The Commission's communication sets out a strategy for the implementation of the charter in the new legal environment created by the Lisbon Treaty. The charter must serve as a compass for the Union's policies and their implementation by the Member States. The EESC finds that the Commission should strengthen the culture of fundamental rights at all government levels and across all policy and legislative domains level. It is as well urgent to establish a strategy for monitoring and for rapid reaction.
Download — EESC opinion: Strategy for the effective implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the European Union
The central message of this exploratory opinion is the need for a coordinated approach on renewable energies in the region, one that is based on co-development.
The EESC welcomes the Commission document COM(2011) 25 final Tackling the Challenges in Commodity Markets and on Raw Materials and The European raw materials' initiative (RMI) as an important step to tackle this vital issue.
EESC thus urges the EC to monitor the situation in international trade of critical raw materials (as listed in COM(2011) 25 final and with regular updating of this list). In addition, we endorse the need to continue in negotiation at the international level (WTO) to promote free trade also in commodity markets.
The EESC urges a more active foreign policy regarding security of raw materials for EU industry.
Mr. Paul Anciaux, DG Enterprise and Industry, European Commission
The "Agenda for new skills and jobs" is one of the seven flagship initiatives under the Europe 2020 Strategy. It proposes actions within four key priorities in order to reach an employment rate of 75% by 2020. In its opinion the EESC broadly welcomes the European Commission initiative but puts forward a number of comments and recommendations. For instance, the Committee finds that the proposed initiative fails to encapsulate the urgent need to create good-quality jobs. It does not constitute a sufficient stimulus to Member States to set more ambitious national goals backed by the necessary investment and structural reforms.
Download — EESC opinion: An agenda for new skills and jobs
In a democratic society everybody is affected by collective decisions and must therefore be able to influence and participate in those decisions. Democracy in the European multicultural cities of the 21st Century must be improved through the participation of residents whose rights of political participation are restricted: residents from non-EU countries. The EESC proposes that, in order to encourage integration of immigrants and a better governance, Europe's municipal and regional authorities set up consultative councils, forums and platforms so that civil society organisations with a focus on migration can participate in and be consulted on integration policies.
Download — EESC opinion: Cooperation in integrating immigrants
