📋 Tender Overview
The European Commission's Work Programme 2024 is dominated by current challenges and crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss, the digital revolution and artificial intelligence, Russian aggression against Ukraine, energy prices, migration or economic growth and competitiveness. In addition, the end of the legislative period and the upcoming elections to the European Parliament in June 2024 are looming. The focus is on intensifying cooperation with the Council and the European Parliament in order to conclude as many outstanding files as possible. In addition, 15 new initiatives have been announced. This is evident from the extensive area of EU projects that Minister Martin Kocher presented to the National Council for the areas of labour, economy and tourism (III-1111 d.B.).
In the area of employment and social affairs, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2024 will focus on advancing remaining dossiers, such as the directive on improving working conditions in platform work. New initiatives to be presented under the Belgian Presidency in the field of employment and social affairs include, for example, the right to disconnect and telework, as well as the revision of the European Works Council Directive.
In addition, the European Year of Skills until May 2024 will focus on the large number of measures and activities already in place to meet the demand for skilled workers in Europe. For Austria, as one of the countries with a large share of dual vocational education and training (apprenticeship) at upper secondary level, the initiatives within the framework of the European Skills Agenda are an important contribution to the EU-wide promotion of the international comparability of vocational education and training qualifications as well as the performance of the individual vocational education and training systems, the report emphasises, among other things.
