On Wednesday, the EU Commission presented its long-awaited draft legislation for the 2040 climate target. As had already become apparent in recent weeks, maintaining the planned target – a 90 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels – was achieved by allowing more flexibility in how the target is met. According to the EU Commission's proposal, the last three percentage points should also be achieved through emission credits in third countries. But will that be enough to manage the necessary transformation?

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.

Europe’s water resources are under pressure: as droughts, heat waves and floods become more frequent, water scarcity and quality degradation threaten to become a structural risk to health, the environment and the economy. On 4 June 2025, the EU Commission presented a new Water Resilience Strategy that focuses on one of the most pressing issues of our time: protecting and sustainably using of our water resources.

On 2 June 2025, the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) presented this year's edition of the Benchmarking Working Europe report at a joint event with AK EUROPA in Brussels. In light of the ongoing political discourse, the 2025 report highlights the importance of quality jobs for sustainable competitiveness. The critical examination of the concept of competitiveness was also a central theme of the event.

The European Commission carried out a consultation on the Clean Industrial State Aid Framework (CISAF). The new framework should allow for a more flexible interpretation of Art. 107 TFEU, adapted in the context of economic and environmental challenges. It seeks to serve as an instrument for defending and strengthening the EU's position in the global economy.

The European Union is facing complex industrial and transformation policy challenges. The CID is intended to address these issues. While the identification of key problem areas, including the innovation gap, high energy costs, limited fiscal leeway, and a lack of coordination, is fundamentally correct, there is a lack of effective measures to overcome these obstacles. A key issue is the fragmentation of industrial policy, with different policy goals often standing side-by-side yet unconnected.

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has permanently changed the geopolitical situation and the EU's energy supply. In recent years, numerous measures have been taken to end the dependence on Russian energy imports. The final phase-out is now set to succeed with the new REPowerEU Roadmap. What does this new roadmap include and what is the situation in Austria?

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).

The new Emissions Trading System ETS II will become fully operational in 2027. The financial impact of rising fuel and heating costs is to be cushioned, particularly for poorer households. However, with the deadline approaching, not a single member state has yet submitted the Climate Social Plan required to receive funding from the Social Climate Fund from 2026 onwards.

Water is the basis of all life - but also in the EU it is increasingly at risk of becoming a scarce commodity. Periods of drought, falling groundwater levels and conflicts over water resources underline the urgency of a sustainable water policy. AK is committed to a resilient water supply and calls for political measures: public investment in water infrastructure, fair distribution of resources and consistent protection of water as a public good. On 26 March 2025, AK EUROPA and EPSU hosted an event in Brussels to discuss these pressing issues.