The EU retail investment package aims to strengthen the legislative framework to ensure that retail investors are empowered to take more informed investment decisions that better correspond to their needs and objectives, and are adequately protected in the single market by a coherent regulatory framework.
The EESC welcomed the European Commission's proposal to modernise the EU legislative framework against corruption by incorporating international standards, including those in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The EESC recommended that Member States adopt rules in a number of areas, including on incompatibility, lobbying, access to elected officials, recruitment of public officials and funding of political parties. Other ways to reinforce anti-corruption measures would be through an extension of the competences of the EU Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the creation of an independent corruption prevention authority at EU-level. The opinion also suggested to extend the legal basis of the Directive and introduce speedy procedures to administer justice for corruption-related crimes.
Download — Avizul CESE: Update of the anti-corruption legislative framework
The Commission is proposing an ambitious revision of the EU pharmaceutical legislation (including a Directive and a Regulation), in order to, inter alia, create a Single Market for medicines, ensure an innovation-friendly framework for research and production and reduce the administrative burden.
The Mediterranean region is strongly exposed to climate change and faces fast-rising temperatures, water scarcity and coastal erosion. Energy transition plays an important role in climate change mitigation on both shores of the Mediterranean.
Download — Avizul CESE: Energy policies and strategies in the Euro-Mediterranean region
The EESC welcomes the simpler and more transparent economic governance framework, the reduction of the pro-cyclical bias, the improvement in national ownership and strengthened enforcement, the differentiation and more tailored fiscal adjustment path of each Member State, based on a common-risk framework. However, the Committee proposes replacing the requirement obliging any Member State with a budget deficit of over 3% to cut that deficit by an average of 0.5% of GDP annually, and emphasises that the "technical trajectory" should be first in the hands of national governments and, at a second stage, be the result of a technical dialogue with the European Commission In due course. In due time, but by 2026 at the latest, an EU fiscal capacity should be established to meet at least some of the investment needs for common priorities and to allow Member States the fiscal space to meet the fiscal costs of the multiple transitions.
Download — Avizul CESE: New economic governance rules fit for the future
Download — Avizul CESE: Joint communication on the update of the EU Maritime Security Strategy and its Action Plan: An enhanced EU Maritime Security Strategy for evolving maritime threats
