The EESC echoes the European Parliament's call to phase out all investor schemes and recommends that until then certain mitigation measures are put in place. Member States should be urged to apply a due diligence process without specific duration restrictions and adapted to the high-risk profile of applicants. A coordination mechanism should allow Member States to exchange information on successful and rejected applications for citizenship and residence permits. All agents and intermediaries providing services to applicants should be subject to anti-money-laundering rules as set out in the Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive. The EU should encourage all agents providing services to applicants to be accredited and subject to a code of conduct. Authorities should maintain primary responsibility for accepting or rejecting applicants. Authorities must also maintain a set of measures to avoid conflicts of interest or bribery risks.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Investor Citizenship and Residence Schemes in the European Union
Blockchain technology contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), empowers citizens, boosts entrepreneurship and innovation, improves mobility and cross-border opportunities for businesses while enhancing transparency for consumers. However, several challenges still remain to be addressed, in particular the urgent matter of providing legal clarity and certainty and protecting privacy.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Blockchain and the EU Single Market: what next? (own-initiative opinion)
The evaluation will take a broader perspective than the young farmers’ payments under the first pillar of the CAP and the measures for young farmers under Pillar II of the CAP.
Technical appendix - Evaluation of the Impact of the CAP on Generational Renewal
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: The role of the EU's trade and investment policies in enhancing the EU's economic performance (own-initiative opinion)
In this exploratory opinion, prepared at the request of the European Commission, the EESC provides its contribution to how environmental laws could be better supported at EU and national level and suggest ways to enhance the role of civil society in the framework of the EIR process.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: A more constructive role for civil society in implementing environmental law (Exploratory opinion at the request of the European Commission)
The Commission launched a debate on an enhanced use of qualified majority voting (QMV) in social policy to render decision-making more flexible and efficient. The EESC supports the transition to QMV in the areas of non-discrimination, social security and protection of workers, as well as for employment conditions of third-country nationals.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: More efficient decision-making in social policy: Identification of areas for an enhanced move to qualified majority voting
The EESC welcomes the proposal to use the passerelle clauses to establish a qualified majority in the Council and a co-decision system with the European Parliament. In this new set-up, the EESC could play an important role in supporting the trilogue and should be involved.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: New institutional framework for energy and climate policy by 2025
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Summary of the costs and benefits of Investments in occupational safety and health (OSH) (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Finnish Presidency)
2019 is the year we are celebrating the ten-year anniversary of a real and living partnership – the Eastern Partnership (EaP). Over the last decade this partnership has gone through its share of difficulties. Yet, it not only endured - it developed, matured and delivered beyond what we foresaw at the beginning.
Thus after 10 years of EaP policy, it is crucial to properly evaluate the achievements and aims and reflect on the next possible steps. It is important to ensure that EaP policy connects countries and people and covers a broad area of issues, including supporting civil society, pluralism and independent media, as well as ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination. As it is likely that the policy will change its course from a one-size-fits-all to a tailor-made approach, it will be crucial to ensure that those wanting to get closer to the EU have this opportunity, adapted to their ambitions and pace.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: 10 years of Eastern Partnership: reflecting on achievements and shaping the future policy of the EaP
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Proposal for a regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 1309/2013 on the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020)
With this opinion the EESC wishes to highlight the scale of Dieselgate and regrets that the Commission was not able to anticipate these events by means of effective measures from the outset. The EESC further considers that the solution put forward in this proposal should not be limited to dealing with an issue of form, without genuinely serving the applicants' interests. Lastly the EESC also fears that, by empowering the Commission to issue delegated acts under the terms it sets out, the proposal would undermine not only the effectiveness of the legislation but also the intentions of the legislator when establishing these delegated act.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Motor vehicles - emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles - repair and maintenance information (amendment)
The EESC would like a vigorous SME-friendly initiative (Act Small First) to be implemented with a view to achieving this objective, and calls for the Think small first principle and the SME test to be evaluated. The goal here will be to make these tools more effective and to design SME-compatible legislation so that SMEs can develop within the single market on the basis of complete legal certainty...
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Better Regulation stocktaking (Communication)
In this opinion, the EESC notes that the measures taken by the EU Member States to address the challenge of an ageing workforce remain isolated and their impact has not been gauged. Therefore, the EESC highlights the need for comprehensive strategies, to deal with the demographic and employment challenges in a holistically manner.
The Committee also issues concrete recommendations to encourage longer active working lives.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: The changing world of work and the longevity/ageing population - The preconditions for ageing workers to stay active in the new world of work (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Finnish Presidency)
