The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) believes that the prospect of a European circular economy should bring a major boost to the systemic competitiveness of the EU, a driver for growth and a generator of new green jobs and skills.
Download — EESC opinion: The circular economy: job creation and the Green Action Plan for SMEs
The Committee welcomes the two communications and the package of amendments to the waste directives and supports the campaign to make all businesses and consumers aware of the need to phase out the current linear economic model of "take, make, consume and dispose" .
The main policy objective is to reduce the level of IPR infringements outside the EU – which detrimentally affect EU right holders – while better tailoring our action so as to also take account of specific challenges and needs of for example developing countries.
Download — Strategy for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in third countries
Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union (codification)
Download — Protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union
Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain procedures for applying the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Montenegro, of the other part (codification)
Download — Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Montenegro, of the other part
Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the measures that the Union may take following a report adopted by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body concerning anti-dumping and anti-subsidy matters (codification)
Download — Measures concerning anti-dumping and anti-subsidy matters
Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down Union procedures in the field of the common commercial policy in order to ensure the exercise of the Union’s rights under international trade rules, in particular those established under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (codification)
Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for imports of textile products from certain third countries not covered by bilateral agreements, protocols or other arrangements, or by other specific Union import rules (recast)
Download — Common rules for imports of textile products from certain third countries
Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for imports from certain third countries (recast)
Download — Common rules for imports from certain third countries
Draft Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the safeguard measures provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Iceland (codification)
Download — Safeguard measures provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Iceland
The EESC welcomes the Commission Communication on "European film in the digital era – Bridging cultural diversity and competitiveness" (COM(2014) 272 final), and emphasises that there needs to be an appropriate balance between the audio-visual sector's value in a business and commercial sense and its value to Europe from a cultural heritage perspective. Intrinsically these two aspects cannot be dealt with separately.
It is high time that one or more innovative business models for the sector be openly discussed with a view to taking up opportunities existing within the digital world. The EESC therefore encourages the sector, the Commission and also national governments to be open and willing to discuss and promote such business models.
One common rule to apply in all Member States can be much simpler and more efficient than a complex web of varying rules. However, the challenge is to keep this legislation simple by making use of withdrawals, amendments and repeals.
