The Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union asked the EESC to provide their insights on the rethinking of the internal market in light of the acceleration of the Union’s twin transitions towards a green and digital economy and on crafting a European Industrial Strategy that positions industries as the backbone of Europe's economy.
EESC opinion: Developing a new European strategy for the Internal Market: helping our businesses to meet technological, social, environmental and competition challenges
Panagiotis GKOFAS (Civil Society Organisations - GR III/Greece), Alena MASTANTUONO (Employers - GR I/Czech Republic), Angelo PAGLIARA (Workers - GR II/Italy)
Plenary session number
584
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EU rules on late payments have triggered a reduction in payment delays. However, still more than 60% of businesses in the EU are not paid on time and small and medium-sized enterprises are most affected. The initiative will provide relief to SMEs by revising existing EU payment rules based on available and upcoming evidence to promote a definitive shift towards a culture of “prompt payment".
EESC opinion: Revision of the late payments Directive
Milena ANGELOVA (Employers - GR I/Bulgaria), Rudolf KOLBE (Civil Society Organisations - GR III/Austria), Ferre WYCKMANS (Workers - GR II/Belgium)
Plenary session number
582
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Europea Economic and Social Committee's opinion on Modern Business Responsibility – Avenues for Elevating MSMEs Ability for Successful Transformation (own-initiative opinion).
EESC opinion: Modern Business Responsibility – Avenues for Elevating MSMEs Ability for Successful Transformation
The objective of the initiative is to ensure the digitalisation of EU company law. In particular, the initiative will aim at enhancing transparency through increased availability of company information at EU level. It should enable the cross-border use of authentic and trustworthy data about companies, also through the application of the once-only principle, and make the existing rules and procedures fit for the digital age.
EESC opinion: Company law / use of digital tools and processes
The objective of this initiative is to foster pan-European market initiatives based on instant payments, which would ensure that anyone holding a payment account in the EU could be able to receive and send an instant credit transfer from and to any other payment account in the EU, as a first step in euro and eventually in any EU currency. There should be attractive payment solutions allowing initiation and acceptance of instant payments domestically and crossborder (and in the longer-term also globally), in various circumstances, including at physical point of sale, online and between individuals.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face challenges in the area of digitalisation and access to artificial intelligence, but this segment can take great advantage of the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence.
The main objective of the opinion is to propose concrete measures which can be easily implemented in order to avoid MSMEs being “left behind” from the transition to artificial intelligence. The main issues to be addressed are: the use of new technologies to offer innovative products and services and strengthen Europe’s capacity to invest in disruptive innovations; create closer links in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) between universities and public administration, on the one hand, and businesses, in particular SMEs and micro-enterprises, on the other; support the MSMEs in recruiting and ensuring skills development for their employees to cope with the technological changes brought about by AI; facilitate the access to EU funding.
EESC opinion: Developing Artificial Intelligence in European micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)
