European Economic and Social Committee

1. Events

SMO hearings during the Irish and Lithuanian Pesidencies (respectively 01.01.-30.06. and 01.07.-31.12.2013): 
11.03.2013 public hearing in Dublin, Ireland
23.09.2013  public hearing (place and date tbc)
Other hearings may be organised by the SMO to complement the drafting of opinions if necessary.

2. Opinions and information reports

Work in progress (INT and SMO - choose Section folder number to see ongoing work)
SMO activity report October 2010 - April 2013 -  End of mandate report 2006-2010 (information on SMO work and activities with links to adopted opinions)
 

Opinions upon referral:

Follow-up on Commission's Single Market Act on the basis of earlier opinions:

• Single Market Act II (CESE 2039/2012, adopted on 16.01.2013, INT/655, COM(2012) 573 final, rapporteur: M. Siecker (Group II, Employees, the Netherlands and co-rapporteurs: I. Voleš (Group I, Employers, Czech Republic) and B. Federspiel (Group III, Various Interests, Denmark)
• Key Actions towards a Single Market Act II (CESE 1575/2012, INT/648, exploratory opinion requested by the European Commission), rapporteur: I. Voleš (Group I, Employers, Czech Republic), co-rapporteurs: M. Siecker (Group II, Employees, the Netherlands and B. Federspiel (Group III, Various Interests, Denmark)
• Single Market Act – Twelve levers, (CESE 1583/2011, adopted on 27.10.2011, INT/582, COM(2011) 206 final, rapporteur: B. Federspiel (Group III, Various Interests, Denmark), co-rapporteurs: I. Voleš (Group I, Employers, Czech Republic) and M. Siecker (Group II, Employees, the Netherlands)
• Single Market Act (CESE 525/2011, adopted on 15.03.2011, INT/548,  COM(2010) 608 rapporteurs: I. Voleš (Group I, Employers, Czech Republic), M. Siecker (Group II, Employees, the Netherlands) and B. Federspiel (Group III, Various Interests, Denmark)

Other requests may be expected from institutions in the course of the year.

Exploratory opinions:

Requests for exploratory opinions, e.g. from the European Commission, Irish or Lithuanian Presidencies, may be expected in the course of the year. 

Own-initiative opinions and information reports:

• Better regulation: implementing acts and delegated acts (INT/656, information report, rapporteur J. Pegado Liz, Group III, Various Interests, Portugal)
• Inclusive Digital Internal Market (INT/627, own-initiative opinion, rapporteur A-M. Darmanin, Group II, Employees, Malta)

3. Publications

In the context of the EESC’s major event on EU2020 on 25 September 2012, the Single Market Observatory published three new brochures:

• Taking stock of the recommendations of the European Economic and Social Committee on Single Market policies
• Obstacles to the European Single Market
• A citizens-orientated approach to the Single Market.
• "The Current State of Co-regulation and Self-regulation in Europe" (download the PDF file, as a follow-up of the launching of the EU self- and co-regulation database which the SMO has set up in cooperation with the European Commission) is planned in 2013.
• "A map of the ideal Single Market" is also planned for which a draft is available here.

4. On-line activities

• EU self- and co-regulation database developed in cooperation with the European Commission (see also the self- and co-regulation sub-theme).
• E-bulletin and on-line photo gallery of SMO events.
• SMO Twitter account
• SMO in Facebook
   

5. Miscellaneous

•  Cooperation with the European Commission and the European Parliament with focus on "Smart Regulation and Better Lawmaking" issues,
• Cooperation with the national Economic and Social Councils of the Member States (in particular via the CESlink network),
• Cooperation with the EU Presidencies in office,
• Information of economic and social actors and Economic and Social Councils in other parts of the world (e.g. MERCOSUR and AICESIS) on the role and activities of the SMO,
• Cooperation with various platforms on "Better Lawmaking" such as the Europen University Institute (EUI) in Florence, the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), the European Policy Centre (EPC), the European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
• Cooperation with the Consultative Committee of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).