If the message of this opinion should be summarised in a sentence, this would be: "Enough is enough; rules must be respected".
Steel industry is at the forefront of granting MES to China. However, the opinion does not tackle the legal and political side of granting MES to China (CCMI/144). It focuses on the Commission's communication and puts forward specific additional measures to provide Europe's steel industry with the level playing field it needs to preserve growth and jobs.
Download — advies EESC: Steel: Preserving sustainable jobs and growth in Europe
The EESC welcomes the European External Action Service and the European Commission's Joint Communication on the Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy. With regard to the new priority of stabilisation and the new approach of differentiation, as set out in the Communication, the EESC would like to stress the importance of economic development as the main precondition for a stable and safe environment in the EU’s neighbourhood. The EU should be very consistent in providing economic support for the ENP partners and enhancing long-term conditions and motivation to pursue economic reforms, increase competitiveness and modernise business regulations.
Download — advies EESC: Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy
During the energy transition towards the low-emission economy, the EU energy system faces a period of profound technological, economic and social change that will affect many of the energy sectors, including the coal industry and hence the coal-mining regions of the EU.
Download — EESC opinion: Indigenous coal in the EU energy transition (own-initiative opinion)
Prof. DSc. Eng. Krzysztof Stanczyk, Coordinator of clean coal technology center, Central Mining Institute, Katowice: Research, Development and Innovation for cleaner use of coal
Jonas M. Helseth, Bellona: Environmental perspective / Contribution of coal and lignite to the EU’s energy security
Mr. Salvatore Cherchi, Member of the Board of SOTACARBO SpA, Societa Technologie Avanzate Carbone, Carbonia, Italy: Clean technologies for the future of the coal
Ph. D. Michal Wilczynski, Freelance Expert for NGOs in Poland, The Institute for Sustainable Development, Warsaw: Will coal and lignite reinforce energy security of Europe?
With this opinion the EESC takes the opportunity to comment on how the European market for retail financial services can be further opened up. The EESC welcomes that the Commission is on track and has an ambitious programme for implementing the Action Plan on Building a Capital Markets Union, also endorsing that consumers should be given the opportunity, whenever possible, to compare different products, so they can make an informed choice.
Download — advies EESC: Green paper on retail financial services and insurance
EU Member States face the arrival of many refugees, who need to be integrated into the host societies once their protected status is granted. The EESC is convinced that integration is a necessity for the preservation of social cohesion. This exploratory opinion, drawn up at the request of the Dutch Presidency of the EU, clarifies the meaning of "integration" and looks at comparability with previous refugee movements, successful integration measures applied in the various EU member states, and the financing of integration measures for refugees, resulting in a set of best practices and recommendations.
Download — advies EESC: Integration of refugees in the EU (exploratory opinion requested by the Dutch presidency)
The EESC endorses the proposal for a Directive and suggests other measures which it considers could contribute towards increasing citizens' security: the possibility of placing indelible marks on bullets, which facilitates the traceability of arms and ammunition; making data available on interoperable databases at European level; the introduction of a gun buy-back programme; and reviewing the risks related to 3D printing of lethal weapons, without any possibility of verification or traceability.
Download — advies EESC: Control of the acquisition and possession of weapons
Download — advies EESC: Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading
The EESC expresses its support for the Commission in combating the erosion of Member States' tax bases and unfair tax competition. The Committee in this context endorses the introduction of a CCCTB and is also pleased that the Commission has published a list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. The EESC goes even further and proposes that EU rules should include sanctions for companies that continue to run their business through tax havens.
Download — EESC opinion: Action Plan on Fairer Corporate Taxation
