Considering the extent of the food security crisis and the urgency to address the issue of excessive commodity speculation, the aim of this own-initiative opinion is to analyse the current situation in more detail; gather experts' views on the impacts of commodity speculation on food price increases and food security worldwide; and provide civil society's recommendations on policy measures that are needed to address excessive price speculation and increase market transparency.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Food price crisis: the role of speculation and concrete proposals for action in the aftermath of the Ukraine war
L'Acte sur la Résilience Cybernétique vise à établir les exigences en matière de cybersécurité pour les produits et logiciels connectés (intégrés et non intégrés). Cette initiative vise à répondre aux besoins du marché et à protéger les consommateurs contre les produits non sécuritaires en instaurant des règles communes de cybersécurité pour les fabricants et les fournisseurs de produits numériques tangibles et intangibles et de services auxiliaires.
The exploratory opinion will look into EU competitiveness and the regulatory impacts of Union legislation on EU's businesses. The EU must decrease its strategic dependency and ensure its higher resilience, as well as openness to the outside world and competitiveness of its businesses. According to the Czech Presidency priorities, the Single Market serves as the EU's greatest asset in order to fulfil these targets.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: A competitiveness check to build a stronger and more resilient EU economy
EU Heads of State or Government, meeting in Versailles on 11 March, committed to “bolster European defence capabilities” in light of the Russian military aggression against Ukraine. They agreed to: 1) increase defence expenditures; 2) step up cooperation through joint projects; 3) close shortfalls and meet capability objectives; 4) boost innovation including through civil/military synergies; and 5) strengthen and develop our defence industry, including SMEs. Moreover, they invited “the Commission, in coordination with the European Defence Agency, to put forward an analysis of the defence investment gaps by mid-May and to propose any further initiative necessary to strengthen the European defence industrial and technological base.” The tasking was also integrated in the Strategic Compass on Security and Defence adopted by the Council and endorsed by the European Council in March 2022.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Defence Investment Gaps Analysis and the way forward
The Commission is proposing an initiative which will aim to enhancing the Single Market’s resilience, by providing adequate information, coordination and communication mechanisms between EU institutions, Member States and stakeholders adapted to different phases of a crisis; providing the means to ensure such resilience including availability of products and services relevant for a certain type of crisis and guaranteeing as much as possible the free circulation of goods, services and persons.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Single market emergency instrument
The aim of the Commission's New European Innovation Agenda is to position Europe at the forefront of the new wave of deep tech innovation and start-ups. It will help Europe to develop new technologies to address the most pressing societal challenges, and to bring them on the market. The proposed agenda will help better integrate initiatives and investment at EU and national levels. Action at EU level is crucial for supporting the development of coherent national innovation agendas, supporting access to finance, particularly for small businesses, creating a framework more supportive of innovation, connecting innovation ecosystems, and developing and attracting talent.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: A new European innovation agenda
The Report on Competition Policy for 2021 presents the key policy developments and legislative initiatives undertaken in 2021, as well as a selection of enforcement actions.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Report on Competition policy
On June 22 2022, the Commission published its proposal for a Regulation for the conversion of the Farm Accountancy Data Network into a Farm Sustainability Data Network.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Conversion to a Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN)
Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" (SLAPPs) are a particular form of harassment used against journalists, rights defenders and others who are involved in protecting the public interest. Typically, they are meritless lawsuits lodged by powerful individuals or entities against a weaker party who expresses a critical position on a matter of public interest. Through this Opinion, the EESC welcomes the European Commission initiative – a proposed Directive and a Recommendation – aiming to tackle this growing phenomenon. The EESC also proposes to go beyond the current scope of the initiative, notably through a stronger focus on national aspects, and recommendations on aspects like preliminary rulings or training.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Initiative against abusive litigation targeting journalists and rights defenders
This opinion draws attention to the needs of family members taking care of older, chronic ill or disabled relatives. Informal carers, as they are called, represented by a majority of women, work for free, and are more vulnerable to falling into poverty. The opinion calls for public policies in this field and a recognition of their important societal role.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: The role of family members caring for people with disabilities and older persons: the explosion of the phenomenon during the pandemic
Rare diseases are often chronic and sometimes disabling diseases affecting an estimated 25/30 million European citizens. Even more people are affected as care taker or family. Patients and relatives face difficulties in access to diagnosis, treatment or care and in their inclusion to society and labour market. In this opinion, the EESC presents its recommendations on how to improve social protection for these patients and raise awareness on their situation and needs.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Ensuring strong European solidarity for rare disease patients
The objective of the own-initiative opinion is to provide EESC's input into the discussions and future actions in regard to emergency preparedness, especially focusing on the impact on businesses.
Combating all forms of discrimination is one of the aims of the EU, as enshrined in the Treaties. Yet, Member States have never agreed on the Directive proposed by the European Commission in 2008, which would have extended the existing EU protection against discrimination to all policy areas. Such a situation has created an "artificial hierarchy of protected grounds" whereby areas such as sex, and racial or ethnic origin, enjoy wider protection than other grounds like religion or belief, age, disability and sexual orientation. This Own-Initiative Opinion seeks to address this situation, by recalling the need to adopt a comprehensive directive, but by proposing complementary actions notably based on the recognition of the general principle of equality.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Improving equality in the EU
The aim of this OIO is to identify avenues for a transparent and credible sustainability-labelling framework, which is easy to understand and empowers consumers to make more sustainable food choices. The OIO would contribute to achieving more sustainable and healthy food systems in practice by exploring potential avenues to empower the consumer to make more sustainable buying decisions.
Download — EESK:s yttrande: Towards a sustainable food labelling framework to empower consumers to make sustainable food choices
