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EU supply chain law: debate on returning to the negotiating table

Regarding the so-called EU Supply Chain Law, the SPÖ requested that the topic be placed on the agenda of the EU subcommittee of the National Council in the short term. Both the SPÖ and FPÖ presented a request for a statement at the meeting – with opposing positions. From the SPÖ's point of view, it is important to prevent supply chain law from failing at European level. This must be expressed by the Federal Government in all votes, agreeing with the European Supply Chain Law. Economy Minister Martin Kocher recently announced that he would abstain from the Austrian side.

The FPÖ, in turn, called on the Minister of Justice, Alma Zadić, who had consistently spoken out in favor of supply chain law at European level, to reject the planned directive proposal. None of the motions received a majority in the committee. Thus, only the SPÖ itself voted in favor of the SPÖ motion, and only the FPÖ voted in favor of the FPÖ motion.

State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler, representing Economy Minister Kocher in the committee, stressed that the objective was to return to the negotiating table to achieve improvements and a practical solution. The ÖVP also agreed with this. The Greens were not happy that the departments were unable to reach an agreement. They also hope for more negotiations. NEOS would advocate a different supply chain law than the current one.

The commission also discussed the topics of human trafficking, the Frontex report, the EU regulation on asylum crises and the EU resettlement program for those in need of protection. Two FPÖ motions against any form of distribution of migrants between EU member states and against the EU's migrant resettlement policy remained in the minority.

The day before, the topic of the Supply Chain Law was also on the agenda of the EU Committee of the Bundesrat. The SPÖ also made a corresponding request to this effect. However, due to time constraints, the debate was postponed.