The EESC welcomes the European Commission's proposal for the Atlantic under the European Integrated Maritime Policy, but proposes a more ambitious approach; a macro-regional strategy which, in conjunction with the maritime pillar, incorporates the territorial pillar, taking account of the experiences of the Baltic Sea and Danube regions. Furthermore, the EESC recommends that in future, macro-regional policies have appropriate legislation, their own funding and the necessary administrative structures.
The Committee reiterates that the ambitious challenges facing the EU make it not only desirable but also necessary to increase the size of the EU budget so as to revitalise economic growth and employment. Furthermore, it welcomes the moves to improve and simplify the structure of the EU budget, so as to substantially deflate the issues of fair return and horizontal fairness between the Member States, focusing instead on effectively achieving Europe's strategic objectives. The EU budget should be exemplary, efficient, effective and transparent, so that it gains credibility in the eyes of the European public.
EU support for good governance and human rights (pillar of the agenda for change) should be aimed at promoting a human rights-based approach to development whose features are: participation in political processes, democratic ownership and empowerment of rights holders; human rights compliance systems on internationally agreed commitments; policy coherence between human rights, aid, and economic policies.
Download — Increasing the impact of EU Development Policy Agenda for change / The future approach to EU Budget Support to third countries
The EESC notes with great interest the Energy Roadmap 2050 and its objective of providing a framework for the agreed policy of the substantial decarbonisation of the energy sector in Europe by 2050. The challenge is not only to achieve a sustainable and secure low carbon energy mix in a competitive market but to convince civil society that this is an attainable objective. The widest possible debate among the European public will be necessary and the Committee believes the Roadmap can be effective in launching this dialogue. But it must promote engagement at every level – personal, community, regional, national, at EU level and, in particular, with complementary global action.
In accordance with the request from the Danish Presidency, the EESC has assessed the instruments and measures needed to shift to sustainable modes of production and consumption. Welcoming the awareness and efforts of the European institutions in this area, and with a view to working towards these objectives and ensuring a just transition, the EESC calls for the development of a renewed, joint vision of the economic model, including consultations within a specialised forum with all sectors of organised civil society, in order to set objectives and targets and update the monitoring procedure.
Download — EESC Opinion: Promotion of sustainable production and consumption in the EU
The European Economic and Social Committee greets the Commission's legislative proposals with interest, and notes that some – although far from all – recommendations made in its past opinions have been taken into account. Most importantly, the Committee has repeatedly stated that the future CAP must be driven by a determination to defend the European agricultural model, which is based on the principles of food sovereignty, sustainability and responsiveness to the real needs of farmers and consumers.
The EESC repeats that the European agricultural model cannot operate at world market prices and conditions and does not come free of charge. Any policy that promotes this agricultural model thus requires sufficient financial resources. However, in the current proposals concerning the Union budget for the 2014-2020 period, the resources earmarked for the CAP would be clearly reduced in constant price terms.
