Since the COVID-19 pandemic, health has become a central topic on the geopolitical stage. The EU Global Health Strategy, launched at the end of 2022, shows the political path forward, guiding the EU’s role in advancing health for all beyond 2023. This own-initiative opinion will examine four key dimensions: strategic autonomy in health; structural trends in health and related sectors; health coordination; and security, defence and the mitigation of major shocks.
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT, 1998) is a multilateral trade and investment agreement applicable to the energy sector. Eleven Member States and the UK, representing more than 70% of the European population, have already decided to exit the ECT. The ECT is the most used investment treaty by multinational corporations to sue countries and the number of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) cases is rising each year. As long as the EU is still a member of the ECT, even the EU Member States that have already left the ECT can still be sued for pursuing EU policies.
The proposed decision aims to codify the interpretation of the European Court of Justice that the ECT does not apply to disputes between a Member State and an investor of another Member State concerning an investment made by the latter in the first Member State.
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.
The EESC stresses the urgent need to adapt strategies for work-life balance taking into consideration the shifting demographics, new forms of work, flexible working arrangements and rising care demands, also in view of the 2027 revision of the Directive (EU) 2019/1158 on work-life balance for parents and carers. While looking at the increased demand for care services, it recommends the Council asks the Commission to develop a Care Toolbox with indicators for long-term care. Highlights that despite some progress, women still bear most unpaid care work, contributing to the “feminisation of poverty” as women leave their jobs or reduce their working hours to care for relatives or children. Stresses that care work and financial security of families and workers should be seen as an investment benefiting society and the economy and not as an expense.
Download — Γνωμοδότηση της ΕΟΚΕ: Ensuring a needs-based work-life balance for all: How adequate flexible working conditions can support intergenerational solidarity and the empowerment of women
The opinion looks into the opportunities and risks from new technologies for public services, which are taken to mean the activities or services that public authorities of the Member States at national, regional or local level classify as being of general interest.
The EESC considers that AI can make public services more efficient and more accessible, in particular to the most vulnerable people in society. It can also reduce workload for public services' workers and it should be borne in mind that these services are provided by human beings, at their own pace, in their own time and with their own requirements.
Download — Γνωμοδότηση της ΕΟΚΕ: Fostering opportunities and managing risks from new technologies for public services, the organisation of work and more equal and inclusive societies
Member States should facilitate inclusive engagement, openness and transparency with civil society in all areas of RWM. Available funding should be used to increase the capacity of civil society groups, particularly local communities close to nuclear installations, to participate independently in projects and studies to assess participation and transparency practices in RWM. Member States shall assume all their responsibilities so as not to leave future generations with the burden of processing nuclear waste, whatever its nature, lifespan and hazard level. The development of shared solutions, including but not limited to multinational radioactive waste repositories, could be of interest to some EU Member States, particularly countries with small or medium-sized inventories.
In this opinion, the EESC is calling on the Commission to launch a comprehensive European Action Plan on Rare Diseases (APRD) with SMART targets that can be achieved by 2030 to enable the diagnosis of rare disease patients within one year. Such plan should be accompanied by the allocation of appropriate budgetary resources and identify common and measurable goals to help define and implement national plans and strategies for RD, encourage Member States and continue cooperation at EU level.
Ensuring adequate social protection is key to decent work. To secure a sustainable future for the EU with a strong economy and social dimension, in this opinion the EESC advocates improving social protection for all workers, including those in atypical or new forms of work, including under comparable conditions, for the self-employed, to provide sufficient benefits for all. This would help reduce inequalities, as well as the gender gap in social protection. While this is primarily a national responsibility, the EESC urges the EU to support Member States in addressing protection gaps for atypical work, without undermining the flexibility it offers to workers and employers. Finally, the EESC encourages Member States to share best practices and calls on the Commission to promote mutual learning with social partner organisations.
