The update of the 2006 Soil Thematic Strategy was announced in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The aim of the new EU Soil Strategy will be to address soil- and land-related issues in a comprehensive way and to help achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030, one of the key targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: New EU Soil Strategy
The EESC fully supports the Commission proposal on the misuse of shell companies for tax purposes and its objectives. Ensuring an effective, fair taxation across the single market is crucial to favour a real recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee supports the choice of a Directive aimed at ensuring a common legal framework among Member States. The nature of the subject matter to be regulated and the objectives pursued means that they cannot be handled through single initiatives by Member States in their respective legal systems.
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Fight the use of shell entities
Semiconductor chips are the essential building blocks of digital and digitised products. From smartphones and cars, through critical applications and infrastructures for healthcare, energy, mobility, communications and industrial automation, chips are central to the modern digital economy. They determine performance characteristics of digital systems, among them security and energy-efficiency – essential to the EU’s digital and green transitions. They are also crucial to key digital technologies of the future, including artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and edge computing, as set out in the EU’s 2030 Digital Decade. Put simply, there is no “digital” without chips.
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 — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe
This "Chapeau Communication" gives an overview of the different proposals of the 'Fit for 55' package as well as their linkages and explains the toolbox of policy measures chosen in order to attain an overall balance between fairness, emission reductions and competitiveness.
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: 'Fit for 55': delivering the EU's 2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality
Waste transport can involve hazardous materials that are harmful to human health and the environment. The EU therefore has rules in place on waste shipments (Regulation 1013/2006) and the Commission intends to review the EU rules on waste shipments.
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Waste shipments – revision of EU rules
The "Reinforcing democracy and integrity of elections" package was issued by the European Commission in November 2021. The EESC was asked to address two of the three legislative components of the package: the revision of the Regulation on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations, and a proposal for a Regulation transparency and targeting of political advertising. In this Opinion, the EESC welcomes the aims and motivation of the package but also suggests specific recommendations to make the text of the Regulations more ambitious. One of the main objectives of the Opinion is to promote conscious political participation by citizens and a role for civil society in ensuring transparent, accessible and honest political activities.
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Reinforcing democracy and integrity of elections package
This follow-up opinion intends to contribute to a coherent set of long term EESC proposals aimed at the full recovery of EU tourism and transport. The opinion will focus on how to best manage crises in the tourism industrial ecosystem and on the lessons learnt from such crises. After several waves of the COVID pandemic, it is of utmost importance to rethink the tourism ecosystem in more sustainable terms and adopt relevant policy solutions, as well as a comprehensive package of measures.
Download — Opinjoni tal-KESE: Tourism and transport / Follow-up
