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.
Underlines that a new governance for food policies is needed given the urgency of the food system crisis and the need for rapid behavioural change,
Believes that the European Food Policy Council, a form of a science-based and multi-stakeholder platform, will improve the food policymaking by promoting integration, participation, and alignment across EU, national, and local levels,
Is also ready to provide a convening space for the European Food Policy Council, following the successful model of the circular economy stakeholders platform.
The EESC calls for equal treatment of young people in the labour market and advocates they are entitled to the same minimum wage as older workers under equal pay principle;
recommends that traineeships should offer good adequate working conditions but should not be used as a substitute for regular jobs or a precondition for a job placement;
supports greater integration of the European Youth Test, which evaluates the effects of new policies on young people, into mainstream practices.
emphasises that the designing of proposals for new sources of own revenues should be done in context of the budgetary pressures faced by Member States following the pandemic and the ongoing international tensions. This has become all the more important in the current higher interest rate environment;
urges the Commission to develop the proposals concerning Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation (BEFIT) as soon as possible and asks for more refined estimation of the potential additional revenues linked to its implementation and deems it reasonable to explore the possibility of including financial services within BEFIT or of developing a global financial transaction tax (FTT);
