Konstantinos DIAMANTOUROS (Employers - GR I/Greece), Javier DOZ ORRIT (Workers - GR II/Spain), Luca JAHIER (Civil Society Organisations - GR III/Italy)
Plenary session number
596
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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.
Ongoing (updated on 16/06/2020) - Bureau decision date: 28/05/2020
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)
The evaluation report contributed to the mid-term evaluation of the Digital Europe Programme by assessing its implementation in two key capacity areas, namely advanced digital skills, and ensuring a wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society through Digital Innovation Hubs. The evaluation was carried out in accordance with 3 main criteria (effectiveness, relevance, inclusion of civil society and its added value), by collecting and analysing contributions of stakeholders from 5 different Member States.
Download — Evaluation of the Digital Europe Programme
Horizon 2020 was the EU's research and innovation funding programme for 2014-2020, with a budget of nearly €80 billion. The Commission intends to evaluate this programme in order to improve the implementation of current EU research and innovation measures and the design of future measures. It also fulfils the Commission’s legal obligation to explain how it has spent public funds (Article 32 of Regulation 1291/2013).
The EESC highlights the potential of Euro-Mediterranean trade to contribute to sustainable development in the Euro-Mediterranean area and consequently encourages and supports the modernisation and extension of the bilateral Free Trade Agreements included in the eight Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements. The EESC considers that the post COVID-19 recovery provides a momentum for such a modernisation, especially as regards capitalising on the potential benefits of a reconfiguration of global value chains in favour of the Euro-Mediterranean area and in line with the new EU trade policy. In that context, the EESC thinks that a fresh impetus is necessary to relaunch the negotiations on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTAs) with Morocco and Tunisia, as well as discussions with Egypt and Jordan.
Download — Information report: Trade relations between the EU and its Southern Mediterranean partners and their potential impact on sustainable development (information report)
The EESC welcomes the Commission's current efforts to analyse and possibly improve the performance of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC as part of its regulatory fitness and performance (REFIT) programme. The EESC consider that the Machinery Directive is a very important and successful instrument for European industry, and its basic approach must be left unchanged. While EESC agree some changes are needed, massive changes of the Machinery Directive, in particular to the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) in Annex I, would have a deep negative impact on the work of developing needed harmonised standards and must be avoided.
Download — Information report: Revision of the Machinery Directive
