The EESC supports the proposal’s objective to ensure that all forms of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, including those enabled or facilitated by technological developments, are criminalised. It underlines the importance of having common minimum standards for the definition of criminal offences and the severity of related penalties in order to prosecute offenders effectively and to ensure the protection of victims across the EU. The EESC calls for the international exchange of data relating to child sexual abuse and exploitation to be specifically regulated and for the possibilities for data retention to be expanded in all Member States with the development of an EU Research Centre.
Download — advies EESC: Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography
In today's complex geopolitical context, the openness and borderless cooperation in the research and innovation sector may be exploited and turned into vulnerabilities.
Download — advies EESC: Proposal for a Council recommendation on enhancing research security
On 13 June 2023 the EC proposed a Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions and noted that taxation policies can have "a significant role in fostering the social economy and ensuring that social economy entities can afford to operate alongside mainstream businesses, creating a more equitable business environment while contributing to social inclusion and improved access to employment". Given the wide and general approach of EC proposal – including inter alia references to the role of State aid, public procurement, and European funds – the above-mentioned taxation aspects need to be analysed and considered by the EESC.
Download — advies EESC: Taxation Framework for Social Economy Entities
This own-initiative opinion focuses on two industrial sectors, maritime and aviation, to assess the uptake of low-carbon sustainable fuels. This is of particular importance in the context of the European Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 55% by 2030. The opinion will analyse the current industrial capacities to produce sustainable fuels (non-fossil origin) at affordable costs.
Download — advies EESC: Low-carbon and renewable fuels: building the capacity of European industry to decarbonise the aviation and maritime sectors in a spirit of European autonomy
On 27 February 2024, the European Commission published a Communication setting out a European strategy to ensure industrial leadership in advanced materials. Advanced materials are an important factor for the competitiveness of European industries and constitute crucial building blocks for the EU’s resilience and strategic autonomy. The EESC will provide input to the European Commission on how to create a dynamic, secure and inclusive ecosystem for advanced materials in Europe that ensures our continent's leadership in this area and supports the competitiveness of EU industries.
Download — advies EESC: Advanced materials for industrial leadership – a coordinated plan with Member States
The anti-smuggling package, proposed by the European Commission, comprises three elements: a proposed directive on countering migrant smuggling; reinforcing the role of Europol in combatting smuggling; and intensifying cooperation with partner countries to tackle this issue globally. The EESC adopted a favourable opinion on the package, acknowledging that combating migrant smuggling needs a new impetus and better coordination at all levels. Although the EESC welcomes the directive, it warns that its content could seriously affect the fundamental rights of migrants, and those assisting them on humanitarian grounds.
In this opinion, the EESC is calling for additional measures both at EU and national level, to better protect informal carers and recognise their important contribution to society. These measures include setting up a Platform for the exchange of best practices, the provision of high-quality, accessible community-based services to alleviate their charge, respite services and flexible working conditions to avoid that they have to quit their job to attend their family members.
According to Article 175 of the TFEU the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, every three years, on the progress towards achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion.
The 9th report which covers the first period (2021-2023) of the programming period 2021-2027 will include a record of progress made towards achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion, including the socio-economic situation of regions as well as the integration of EU priorities. It will also include, where appropriate, an indication of future EU measures and policies necessary to strengthen cohesion, as well as to deliver EU priorities.
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The Communication on “No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred” is a response to growing hatred against ethnic minorities. A number of policies, including in the area of security, digital, education, culture and sport, will see reinforced action. The EESC calls for a more comprehensive partnership with CSOs, awareness-raising campaigns, and for politicians to avoid language promoting hated. It calls on better prosecution of hate crimes, reporting mechanism, and training for law enforcement agencies to handle such cases properly, with due respect for the victims. It calls for increased action both off- and online, and that online platforms prevent their algorithms from amplifying hate.
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highlights the need for proper information, education and communication on vaccination and underlines the role of the school healthcare system and parents in this endeavour.
Calls for strong efforts to fight misinformation and disinformation by acquiring science-based evidence, as well as by spreading fact-based information through different channels, including social media.
emphasises the need for gender equality in cancer prevention measures and calls for providing HPV vaccination to all girls and boys of a certain age , to intensify communication on the availability of HPV vaccination for boys and to gather and publish information on the vaccination rates of both boys and girls in various Member States.
European Works Councils (EWCs) are information and consultation bodies which ensure that employees are involved in decisions related to transnational issues. They concern companies with over 1,000 employees operating in at least two EU or European Economic Area countries. The current Directive 2009/38/EC sets out the procedures for establishing EWCs and informing and consulting them on transnational matters. The proposed revision aims to strengthen the role of EWCs by facilitating their creation, promoting more meaningful information and consultation, and ensuring they have the necessary capacity to carry out their work. It also seeks to improve the gender balance of EWCs.
Download — advies EESC: Revision of the European Works Council Directive
The European Council of December 2023 discussed the EU enlargement policy, including the stabilisation and association process and next steps in this respect. The enlargement policy will be one of the top priorities for the next coming years. One of the most important aspects of the enlargement process will be the cohesion policy and the structural funds.
The need for a structural policy to be applied following enlargement is justified both by the external necessity of reducing the gap between the applicant countries and the EU average and by the internal necessity of combating increasing disparities amongst and within accession countries.
Download — advies EESC: The role of cohesion policy in upcoming rounds of EU enlargement
The European Commission has requested from the EESC an exploratory opinion on industrial and technological approaches and best practices supporting a water resilient society. Building on EESC's previous work on the EU Blue Deal, this exploratory opinion aims to make concrete recommendations on how to boost the development and uptake of new water technologies and best practices in the EU and support notably industries in the transformation towards a water-resilient society, taking into account sectoral constraints.
Download — advies EESC: Industrial and technological approaches and best practices supporting a water resilient society
EDIS is a joint communication of the Commission and the High Representative that sets a vision for the European defence industrial policy until 2035.
The EESC welcomes this Commission initiative and the CCMI study group members will examine how the European Defence Industrial Strategy can strengthen the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and achieve defence industrial readiness. Furthermore, this opinion will assess the necessary steps for the successful implementation of this strategy.
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This own-initiative opinion using the drone manufacturing industry as a case study will seek to examine the different policies in place to enhance European strategic autonomy and develop synergies between defence and civilian sector, in areas of great social interest such as civil protection, assessment of disasters and quick response of local authorities, traffic monitoring and others. It is important for civil society and stakeholders to mobilise resources and create new added values in the defense sector in such a manner that will maximise security outcome, by motivating industry to cover its own demand, produce appropriate and modern tools of deterrence and transform these at periods of lower turbulence towards civil protection activities.
Download — advies EESC: Drone manufacturing industry: a case study to assess the outcome in a strategic sector of the different policies in place to enhance European strategic autonomy
The European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP) regulation will serve as the anchor for future joint development and procurement projects of high common interest to the security of the Member States and the Union.
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This opinion focuses on the reform and investment measures in the Member States, in particular those based on the Country-Specific Recommendations 2023, and their implementation, in order to assess the effectiveness of these measures and the possibilities for better targeting of proposals, improved implementation and the monitoring and involvement of organised civil society in the procedures. This opinion also looks at issues concerning the ongoing reform of the EU’s economic governance rules, the central objective of which is to strengthen public debt sustainability while promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in all Member States through reforms and investment. Moreover, the opinion continues the previous consultation exercises by examining the state of the implementation of the reforms and investments provided for in the national Recovery and Resilience Plans and which are financially supported by RRF funds.
Download — advies EESC: Reform and investment proposals and their implementation in the Member States – what is the opinion of organised civil society? (2023-2024 European Semester cycle)
