During the COVID-19 crisis, the EU developed a wide range of health policy responses and initiatives, while also tackling the economic fallout of the pandemic. Many difficulties were encountered, but while some of them have been addressed, longer-term solutions are needed for mitigating future health crises.
In this opinion, the EESC comments on the Commission's evaluation of the measures taken so far to fight the pandemic and on the ten lessons learnt and proposes various recommendations in the field of crisis management, health protection, social and societal aspects, economy and finance, society and technology, international relations and democratic standards.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Emerging stronger from the pandemic: acting on the early lessons learnt
This Guidance sets out the Commission’s views on how platforms and other relevant stakeholders should step up their measures to address gaps and shortcomings in the Code and create a more transparent, safe and trustworthy online environment
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Guidance / Code of practice on disinformation
The EESC strongly supports the goal of redirecting investments in such a way that they contribute to the EU's transition to a sustainable economy but calls for the social partners and civil society to be brought better on board in the design and implementation of sustainable finance. The EU green bond standard has the potential to yield significant economic benefits for both issuers and investors alike and help the green transition.
The EESC strongly supports the goal of redirecting investments in such a way that they contribute to the EU's transition to a sustainable economy but calls for the social partners and civil society to be brought better on board in the design and implementation of sustainable finance. The EU green bond standard has the potential to yield significant economic benefits for both issuers and investors alike and help the green transition.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Revision of the Regulation on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF)
This opinion will provide the civil society perspective on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. The main purposes of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) would be to discourage EU businesses from moving their production to countries with less ambitious climate change policies (carbon leakage) and to encourage a global move towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
The EU ETS was launched in 2005 and covers about 45 % of EU greenhouse gas emissions. The latest revision of the EU ETS Directive, adopted in 2018, sets the total quantity of emission allowances for phase 4 (2021-2030), in line with what was the current EU emission reduction target at the time (40 % reduction below 1990 levels by 2030).
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), including maritime transport and Market Stability Reserve
The EESC laments the severity of the money laundering phenomenon in the EU. Current European legislation is largely inadequate in the face of coordination failures and national divergences, and therefore strongly supports the Anti Money Laundering legislative package, in particular the creation and design of the new European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) with direct supervisory powers.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Anti-Money Laundering Legislative Package
Download — Information report: Benefits of extensive livestock farming and organic fertilizers in the context of the European Green Deal (EGD) (IR) (information report)
In the face of unprecedented global changes (biodiversity collapse, widespread pollution, climate change, etc.), most notably causing extreme weather events, the effects of climate change are having a direct and indirect impact on a range of human rights that are guaranteed at international and European level, such as the right to life and health, the right of access to food and drinking water, the right to property and housing, and the right to religion and culture.
Download — Information report: Environmental protection as a prerequisite for respect for fundamental rights (information report – SDO)
The own-initiative opinion aims to contribute to the Farm to Fork Strategy objective to stimulate sustainable food processing, wholesale, retail, hospitality and food services practices by providing the views and experience from organised civil society and stakeholders from across the food supply chain and by highlighting producers' good practices to increase the availability and affordability of healthy, sustainable food options.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Aligning food business strategies and operations with the SDGs for a sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery (own-initiative opinion)
By drawing on CCMI's analytical capacity on industrial change and its shaping in the industrial paradigm, the opinion will focus on the analysis of industrial transformation in a way to make it a Just Transition which is meant as beneficial for all European citizens.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Anticipation of structural and sectoral change and reshaping industrial cultures – up to new borders of recovery and resilience in the different parts of Europe (own-initiative opinion – Gr II)
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the health of Europe's citizens and its economy hard, notably its industrial production. The European companies in the sectors with high consumption of resources and energy (REIIs) were already in a precarious situation, and are now undergoing this further, unexpected, crisis.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: How REIIs (Resources and Energy Intensive Industries) can take advantage of the EU Recovery Plan in their socially acceptable transition towards de-carbonisation and digitalisation (own-initiative opinion)
In the rapid transformation process of the global industrial landscape, digitisation has assumed a fundamental strategic function. It now covers the entire cycle of the value chain of products and services and involves both large enterprises as well as small enterprises and micro enterprises. In this process, the need for flexibility and speed of adaptation often lead to the need to outsource parts of the production process to professionals who often have the position of "freelancers".
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Non-standard employment and platform cooperatives in the digital transformation of industry (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC welcomes the NRRPs as an unprecedented opportunity to drive change and trigger investments in sustainable growth and creation of quality jobs. It urges the Commission to put in place measures that guarantee structured involvement of the social partners, CSO and youth organisations in the implementation and monitoring of the NRRPs. It calls on the Member States to ensure quality and inclusive guidance and counselling for all young people in order to provide them with more information on their further education and, subsequently, on career possibilities in the context of the green and digital transition of the labour market. Close attention should be paid to the issue of mental health and psycho-social disorders, especially among young people, by reducing the stigma around mental health issues through prevention and awareness-raising work.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: How to guarantee decent work for young people and ensure the inclusion of NEETs through the proper elaboration of National Recovery Plans (own-initiative opinion)
In this opinion, the EESC underlines that volunteering involves millions of citizens in the European Union, acting out of solidarity for others, individually or within organised structures (both informal and formal). This movement requires systematic and thoughtful support, at both EU and Member State level, because its impact on social development is many times greater than the potential cost. The activity of volunteers has real economic value; in many social spheres volunteers are necessary to ensure the basic needs of citizens, including their safety; volunteers play a crucial role in implementing all the UN Sustainable Development Goals; and volunteers are present in every social and age group. The EESC therefore thinks it is unreasonable to limit EU-level and EU-funded volunteer support programmes to just young people.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Volunteers – Citizens building the future of Europe (own-initiative opinion)
In its opinion, the EESC highlights that one of the main challenges the retail sector is facing is the lack of an online level playing field with third-country traders. It agrees that a solid ambitious digital policy for the retail sector is needed in Europe to take advantage of the opportunities that the digital innovation offers for enhancing Europe’s competitiveness. The EESC also believes that for the retail sector, taking on board the green transition provides an opportunity for the retail sector to help consumers make more sustainable choices in their consumption.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Digital transformation opportunities for retail companies and its advantages for European consumers (own-initiative opinion – Gr I)
