The key message of the opinion is that transforming the energy system towards carbon-free, decentralised and digitalised supply offers enormous opportunities, in particular for structurally weak and rural regions in Europe. The development of renewable energy (RE) can have a major and beneficial impact on employment, and can be configured so as to provide a completely new stimulus for the regional economy. There is therefore potential for mutually reinforcing the positive effects of Europe's energy and cohesion policies. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) finds it regrettable that both the Commission and the Member States have yet to properly recognise this potential, let alone exploit it.
Download — EESC opinion: The effects of a new carbon-free, decentralised and digitalised energy supply structure on jobs and regional economies (own initiative opinion)
The EESC welcomes the proposed Regulation. It builds on and replaces the existing Regulation, on which the EESC commented in January 2011, and tries to learn from experiences at national and EU level since it came into force in 2013 and into (intended) full effect by September 2014. The EESC notes a number of areas where greater clarity on the scope and implementation of the Regulation should be considered; these will also need to be discussed in greater detail with Member States in the months ahead. The EESC questions the effectiveness of grouping such widely disparate substances under a single regulatory regime. This makes the legislation hard to draft and even harder to implement or comprehend as a professional user or member of the general public. A different substance-specific approach is therefore recommended. EU legislation in respect of drug precursors provides a useful model for this.
With this opinion, the EESC welcomes the proposal since it strikes a balance between the need to develop technologies with a low environmental impact (Euro 5 type-approval step) and the actual ability of some companies to introduce these within the stipulated timeframe (technical feasibility).
For the EESC this legislation will have a beneficial effect on the costs to companies and, consequently, on those borne by consumers. Moreover, the EESC is in favour of renewing the Commission's power to adopt delegated acts for a further period of five years.
Download — advies EESC: The application of the Euro 5 step to the type-approval of two- or three- wheel vehicles and quadricycles
Persistent organic pollutants ("POPs") are chemical substances that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food web, and pose a risk to human health and the environment.
The aim of this proposal for a regulation is that the Commission has identified needs to update and recast the existing regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants that dates back to 2004.
Download — advies EESC: Recast of Regulation 850/2004 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
The objective of this proposal is to bring the benefits of Regulation 924/2009 to people and businesses in Member States outside the euro area, and put an end to the high cost of intra-EU cross-border transactions in euro. This proposal will enhance transparency for consumers by disclosing the full cost of a cross-border transaction. It will help them compare currency conversion service offers before starting a payment transaction involving a currency conversion.
Women with disabilities constitute 16% of the total population of women in Europe, which means in the EU there are approximately 40 million women and girls with disabilities. Women with disabilities face intersectional discrimination in all areas of life, including, socio-economic disadvantages, social isolation, violence against women, forced sterilisation and abortion, lack of access to community services, low-quality housing, institutionalisation, inadequate health care and denial of the opportunity to contribute and engage actively in society.
Download — advies EESC: The situation of women with disabilities (exploratory opinion requested by the European Parliament)
The digitalised world of work will necessitate proper transition management – not only from the side of enterprises, but also from that of human capital.
On the one hand, enterprises have to identify and assess the new needs and draw up and implement plans for controlling the risks and reducing the costs of the transition; employees, on the other hand, should be provided with appropriate guidance and training, so that they can adapt to the new reality and be able to seize the opportunities offered and thrive.
Another aspect to be taken into consideration in the digitalised world of work is the use of data. Thanks to digital technologies and data, the evolution of trends is better understood and targeted support can be proposed to individuals; yet the use of these digital data should be regulated.
The opinion will build on the work already carried out by the Committee on the future of work.
Download — advies EESC: EU concepts for transition management in a digitalised world of work – key input for an EU White Paper on the future of work (exploratory opinion requested by the Austrian Presidency)
Transport is a vital enabler of several SDGs. It contributes strongly to the SDGs regarding economic development, industry and SMEs, as well as trade and investment. Consequently, it also helps achieve the SDGs that aim to promote employment and well-being, and to reduce inequalities and exclusion. Meanwhile, transport presents many challenges with respect to the SDGs, such as the need to reduce climate and environmental impacts, to improve transport systems and traffic safety, and to manage concerns related to jobs and decent work.
The EESC calls on the Commission to prepare a new, integrated policy framework for the next generation of transport policy. Moreover, it calls on the Commission to assess the SDG indicators from the transport point of view and to enhance the development of indicators that are relevant, give a realistic and informative picture of developments, and are in line with the integrated approach.
Download — advies EESC: Role of transport in realising the sustainable development goals, and consequent implications for EU policy-making (own-initiative opinion)
The revision of Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption is also part of the plan to transition to a circular economy. The revised proposal will help Member States manage drinking water in a resource-efficient and sustainable manner, thereby helping to reduce energy use and unnecessary water loss. It will also help reduce the number of plastic bottles.
Download — advies EESC: Quality of water for human consumption (recast)
The EESC strongly welcomes the proposals to create an enabling framework for crowdfunding. The Committee therefore calls for swift action in order to achieve a successful outcome, particularly as it fits into a broader framework that is of particular interest to the Committee. The EESC also welcomes the fact that the financing of small, young and innovative enterprises has been taken into consideration. Crowdfunding is an important part of their funding escalator, particularly when they move from a start-up to an expansion phase and traditional financing is not always available. It is very positive that, to this end, use is being made of innovative products and solutions supported by modern technology, meaning that this forward-looking proposal also forms part of the implementation of a digital single market. The proposal also adds a cross-border dimension, which contributes to the effective integration and deepening of capital markets.
Download — advies EESC: Crowd and peer to peer finance
The EESC supports the Commission's Fin Tech Action Plan and considers that the development of FinTech can deliver a number of benefits to both European businesses and their clients. Measures included in the action plan on improving cyber security and the resilience of the financial sector are important, but should be supplemented by rules to ensure uniformity in the development of FinTech in the EU. Similarly, the Committee believes that the level of regulation for FinTech should be equivalent to that in the financial sector.
The EESC calls on the Commission to identify possible rules for companies offering cloud services with regard to their responsibility for securing the data they host.
The EESC welcomes the Commission's package, a centrepiece in the EU offensive to address the persisting issue of NPLs and fundamental to progress towards the Banking Union. The EESC agrees with the application of statutory prudential backstops as a preventive measure to ensure that credit losses on future NPLs are sufficiently provisioned but warns against a "one size fits all" approach. The Committee recognises that the Commission gives an answer to many of the problems of fragmented NPLs secondary markets in the EU, however, the Committee is of the view that regulators must not encourage the sale of NLPs. The EESC welcomes that the right to a fair trial in a national court is ensured if it is necessary and if the application of the out-of-court procedure as proposed in the directive is restricted.
The circular economy monitoring framework draws upon and complements the existing Resource Efficiency Scoreboard and Raw Materials Scoreboard, which were developed in recent years by the Commission.
Download — advies EESC: Monitoring framework for the circular economy (communication)
The EESC believes that an agreement of this nature will only be possible if it is balanced, beneficial to both parties in the medium and long-term and does not sacrifice any particular sector (such as farming or industry), region or country. Under no circumstances can the AA be based on a poor deal...
Download — advies EESC: EU-Mercosur Association Agreement (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC endorses this initiative for a EuroHPC Joint Undertaking as a concrete step in line with the European cloud strategy as well as part of a wider EU strategy (which includes Cybersecurity, the Digital Single Market, the European Gigabit Society, Open Science, etc.). This initiative brings clear EU added value with a key technology which will help to tackle the most challenging issues of our modern society and will ultimately be beneficial for our well-being, competitiveness and jobs.
Download — advies EESC: High Performance Computing
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - The Future of Food and Farming
Download — advies EESC: The future of food and farming (Communication)
The Commission will prepare an action plan with a view to improve duty-holder compliance, which is meant to lead to a more level playing field for businesses and improved trust amongst Member States,
Download — advies EESC: Actions to improve environmental compliance and governance (Communication)
This EESC opinion covers both the Communication on A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy (COM(2018) 28 final) and the proposal for a Directive on Port Reception Facilities (COM(2018) 33 final), as this initiative also contributes to the objective of reducing the leakage of plastics into the environment
Download — advies EESC: Strategy on plastics in a circular economy (communication)
