In this opinion, the EESC presents its view on the Commission's proposal establishing the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority. (HERA), whose mission is to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to transnational health emergencies. The EESC welcomes this initiative but is concerned by the very limited role given by HERA to the European Parliament, regional authorities, health insurance bodies and civil society organisations and recommends their stronger involvement by adapting HERA structure and ensuring greater transparency with regard to the funds allocated and spent by and through HERA.
Download — Udvalgets udtalelse: European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)
The EESC considers the five missions as high priorities for the EU and highlights that the competitiveness of Europe's industry is very important for their achievement.
At the same time, the EESC underlines the importance of considering the impact on EU citizens and encourages the Commission to strongly link activities to social policies and the European Pillar of Social Rights, taking in particular into account the special needs of elderly and vulnerable EU citizens.
The EESC strongly supports the idea of empowering 150 climate benchmark regions throughout Europe and therefore strongly recommends increasing the portion of the EU regional budgets earmarked for R&D from the current figure of 5% to a minimum of 10%.
The EESC considers following five additional challenges and missions to also be very important for Europe:
The "Reinforcing democracy and integrity of elections" package was issued by the European Commission in November 2021. The EESC was asked to address two of the three legislative components of the package: the revision of the Regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations, and a proposal for a Regulation transparency and targeting of political advertising. In this Opinion, the EESC welcomes the aims and motivation of the package but also suggests specific recommendations to make the text of the Regulations more ambitious. One of the main objectives of the Opinion is to promote conscious political participation by citizens and a role for civil society in ensuring transparent, accessible and honest political activities.
Download — Udvalgets udtalelse: Reinforcing democracy and integrity of elections package
This "Chapeau Communication" gives an overview of the different proposals of the 'Fit for 55' package as well as their linkages and explains the toolbox of policy measures chosen in order to attain an overall balance between fairness, emission reductions and competitiveness.
Download — Udvalgets udtalelse: 'Fit for 55': delivering the EU's 2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality
Waste transport can involve hazardous materials that are harmful to human health and the environment. The EU therefore has rules in place on waste shipments (Regulation 1013/2006) and the Commission intends to review the EU rules on waste shipments.
Download — Udvalgets udtalelse: Waste shipments – revision of EU rules
On 16 July 2021 the Commission adopted its proposal for a Council Recommendation on ‘A Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe' to support the implementation of national European Research Area (ERA) policies.
Download — Udvalgets udtalelse: Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe
The EU is acting on its space ambitions by addressing two pressing issues: space-based secure connectivity and Space Traffic Management. Space technology is essential to facilitating our daily lives and contributing to a more digital, green and resilient future for our planet.
The EU's Space Programme already provides valuable data and services for a wide array of daily applications, in support of transport, agriculture, crisis response or the fight against climate change, among many others.
However, the EU’s space policy needs to constantly evolve and adapt to new challenges to continue enjoying the benefits space brings to our citizens. These new proposals will help safeguard the efficiency and security of our current assets, while developing cutting-edge space technology to strengthen the European space power.
The EESC adopted unanimously in September 2020 the opinion "SME strategy". Amongst its main conclusions were the plead to the Commission to draw up a "Next Generation SME Strategy". Unfortunately, in its 2021 Work Program, the European Commission chose to commit to an update of the Industrial, but not of the SME Strategy. The objectives of this follow-up opinion are the following: present the SME position on how to channel in the best way the unprecedented financial support, coming from the MFF 2021-2027, Next Generation EU and Recovery and Resilience Facility Mechanism; identify and respond to the difficulties SMEs face when accessing the single market and generate ideas on how to use the COVID-19 crisis as a driver for change and catalyst of the transition of the SMEs towards sustainable and digital economy.
Download — Udvalgets udtalelse: Next Generation SME Strategy – Enhancing Effective and Swift Delivery
This Own-initiative Opinion analyses the structural causes that have led to the elderly care systems in general and to the nursing homes in particular, to become some of the most contagious and lethal factors of this pandemic. To this end, the different systems that exist in EU Member States are compared to learn useful lessons.
In addition, the opinion calls for the need to address the demographic transition as one of the major challenges of the twenty-first century, alongside environmental and digital transitions.
Download — Udvalgets udtalelse: Towards a New Care Model for the Elderly: learning from the Covid-19 pandemic (own-initiative opinion - Gr III)
