Competitività

The EESC considers that in addressing the challenges and risks associated with digital transformation, regulation for technology providers, protecting consumers, granting access to financial services, operational resilience and security of network and information systems are crucial for creating the Digital Single Market for financial services. As concerns crypto assets, the EESC endorses the various regulatory adjustment measures envisaged which are needed to modernise financial services, without losing sight of consumer protection and prudential rules.

The EESC considers that in addressing the challenges and risks associated with digital transformation, regulation for technology providers, protecting consumers, granting access to financial services, operational resilience and security of network and information systems are crucial for creating the Digital Single Market for financial services. As concerns crypto assets, the EESC endorses the various regulatory adjustment measures envisaged which are needed to modernise financial services, without losing sight of consumer protection and prudential rules.

The EESC welcomes the new action plan on Capital Markets Union (CMU) and approves all of the 16 actions proposed by the Commission, but stresses the importance of prioritising and coordinating the initiatives (with concrete milestones to measure progress), emphasises those that it deems most essential and makes targeted complementary proposals. The EESC argues for two key priorities: 1) to improve the efficiency of the CMU by creating the European Single Access point, by applying a single rule-book and by simplifying withholding tax relief at source procedures and 2) implement proposals aimed at facilitating a shift long-term savings towards long-term investments.

The forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU (Germany), aims to further discuss and analyze the policy objective 1 under the Common Provisions Regulation for cohesion policy that refers to '' a smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation''. In this context, the Presidency has asked the EESC to provide an opinion on how the structural measures and cohesion policy programmes can help in this process. The Presidency plans to present the key findings of this discussion in a High-level conference that will take place on 29^th of September where also the opinion of EESC will be discussed. 

The EESC proposes launching a European pact to effectively combat tax fraud, evasion and avoidance and money laundering. The Committee calls on the European Commission to promote a political initiative involving national governments and the other European institutions in achieving this goal, fostering the consensus needed for this and involving civil society. Cooperation between Member States should be the main pillar of the pact. The Committee urges the European institutions and the Member States to provide the financial and human resources required for the effective implementation of existing European legislation and to agree on a commitment to adopt all necessary new legislative and administrative measures to effectively combat tax offences and bad practices, money laundering and the activities of tax havens. This requires permanent evaluation of the outcome of implementing each measure.