The rule of law is one of the common values on which the European Union is founded. European Commission’s rule of law mechanism has so far only examined compliance with the rule of law in the member states in only four areas, but unfortunately not as a prerequisite for economic activity or as a location factor. The own-initiative opinion on the economic dimension of the Rule of Law looks for examples of protectionism and the implementation of discriminatory measures against foreign investors in some member states as non-compliance and circumvention of European regulations leading to enormous distortions of competition for companies operating in the internal market. The economic dimension of the rule of law is not adequately reflected in the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report, which is why the EESC advocates the inclusion of a fifth pillar.
This own-initiative opinion will examine the impact of single market fragmentation on the cost of living and competitiveness and look into successful EU initiatives to tackle such issues. It will aim at proposing possible solutions, with particular attention to consumer protection, to the cost-of-living crisis.
The opinion focuses on the legislative proposal for the establishment of a single digital declaration portal for companies providing services and temporarily sending workers to another Member State, known as ‘posted workers'.
Information Report ECO/651 and Own-initiative opinion ECO/652 are a continuation of the European Semester Group's (ESG) work to consult annually national economic and social councils, social partners and civil society organisations from EU Member States on reform and investment proposals made in the context of the European Semester and their implementation in the Member States. The Information Report aims to collect the views of social partners and civil society organisations in the Member States on the reform and investment proposals and their implementation, in particular those indicated in the 2024 Country-Specific Recommendations. The Own-initiative opinion aims to complement the Information Report and to include the EESC's policy recommendations based on the results of the stakeholder consultation. It allows the EESC to formulate general and specific considerations, and to present the associated EESC's conclusions and policy proposals.
Download — Information report: The point of view of organised civil society in the EU Member States on national reform and investment proposals and their implementation (2024-2025 European Semester cycle)
Download — Evaluation of Directive (EU) 2019/633 of 17 April 2019 on unfair trading practices in B2B relationships in the agricultural and food supply chain (Incl. Mapping of national UTP legislation)
