This own-initiative opinion stems from the European Commission call for an "Industry 5.0" based on: human centricity, sustainability and resilience. Industry 5.0 aims thus at broadening the previous concept of Industry 4.0, providing a transformative vision for a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry. This opinion will reflect on how to concretely implement the concept of Industry 5.0.
This opinion is part of the EESC pilot "Enlargement Candidate Members (ECM)" where representatives from Turkey will take part in the study groups an in the Section meeting. The Turkish representatives are: Özgür Burak Akkol (Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK), for Group I), Cavit Demiral (Confederation of Turkish Real Trade for Group II) and Ayşe Yürekli (Women Entrepreneurs Association of Türkiye, for Group III).
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Industry 5.0 – how to make it happen
The proposed opinion aims to have a constructive influence on policymakers, especially on EU level, providing an objective analysis of the issues at hand and presenting concrete suggestions that may inform legislative action. It will provide insights and recommendations for the development of an effective waste treatment, resource management and circularity measures across the Union in a way that reflects the views and concerns of the social partners, industry and CSOs on this issue.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: From waste plants to resource plants
Climate change is an existential threat for the European economy. Therefore, a comprehensive approach is needed. In this context, based on the empirical and data analyses related to the impact of climate change on the real economy, macroeconomic and financial stability is essential. As things currently stand, intensified natural disasters will lead to unprecedented costs that will have an unpredictable impact on public finance.
The European economy is currently on a downward trend. This will lead to lower revenue and, at the same time, higher demand for spending – mainly related to the costs of climate change, higher borrowing costs and negative trends in demographic development.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Climate change and its impact on the economy
The need for open and transparent budgetary processes has never been more critical. The multiannual financial framework (MFF) emerges as a crucial tool for aligning financial resources with the Union's long-term priorities. The EESC has highlighted significant gaps in the current MFF, including its limited scope in addressing contemporary challenges such as Europe's aging population and strained budgets due to inflation.
The EESC therefore explores a paradigm shift towards Open budgets in the EU –a framework that encompasses not only participatory budgeting but a broader spectrum of fiscal transparency and citizen engagement across all stages of the budget cycle. This approach is aimed at enhancing the responsiveness and effectiveness of EU budget allocations, thereby fostering a more resilient, inclusive, and democratic European economy.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Enhancing Fiscal Transparency through Participatory Budgeting in the EU
Public Procurement was better framed in successive EU regulations and, with a view to more accessible and transparent access to it, the procedures were formulated in a more supportive manner. Its importance will continue to increase, both at a national level in the Member States and at a more local level.
Several challenges remain Particularly at the national level, the size and volume play to the advantage of larger companies that can rely on experience and expertise when drawing up files. At a more local level, there are opportunities for MSMEs and, even more specifically, for companies in the social economy. These opportunities require active attention and guidance from both the requesting and offering parties.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: The potential of Public Procurement for Social Economy enterprises
The exploratory opinion requested by the Commission and by the Presidency of the Council of the EU focuses on general-purpose AI models (GPAI), their use by institutions, bodies and businesses and the impact they have. Based on the consultations and opinion´s findings, the EESC believes that to be competitive in GPAI, Europe must invest in secure connectivity and backbone infrastructure as well as in a resilient supply chain to ensure that generative AI can be harnessed for European players and aligned with Europe´s values and needs. A coordinated European and national investment in innovation is needed, and the tools of competition policy need to be mobilised in order to combat a market concentration dominated by large, often non-European, digital companies.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: General-purpose AI: way forward after the AI Act
The evaluation report contributed to the mid-term evaluation of the Digital Europe Programme by assessing its implementation in two key capacity areas, namely advanced digital skills, and ensuring a wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society through Digital Innovation Hubs. The evaluation was carried out in accordance with 3 main criteria (effectiveness, relevance, inclusion of civil society and its added value), by collecting and analysing contributions of stakeholders from 5 different Member States.
Download — Evaluation of the Digital Europe Programme
The general objective of the 2014-2020 Consumer Programme was to ensure a high level of consumer protection, to empower consumers and to place the consumer at the heart of the internal market, within the framework of an overall EU strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Download — Final evaluation of the Consumer Programme (2014-2020)
The European Union’s ambitious climate targets have significantly impacted resource and energy-intensive industries (REIIs), which are crucial to the EU economy. These industries face rising costs due to high energy prices, carbon pricing, and regulatory changes. This opinion reflects on the optimal solutions to maintain the competitiveness of EU industry in face if the rising energy prices and the costs required to support the transition towards a low-carbon economy. The EU Youth Test at the EESC was applied to this opinion.
Приети on 18/09/2024 - Bureau decision date: 17/09/2024
The EESC supports fostering joint programmes among higher education institutions within and beyond European University Alliance projects, ensuring quality assurance and including all relevant stakeholdersin their implementation. It emphasises the need for broad collaboration among stakeholders to effectively implement the initiatives, particularly highlighting the fundamental values of student and staff participation following the Bologna Process. The EESC calls for the involvement of relevant labour market stakeholders in defining study programmes that have particular relevance to the labour market. It emphasises the need for adequate resources to implement these initiatives effectively.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: A joint European degree
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) was asked by the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU to produce an exploratory opinion on paving the way to EU accession for the Western Balkans, underlining the benefits of the future enlargement to the region from a holistic point of view.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Paving the way to EU accession for the Western Balkans
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Ensuring equal opportunities and social inclusion in access to culture, lifelong learning and the role of public cultural institutions in this process
This opinion presents recommendations on ways to help persons with disabilities enter the open labour market and better implement the aims highlighted in the Disability Employment Package. It focuses on two topics: the social integration, complex rehabilitation and occupational rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and changed working capacity; and a EU-level reflection around the need for reasonable accommodation.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Promoting the social integration of persons with disabilities and persons with changed working capacity
The well-functioning Single Market is a main asset of the EU. It is clearly the quality of the overall legislative framework that matters for businesses when making investment decisions, being a key competitiveness factor.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Sectoral initiatives and overall competitiveness of the EU
This is an exploratory opinion requested by the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: The results and experiences of efforts to close the innovation gap in the EU in the light of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programme
Exploratory opinion requested by the Hungarian presidency on the policy measures and framework needed to support the EU industry to transform and decarbonize.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: What EU policies are needed for enterprises/business to become competitive in a fair, sustainable, stronger and more resilient way to realize the European Green Deal
The European Green Deal set the path for a critical transition related to climate and circularity. The current transformation change concerns all sectors of economy, mainly transport, energy, industry and agriculture. It is critical to ensure a synergetic approach between the goals of the Green Deal and other important EU goals, such as innovation, competitiveness and access to critical raw materials. A better understanding of how the different EU adopted legislative acts interact with each other is needed. Moreover, the Green Deal legislation should also reflect the current economic and political situation in which we are living.
The own initiative opinion aims at identifying acts and particular measures stemming from the Green Deal that need a recalibration in order to avoid any contradictions, damage to the environment, consumer health and EU competitiveness.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: How to recalibrate the Green Deal that it fits for purpose
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest – impact on climate change and the global environment; consequences for companies, workers and population
The EESC underlines that youth participation mechanisms need to be transparent and that the interests and concerns of young people need to be considered at each stage of the policy-making cycle. It proposes that guidelines are set up to support the monitoring and dissemination of the EUYD (EU Youth Dialogue) outcomes and impact and that an online repository be set up where collected documents would be made available. It calls on the Commission and the Member States to support long-term, sustainable and well-functioning management of the EUYD, including the establishment of institutional memory and capacity building processes.
Download — Становище на ЕИСК: Strengthening the EU Youth Dialogue follow-up via monitoring and transparency guidelines
