Defining the sharing economy makes it possible to distinguish between genuine practices requiring special arrangements and those that are wrongly classified merely to get around applicable regulations. New business models need to comply with the applicable national and EU legislation, so the Commission must urgently define a clear and transparent legal framework and publish without further delay the long overdue 'European agenda for the collaborative economy'. This agenda should provide a clear definition of the complementary role that self- and co-regulation must play in the sharing economy.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Sharing economy and self-regulation (exploratory opinion requested by the Dutch presidency)
The EESC welcomes the European External Action Service and the European Commission's Joint Communication on the Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy. With regard to the new priority of stabilisation and the new approach of differentiation, as set out in the Communication, the EESC would like to stress the importance of economic development as the main precondition for a stable and safe environment in the EU’s neighbourhood. The EU should be very consistent in providing economic support for the ENP partners and enhancing long-term conditions and motivation to pursue economic reforms, increase competitiveness and modernise business regulations.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Review of the European Neighbourhood Policy
In this opinion, the EESC wishes to focus most of its efforts on the transparency and inclusiveness of the European standardisation system (ESS) and proposes concrete measures, such as: to grant the Annex III organisations specific member/partner status, with particular rights and obligations; to introduce free access to “mirror committees” for SMEs and societal stakeholders; to create an ad hoc forum on the inclusiveness of the ESS responsible for organising an annual public hearing to assess progress made in this regard.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: European standardisation 2016
In the past few years, civil society has been increasingly concerned about the environmental and social impact of food production and consumption. At the request of the Dutch EU Presidency, the EESC is preparing an exploratory opinion on how to achieve sustainable food systems in a resource-constrained world. The opinion takes a holistic and comprehensive approach, looking at the interdependence of food production and consumption as well as fostering inter-sectoral cooperation.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: More sustainable food systems (exploratory opinion requested by the Dutch presidency)
Europe is facing complex challenges calling for renewed social and economic models. To deliver progress, growth and wellbeing in Europe, a shift towards an innovation-based economy is needed. The EESC therefore calls on the European Commission to develop a policy framework to support these new business models emerging. The EESC calls on the Commission in the upcoming review of the Single Market strategy, due in 2017, to fully incorporate these new business models, and suggest new measures in this direction. It is crucial that Member States and the European Institutions fully recognise and promote "fairer" business models, which are centred on delivering innovation for social development by integrating social impact measurement in parallel to reporting economic progress.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Innovation as a driver of new business models (exploratory opinion requested by the Dutch presidency)
The nature of work and employment relationships is developing rapidly. The impact on the labour market and standards, economy, tax and social security systems and the living wage need to be assessed and grey areas in rights and protections addressed. The challenge is to encourage innovation and deliver positive outcomes for a sustainable and competitive social market economy. The EESC considers it a priority to develop social welfare models adapted to cover more flexible forms of employment. This should be given consideration in the development of the EU Pillar of Social Rights.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: The changing nature of employment relationships and its impact on maintaining a living wage (exploratory opinion requested by the Dutch presidency)
The EESC recommends that the EU should aim to achieve a modern, equal and effective partnership with the ACP countries that transcends a donor-recipient relationship and is based on a coherent and integrated EU external policy, based on the principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD). This framework should guarantee the involvement of civil society organisations, including the private sector, whose specific task should be to monitor and assess the impact of the implementation of this Agreement on the sustainable development of the Parties. Civil society should be provided with the technical and financial support needed to undertake this role.
The EESC recommends that all forms of development support that the EU gives to third countries should fall under the same legal framework and should be subject to the same democratic scrutiny by the European Parliament, while retaining the same positive aspects of the EDF.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Future of EU's relations with ACP Group of countries (Green Paper)
During the energy transition towards the low-emission economy, the EU energy system faces a period of profound technological, economic and social change that will affect many of the energy sectors, including the coal industry and hence the coal-mining regions of the EU.
Download — EESC opinion: Indigenous coal in the EU energy transition (own-initiative opinion)
Prof. DSc. Eng. Krzysztof Stanczyk, Coordinator of clean coal technology center, Central Mining Institute, Katowice: Research, Development and Innovation for cleaner use of coal
Jonas M. Helseth, Bellona: Environmental perspective / Contribution of coal and lignite to the EU’s energy security
Mr. Salvatore Cherchi, Member of the Board of SOTACARBO SpA, Societa Technologie Avanzate Carbone, Carbonia, Italy: Clean technologies for the future of the coal
Ph. D. Michal Wilczynski, Freelance Expert for NGOs in Poland, The Institute for Sustainable Development, Warsaw: Will coal and lignite reinforce energy security of Europe?
The proposal on an International Procurement Instrument (IPI) is the EU response to the lack of a level playing field in world procurement markets. While our public procurement market is open to foreign bidders, the procurement markets for foreign goods and services in third countries remain to a large extent closed de iure or de facto. The IPI aims at encouraging partners to engage in negotiations and opening participation for EU bidders and goods in third countries' tenders. A first proposal on this issue was made in 2012 (COM(2012) 124 final) but there was no agreement in the Council. The new Commission proposal incorporates some of the changes requested from the European Parliament and tries to reply to some of the concerns expressed in the Council. A number of Member States have expressed reservations as regards the principle of closing the EU market for goods and services originating in certain third countries, even if only temporarily and in a targeted way.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Access of third country goods and services to the European Union's internal market in public procurement
The EESC has in numerous opinions urged for a fair, efficient and growth-friendly corporate tax system, based on the principle that companies should pay taxes in the country where profits are generated. Thus, the Committee welcomes the Commission’s initiatives intended to combat aggressive tax planning and broadly supports the proposed measures as regards the essential elements of the two legislative proposals, the Anti-Tax-Avoidance-Directive as well as the Directive on Administrative Cooperation. It advocates for a more precise scope and framework in certain specific areas (such as e.g. the switch-over clause). The Committee urges to finish drawing up the list of countries or regions which refuse to apply good governance standards and considers that the envisaged legislative measures should not apply to SMEs.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: The Anti Tax Avoidance Package
With this Opinion, the EESC wishes to weigh in on the new EU Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, which is expected to be presented to the Council before the summer. The rapporteur argues that internal and external policy are intertwined and both require better coordination of policies, objectives and resources. Social exclusion today is a key factor in crises, and the EU must be a defender of equality and a promoter of freedom, security and prosperity.
The Opinion goes on to address the wide range and crucial nature of topics that the new strategy will cover, such as resource allocation to foreign and defense policy, the EU's role as a constructive and regulatory power, the refugee crisis, development cooperation, or trade.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: The new EU strategy on foreign and security policy (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC fully supports the consolidation, codification and thereby simplification of the text of the proposal relating to certain aspects of company law. The EESC would also have wished for a more ambitious exercise that aimed to codify aspects that are still spread across other legislative instruments.
The EESC welcomes the Commission's initiative to address "cross-border portability" through a regulation, but considers it necessary for a subscriber's "Member State of residence" to be clearly defined. The vacatio legis period of six months would be for the EESC a reasonable period for the service providers concerned to adapt their delivery systems to the new situation.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Ensuring the cross-border portability of online content services in the internal market
The EESC already produced an opinion on the same topic in January 2009 (see 'Related EESC Opinions'), but the geo-political developments over the past 7 years (Arab spring, increased tensions with Russia over the Eastern Partnership, crises in the Middle East, fluctuating oil prices) and other economic and technical factors (level of oil prices, new LNG terminals, debate around fracking, etc.) suggest a revision of this opinion.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: The external dimension of the EU’s energy policy (exploratory opinion requested by the Dutch presidency)
The EESC endorses the proposal for a Directive and suggests other measures which it considers could contribute towards increasing citizens' security: the possibility of placing indelible marks on bullets, which facilitates the traceability of arms and ammunition; making data available on interoperable databases at European level; the introduction of a gun buy-back programme; and reviewing the risks related to 3D printing of lethal weapons, without any possibility of verification or traceability.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Control of the acquisition and possession of weapons
The European Economic and Social Committee has been supporting the idea of a European Energy Union from its first inception as a European Energy Community in 2010. The annual State of the Energy Union report is also broadly welcomed by the EESC as a means to keep energy at the top of the political agenda across the European Union and ensure coordinated progress across sectors and Member states. The 2015 version of the State of the Energy Union is a snapshot taken only nine months after the launch of the Energy Union programme, limiting the reports' usefulness to judge progress made towards the Energy Union. However, as is noted in the opinion, the report's publication provides the EESC a welcome opportunity to identify particular aspects in advancing and governing the Energy Union that are of particular importance to Europe's civil society.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: State of the Energy Union 2015
EU Member States face the arrival of many refugees, who need to be integrated into the host societies once their protected status is granted. The EESC is convinced that integration is a necessity for the preservation of social cohesion. This exploratory opinion, drawn up at the request of the Dutch Presidency of the EU, clarifies the meaning of "integration" and looks at comparability with previous refugee movements, successful integration measures applied in the various EU member states, and the financing of integration measures for refugees, resulting in a set of best practices and recommendations.
Download — Stanovisko EHSV: Integration of refugees in the EU (exploratory opinion requested by the Dutch presidency)
