Digitalisation is advancing rapidly in all areas of society and does not stop at the health sector. The European Commission's proposal for a European Health Data Space promises simplifications and improvements but raises serious concerns among many stakeholders about the consideration of fundamental rights, privacy and autonomy of patients and its feasibility.

A representative survey commissioned by AK Vienna and Greenpeace shows: Consumers in Austria are aware of the downsides of fashion consumption in principle. However, their purchasing behaviour lags behind this awareness. Last but not least, production and trade must also rethink. This requires clear rules. AK and Greenpeace advocate, among other, a legal ban on the destruction of new goods and a strong EU supply chain law.

The term "fast fashion" summarizes the negative ecological and social impact of the global textile industry. Clothing is manufactured under high cost pressures, resulting in the exploitation of people and the environment. Cheap production and overconsumption therefore have a high price, even if it is not on the price tag.

In 2020, the EU Commission already emphasized in the “White Paper on Artificial Intelligence” that benefits and risks of AI are closely aligned. The use of AI may lead to violations of fundamental rights, discrimination, serious behavioural manipulation of persons and damage to health. Against this background, the proposal for a non-contractual civil AI liability aims to promote “trustworthy AI” and to make it simpler for victims of damage caused by AI to obtain compensation.

With its September 2022 proposal to ban products made with forced labour, the Commission is addressing an important issue. The number of people working in forced labour worldwide are dramatic and require urgent action. However, in order to effectively combat forced labour, the Commission's proposal does not go far enough and needs to be improved, as a new AK EUROPA position paper shows.

The Product Liability Directive of 1985 is no longer in line with technological development since digital applications, such as the use of algorithms, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence, are not taken into account. This results in additional risks for product defects and damages that have not been covered by product liability to date.

Digital transformation and associated technical innovations require adapted standards of protection for consumers. With regard to Artificial Intelligence (AI), the EU Commission has now presented a proposal for a Directive, which lays down special liability rules for damages caused by AI systems. This will pursue the target to enable victims to gain easy access to compensation.

At the end of March 2022, the European Commission presented the circular economy package, whose fundamental aim is to transform consumption towards an extended life cycle. AK welcomes the legal acts proposed in this package, whilst at the same time requesting to retain the high level of protection of European Consumers and a social and fair drafting of the new regulations.

AK supports, in principle, efforts to bring health data together and evaluate it scientifically, as this can help to improve diagnostics and therapies and set the course for health policy more rapidly. However, in compliance with data protection, transparent regulation for those affected is needed concerning who has access to the use of health data, for what reasons and to which data.

A major shift in consumption towards longer service lives, whilst maintaining high level of protection for European consumers, is indispensable for protection of the climate, environment and resources.