unanimity was achieved, the significance of the document is less important compared to previous political objectives. It now depends on how the new EU Parliament positions itself and what political guidelines the EU Commission President will ultimately derive from this for her next work programme.
Further information:
AK EUROPA: Strategic Agenda 2019-2024: Have the priorities been set right?
AK EUROPA: The La Hulpe Declaration. Commitment to a social Europe – without Austria
AK EUROPA: Social dialogue as a response to the challenges of our time
AK EUROPA: Focus on the social question. Why a socially just transition needs to be strengthened right now
European Council: Strategic Agenda 2024-2029
European Council: Timeline - Path to the Strategic Agenda 2024–2029
European Council: A new Strategic Agenda for the EU 2019-2024
European Commission: Political guidelines for the next European Commission 2019-2024
ETUC: Open letter to European Council on the Strategic Agenda 2024-2029