The Mediterranean Sea accounts for over 70% of the world's nautical tourism, which creates very significant spillover benefits for its coastal countries. This form of tourism is hampered by differing national laws in areas such as the registration of recreational craft, navigation licences and safety and tax measures, to mention the most important.
The EESC welcomes the establishment of broad economic policy guidelines for the countries of the euro area and supports the formulation of recommendations tailored to each country as well as measures to assess their implementation. However, the Committee regards the current macroeconomic policy mix as unbalanced and calls for a new growth model which takes into account the significance of demand and distributive justice. Stricter regulation of financial markets should be accompanied by a general re-think not only of expenditure, but also of tax systems. Policies should capitalise more on the fact that the negative income and employment multipliers of revenue-related measures are generally more limited than those of spending cuts. The importance for competitiveness of non–price factors is often overlooked.
The 2013 Annual Growth Survey (AGS), which launches the European semester, sets out what the Commission believes should be the overall budgetary, economic and social priorities for the this year. Given the importance of the involvement of the organised civil society and the social partners in setting priorities for action at the national and EU level, the EESC issues its opinion as a contribution to the debates ahead of the Spring European Council.
Download — EUR/005 - EESC opinion on the Annual Growth Survey 2013
The opinion therefore pleads for the gender dimension to be incorporated into the National Reform Plans (NRP) and the European semester and for the Community Funds to invest more in gender equality. It highlights the important role of the social partners in achieving the needed gender mainstreaming and that of the Commission in providing the necessary gender indicators. It calls for common efforts to promote gender equality in society, eliminate structural inequalities and change gender roles.
Download — EESC opinion: The gender dimension in the Europe 2020 strategy
The EESC shares the Commission's view that the use of cloud computing (CC) in Europe needs to be developed. Nevertheless, the Committee recommends that the European Commission (EC) also promotes the development of European "digital energy" production (i.e. the emergence and strengthening of European suppliers of CC infrastructure). This could be achieved through relevant allocations of the structural funds and by launching appropriate European projects, as well as by informing European users and businesses on the dangers stemming from current international regulation when using the services of non-European CC suppliers.
The seriousness of the maritime piracy plague has not come to the full awareness of European civil society. The EESC wishes to increase the sensitivity of civil society and European public opinion in order to mobilise Member States and the EU institutions for concrete action aiming at eradicating it. The EESC welcomes the decisions of the UN Security Council and the EU to prolong the EU/NAVFOR–ATALANTA operation until December 2014, and to extend the area of operations to East and South in the Indian Ocean and in the Somali shoreline. It believes that EU NAVFOR should be given a more robust mandate with stronger engagement rules. The EESC requests EU Member States and states in accession process or having association agreements with the EU, to enforce legal actions against piracy and prosecution of pirates on the high seas according to Article 105 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982.
Download — Maritime piracy: strengthening the EU response
Ms Benedicte Federspiel (Various Interests - Gr. III - Denmark) and Mr Ivan Vol…
Plenary session number
486
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The EESC believes that the Commission has paid too little attention to the unintended negative side-effects of the Single Market. The consequence could be a further undermining of the Single Market rather than a new dynamic. The Commission should demonstrate a more realistic approach by communicating in a well-balanced tone. In addition to key actions the EU and the Member States must step up their efforts to overcome the financial, economic and budgetary crisis and to release the full potential of the Single Market. The EESC would very much welcome the fast application of the measures proposed in the Communication on the Governance of the Single Market to improve the overall implementation of EU rules.
The EESC recommends that the European Commission and the Member States support further studies and research that would tap the potential of gifted children and young people, aiming to facilitate employment and employability within the framework of the EU and, in a context of economic crisis, enhance specialist knowledge and prevent brain drain. It also recommends that greater consideration be given to each Member State's existing models for and experience in working with highly gifted children, and presents various proposals aimed at improving educational care for children and young people with high abilities.
Download — EESC opinion: Unleashing the potential of children and young people with high intellectual abilities in the European Union
The EESC considers that the EU's underlying objectives for the renewed EU-Pacific development Partnership are ambitious, but believes that the implementing arrangements, which mainly concern environmental protection and biodiversity conservation in the region, are not clear. Synergies are needed with other organisations to address the impact of climate change, which has a cross-cutting impact on national and multilateral policies as well as social and economic repercussions. Issues associated with the impact of climate change should be incorporated in the area's comprehensive environmental policies and ensure coherent behaviour and actions. To this end, the active involvement of all local stakeholders is necessary.
Download — Towards a renewed EU-Pacific development Partnership
The EU needs to enhance the growth part of its overall strategy. This must be based on combining what the Member States can do at national level with action at EU level, anchoring these efforts in the Europe 2020 strategy and in our new governance structures.
Download — EUR/004 - Action for stability, growth and jobs
The present opinion seeks to assess the Rio+20 conference in the light of the EESC's proposals and to identify prospects for follow-up measures. The EESC was heavily involved in the preparations for the 2012 UN conference on sustainable development (Rio+20). The success of this conference will become clear solely by means of follow-up measures at local level. The additional opinion aims to take stock of the conference and to set priorities for the future.
Download — EESC Opinion: Rio+20 - Current situation and future prospects (additional opinion)
