Prepared at the request of the Danish Presidency, this opinion recommends that the EU and the Member States ensure that occupational safety and health (OSH) protection and prevention of OSH risks are ensured for all people at work, regardless of their employment contract, job title, or training path. According to the EESC, this protection should include a minimum and comprehensive standard of physical, mental, and social well-being in the workplace.
The EESC recommends strengthening cooperation and shared responsibility among all stakeholders, particularly the social partners, to ensure effective OSH management. Active involvement of workers’ representatives and the promotion of social dialogue at company level are essential.
The EESC stresses the importance of stepping up compliance and enforcement of existing OSH rules as a key step towards achieving the Zero Deaths goal.
Download — advies EESC: How can an active and inclusive prevention approach contribute to better health and safety at the workplace – 0-death goals?
Given the significance of the provision of public goods for the well-being of the citizens, the EESC believes that particular attention should be paid to providing these European public goods (EPGs) and identifying them in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) post-2027.
Special attention must be given to ‘functional EPGs’ – those linked to Article 3 TEU – that can ensure the normal functioning of the EU: the completion of the single market; the completion of the economic and monetary union; economic, social and territorial cohesion; EU open strategic autonomy (e.g. the joint EU health policy, food security, the EU energy union); defence and security; EU research and development; and the rule of law.
The EESC assesses how the EU’s sustainable finance framework can be made more robust and fit for purpose given its importance for the EU’s economic, social and climate objectives. The EESC affirms that simplification should not come at the cost of ambition. While administrative streamlining is needed, the focus should be on how requirements can be implemented more effectively, not on weakening standards. The EU’s regulatory strength and predictability are important competitive advantages that should be preserved amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
This opinion intends to discuss the relationship between water resilience, digitalisation and the green transition. It aims to propose recommendations to address the different challenges involving water, digitalisation and decarbonisation from an industrial perspective.
Download — advies EESC: Water resilience and the twin transitions: Industrial approaches addressing the relationship between water, digitalisation and decarbonisation
The EESC opinion looks into how industry practices influence public health and contribute to the rise of non-communicable diseases, aiming to identify barriers to effective policies and propose stronger preventive measures.
