Apart from the Green Deal, the shaping of digitalization is the second large project of the new EU Commission. The presentation of a White Paper on Artificial Intelligence has already been announced for next week. Reason enough, to have a look at the current developments and European projects in the digitalization sector.

By hosting a current event, which took place in Brussels on 3rd February, AK EUROPA, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour, and ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation, addressed two important topics: platform work and minimum wages.

Anyone surfing the internet leaves behind valuable traces for the digital economy. The latter has a great interest in skimming off data as unnoticed as possible - and being able to use it. The original aim of a 2017 draft Regulation of the Commission was to protect users’ privacy. However, discussions in the Council point in another direction. The latest AK Position Paper summarizes the state of play.

Particularly in the run up to Christmas, Amazon’s business is booming. Criticism of the tech giant appears not to have impact on consumers’ shopping behaviour -  the power of the company, based on dubious and anti-trade union strategies, is growing.

The EU Commission is currently working intensively on regulatory procedures for internet platforms. Hence, the ideal time to discuss the problems incurred because of these internet giants and the various approaches for solutions within the framework of an evening event on December 3rd by AK EUROPA und ÖGB Europabüro.

ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation and AK EUROPA, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour would like to cordially invite you to our joint event:

The hearings of the 1st round of the Commissioners-designate ended on October 8th 2019 in the European Parliament with the three executive Vice Presidents. In the afternoon, it was Margrethe Vestager’s turn, Commissioner-designate for Competition and also Executive Vice President-designate for a “Europe fit for the digital age”. It would be her second term in office in the European Commission.

Tax avoidance and profit shifting by multinationals pose a significant problem for most EU Member States. Since this problem is so widespread, it has become a major question of equitableness. Digitalisation and the increasing importance of intangible assets (brands, algorithms, data, etc.) are additional challenges to international taxation (of profits). A change to the system of international profit taxation towards a consolidated profit approach and formular apportionment (including a minimum profit tax rate) is the best way to get this problem under control.

A new study published by AK EUROPA shows how much influence internet companies such as Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, Deliveroo and co. have on European legislation. The thought behind this study is to shed light on the increasing and intransparent lobbying activities of the platform companies in Brussels