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Exploratory opinions

27/06/2023

• Democracy at work (SOC/746)
  Democracy at work should cover all workers, types of work, workplaces (also platform workers). It makes companies more resilient, economically successful and better able to deliver on employment and decent work. Ensuring more democracy at work relies on cooperation of all stakeholders.
• Precarious work and mental health (SOC/745)
  In this opinion, the EESC explores the consequences of precarious working conditions on the mental health of workers.
• Social Imbalances Procedures (SOC/748)
  This opinion underlines that the Social Imbalances Procedure (SIP) would offer an opportunity to improve the coordination of national efforts to achieve upward social convergence. It recommends that the SIP should be integrated into the European Semester, throughout its different phases.
• Green collective bargaining (SOC/747)
  Businesses and workers must have proper channels for participating in efforts to support environmental protection and combat climate change. While respecting the role of national industrial relations systems and the autonomy of the social partners, the EESC considers that issues related to the green transition could be a stronger focus of collective bargaining at the appropriate levels. 
• Measures to fight stigma against HIV (SOC/758)
  This opinion welcomes the Spanish Presidency's initiative of setting the goal to eliminate HIV related stigma and discrimination in Europe by 2030. It is essential to promote awareness-raising, training and information actions, involving organised civil society, youth and student organisations.
• Cooperation on youth (SOC/759)
  The EESC underlines the importance of having accurate, up-to-date data in order to monitor and evaluate the impact of policies on youth and to define good practices which address young people. The EU Youth Dialogue should be strengthened, involve bodies representing young people meaningfully throughout the policymaking process.
• Social Progress Protocol (SOC/756)
  The EESC agrees with the proposal in the final report of the Conference on the Future of Europe (May 2022) and the resolution of the European Parliament (June 2022), to add a social progress protocol (SPP) to the Treaties. This would help ensure that fundamental social rights are effectively protected in the event of conflict with economic freedoms.
• Measures to improve mental health (SOC/760)
  The opinion reflects on the need to draw up a new European strategy for mental health (as proposed by the Spanish presidency), including specific recommendations for the Member States.
• Monitoring the EU's extraordinary measures and resilience in the field of energy (TEN/799)
  The Russian aggression against Ukraine has altered the global energy system, pushed up energy prices, increased energy safety concerns, and revealed the excessive dependence of the EU on Russian gas, oil and coal. The measures adopted by the EU have proven to be effective. The EU has to rethink its approach towards the suppliers of strategic resources, go back to the internal market and strengthen the European industry based on critical resources.
• Measures to reduce child obesity (NAT/890)
  This opinion provides an opportunity to follow up on the EESC work on sustainable food systems, address the causes of obesity as the social determinant of health and provide recommendations for promoting healthier and sustainable diets, healthy lifestyle habits and protection of vulnerable children to feed into the work of the Spanish presidency.
• The decarbonisation of European industry and the role of innovation and digitalisation in driving it (CCMI/207)
  This opinion reflects on how to support the initiatives Spain will undertake to decarbonate the European industrial sector, focusing especially on the leverage role of digitalisation and innovation in this process.
• European Strategy for Older persons (SOC/757)
  The opinion analyses the social, demographic and economic impact of ageing of the population and presents recommendations for a European Strategy for Older Persons.
• Decarbonisation of the fishing fleet  (NAT/895)
  Fisheries in the EU are a fundamental activity for the food supply to the population. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has further highlighted the vulnerability of the sector to energy price fluctuations. Energy transition is essential, not only in environmental terms, but also to increase the adaptability of the fisheries sector.
• Advertising through influencers and its impact on consumers (INT/1026)
  The opinion looks into advertising through influencers and its impact on consumers. Influencers as content creators with large numbers of followers on social networks have a crucial impact on consumer behaviour and, inter alia, on consumer decisions.
• A digital euro and the scope and effects of the legal tender status of banknotes and coins (ECO/616)
  The opinion provides the EESC's assessment on the Commission legislative proposals that are meant to lay down the principles of a digital euro and to regulate the meaning of euro cash (banknotes and coins) as legal tender in EU legislation. 
• The Recovery and Resilience Facility and cohesion policy: towards cohesion policy 2.0 (ECO/621)
  The focus of current informal discussions in the Council is on how cohesion policy can adjust to the new circumstances following the unforeseen shocks that Europe has faced in the last years without losing its long-term development goals. The Spanish Presidency refers to "Cohesion policy 2.0", which means that cohesion policy needs to be transformed and become more modern and flexible. 
• Competitiveness and Industry (INT/1033)
  This opinion was requested by the Spanish presidency of the EU with the aim of carrying out a thorough health check on the effect of EU policies on the competitiveness of European industry.
• EU and Agenda 2030: strengthening the implementation of the SDGs (NAT/903)
  The Spanish Presidency has requested this exploratory opinion to take stock of the progress achieved on the Agenda 2030 to identify any outstanding challenges and put forward recommendations on how to enhance the impact of European policies on achieving the 2030 Agenda, both within and beyond the EU. 
• Review of the Bank crisis management and deposit insurance framework (ECO/608)
  This mandatory opinion covers the requirement of the Spanish Presidency and the legislative package of the European Commission on the topic. The review is a step towards the completion of the Banking Union. It focuses on medium-sized and smaller banks, with the intention of extending the scope of resolution, increasing the protection to depositors, and, ultimately, protecting taxpayers.