# Official Journal C 220/9 Ju

| | ISSN 1977-091X |
| --- | --- |
| Official Journal
  of the European Union | C 220 |
| | |
| English edition | Information and Notices | Volume 649 June 2021 |

ISSN 1977-091X

Official Journal

of the European Union

C 220

English edition

Information and Notices

Volume 649 June 2021

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| Contents | page |
| --- | --- |
| | I   Resolutions, recommendations and opinions |
| | OPINIONS |
| | European Economic and Social Committee |
| | 559th plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee – Interactio, 24.3.2021-25.3.2021 |
| 2021/C 220/01 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Challenges of teleworking: organisation of working time, work-life balance and the right to disconnect’ (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Portuguese Presidency) | 1 |
| 2021/C 220/02 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Teleworking and gender equality — conditions so that teleworking does not exacerbate the unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work between women and men and for it to be an engine for promoting gender equality’(Exploratory opinion at the request of the Portuguese Presidency) | 13 |
| 2021/C 220/03 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The Single European Railway Area’(Exploratory opinion requested by the Portuguese Presidency) | 26 |

Contents

page

I   Resolutions, recommendations and opinions

OPINIONS

European Economic and Social Committee

559th plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee – Interactio, 24.3.2021-25.3.2021

2021/C 220/01

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Challenges of teleworking: organisation of working time, work-life balance and the right to disconnect’ (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Portuguese Presidency)

1

2021/C 220/02

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Teleworking and gender equality — conditions so that teleworking does not exacerbate the unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work between women and men and for it to be an engine for promoting gender equality’(Exploratory opinion at the request of the Portuguese Presidency)

(Exploratory opinion at the request of the Portuguese Presidency)

13

2021/C 220/03

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The Single European Railway Area’(Exploratory opinion requested by the Portuguese Presidency)

(Exploratory opinion requested by the Portuguese Presidency)

26

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| | III   Preparatory acts |
| --- | --- |
| | European Economic and Social Committee |
| | 559th plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee – Interactio, 24.3.2021-25.3.2021 |
| 2021/C 220/04 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 report on the State of the Energy Union pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action’(COM(2020) 950 final) and on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — An EU-wide assessment of National Energy and Climate Plans: Driving forward the green transition and promoting economic recovery through integrated energy and climate planning’(COM(2020) 564 final) | 38 |
| 2021/C 220/05 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on an EU strategy to reduce methane emissions’(COM(2020) 663 final) | 47 |
| 2021/C 220/06 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Regulation (EU) No 347/2013’(COM(2020) 824 final — 2020/0360 (COD)) | 51 |
| 2021/C 220/07 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee — Taking the Customs Union to the Next Level: a Plan for Action’(COM(2020) 581 final) | 56 |
| 2021/C 220/08 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Union Single Window Environment for Customs and amending Regulation (EU) No 952/2013’(COM(2020) 673 final — 2020/306 (COD)) | 62 |
| 2021/C 220/09 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee Communication on ‘from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council — 2020 Strategic Foresight Report — Strategic foresight — Charting the course towards a more resilient Europe’(COM(2020) 493 final) | 67 |
| 2021/C 220/10 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a Retail Payments Strategy for the EU’(COM(2020) 592 final) | 72 |
| 2021/C 220/11 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — A new ERA for Research and Innovation’(COM(2020) 628 final) | 79 |
| 2021/C 220/12 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Extension of the term of Community plant variety rights for the species asparagus and the species groups flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals’(COM(2020) 36 final — 2021/0019 (COD)) | 86 |
| 2021/C 220/13 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2017/2397 as regards the transitional measures for the recognition of third countries certificates’(COM(2021) 71 final — 2021/0039 (COD)) | 87 |
| 2021/C 220/14 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Enhancing the accession process — A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’(COM(2020) 57 final) on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’(COM(2020) 641 final) and on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 Communication on EU enlargement policy’(COM(2020) 660 final) | 88 |
| 2021/C 220/15 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Central Bank — Tackling non-performing loans in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic’(COM(2020) 822 final) | 98 |
| 2021/C 220/16 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on adequate minimum wages in the European Union’(COM(2020) 682 final — 2020/310 (COD)) | 106 |
| 2021/C 220/17 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a Path towards greater Security and Sustainability’(COM(2020) 474 final) | 118 |
| 2021/C 220/18 | Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Sustainability requirements for batteries in the EU’(COM(2020) 798 final — 2020/353 (COD)) | 128 |

III   Preparatory acts

European Economic and Social Committee

559th plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee – Interactio, 24.3.2021-25.3.2021

2021/C 220/04

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 report on the State of the Energy Union pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action’(COM(2020) 950 final) and on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — An EU-wide assessment of National Energy and Climate Plans: Driving forward the green transition and promoting economic recovery through integrated energy and climate planning’(COM(2020) 564 final)

(COM(2020) 950 final)

(COM(2020) 564 final)

38

2021/C 220/05

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on an EU strategy to reduce methane emissions’(COM(2020) 663 final)

(COM(2020) 663 final)

47

2021/C 220/06

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure and repealing Regulation (EU) No 347/2013’(COM(2020) 824 final — 2020/0360 (COD))

(COM(2020) 824 final — 2020/0360 (COD))

51

2021/C 220/07

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee — Taking the Customs Union to the Next Level: a Plan for Action’(COM(2020) 581 final)

(COM(2020) 581 final)

56

2021/C 220/08

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Union Single Window Environment for Customs and amending Regulation (EU) No 952/2013’(COM(2020) 673 final — 2020/306 (COD))

(COM(2020) 673 final — 2020/306 (COD))

62

2021/C 220/09

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee Communication on ‘from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council — 2020 Strategic Foresight Report — Strategic foresight — Charting the course towards a more resilient Europe’(COM(2020) 493 final)

(COM(2020) 493 final)

67

2021/C 220/10

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a Retail Payments Strategy for the EU’(COM(2020) 592 final)

(COM(2020) 592 final)

72

2021/C 220/11

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — A new ERA for Research and Innovation’(COM(2020) 628 final)

(COM(2020) 628 final)

79

2021/C 220/12

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Extension of the term of Community plant variety rights for the species asparagus and the species groups flower bulbs, woody small fruits and woody ornamentals’(COM(2020) 36 final — 2021/0019 (COD))

(COM(2020) 36 final — 2021/0019 (COD))

86

2021/C 220/13

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2017/2397 as regards the transitional measures for the recognition of third countries certificates’(COM(2021) 71 final — 2021/0039 (COD))

(COM(2021) 71 final — 2021/0039 (COD))

87

2021/C 220/14

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Enhancing the accession process — A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’(COM(2020) 57 final) on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’(COM(2020) 641 final) and on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 Communication on EU enlargement policy’(COM(2020) 660 final)

(COM(2020) 57 final)

(COM(2020) 641 final)

(COM(2020) 660 final)

88

2021/C 220/15

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Central Bank — Tackling non-performing loans in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic’(COM(2020) 822 final)

(COM(2020) 822 final)

98

2021/C 220/16

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on adequate minimum wages in the European Union’(COM(2020) 682 final — 2020/310 (COD))

(COM(2020) 682 final — 2020/310 (COD))

106

2021/C 220/17

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Critical Raw Materials Resilience: Charting a Path towards greater Security and Sustainability’(COM(2020) 474 final)

(COM(2020) 474 final)

118

2021/C 220/18

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Sustainability requirements for batteries in the EU’(COM(2020) 798 final — 2020/353 (COD))

(COM(2020) 798 final — 2020/353 (COD))

128

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EN