ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
3.1.

The EESC welcomes the new CMU Action Plan as a needed continuation of what has already been achieved through the first 2015 plan. The continuation of the plan is even more urgent in the context of the unexpected COVID-19 crisis, a crisis which, due to its magnitude, somewhat changes the diagnostic underpinned by very good work undertaken by the next CMU high-level expert group and by the High-Level Forum (HLF) on the CMU, and which would justify some adjustments and reinforcements. The EESC regrets the slow pace in implementing the 2015 action plan, due largely to a lack of positive support from some Member States. Another major project under way, the Banking Union, is also suffering from delays. The EESC considers that a strong political will on the part of the Member States is needed to support (the European Semester review process could perhaps be used as a tool to monitor progress) the measures necessary to deliver on the CMU, which is not intended to be a goal in itself. A safe and properly functioning CMU is crucial to support economic recovery and restructuring in the wake of COVID 19 and to support relevant capital, infrastructural and social investment across the EU, as well as the European Green Deal and digital transformation. In this context, the EESC also acknowledges the importance of public funding, which also plays a vital role by attracting private investment and reducing uncertainty. Foreign investment could also play a meaningful role, complementing European savings.
2.2.5.

COVID-19 has also had a negative effect on education. The school closures which took place in 2020 — and will probably continue in 2021 as well — disrupted an educational process which was already insufficiently inclusive. Even before the pandemic, children and youth from vulnerable and minority groups left school early or did not participate fully in the education process. To the extent that they were participating in education, children with minority backgrounds were subject to discrimination and bullying, which the European Commission proposal does not fully acknowledge. Schools are not just educational institutions; within and around them several services are provided, from feeding to health monitoring and assistance and prevention of abuse by parents and community. Moving teaching online was an emergency solution. In many cases, this created another obstacle for vulnerable and minority children as they lacked suitable devices and an internet connection. As soon as the schools can be reopened, direct and strong action is required to start remedial teaching and service provision. The EESC looks forward to the Commission’s comprehensive strategy on the rights of the child planned for 2021. We hope that the strategy will include actions tackling racism and discrimination, but also links with policies and resources which could mitigate the negative effects of the epidemic and the disruptions produced.
4.10.

The EESC welcomes the emphasis placed on developing relevant skills protecting against cyber threats generally. However, for the majority of European companies and especially SMEs, the growing skills gap remains a huge problem against cybersecurity threats. The EESC believes that this skill gap can only be addressed through an EU-wide Cyber Security Career Pathways Tool that helps individuals identify, build and navigate a potential career path in cybersecurity by increasing understanding of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to begin, transition or advance a cybersecurity career. This tool should also include specific programmes which address accessibility and diversity in the cybersecurity space. The role of Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions is deemed critical to support an EU-wide Cyber Security Career Pathways Tool. Moreover, the EU should increasingly be looking to joint research initiatives (within the EU and beyond) to produce skilled and qualified cybersecurity professionals in an inclusive manner, given the evolving role technology plays in creating a more inclusive workplace and society. Finally, encouraging students to enter cybersecurity degree studies by providing scholarships for bachelors, masters and graduate degrees focusing on cybersecurity, in return for service in EU institutions and agencies as well public services across the EU upon graduation, should be actively considered.
3.12.

The EESC understands the need to respect the conventions of justice, but the COVID-19 crisis has helped us see that videoconferencing does not necessarily have to be carried out through existing mechanisms for interaction with the courts (whether at national or international level), with those involved in proceedings present in the courts in the area where they live or in venues previously designated and authorised (such as police facilities, the premises of forensic agencies and others). This is because contact with witnesses may take place via computer or mobile phone, irrespective of their location.
4.5.4.

On the one hand the AIA proposal looks not only at the technology itself, but also at what is used for and how it is used. On the other hand, it contains a specific definition of AI including a list of AI techniques that fall within the scope of the regulation. As such, the AIA proposal appears to hinge on two thoughts. Whether this slightly ambivalent approach will be adequate to appropriately address the specific challenges of AI and foster its opportunities will be discussed in more detail in the upcoming EESC opinion on the AIA proposal.
3.13.

‘Digital and green’ should not only go hand in hand, they are essential to promoting innovation across the EU. Examples include blockchain technologies to optimise the supply chain and enhance efficiency, which would assist in reducing resource consumption while keeping track of components, products and materials, thus contributing to the circular economy. In addition, digital technologies can help neutralise or offset emissions that are technically challenging or expensive. Going ‘digital and green’ is of vital importance, but as has been stressed in this opinion, fairness in society should always be the guiding principle for its implementation. Put differently, the benefits of digital transformation in, for instance, application of the latest technologies used to deliver smart, seamless and unobtrusive services in the areas of energy, security, mobility, wellness and community which help achieve carbon neutrality, should be accessible to all.
3.8.

The EESC considers the protection of workers’ health and safety to be an essential element. Machinery manufacturers and planners are responsible for the basic safety of machinery. If safety cannot be ensured, machinery must not be put into operation. People who operate machines on a daily basis must not in doing so be exposed to any dangers that are avoidable. Specifically, this means that machinery must be safe at the time it is placed on the market and throughout its lifetime. Compliance with safety rules must be checked regularly. Machinery must be safely operable and all safety and protective devices must be constructed in such a way that they cannot be easily bypassed or switched off. In addition, all residual risks that cannot be eliminated by design must be clearly pointed out to users and operators through markings and technical documentation, in particular operating instructions. The EESC recommends that the Commission include a recommendation in the proposal for a regulation on the need to consult workers’ representatives and safety representatives in the workplace. In addition, the responsibilities of natural or legal persons in the event of an accident should be clearly stipulated, especially where the use of artificial intelligence is concerned.
3.7

The EESC is of the opinion that BL has the potential to completely transform both teaching and learning. However, while the proposal emphasises ‘the opportunities created by blending learning, including improving the quality and inclusiveness of education and training, and the broad competence development and well-being of learners’, the EESC points out that the limitations in implementing BL need to be carefully considered. Especially in the rural areas and areas of poverty where infrastructure (lack of access to broadband and IT tools) and a supportive environment (home environment, financial background, etc.) are lacking for quality BL beneficial to students. Connecting to powerful and reliable networks, especially when all the family needs to connect for its activities is crucial. Moreover, not all students have sufficient levels of digital skills, self-discipline or autonomy necessary for following lessons independently and performing tasks without face-to-face interaction with teachers. In general, successful BL depends heavily on parental monitoring and assistance — especially for younger learners. This risks creating or widening inequalities in pupils' learning outcomes and contributing to a rise in the rate of early school leavers, as not everyone has parents who will be able or available to fulfil that role effectively.
4.3.

The common theme running through the three EESC opinions on these issues is the need for the EU to adopt harmonised rules that can instil confidence in citizens, consumers and SMEs (especially micro-enterprises) as regards proper safeguarding of the competitive structure of the markets, on the one hand, and the protection of personal data, on the other. Such data and their use should be understood in two ways, i.e. both in terms of the protection of individuals and their freedoms, and as competitive factors of crucial strategic importance.
2.25.

Europe is on the one hand facing the challenge of high unemployment among young people, especially in some countries in Southern Europe and, on the other, the challenge of a shortage of highly qualified STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) graduates, especially a severe shortage of engineers in all fields of ICT and digitalisation, e-mobility and in technologies for renewable energies. It is often forgotten that it is primarily engineers that convert R&D results achieved by researchers into technical products. Due to demographic changes (our ageing society) and due to the fact that most countries in Europe are failing to attract more women students to engineering studies, this problem will increase in the near future. Of course, measures to attract more women students to engineering studies have to be increased in the EU on a huge scale. In addition, smart programmes for attracting highly-qualified engineers from non-EU Member States have to be generated by the Pact for R&I. The global RTI-competition will increasingly become a global talent war, and up to now, the EU has performed badly in this global talent war for talents compared to the US, for example.
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 2008/118/EC and Directive (EU) 2020/262 (recast) as regards tax-free shops situated in the French terminal of the Channel Tunnel

[COM(2021) 817 final — 2021/0418 (CNS)]

(2022/C 275/17)

Referral Council of the European Union, 20.1.2022 Legal basis Article 113 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Section responsible Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion Adopted at plenary 23.2.2022 Plenary session No 567 Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions) 214/0/8

Since the Committee endorses the content of the proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 2008/118/EC and Directive (EU) 2020/262 (recast) as regards tax-free shops situated in the French terminal of the Channel Tunnel and feels that it requires no comment on its part, it decided, at its 567th plenary session of 23 and 24 February 2022, (meeting of 23 February), by 214 votes with 8 abstentions, to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text.
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 as regards the extension of the empowerment of the Commission to adopt delegated acts

(COM(2022) 113 final — 2022/0080 (COD))

(2022/C 323/23)

Referral Council of the European Union, 24.3.2022 European Parliament, 23.3.2022 Legal basis Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Section responsible Single Market, Production and Consumption Adopted at plenary 18.5.2022 Plenary session No 569 Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions) 199/2/1

Since the Committee unreservedly endorses the contents of the proposal and has already set out its views on the subject in its earlier opinion INT/763 (1), adopted on 18 February 2015, it decided, at its 569th plenary session of 18 and 19 May 2022 (meeting of 18 May), by 199 votes to two, with one abstention, to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text and to refer to the position it had taken in the above-mentioned document.

Brussels, 18 May 2022. The President of the European Economic and Social Committee Christa SCHWENG

(1) OJ C 251, 31.7.2015, p. 31.
3.4.5.

A competition policy fit for new challenges The EESC agrees with the European Commission that private investment in advanced semiconductor facilities is likely to require considerable support from the public sector. The Commission also intends to take into account whether production facilities are ‘first of a kind’ in State aid assessments under Article 107(3)(c) TFEU and states that even 100 % of a proven funding gap may be covered by public resources, if such facilities would not otherwise exist in Europe. The EESC acknowledges that promoting the semiconductor industry is a key and strategic forward-looking project for the EU that will be decisive for security of supply and for the future of Europe as a centre of innovation and a place to do business. At the same time, the EESC points out that granting significant State aid up to 100 % — financed by taxpayers — could lead to investments which are not commercially viable and could have a negative impact on the market. If the corresponding subsidy share and funds are too large and cover any economic risk, this could lead to unfair competitive conditions. The EESC also highlights the risk of costly international subsidy races, especially if the site selected for an advanced semiconductor facility is not optimal. The EESC draws attention to the European Commission’s Communication on ( 7 ) , which clarifies that such aid must be subject to strong safeguards and that benefits must be shared widely and without discrimination across the European economy. The EESC recognises that the first-of-a-kind principle creates attractive framework conditions for relocations, which could also have a catalyst effect on other economic operators. Ultimately, however, the economic viability of such facilities must be guaranteed, at least in the medium term, to ensure that investment from public funds is effective. This is the only way to avoid the worst-case scenario of an underused semiconductor factory that costs millions of euros a day.
2.16.

The scale of the challenge cannot be underestimated. It will entail the development of well thought-out integrated medium- and long-term economic and social objectives with a view toward ensuring productivity and inclusion with due regard to specificities of different member states and involving social partners at national, regional and local level in all stages of policy making, including through social dialogue and collective bargaining, where adequate. These entail the deliberate, conscious redirection of resources at national and central level towards the areas and regions affected. Apart from incentivising new investment with grants, loans and the provision of expertise, and helping the operation of MSMEs, start-ups can be helped through capital participation, while new public enterprises could also be created. Besides the commitment of public resources, it will be necessary to optimise the flexibility of state aid rules and even to suspend them in some circumstances.
3.1.

The EESC strongly believes that, in the context of the digitalisation of the economy, any change to the rules on the distribution of taxation rights on profits among countries must be coordinated globally in order to better harness the benefits of globalisation, with proper and effective global governance and rules. The concrete solutions devised must therefore be the consequence of a broad international agreement including as many tax jurisdictions as possible. Besides, the different impacts and implications of the new rules on small Member States, on the one hand, and bigger Member States, on the other hand, should be duly considered.
6.7

The exchange of good practices is an indispensable part of the process that must result in an increase in social cohesion. At the hearing in Plovdiv (15), a number of examples of good practice were mentioned, such as: — the establishment of an international trade union council in the Austrian/Hungarian border region of Burgenland (16). The Austrian and Hungarian trade unions work together to ensure that cross-border labour operates in accordance with the law and regulations; — the licensing and registration of the gangmaster system in the United Kingdom (17). By means of strict checks, the government grants licenses to bonafide gangmasters who are the most important middlemen in fulfilling the demand for temporary labour in the agricultural sector. The ILO cites this explicitly in its publications as an example of good practice; — in Belgium, the social partners in the agricultural sector have reached agreement on an effective system of administrative checks to prevent informal labour (18); — in the Netherlands, the social partners introduced a licensing and registration scheme in 2007 designed to ensure effective monitoring of compliance with social and employment standards in the case of temporary agency work (19). The scheme is still experiencing a number of teething troubles but the intention behind it is a good one and it represents a hopeful development; — in Italy, the social partners, the Employment Minister and the Minister for Agriculture reached agreement in September 2007 on an extensive programme of measures designed to combat the incidence of informal work and bogus self-employment in the agricultural sector (20); — the ILO has developed programmes for regulating private employment brokers and to prevent migrant workers from entering the path of people trafficking and forced labour via dubious agents. The programmes are aimed at lawmakers, the labour inspectorate, police forces, etc.
3.2.8

The existence of the euro zone, an area with a single currency which in future will include the majority of the Member States, means that tax systems and welfare systems may need to be harmonised. Experts on monetary policy consider that the fragmentation of the tax systems in the euro zone exacerbated the effects of the last economic and financial crisis. Maintaining the status quo, with a single currency operating in an economic area using a number of different tax systems, will make the single market still more fragile. Harmonising the tax base for the main types of taxes will reduce compliance costs for companies, and may generate additional resources which they can use for investment, research and innovation.
5.12.

The value of the EU to liberal democracy is undeniable. In the united Europe the rule of law has replaced the principle that might is right. The EU still lacks an appropriate mechanism to ensure the effective preservation of democracy and the rule of law in its Member States. Despite, or perhaps because of, this weakness, the EU is the first line of defence for liberal democracy in Europe.
3.2.

Acknowledging the contemporary importance of SMEs does not automatically make them less vulnerable. As such, one of the aims of this opinion is to help find new ways to support European small and medium-sized producers in overcoming scale-related disadvantages. The EESC reiterates its call for the promotion of new methods of networking, clustering and cooperatism, preserving the autonomy of producers in the interests of producing goods of differentiated quality, while some segments of the life cycle of the output produced will be jointly served utilizing economies of scale. This could apply, for instance, when designing and promoting goods, in establishing start-up incubators and pre-incubators, in the areas of transportation and logistics, access to financial resources, access to and use of big data and specialised databases, and interconnectivity in the context of the circular economy.
5.1.

A decentralised system means the following in terms of value creation: consumers go from being payers to actors who participate in the value creation of the energy industry, i.e. they earn or save money. This is the reason why the question in point 3.11 — who in future may earn money from energy — must be openly and honestly debated. With the broadening of the understanding of prosumption, both the concept and definition of prosumption were expanded in the Clean Energy package: henceforth, it is no longer only consumers with their own land and properties who can become prosumers. For example, prosumption is also becoming an issue for tenants or residents of apartment buildings, as well as for supplies to individual buildings and neighbourhoods, including commercial areas and industrial parks. It is precisely in these cases that smart networking of individual generation and storage capacities and of individual consumers in a virtual power plant or via a smart micro-grid is essential. This means that the requirements for local and regional distribution grid operators are constantly increasing.
2.12.

The EESC supports the recommendations of the above study, stressing that they require a particularly active and consistent political will: — to use education and vocational training to promote a general mastery of AI by citizens, so that all parts of civil society, including MSMEs, are able to freely adopt it, and act in a competent and responsible manner in this connection. It is essential to complement academic training with practical arrangements and to provide suitable and affordable continuing training for self-employed workers, managers of MSMEs and their employees (9). With regard to managers, their access to external expertise should be facilitated through B2B partnerships, an IA accessible to all, and the availability of AI as a Service; — to ensure that MSMEs have easy access to both public and private funding and to generate synergies for them in EU funding; — to guarantee the necessary infrastructure and connections in all areas, including rural areas, in order to prevent a digital divide and provide access to relevant and interoperable data, of which agriculture in particular is a major user; — to ensure good coordination between all actors and levels; — to promote general awareness of cybersecurity issues (10), as well as the economic and societal damage caused by biased data and other potential emerging risks. Human diversity in the design of AI tools is an essential means of improving data quality; — to widely disseminate best practices and success stories on the ground, facilitating the sharing of feedback to kick-start the widespread adoption of AI by MSMEs.