Euroopan talous- ja sosiaalikomitea
Corruption and the lack of rule of law undermine the mutual trust that is underpinning the internal market. This opinion should contribute to bringing attention to how challenges to the rule of law affect the internal market and in particular public procurement.
The main objective of this opinion is to deliver, eight years after its official launch, an EESC assessment of the state of play of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a soft-power tool through which China has assumed a new strategic geopolitical position on the world chessboard. In this context, the EESC needs to investigate what impact the BRI can have on the EU's policies such as twin transition, open strategic autonomy, access to critical technologies and critical raw materials, security and defence, TEN-T network, foreign direct investments, EU screening, etc.
Geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe with the unprovoked war in Ukraine, and various conflict cases that poses severe risks to peace and derails European direction towards economic and political integration, are calling for more efficient coordination and common long-term action in European Union in the field of defence cooperation.
Climate diplomacy frames climate change as an external action policy topic and highlights the need to integrate climate objectives and address climate related risks at the highest diplomatic level and across all policy areas. Through this opinion we build on our previous work in this area and also explore practical aspects of the EU climate diplomacy.
The Mediterranean region is strongly exposed to climate change and faces fast-rising temperatures, water scarcity and coastal erosion. Energy transition plays an important role in climate change mitigation on both shores of the Mediterranean.