The EESC welcomes the implementation of the remaining elements of the international standards agreed by the Basel Committee for Banking Supervision, from the perspective of both timing and substance, as they are meant to enhance the stability of the financial market in the EU, and thus not to expose European citizens to increased financial market risks. The EESC also stresses that financial market stability is a crucial prerequisite for overall economic stability, whereas the sound regulation and surveillance of the banking sector is essential in order to prevent the threat of turbulences and crisis.
The purpose of the opinion is to contribute to the further development of the foresight in the EU policy-making so to strengthen the EU's capacity and freedom to act. The opinion should ensure that EESC views are integrated in the new EU policymaking cycle which introduced foresight as a new compass as well as in the next European Commission's Annual Foresight Report.
The future French presidency of the EU has included this file among its main priorities in this area.
At the heart of European cooperation in the field of civil security is the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (MPCU), a mutual aid and solidarity instrument created in 2001 which has been adapted and strengthened over the years in reaction to crises.
Download — EGSZB-vélemény: Consolidating the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in order to improve the EU's capacity to react in the face of extreme events, including those occurring outside its territory
On 16 July 2021 the Commission adopted its proposal for a Council Recommendation on ‘A Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe' to support the implementation of national European Research Area (ERA) policies.
Download — EGSZB-vélemény: Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe
The EESC considers the five missions as high priorities for the EU and highlights that the competitiveness of Europe's industry is very important for their achievement.
At the same time, the EESC underlines the importance of considering the impact on EU citizens and encourages the Commission to strongly link activities to social policies and the European Pillar of Social Rights, taking in particular into account the special needs of elderly and vulnerable EU citizens.
The EESC strongly supports the idea of empowering 150 climate benchmark regions throughout Europe and therefore strongly recommends increasing the portion of the EU regional budgets earmarked for R&D from the current figure of 5% to a minimum of 10%.
The EESC considers following five additional challenges and missions to also be very important for Europe:
