calls on the European Commission and the European Labour Authority (ELA) to assist the Member States and the road transport sector with coordinated interpretation of the Mobility Package and control methodology;
highlights that safety considerations, including the prevention of accidents and the protection of drivers and other road users, should be at the forefront of any regulatory and operational decisions;
improving the functioning of the EU single market in data. The free movement of data will help ensure that people and businesses can fully exercise the EU's other four freedoms;
further harmonising digital financial services across the EU and increasing funding for innovative digital solutions to boost FinTech applications;
developing and scaling up EU digitalisation initiatives, especially in the field of social security and labour mobility, and introducing schemes such as the European Social Security Pass;
putting the withdrawn Commission proposal for a "services e-card", aimed at helping service providers operate across borders, back on the EU agenda.
recommends that the EU institutions and the Member States promote tax systems that support the social economy, simplify the administrative requirements involved and consider introducing tax measures that recognise its public interest role;
calls for socially responsible and innovative solutions to help remove obstacles that make it difficult for social economy enterprises to participate in the public procurement market;
invites the Commission and the Member States to make use of the expertise of national statistics offices and Eurostat to establish a database on the size and distribution of social economy entities.
believes that tackling the skills-related challenges will require significant political efforts and systemic reforms in education and training, as well as smart investments in human capital from both public and private sources;
points out the importance of improving EU and Member State initiatives regarding employee training in the workplace and creating the right incentives for employers to continue investing in training their workforce, with the involvement of social partners;
reiterates that the role and profile of vocational education and training should continue to be strengthened to further develop dual systems to also train people in basic, transversal and STEM skills.
backs the commitment made by the Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU to ensure digital inclusion for all, highlighting the importance of lifelong learning and access to quality education throughout one's career and life;
recommends that the Commission supports Member States in launching large-scale information campaigns on digital learning opportunities for all, and provides funding and resources to support the digitalisation of VET and adult learning;
recommends that the Commission encourages Member States to focus on equal access to digital education and tools, thereby also ensuring accessibility for learners and teachers with disabilities, addressing urban-rural gaps and bias in algorithms.
Industrial policy has a twofold approach: from the EU and from each Member State. Coordinated governance is needed to avoid mismatches between countries. The EU institutions must take the lead, taking a practical and realistic approach.
Nothing can be done without a highly skilled, digital public administration, and without good regulations. We have many examples of useless laws in every layer of activity. Better regulation will mean less regulation: reducing bureaucracy, simplifying processes, tackling corruption and setting new product and market standards.
welcomes the explicit Commission statements that there are potential conflicts of interest in the sales and distribution models for investment products, and that therefore most consumers only have access to advisors who advise on the products that they sell;
recommends developing "basic" products for the retail investment sector, along the lines of basic bank accounts and compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance;
suggests establishing a minimum training requirement for sales intermediaries, including on sustainability, of at least 35 hours per year.
that the Commission’s competition action should also cover distortions originating from outside the EU, to address their effect on European businesses that comply with EU legislation;
that the Commission assess the distortions of competition resulting from the COVID-19 State Aid Temporary Framework, together with other European funds;
constant support and monitoring of the large-scale retail market as part of antitrust policy to protect the interests of producers and consumers and allow supply chains to function properly;
using state aid rules to support the green and digital transition, provided that such aid is conditional on the achievement of strict targets which, if not achieved, would require aid received to be returned.
making more use of joint purchasing of medicines, which can take many shapes, to help ensure access to affordable treatment, which remain an issue;
setting up a special EU-level fund to ensure access to treatment for all patients in Europe suffering from rare diseases;
offering incentives to favour drug manufacturers in the EU and encourage the relocation of production from non-EU countries. It also proposes the establishment of a European contingency reserve of medicines of strategic importance.
stresses that MSMEs will need a lot of support to adopt the full range of modern business responsibility practices;
recommends developing simple and practical tools such as checklists, templates and calculators, and alternative-scenario analyses which MSMEs can use to develop their operations in line with modern business responsibility and to report on their commitments and achievements;
welcomes the European Commission's plan to adopt a non-financial reporting standard applicable to MSMEs in 2024, but insists that it must be clear and simple, in line with the principles enshrined in the SME Relief Package.
