Europeiska ekonomiska och sociala kommittén
This study shows that the Almunia package has led to substantial improvements in clarity and legal certainty as regards the provision of SGEIs and state aid. It has achieved the right balance between the need to foster and support SGEIs and the objective of preventing potential distortions in competition.
The European Economic and Social Committee and Confrontations Europe held a Digital Agenda Conference entitled "Innovation in the digital era: reinventing our economy" in Brussels on 21 April 2016. With nearly 300 participants, well-known and high-level speakers, interactive debates with the audience, and the participation of representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, a member of the French Digital Council, EESC members and Commissioner Oettinger, this event was undoubtedly a huge success.
The Energy Union is one of the ten priority work areas of the European Commission under the Presidency of Jean-Claude Juncker. The Energy Union strategy was launched in February 2015. The EESC has followed the Energy Union process closely. The Committee has produced as many as 22 opinions directly in response to the Energy Union initiative, ranging from general ones concerning the Energy Union construct to sectoral ones covering policy proposals in each of the five pillars.
The "Smart Cities" project is a follow-up to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) own-initiative opinion on smart cities as a driver of a new European industrial policy, adopted in July 2015.
The EESC "Smart Islands" project is based on the own-initiative of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on Smart islands TEN/558.
Balancing economic benefits and ethical questions of Big Data in the EU policy context
Representatives of European organised civil society have put forward their proposals as part of the preparation by the Commission of its 2017 Work Programme. While regretting the result of UK citizens' vote to leave the EU, the EESC asks for a rapid start to the negotiations with the UK in order to respond to the present uncertainty about the future of the EU and it demands to be fully involved in the negotiation process with the UK.
Compendium of studies carried out in 2015 on the initiative of the EESC: summaries, authors, reference numbers, requesting services, contact persons, linguistic versions...
This study operationalises the concept of a European Energy Dialogue (EED) and describes it such that it can be discussed with the stakeholders that should be involved in its implementation. The objective of the EED is to enable stakeholders to work with civil society by providing the necessary structured and validated approach, to mobilise civil society to be more closely involved and to connect the many dialogues taking place at national, regional, city and local level.
The "Smart Islands" project is the continuation of the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) own-initiative opinion on Smart Islands.
The project aims to engage and exchange with local stakeholders on innovative projects developed locally, which create sustainable growth and, at the same time, job opportunities and competiveness, whilst respecting the environment and cultural heritage".
As outcome of the project, a catalogue of good practices was published in 2017.
