The European Union has given long-lasting peace across our continent and has brought European people together around the fundamental values of democracy, human rights, freedom and equality. Democracy needs to be lived in order to remain alive. We therefore urge citizens across Europe to go out and vote in the European elections from 23-26 May 2019 in order to have a say on the future and to defend democracy, sustainable economic growth and social justice.

Joint appeal "Elect No Hate - For an EU election campaign free from intolerance and discrimination" by 22 organisations for EU elections campaigning free from intolerance, discrimination, hate speech and divisive rhetoric   Video by Thiébaut Weber, ETUC Confederal Secretary:

11 March 2019 - Civil society is calling for the immediate and complete removal of the “innovation principle” from Horizon Europe, the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, because it threatens the Precautionary Principle and is nothing more than an attempt to keep regulation of dangerous products at bay.

The ETUC Executive Committee supports sectorial collective bargaining and autonomy of sectorial social partners in Latvia! Latvia is one of the countries where coverage of collective bargaining of less than 35% and regarding which the ETUC in spring 2018 has issued an unprecedented ‘emergency alert’ highlighting the threat to achieve decent wages and working conditions for Latvian workers.

ETUC Position on the 2019 Annual Growth Survey Adopted at the Executive Committee of 18 – 19 December 2018 Summary

Update on the ETUC positions on the completion of EMU considering the most recent Commission proposals Adopted at the Executive Committee of 18 – 19 December 2018 Introduction

Letter to Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Johannes Hahn, European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Dear Vice-President, Dear Commissioners, The next EU-Egypt Association Council meeting, scheduled for 20 December, will primarily focus on implementing the 2017-2020 Partnership Priorities adopted on 16 June 2017.

As the EU Japan FTA comes before the European Parliament the ETUC calls on MEPs to raise the threats it poses to workers’ rights, public services and social welfare.  We are concerned that the deal contains no enforceable provisions on workers’ rights. The sustainable development chapter of the agreement contains no independent enforcement court or sanctions when violations of labour rights occur which is essential to ensure commitments to labour standards are upheld as the ETUC has outlined in our progressive trade agenda.

EU Employment Ministers meeting in the Employment Council yesterday agreed to recommend that all member states should guarantee adequate and effective social protection - such as sickness, unemployment, maternity and paternity benefits and pensions - to all working people including the self-employed. Unfortunately the Ministers did NOT agree to recommend that mandatory social protection should include the self-employed – who now make up more than 15% of the Europe’s workforce - somewhat undermining the principle of equal social protection for all.

EU Employment Ministers today agreed a ‘general approach’ on the Regulation establishing a European Labour Authority (ELA). This now means the final regulation to set up the Authority will be negotiated in trialogue discussions between national government officials, MEPs and the European Commission.

Trade unions this week succeeded in getting Just Transition accepted as an integral part of the UN framework of climate action. At the opening of COP24 in Katowice the Polish Presidency presented its ‘Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration’ with the full support of the European Union. The declaration

Our democracies are under attack. The rise of hate, divisive, and socially and environmentally destructive political forces– including in many EU countries – are putting our democracies at risk.

ETUC position on the proposal of Pan European Personal Pensions (PEPP) Adopted at the Executive Committee of 23-24 October 2018 Key messages 1. The regulation of a Pan-European Personal Pension product, currently under the Trialogue process, should acknowledge the high social relevance of pension savings. Despite its nature within the financial market dimension, PEPPs should remain restricted to the market of private products, freely but with high safety guarantees available to individuals.