On 16 April 2024 a Declaration on the Future of the European Pillar of Social Rights was signed in La Hulpe, a suburb of Brussels. It was developed with broad support and is meant to serve as a reference document for the upcoming EU legislative period as well as a commitment to a social Europe. Austria, Sweden and Business Europe were the only ones not to sign.

Future EU enlargements require the involvement of the social partners and a deepening of the social dialogue - both in the EU and in the candidate countries. On 26 March 2024, AK EUROPA and the  EU Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) hosted the launch event of the Central European Trade Union Network (CETUN). The discussion focussed on the challenges and opportunities of EU enlargement to include the Western Balkans region. It was agreed that the social dimension must be given greater consideration.

The European Environment Agency's first European climate risk assessment shows that floods, heat and drought fundamentally jeopardise the supply of food and the health of people in Europe, not least workers. Adaptation to man-made climate change must begin now in order to promote climate resilience and enable social and ecological transformation.

Given the political significance of this European election year, the Benchmarking Working Europe Report 2024 provides a retrospective assessment of the state of Social Europe. Important achievements of the past EU legislative period are recognised, but shortcomings are also identified. The report also points out the necessary political steps in the coming EU legislative period to ensure the continuation of the social paradigm shift.

After weeks of tug-of-war, the EU Member States confirmed the EU Supply Chain Act in the Committee of the Permanent Representatives on 15 March 2024. The provisional agreement on the EU ban on products from forced labour was endorsed there on 13 March 2024. The two pieces of legislation still need to be formally adopted by the plenary of the EU Parliament and the Council.

The Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB Europabüro), the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA) and the Central European Trade Union Network (CETUN) jointly organised an event focusing on the EU enlargement policy titled “It’s Time for Social Integration – How to Build up Social Dialogue in the Western Balkans.”

21 member organisations of the European Alliance for a Just Transition have signed a joint letter on an EU policy framework for just transition, with the aim of putting the issue more centre stage in the next EU policy cycle. The letter was sent on 11 March to the relevant ministers and to the Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU. They are called on to raise the ambition of the forthcoming Environment Council Conclusions and other relevant decisions in the coming months.

The European Pillar of Social Rights includes 20 principles in the fields of equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions as well as social protection and inclusion.

The European Pillar of Social Rights contains 20 principles in the areas of equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions as well as social protection and inclusion. It was solemnly proclaimed in 2017 and has since established itself as a compass for EU social policy and as an important reference in other EU policy areas.