The EU Commission plans postponement: child labor threatens even longer!

The EU Commission plans postponement: child labor threatens even longer!

On February 27, 2025, the European Commission caused a stir when it planned to postpone the implementation of the controversial EU Lief Chain Act by one year. This decision is sharply criticized by the NGO "Youth one world". Managing Director Reinhard Heiererer described the measure as "slap in the face of 160 million children", which are forced to child labor worldwide to ensure prosperity in Europe. According to Heierer, this shift not only endangers the protection of children's rights, but also the progress in the fight against exploitation and environmental damage. The planned changes also rule out about 80 percent of the EU companies from sustainability reporting, which could increase the effects on global human rights, as kathpress.at

criticism of the EU commission

Heiererer to take responsibility and reject the Omnibus proposal, since he thinks that the prosperity in Austria should not be generated at the expense of the exploitation of children in the global south. The NGOs call for a strict maintenance of the already decided guideline to ensure a socially and ecologically compatible economy. A relaxation would result in disadvantages for companies that have already invested in compliance with human rights and environmental standards.

At the same time, Heierer illuminates the difficult situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo. After the devastating earthquake of 2023 and years of civil war, people urgently need food, winter clothing and medication. Despite the return of electricity and the distribution of bread to the needy, inflation is extremely high and the currency has severely lost value. "Our project partners in the region do incredible work to help the suffering population," says Heierer, who points to the tax advantages of donations to promote support for the needy people in Syria and Lebanon. This information was provided by juTeeinwelt.at