Over recent years, there has been a shift in bargaining power in the food supply chain, mostly to the advantage of the retail sector and some transnational companies and to the detriment of suppliers, in particular primary producers. The concentration of bargaining power has led to the abuse of positions of dominance causing weaker operators to become increasingly vulnerable to Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs). The opinion takes stock of the impact of UTPs, stresses the difficult position of the most vulnerable actors along the chain and calls for action at EU level to stop UTPs and promote a fairer food supply chain.
Download — Mnenje EESO: Promoting a fairer agro-food supply chain
The 2030 Agenda represents a breakthrough in multilateral cooperation, in the sense that it puts social and human development on a par with economic progress, and sees these three dimensions as a whole. Whereas the MDGs (Millennium Development goals) addressed primarily developing countries, this new Agenda is a transformational and universal agenda for all countries, and promotes a new, inclusive and participatory method of decision-making. The EU showed significant leadership in the process leading up to the adoption of the new SDGs (Sustainable Development Goasl). The opinion stresses that the EU needs to hold up its credibility both internally and externally, when it comes to implementing the Agenda and its 17 goals. Pointing to the universal and indivisible nature of the Agenda, the opinion underlines the importance of an EU response at the highest level, providing a robust base on which an overarching EU strategy should be founded.
Download — Mnenje EESO: The 2030 Agenda – A European Union committed to support sustainable development goals globally (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC calls upon the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council to work together to hold an interinstitutional conference as soon as possible on the role of public-private technology partnerships in European reindustrialisation, with a view to the next R&I Framework Programme after 2020.
Download — Mnenje EESO: Role and effect of JTIs and PPPs in implementing Horizon 2020 for sustainable industrial change. (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC takes the view that the general development of distributed prosumer energy should form an important and sustainable part of the European Union’s energy policy. Such an approach would be beneficial and might even be necessary from the point of view of energy security and in light of environmental and social concerns. In particular, the Committee points to the prosumers’ advantages of, among others, lower energy transmission costs, better use of local energy sources, and the economic and social involvement of local communities.
Download — Mnenje EESO: Prosumer Energy and Prosumer Power Cooperatives: opportunities and challenges in the EU countries (own-initiative opinion)
Download — Mnenje EESO: Concluding observations of the UN CRPD Committee to the European Union – A new strategy for persons with disabilities in the European Union (own-initiative opinion)
Alarming political decisions have shown that the EU lacks adequate instruments to safeguard fundamental values and the rule of law. A new European mechanism on the rule of law and fundamental rights is needed. The mechanism should include a regular assessment of Member States in a governance "policy coordination cycle", similar to the European Semester. The EESC should play an active role, as this will make for strong civil society involvement. The mechanism must be based on indicators, taking into account the indivisibility of fundamental economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights.
Download — Mnenje EESO: European control mechanism on the rule of law and fundamental rights (own-initiative opinion)
On 12 June 2014, the Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council codifying Council Regulation (EC) No 673/2005 of 25 April 2005 establishing additional customs duties on imports of certain products originating in the United States of America.
Download — Mnenje EESO: Imports of certain products originating in the United States of America (codification)
Download — Mnenje EESO: Financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability
Download — Mnenje EESO: Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2004/37/EC on the Protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work
In September 2015 world leaders adopted the UN agenda Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, establishing a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet, ensure protection of human rights and guarantee prosperity for all. As an initial step the Commission is carrying out an internal "mapping" exercise in order to identify which existing EU policies already address the challenges set by the SDGs. The Commission has asked the Committee to contribute to that process with the present exploratory opinion.
Download — Mnenje EESO: Sustainable development: a mapping of the EU's internal and external policies
(exploratory opinion requested by the European Commission)
The EESC supports and endorses the Commission's strategic choice of an open European computing cloud geared to the scientific community, as part of a strong political and economic commitment to digital innovation. The EESC proposes a European cloud open to all citizens and businesses.
Download — Mnenje EESO: European Cloud Initiative – Building a competitive data and knowledge economy in Europe
The PINC (the nuclear illustrative programme) does not offer a clear and comprehensive approach to how the complex future of nuclear power in the European energy mix can be strategically addressed. The Committee urges the Commission to propose a clear analytical process and methodology which can offer a consistent, voluntary framework for national decision-making about the role – if any – of nuclear power in the energy mix. The EESC is therefore calling for revisions and additions to the draft communication, covering aspects of competitiveness of nuclear power, security of supply, climate change and carbon targets, public acceptability, transparency and effective national dialogue.
The Committee would also like to see further references being made to extensive work on off-site and cross-border preparation for emergencies. The implications of the Brexit vote and a road map illustrating nuclear fusion progress should also be covered by the Commission document.
Fighting against tax avoidance and aggressive tax planning, both at the EU and at a global level, is an important political priority for the European Union. The EESC welcomes and endorses the Commission proposal, which aims to make the taxation system more transparent as this measure will boost public confidence. The EESC suggests that the Commission should aim for a more ambitious package. It proposes the disclosure of a wider range of data, the gradual reduction of the turnover threshold of EUR 750 Million and that the disclosed data is made publicly available in one of the official languages of the EU in order to achieve the objective of giving the public genuine access to data for the whole single market.
Download — Mnenje EESO: Proposal on public tax transparency (country-by-country reporting)
