On 12 June 2014, the Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council codifying Council Regulation (EC) No 673/2005 of 25 April 2005 establishing additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the United States of America.
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: Imports of certain products originating in the United States of America (codification)
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: Financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2004/37/EC on the Protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work
In September 2015 world leaders adopted the UN agenda Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, establishing a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet, ensure protection of human rights and guarantee prosperity for all. As an initial step the Commission is carrying out an internal "mapping" exercise in order to identify which existing EU policies already address the challenges set by the SDGs. The Commission has asked the Committee to contribute to that process with the present exploratory opinion.
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: Sustainable development: a mapping of the EU's internal and external policies
(exploratory opinion requested by the European Commission)
The EESC supports and endorses the Commission's strategic choice of an open European computing cloud geared to the scientific community, as part of a strong political and economic commitment to digital innovation. The EESC proposes a European cloud open to all citizens and businesses.
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: European Cloud Initiative – Building a competitive data and knowledge economy in Europe
The PINC (the nuclear illustrative programme) does not offer a clear and comprehensive approach to how the complex future of nuclear power in the European energy mix can be strategically addressed. The Committee urges the Commission to propose a clear analytical process and methodology which can offer a consistent, voluntary framework for national decision-making about the role – if any – of nuclear power in the energy mix. The EESC is therefore calling for revisions and additions to the draft communication, covering aspects of competitiveness of nuclear power, security of supply, climate change and carbon targets, public acceptability, transparency and effective national dialogue.
The Committee would also like to see further references being made to extensive work on off-site and cross-border preparation for emergencies. The implications of the Brexit vote and a road map illustrating nuclear fusion progress should also be covered by the Commission document.
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: Nuclear Illustrative Programme
Fighting against tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning, both at the EU and at a global level, is an important political priority for the European Union. The EESC welcomes and endorses the Commission proposal, which aims to make the taxation system more transparent as this measure will boost public confidence. The EESC suggests that the Commission should aim for a more ambitious package. It proposes the disclosure of a wider range of data, the gradual reduction of the turnover threshold of EUR 750 Million and that the disclosed data is made publicly available in one of the official languages of the EU in order to achieve the objective of giving the public genuine access to data for the whole single market.
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: Proposal on public tax transparency (country-by-country reporting)
The EESC has played an important role in strengthening an informed civil society debate on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) through a number of TTIP-related opinions, adopted in 2014 and 2015, covering issues such as labour rights, investment protection, impact on SMEs, among others.
It is important under the present circumstances that the EESC, in order to maintain its position as a key civil society player in the TTIP debate, react to the textual proposals for TTIP negotiations on essential topics such as the sustainable development chapter, regulatory cooperation, investment and services. This will have the advantage not only of setting up the EESC position on major negotiating chapters but also of presenting concrete recommendations and pointing out the need to involve civil society in the implementation of those chapters.
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: The position of the EESC on specific key issues of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations (own-initiative opinion)
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: New measures for development-oriented governance and implementation – evaluation of the European Structural and Investment Funds and ensuing recommendations (own-initiative opinion)
Europe's population is getting older. While demand for homecare grows, exploitative conditions persist among "live-in" carer workers, who work in the least regulated informal and semi-formal segments of the sector. The EESC calls on the European Union to work closely with Member States to coordinate the supply and mobility of live-in care workers and respect their rights as part of an overall approach to improve this sector.
No EU institution has so far addressed the issues surrounding live-in care workers, a social group that is expanding as population ages in Europe. The EESC believes that their existence in the European labour market must be recognised and the quality of the services they deliver improved. They should be treated in a similar way to other care workers and enjoy similar protection. Financial support for care recipients also needs to be made available through adequate long-term and sustainable social investment.
Report on the EESC country visits to the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy & Poland following up on the EESC opinion on “The rights of live-in care workers”
If the message of this opinion should be summarised in a sentence, this would be: "Enough is enough; rules must be respected".
Steel industry is at the forefront of granting MES to China. However, the opinion does not tackle the legal and political side of granting MES to China (CCMI/144). It focuses on the Commission's communication and puts forward specific additional measures to provide Europe's steel industry with the level playing field it needs to preserve growth and jobs.
Download — Mišljenje EGSO-a: Steel: Preserving sustainable jobs and growth in Europe
