The ETF has joined 470 civil society organisations, trade unions, and public interest groups in sounding the alarm over the European Commission’s plans to dismantle essential protections for people and the planet. Ahead of President von der Leyen’s State of the Union address, we have made clear that our rights and protections cannot be sold for profit.
After just nine months under von der Leyen’s new mandate, the Commission is preparing a wave of drastic deregulation that threatens labour rights, social protections, digital rights, and environmental safeguards. If pursued, these cuts would roll back decades of progress on workers’ rights, fair competition, and sustainable development, leaving transport workers and the wider public more vulnerable to exploitation and unsafe conditions.
The joint statement, backed by organisations across Europe, warns that the scale of deregulation under discussion could set back climate policy, social justice, and democratic accountability for years to come. The strength and speed of this collective response highlight a shared conviction: Europe must remain a place where rules protect people and the environment, not one where corporate interests are put above public good.
For ETF, the message is clear. Workers in transport and beyond need stronger protections, not fewer. Europe’s future cannot be built on deregulation, but on decent jobs, safe working conditions, and a just transition that leaves no worker behind.
