urges the European Commission and the Member States to apply a human rights-based approach to all water policies and to address water poverty, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR);
calls on the Commission to establish a unified approach to water poverty at the EU level. This involves developing a comprehensive European definition of water poverty while allowing each Member State to adapt it to their specific context;
calls on the Commission to create common guidelines for monitoring access to quality and affordable water and sanitation services (WSS).
encourages reforming EU health systems for mental health by focusing on prevention, early detection, and community-based care;
recommends that the EU Comprehensive Plan on Mental Health is swiftly transposed in an EU Mental Health Strategy, which has a timeframe, funding, defined responsibilities and progress indicators;
supports the development of person-centred mental health care systems that empower individuals and promote their active involvement in their own recovery and stresses the urgent need for inclusive care that caters to the specific requirements of vulnerable groups.
calls for a paradigm shift in the treatment of older people, moving from a care-based approach to empowering them and eliminating ageist attitudes;
urges the EU to adopt a comprehensive European strategy for older persons, safeguarding their rights and promoting their full participation in society and the economy;
encourages the drafting and signing of a European declaration on older persons to demonstrate the commitment towards developing the European strategy for older persons.
Water is not a commodity like any other but, rather, a heritage that must be protected and defended. The EESC believes that universal access to drinking water and sanitation of high quality at affordable prices for the population should be treated as a public good and not merely a commodity with full respect of Art. 14 of TFEU and the Protocol 26 annexed to TEU and TFEU. In this context, the EESC recommends that the EU adopt and strengthen regulatory frameworks on water concession agreements, to guarantee universal access to water and sewage systems at an affordable price and with adequate quality standards and the restoration and protection of ecosystems and in order to ensure the necessary investments in infrastructure.
Considers that the energy crisis has impacted the economy in terms of high inflation, weak economic growth, strong pressure on public finances and the purchasing power of households and businesses, and loss of external economic competitiveness. Based on the ECB's recommendations, the EESC suggests establishing a "green triple T" criterion to ensure that future interventions are tailored, targeted and transition-proof. Non-selective price measures such as the price cap for certain foods would only prolong the period of high inflation over the long term.
ensure that the requirements of the Green Claims directive are reflected in sectoral legislation;
ban claims based on offsetting, which have been proven more than once to be scientifically incorrect and always misleading to consumers;
define common methodologies to substantiate different types of claims, so that verifiers in the Member States have clear rules to apply in similar ways across Europe;
ensure that microenterprises are included in the checks carried out by Member States.
a ban on products that cannot be repaired, rather than a mere obligation for producers to inform consumers when a product cannot be repaired;
more incentives to opt for repair. There are a number of simple ways to encourage repair: for instance, getting a product repaired during its warranty period could lead to this period being extended;
launching a retraining programme. Professions have changed considerably and mechanics-based repairs have become mostly connections-based ones;
innovative solutions such as 3D printing or refurbishing, which the Commission has excluded from the proposal.
Underlines that in crisis management, it is crucial to respond promptly. To achieve this, the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) team, in collaboration with national agencies, should appoint a single authority responsible for managing each crisis. This authority will make decisions regarding the effective allocation and deployment of available forces,
Believes that to improve the operational capacity of the mechanism, it is important to expand pre-positioning beyond firefighting in all stages of civil protection (prevention, preparedness, and response). This expansion should be seen as a catalyst for enhancing operational capacity.
