The EU Parliament is currently engaged in intense negotiations on the Omnibus I, with which the EU Commission has proposed to significantly restrict the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). It is already becoming apparent ahead of the upcoming vote that the EU Parliament will vote for watering down the CSDDD. This is very unfortunate: As shown by a new study led by Prof. Johannes Jäger, the CSDDD would offer an opportunity to enforce human rights while strengthening the European economy.

15 percent tariffs on EU industrial products in the US, while at the same time free of tariffs for US products in the EU, create a significant imbalance in the future trade relations between the EU and the US. The EU's billion-dollar investment commitments in the US further exacerbate this imbalance. The tariff gap between steel and aluminium is particularly drastic. In addition, the deal once again puts pressure on key EU initiatives such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

Even before implementing this directive in the Member States, EU institutions have currently been working on ultimately reversing key elements of the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive as part of the Sustainability Omnibus or Omnibus I. The potential impact of Omnibus I was discussed this week at a joint event organised by AK EUROPA, the ÖGB European Office, ETUC, ECCJ and FoEE.

On 26 February 2025, the EU Commission presented the first of several omnibus packages (Omnibus I). Key instruments of the Green Deal will be weakened, in particular the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Forced labour is widespread globally and affects around 28 million people. In the Indian state of Maharashtra, agricultural workers harvesting sugarcane are forced into debt bondage. The ongoing negotiations on the EU-India Strategic Partnership provided the framework for a joint event hosted by AK EUROPA and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels on 8 April 2025. Labour rights activist Chandan Kumar reported on the exploitation of sugarcane workers and organising under difficult conditions.

Trump's economic policy, often referred to as ”Trumponomics”, is currently dominating the debate in Brussels. The US president aims to reshape the US through massive fiscal and trade measures. This also poses significant challenges for Europe. A few weeks after Donald Trump was sworn into office for a second time, it is worth giving an initial overview of his plans and their impact.

By simplifying legislation, the EU Commission wants to increase the EU's competitiveness and ease the burden on companies. In this spirit, the so-called Omnibus Packages I and II were presented on 26 February 2025. While these proposals are presented as measures to reduce bureaucracy they actually undermine important achievements for workers, the environment and climate. Recently adopted laws for more sustainability run the risk of losing their effect.

The EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been under negotiation for more than a quarter of a century. Only last month, the EU Commission reached a political agreement on it with the Mercosur countries and is now pushing for its ratification by 2025. Despite the promise of economic and geopolitical benefits, concerns remain about its environmental impact, labour standards, and political transparency.

With the deforestation regulation, the EU wants to contribute to minimising global deforestation and forest degradation as well as to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the loss of biodiversity. The regulation has already been finally adopted and must be applied by 30 December of this year. AK welcomes the new rules and calls for effective application.

The Austrian Chamber of Labour has always in a number of ways advocated a trade policy in the interests of workers. Fair supply chains, high and enforceable social and environmental standards, the exemption of public services and the rejection of questionable trade agreements such as those between the EU and Mercosur or the EU and Chile - all of these are and have been important issues in recent years. Now the candidates for the EU Parliament can be asked to make an election pledge in favour of a fair EU trade policy. We invite you to take part.