In a context where the European Commission proposed the reiteration of the 2018 Employment guidelines, the EESC opinion refers to and builds on the findings and recommendations it made in its 2018 opinion. Furthermore, it develops some additional aspects in view of recent developments and documents of the European Commission – such as the 2019 country reports. Thank you for clicking on the title of the opinion to read some more on the opinion's content!
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States
The EESC welcomes the fact that principle 20 of the European Pillar of Social Rights reaffirms the right to access essential services/SGEIs. These are a vital component of social justice and are underpinned by the principle of equal treatment of users, prohibiting any kind of discrimination or exclusion whatsoever, and by the principle of universal access to services of a high level of affordability and quality.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: For a better implementation of the Social Pillar, promoting essential services (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC notes that the international role of the euro has not yet recovered to the pre-financial crisis level. Whereas the European Commission's proposed measures are welcome and deemed necessary by the EESC, they may not go far enough given the extent of the euro area's social and economic challenges. Social cohesion, economic upward convergence and the promotion of competitiveness and innovation should be the basis on which the euro area's economy gathers pace and supports a stronger international role for the euro.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Towards a stronger international role of the euro
The EESC welcomes the Investment Plan for Europe for its contribution to the promotion of investment in the EU. The Committee calls for clearly set investment targets, regulatory simplification and further guidance in order to achieve greater geographical and sectoral balance. The EESC advocates for strengthened financial capacity for the InvestEU programme within the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and calls for more efforts to raise awareness among European businesses and citizens about the benefits obtained from the Investment Plan for Europe.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Investment Plan for Europe: stock-taking and next steps
Just a few days ahead of last December's climate summit COP24 in Poland, the European Commission published its long-term strategy "A clean planet for all" presenting its vision for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through a socially-fair transition in a cost-efficient manner. While the document does not contain any new policy proposals, it provides the direction of travel of EU climate and energy policy and frames what the EU considers as its long-term contribution to achieving the Paris Agreement temperature objectives in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction (Communication)
The aim of this proposal is to better explore how project-oriented policies and smart specialization strategies can be directed towards development of transnational networks involving local authorities, SME's and research institutions. These partnerships are essential for the realization of transantional projects, with the EU funding, eventually under the umbrella of the EU macro-regional strategies.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Economic convergence and competitiveness within macro-regions-transnational clusters (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
The opinion examines the possible introduction of a new concept into EU law: "low-profit". This concept would define all organisations that are likely to make a profit but that do not intend to distribute it to their owners or shareholders, as they have a different purpose.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Towards an appropriate European legal framework for social economy enterprises (own-initiative opinion)
In October 2018, the European Commission launched the updated European Bio-economy Strategy. The purpose of this update to the 2012 Bio-economy Strategy was to address the challenges of living in a world of limited resources.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Communication updating the 2012 Bio-economy Strategy
The objective of the opinion, requested by the Romanian Presidency, is to explore which measures and initiatives should be taken at EU and national level in order to promote organised philanthropy and eliminate barriers within the internal market that are hindering the realisation of its full potential, so as to maximize its contribution to EU values, such as cohesion, social justice and European Policies, and to the competitiveness of the European economy.
The opinion is expected to feed into the Romanian presidency programme and into the political priorities for the new Commission.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: European Philanthropy: an untapped potential (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
The EESC welcomes the coordinated plan and calls for urgency in its implementation. To succeed in global competition, the EU must be at the forefront in innovation and investment, following the principle of "human in command" and trustworthiness of AI.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Coordinated Plan on the development of Artificial Intelligence in Europe
With this opinion the EESC welcomes the Commission's strong message on reinforcing the Single Market and the need for commitment from all Member States and citizens. The EESC calls for a Single Market that must be perceived as an opportunity to reassert European values, fundamental rights and duties to achieve progress and welfare for all Member States and citizens. Values like liberty, economic growth, democracy, peace, science and innovation, political stability, consumers and social rights must be present in citizens' mindset as a result of a process that started 60 years ago.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Single Market Communication
The exploratory opinion will aim to show how to boost social economy enterprises. It will seek to identify the best ways to strengthen their role in addressing tomorrow's challenges, in particular in the social field.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Social economy enterprises' contribution to a more cohesive and democratic Europe (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
Gender equality is not only a human rights issue; it is a social and economic necessity for the EU, its Member States and businesses, as it hugely impacts on sustainable growth and GDP, while allowing to use the potential of 51% of the EU population. The EU needs to elevate gender equality to a stand-alone goal with a binding strategy, centred in the following measures: fighting the economic inequality affecting women and the current backlash of their rights; ratifying and implementing the Istanbul Convention on all forms of violence against women (including harassment); addressing once and for all gendered stereotypes, namely through the media; and supporting civil society organisations working for greater gender equality.
The revision of the energy performance in buildings directive will have a significant impact on economic activities in the construction sector by increasing the average rate of annual renovation and through the implementation of long term renovation strategies in Members States. This will have a positive impact on employment and open the opportunity to acquire new and additional skills and qualifications in order to ensure sustainable quality employment and competitiveness of the construction sector.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Working with asbestos in energy renovation (own-initiative opinion)
According to Eurostat forecasts (2015), over the coming decades, Europe’s population will grow slowly from 507 million people in 2013 to 526 million in 2035. This will be accompanied by substantial ageing: the section of the population aged 65+ should increase from 18% to 28%. And by 2060 the 65+ age group will number 149 million.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Economic, technological and social changes in advanced services for the elderly (own-initiative opinion)
The directive on services in the Internal Market was designed to promote competitiveness, growth and employment in line with the Lisbon Strategy. It has, at the same time, triggered an intensive debate on the form to be taken by the freedom to provide services. The effects of the Directive on national labour markets, social conditions and consumer protection requirements remain a highly controversial issue.
Download — Information report: The services directive in the meat processing sector (information report)
The opinion, requested by the Romanian Presidency, aims to look at possible ways through which people can acquire solid knowledge about the European Union, its foundations, procedures and actions, as well as its positive achievements and the concrete benefits it offers. This type of education would contribute towards building citizens' ownership over the European decision-making process and ensure that their vision, needs and priorities are adequately reflected in the European agenda at all levels.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Education about the European Union (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
The own-initiative opinion presents the EESC’s views on the gaps in the current system and indicates potential measures for a European wide push for digital up-skilling of health and care workers, and also for policies that prevent further digital divides by addressing skill gaps in the population at large. This own-initiative opinion is in part a follow-up to the own-initiative opinion entitled "Towards digital health".
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Digital health literacy (own initiative opinion)
Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) are chemical substances that alter the functioning of the hormonal system and, as a consequence, negatively affect the health of humans and animals. With this Communication, the Commission is updating its approach on EDCs for the years to come, building on the increased knowledge, experience gained and results achieved in the twenty years since the adoption of the Community Strategy on endocrine disruptors.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Towards a more comprehensive EU framework on endocrine disruptors
Skills mismatches are one of the biggest challenges that currently jeopardises European growth and sustainable job creation. Future prospects are even more challenging. With the rapid, even revolutionary change of technologies, business models as well as customer expectations, the nature of work is often changing in an unprecedented and almost unpredictable manner. This has brought to light the growing gap between the needs of the businesses and the qualifications, skills and competences of the human resources. Current developments also underline the growing importance of soft and transversal as well as other skills often gained through informal learning. This challenges the current education systems to adapt and also raises issues linked to recognition and validation of the informal education and training.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Supportive education systems to avoid skills mismatches – what transition is needed? (own-initiative opinion)
In this opinion, the Committee endorses, without comments, the Commission's proposal on the resources for the specific allocation for the Youth Employment Initiative.
The objective of the proposal is to adapt the amounts of resources available for economic, social and territorial cohesion set out in Article 91(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1303/20131, the amount of resources for the specific allocation for the Youth Employment Initiative ('YEI') set out in Article 92(5) of that Regulation and the annual breakdown of commitment appropriations reflected in Annex VI of that Regulation to reflect the increase of the resources of the YEI, in line with the adopted budget for 2019. More specifically, commitment appropriations for the specific allocation for the YEI should be increased by an amount of EUR 116,7 million in current prices, bringing the overall amount for 2019 up to EUR 350 million.
Download — EESRK nuomonė: Resources for the specific allocation for the Youth Employment Initiative (Amendment)
