The EESC underlines how important it is for other European policies – in addition to climate and environmental policies – to take account of Arctic issues. This applies in particular to EU's structural policy, the common agricultural policy, fisheries policy and maritime policy.
The Committee also stresses the need to ensure that the local population in the Arctic can benefit from the opportunities offered by sustainable economic and social development, which are very often brought about by improved physical and non-physical means of communication. Therefore, the preservation of Arctic regions and the fight against climate change must not be undertaken without consideration for its inhabitants or in a way that is detrimental to them. The EESC calls for civil society to be able to play an active role in promoting the interests and concerns of people who live there.
The emergence of a decentralised digital economy suggests that this could lead to a transformation in setting up businesses, jobs, production, consumption, governance. In view of this and in answer to the Commission's Communication on a new agenda for the collaborative economy, the EESC proposes a series of recommendations to face this new paradigm.
On the request of the Commission, this Information Report evaluates the perception and experience of EU civil society organisations (CSO) in the implementation of EU Consumer and Marketing Law. The information gathered and the interesting solutions proposed are the result of questionnaire responses, five fact-finding missions (Athens, Vilnius, Paris, Lisbon, Brussels) and an Expert Hearing.
Download — Information report: EU Consumer and Marketing law
On the request of the Commission, this Information Report evaluates the perception and experience of EU civil society organisations (CSO) in the implementation of the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU). The information gathered and the interesting solutions proposed are the result of questionnaire responses, five fact-finding missions (Riga, Rome, Warsaw, Madrid, Brussels) and an Expert Hearing.
Download — Information report: Consumer Rights Directive
The EESC is in favour of the Commission's proposal which introduces a new approach to safety rules, based on risk assessment and performance.The EESC also supports the proposal to give EASA greater responsibility for security, in cooperation and in agreement with the Member States.The successful implementation of these changes in working methods and culture require adequate resources and a transparent and inclusive approach.
"Nudges" are small, cheap, easily implemented solutions drawing from behavioural sciences to help people modify their individual behaviours. They consist in inducing towards the most reasonable or responsible option, without forbidding anything, through soft cognitive signals in a wide range of fields, including sustainability. This opinion looks at how to encourage nudging approaches at the European level.
Download — EESC opinion: Towards applying Nudge Thinking to EU Policies (own-initiative opinion)
Nygren (Workers-Group II - Sweden) & Drbalová (Employers-Group I - Czech Republic)
Plenary session number
521
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The EESC opinion on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive was adopted with 180 votes in favour, 84 against and 30 abstentions. A counter opinion on the same subject was put forward and not carried, receiving 94 for, 175 against and 23 abstentions.
In its opinion, the EESC supports in principle the Commission's proposed recast of the Posting of Workers Directive. The principle of equal pay for equal work in the same place is the cornerstone of the pillar of social rights in Europe.
Download — EESC opinion: Revision of the Posting of Workers Directive
The Committee considers transparency essential as it is important for all parties, for the companies themselves, and for improving their image and boosting the trust of workers, consumers and investors. While the EESC recognises that most companies operating in the EU are indeed transparent and that investors and shareholders are increasingly paying attention to qualitative corporate social responsibility (CSR) indicators, it is important to focus simultaneously on both the effectiveness and scope of the information being filed and on its quality and veracity. The EESC believes that any further initiative on disclosure of information should include a common set of indicators and at the same time should take into consideration the nature of the company and the sector in which it is operating.
Download — EESC opinion: An appropriate framework for the transparency of companies (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC encourages the Commission to pursue its efforts to develop policy proposals aimed at promoting the creation of innovative and high growth firms. These policy proposals should strengthen the single market, reinforce the clusters and ecosystems in which innovative start-ups are created, develop the equity component of the European capital markets, encourage an academic agenda focusing on jobs for the future and minimise the cost and red tape involved in starting a new entrepreneurial venture.
Download — EESC opinion: Promoting innovative and high growth firms (own-initiative opinion)
The opinion welcomes the revision of the Blue Card, since it makes the card more attractive as a way of entering the EU.
However, the Committee considers that Commission's proposal to replace parallel national schemes with a single EU-wide scheme goes too far, and prefers that Member States maintain their own routes for admitting highly qualified workers alongside the EU Blue Card.
The opinion agrees with the measures to facilitate granting of the card, but expresses scepticism about the application of lower salary thresholds.
Finally the opinion recalls that equal opportunities and non-discrimination must be guaranteed in the employing of third-county nationals and that close involvement of national and European social partners is needed in this field.
Download — EESC opinion: Towards a coherent EU labour immigration policy with regard to the EU Blue Card
In this opinion, the EESC calls for society to begin an economic transition from over-exploitation of resources and a throw-away culture to a more sustainable, job-rich era, based on quality rather than quantity. In order to cope with the fundamental shift to a new economic model with major systemic consequences in many areas, it is recommended that a new cross-cutting and permanent body be set up in the EESC to analyse these developments.
Download — EESC opinion: The functional economy (own-initiative opinion)
Europe has always played a key role in the innovation and development of personal care, body hygiene and beauty products. However its leading position has progressively been eroded in the process of global competition. While the innovative capacity of Europe’s specialised enterprises is very impressive, the production and commercialisation of European inventions have shifted to other parts of the world with serious economic and social consequences for Europe in terms of benefits, labour opportunities and incentives for research and development. To strengthen this particular branch of industry by appropriate strategies will lead to a major contribution to industrial reshoring and industrial development.
Download — EESC opinion: Strengthening European personal care, hygiene and cosmetic products industries
The EESC believes that the fight against terrorism and its financing and efforts to combat money laundering and other related forms of economic crime should be permanent EU policy priorities. These efforts should be linked more closely with the efforts needed to combat tax fraud and tax avoidance. Therefore, the EESC considers creating public national registers of the beneficial owners of bank accounts, businesses, trusts and transactions, and access to them by obliged entities, to be a priority. Furthermore, all obligations laid down in the Anti Money Laundering Directive should be extended to all territories or jurisdictions whose sovereignty resides with the Member States. And free trade and economic partnership agreements should include a chapter on measures to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing, tax fraud and tax avoidance.
Presentation "Access to Anti-money laundering informations"
The EESC believes that the fight against terrorism and its financing and efforts to combat money laundering and other related forms of economic crime should be permanent EU policy priorities. These efforts should be linked more closely with the efforts needed to combat tax fraud and tax avoidance. Therefore, the EESC considers creating public national registers of the beneficial owners of bank accounts, businesses, trusts and transactions, and access to them by obliged entities, to be a priority. Furthermore, all obligations laid down in the Anti Money Laundering Directive should be extended to all territories or jurisdictions whose sovereignty resides with the Member States. And free trade and economic partnership agreements should include a chapter on measures to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing, tax fraud and tax avoidance.
Presentation "Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 2015/849"
While supporting the pilot project to set up a financial expertise centre for consumers and end-users of financial services, the EESC feels it would be useful to call for a number of conditions to be met: legitimacy, financial independence, transparency and accountability, public visibility, as well as balance between financial sector professionals and users.
Download — EESC opinion: Involvement of consumers and other financial services end-users in Union policy making in the field of financial services (2017-2020)
The EESC welcomes the 2015 Report and considers it fundamental to have a competition policy that ensures a level playing field in all sectors. Imports based on unfair competition constitute a danger to European businesses. Anti-dumping measures are essential to save jobs and protect the economy.
For the EESC it is essential that the Commission take further action to ensure that all e-retailers and consumers, and particularly individuals and SMEs in remote areas, can finally benefit from cross-border parcel delivery services that are accessible, high quality and affordable, fearing that the proposed measures not be enough and do little to encourage the cross-border parcel delivery services concerned to charge reasonable tariffs. Therefore the EESC regrets that the Commission is shelving any more stringent measures until the end of 2018, calling on the Commission to take the same approach it took to roaming charges in mobile communications.
The CPC Regulation harmonises the cooperation framework between national authorities in the EU so that their enforcement action can cover the full dimension of the Single Market. The primary aim of the CPC Regulation is to ensure legal certainty in the Single Market via coherent enforcement of key Union consumer acquis. The EESC supports this proposal, considering it to be timely and its content to be well-argued and developed by applying the proposal to all stakeholders - consumers, businesses and national authorities and calling on the Commission to launch the coordination with the Member States needed to implement the measures and to extend the scope of the coordinated actions.
