In conjunction with International Women's Day on 8 March, significant activity took place in Brussels, with several thousand participants taking part in the ‘World March of Women’, as well as notable activities within the European Union. Particularly noteworthy is the publication of the new Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030. The Commission presented it on 5 March 2026, pointing out that at the current pace of change, it would take another 50 years for the EU to achieve full gender equality.

As part of its 2021 Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Commission set the target of reducing the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million by 2030. From today's perspective, this target is likely to be missed by a wide margin, and there is still no concrete strategy for achieving improvement in this area. The European Commission will present the first EU Anti-Poverty Strategy in May.

On 6 February 2026, the successful Öko-Booster model was presented to an expert audience in Brussels at a morning event attended by AK President Renate Anderl. Since 2023, as part of a collaboration between AK Vienna, the Vienna Employment Promotion Fund (WAFF) and the Public Employment Service Vienna (AMS Vienna), young people without a completed education have been trained to become skilled workers in the energy transition. This initiative was met with great interest at the event held at the Vienna House in Brussels.

Both internationally and in Europe, workers' rights are coming under increasing pressure. This was the focus of this year's New Year's Reception hosted by AK and ÖGB. There was consensus that democracy, welfare policy, and trade union rights are all the more important in times of crisis and must be defended. The fact that Austria is one of the countries where labour law violations occur only sporadically in international comparison is due to the comparatively strong representation of workers and the leading position in collective agreement coverage across the country.

With a resolution passed by a large majority on 20 January 2026, the EU Parliament has taken a stance on a Just Transition Directive. A central element of the resolution is the introduction of the right to training during working hours – a demand that has also been raised by AK. The aim is to ensure that workers can acquire the skills they need for the jobs of the future. It is now up to the EU Commission to present a corresponding legislative act.

The European Commission has announced that it will present an EU strategy for combating poverty in 2026. From AK's point of view, this initiative is to be welcomed. Given the need for far-reaching progress to achieve the EU’s 2030 poverty reduction target, a coherent EU antipoverty strategy is urgently required. A coordinated approach is needed to achieve the target. This must also include a thorough analysis of progress in poverty reduction and concrete action plans by the Member States.

During a conference organised by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in Brussels in early December, the revised European Works Councils (EWC) Directive was praised as a major victory for workers throughout Europe. The amendment to the Directive adopted in November, significantly revises the involvement of European Works Councils. This could lead to a significant strengthening of workers' rights, simplifying the establishment and better involvement of EWCs. The Directive is required to be transposed into national law within a period of two years.

An EU Commissioner for Housing, a special committee in the EU Parliament, Council meetings, statements from the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, various housing policy conferences: The issue of housing has been raised to the European level, with the EU institutions currently shaping important framework conditions for addressing the housing crisis. The EU Commission is set to present an affordable housing plan in mid-December 2025.

The Autumn Package within the framework of the EU Semester sets the course for employment, social, economic and fiscal policy in the following year. In 2026, increasing competitiveness will be the top priority, along with a budget policy focused on consolidation. New additions include a document on human capital and a stronger link between the EU Semester and the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework.

In July 2025, the European Commission presented its draft Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034, which envisages far-reaching changes in Cohesion Policy. The existing structural funds – including the European Social Fund+ and the Just Transition Fund – are to be combined into a new ‘National and Regional Partnership Plan’ (NRPP), which may weaken social and regional development goals. Linking payments to the achievement of milestones and the connection to the EU Semester has, among other, also been met with sharp criticism.