Resolution on "Involvement of Organised Civil Society in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans – How can we improve it?"

Rapporteur:Javier DOZ ORRIT (Workers' Group – SP), Gonçalo LOBO XAVIER (Employer's Group - PT) and Luca JAHIER (Diversity Group – IT)

Reference:ECO/592 – EESC-2022-02158-00-01-PRES-TRA (EN)

Key points:

The EESC:

  • noted that, in general, the final content of the plans is evaluated positively. In some cases, comments of Organised Civil Society (OSC) were taken into account in the finalised versions of the NRRPs. Overall, the OCS supports the green, digital and social objectives of the NRRPs. Regrettably, it was often expressed that the social dimension of the plan was relatively underdeveloped despite the importance of this for the resilience aspect. The view was expressed that the twin transition requires more investment, especially given the current crisis. In Member States where the implementation phase has already started, social partners and civil society organisations stressed that the institutional social dialogue had improved in this phase.
  • noticed that, despite the delay in the implementation of many NRRPs, good practices were identified in some Member States with regard to the implementation and monitoring of NRRPs (for example, the implementation of an RRF campaign website or government portal with transparent information accessible to the public, the establishment of a monitoring body that includes the OSC can, etc.), which can serve as an example for the other Member States.
  • found that the OCS calls for more transparency in the implementation and monitoring of the plans and asks that information be made publicly available and that dialogues around them with all relevant stakeholders be further encouraged.
  • calls on the national governments of those Member States where the involvement of the social partners and civil society organisations is still insufficient to remedy this situation as a matter of urgency and to comply with the rules laid down in the RRF Regulation. It calls on the Commission and the European Parliament to enforce compliance with the rules in force.
  • draws attention to the fact that proper participation takes place when, in formal consultation processes based on legal rules and public and transparent procedures, civil society organisations are duly informed in writing, given sufficient time to analyse the government's proposals and draft their own proposals, and the inclusion or rejection of these proposals is accompanied by a justification contained in public minutes or documents.
  • stresses that the Ukraine war and its immediate risks to the European and global economy do not call into question the objectives of the NRRPs but, on the contrary, in the Committee's view, should encourage European institutions and national governments to speed up the implementation and enforcement of the plans, as well as the associated investments and reforms, and to push forward the EU Green Deal, in order to sustain growth and accelerate the decarbonisation of the energy system and the green strategic autonomy of the European Union.
  • emphasises that, prior to the outbreak of the war, the total amount of national and NGEU funds was insufficient to achieve the objectives of the Green Deal and deliver the just and inclusive energy transition required.
  • and therefore proposes:
  • the urgent adoption of a new EU Energy Strategy;
  • considering the possibility of redirecting NRRP investments towards greater investment in clean and renewable energy while ensuring the strategic autonomy of the EU;
  • that all Member States use their share of NRRP funds to finance new programmes in this direction, such as programmes for sustainable energy investments;
  • that in the short term, European authorities and national governments should take all necessary measures, in both the production and consumption areas, to protect economies from the cascading effects of the war on the EU economy;
  • assessing the creation of a new financial investment instrument and supporting the European Commission's proposal contained in the REpowerEU Communication to accelerate the restructuring of the energy sector, in order to provide a more secure and sustainable strategic autonomy of the EU. To this end, the most appropriate model to be identified should be used, based on the best practices and results of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and the RRF.    
  • calls on the European authorities, national governments and the ECB to act in close coordination and take the necessary steps to ensure that the withdrawal of expansionary monetary and fiscal policies is carried out in such a way as not to lead to a new recession.
  • believes that the reform of the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact should be undertaken by setting realistic deficit and debt targets, incorporating the golden rule of investment, and establishing flexible paths, according on the situation of each country, to achieving the targets for reducing public debt levels.

 


 #ResilientEurope   #EURecovery   #RRF   #NGEU    #macroeconomicstability    #EUSemester #NRRPlans   #CivilSocietyOrganisations   #socialpartners    #EUCohesion   #CivilSociety    #SocialDialogue


> Read the Country reports

Downloads

EESC Resolution on Involvement of Organised Civil Society in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans
Annexe ECO/592

Work organisation