Industrial transition towards a green and digital European economy: regulatory requirements and the role of social partners and civil society (exploratory opinion requested by the Parliament)

Key points

The EESC:

• Believes that it is essential to recognise the complementarity between climate change, circular economy policies, and corporate social responsibility, and to highlight the circular characteristics of energy from renewable sources;
• Stresses that the role of employers, entrepreneurs and private sector engagement in driving structural change are key to industrial transition. As innovation in Europe typically emerges from small entities, a focus is needed on creating a favourable business environment for and on promoting the potential of SMEs that provide high-level knowledge-based services. The experience of social economy enterprises and organisations should also be harnessed;
• Recommends that European and national institutions introduce new governance structures that can ensure the active involvement of the local economy, social partners and civil society in designing and implementing fair measures to ensure that transitions are socially just;
• Recommends incorporating into the European semester new, improved, measurable and complementary social, economic and environmental indicators to monitor and keep track of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat.