ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
EN Official Journal of the European Union C 230/119

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council opening and providing for the administration of certain Union tariff quotas for high-quality beef, and for pigmeat, poultrymeat, wheat and meslin, and brans, sharps and other residues (codification)’

(COM(2014) 594 final — 2014/0276 COD)

(2015/C 230/20)

On 20 October 2014 the European Parliament decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Article 207(2) of the TFEU, on the

‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council opening and providing for the administration of certain Union tariff quotas for high-quality beef, and for pigmeat, poultrymeat, wheat and meslin, and brans, sharps and other residues (codification)’

COM(2014) 594 final — 2014/0276 COD.

Since the Committee unreservedly endorses the content of the proposal and feels that it requires no comment on its part, it decided, at its 503rd plenary session of 10 and 11 December 2014 (meeting of 10 December 2014), by 150 votes to 2 with 6 abstentions, to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text.
EN Official Journal of the European Union C 230/123

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for imports (codification)’

(COM(2014) 321 final — 2014/0166 (COD))

(2015/C 230/24)

On 15 September 2014 the European Parliament decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Article 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the

‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for imports (codification)’

COM(2014) 321 final — 2014/0166 (COD).

Since the Committee unreservedly endorses the proposal and feels that it requires no comment on its part, it decided, at its 503rd plenary session of 10 and 11 December 2014 (meeting of 10 December 2014), by 150 votes to 1 with 5 abstentions, to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text.
7.1

To overcome under-representation of women and to use the talent pool of women in the transport labour market more efficiently and extensively, the EESC recommends the following tools that could be used to build the capacity of women at all levels. This can be done through the development of EU projects within DG Transport, or in collaboration with other established EU projects (partnerships): — develop a coordinated approach between institutions, industry associations, trade unions and stakeholders working in the sector, to establish a campaign welcoming women to the transport industry and highlighting the added value to the EU economy and social fabric of better inclusion of women in the sector. This was recently achieved by the UK Transport for London, where 100 women in the transport sector were showcased. Celebrating their success demonstrated the important role of women in transport and engaged, motivated and inspired current and future generations of female transport workers, — equality in transport: This is not industry specific, but studies show that the inequalities in the transport sector are a key reason why women do not consider engaging more in the sector. These issues should be addressed as a priority: — equal pay for equal work, — transparent recruitment process, — flexible work practices — including job sharing and part-time work opportunities, — attracting talent — considering mature as well as young female workers, both with and without high level qualifications, — decision-making — include more women on company boards, within management structures, within trade unions beyond membership level, and within policy making.
EN Official Journal of the European Union C 303/147

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 258/2014 establishing a Union Programme to support specific activities in the field of financial reporting and auditing for the period of 2014-20’

(COM(2016) 202 final — 2016/0110 (COD))

(2016/C 303/21)

On 28 and 29 April 2016 respectively, the European Parliament and the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the:

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 258/2014 establishing a Union Programme to support specific activities in the field of financial reporting and auditing for the period of 2014-20

(COM(2016) 202 final — 2016/0110 (COD)).

Since the Committee had already set out its views on the content of the proposal in question in opinion CES 1031/2013 — 2012/0364 (COD), adopted on 20 March 2013 (1), it decided at its 517th plenary session, held on 25 and 26 May 2016 (meeting of 25 May), by 154 votes to 1 with 7 abstentions, not to draw up a new opinion on the subject but to refer to the position it took in the above-mentioned document.

Brussels, 25 May 2016. The President of the European Economic and Social Committee Georges DASSIS

(1) OJ C 161, 6.6.2013, p. 64.
EN Official Journal of the European Union C 487/111

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 as regards certain provisions relating to financial management for certain Member States experiencing or threatened with serious difficulties with respect to their financial stability

[COM(2016) 418 final — 2016/0193 (COD)]

(2016/C 487/18)

Consultation European Parliament, 4/07/2016 Council of the European Union, 8/07/2016 Legal basis Articles 117 and 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Section responsible Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion Adopted at plenary 21/09/2016 Plenary session No 519 Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions) 169/1/4

Since the Committee endorses the contents of the proposal and has already set out its views on the subject in its earlier opinions on ‘Amending Regulation for Structural Funds — specific measures for Greece’ adopted on 8 October 2015 (1), on ‘Financial management and decommitment rules for Member States facing serious difficulties’ adopted on 19 September 2013 (2), on ‘Structural Funds — General Provisions’ adopted on 25 April 2012 (3) and on ‘Amending provisions financial management — Structural Funds — for Member States in difficulties’ adopted on 27 October 2011 (4), it decided, at its 519th plenary session of 21 and 22 September 2016 (meeting of 21 September 2016), by 169 votes to 1 with 4 abstentions, to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text and to refer to the position it had taken in the above-mentioned documents.

Brussels, 21 September 2016. The President of the European Economic and Social Committee Georges DASSIS

(1) EESC opinion on the ‘Amending Regulation for Structural Funds — specific measures for Greece’ (OJ C 32 of 28.1.2016, p. 20).

(2) EESC opinion on ‘Financial management and decommitment rules for Member States facing serious difficulties’ (OJ C 341 of 21.11.2013, p. 27).

(3) EESC opinion on ‘Structural Funds — General Provisions’ (OJ C 191 of 29.6.2012, p. 30).

(4) EESC opinion on ‘Amending provisions financial management — Structural Funds — for Member States in difficulties’ (OJ C 24 of 28.1.2012, p. 81).
3.4.

It is therefore proposed that Directive 2009/16/EC be amended and Directive 1999/35/EC repealed and that they be replaced with a new Directive. The key points of the new Directive are the following: — to limit the scope of the directive to ships providing regular ro-ro ferry and high-speed passenger craft services between ports within a Member State or between a port in a Member State and a port in a third State where the flag of the vessel is the same as that of the Member State in question; — to remove a number of redundant definitions and references such as ‘passenger’, ‘host state’, ‘international voyages’, ‘exemption certificate’, and to delete the reference to the investigation of marine casualties which is now covered by Directive 2009/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council; — to provide for system of ship (rather than company) based inspections prior to the commencement of a regular service. The vessel must undergo an inspection in accordance with Annex II and a number of safety management issues set out in Annex I must also be verified; — to stipulate that ships falling within the scope of the directive are inspected twice per year with a certain time-lag between inspections and that one of these inspections should be an in-service inspection during a regular crossing; — to provide that Member States can, if they wish, combine the inspection with a flag State survey which would have to be carried out in respect of a vessel on a yearly basis; — to bring into line the provisions relating to the inspection reports, prohibitions of departure, appeals, costs, the inspection database and penalties with those provided in Directive 2009/16/EC; — to align the directive with the provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union concerning the exercise of the Commission’s powers in relation to delegated acts; — to amend Directive 2009/16/EC to ensure that the current content and frequency of ro-ro ferries and high-speed passenger craft inspections is maintained; — to provide for assessment of the directive by the Commission.
4.1.

The EESC endorses the action plan appended to the strategy, subject to the following remarks: — It regrets the fact that while the action plan mentions facilitation of TEN-T implementation, a review of the European rail network for competitive freight, and the rules on market access for coach and bus services, no mention is made of the planned proposals regarding improved rules on access to the market for goods transported by road. This leaves out an element of transport market regulation where there is considerable room for improving the functioning of the market so that it develops into a more energy- and resource-efficient transport system. The EESC draws attention to its opinion on the internal market of international road freight: social dumping and cabotage (TEN/575) and again underlines the importance of clear and enforceable legislation and the necessity to fight all forms of social dumping as well as fraud and abuse regarding posting of workers and access to welfare benefits. — The EESC is pleased to note the plans to revise the Eurovignette Directive (1999/62/EC), the European Electronic Tolling Service (EETS) Directive (2004/52/EC) and the 2009 Commission Decision on technical aspects of the EETS. — It reiterates its view that flexibility and avoidance of unreasonable cost effects in remote and sparsely populated regions including islands and mountain regions should be important elements in any forthcoming proposal (21). — The EETS Directive was adopted in 2004 and has still not been implemented, in spite of various attempts. The EESC thinks that the concept should now be reviewed in order to make it more attractive to operators and users.
1.5

The EESC considers Wifi4EU to be a strategic project and feels that its EUR 120 million budget is totally inadequate to cover the needs of the whole of Europe. The Committee therefore calls for a substantial increase in the funds allocated so that we can aspire to free, very high speed WiFi access by 2025 in all public places throughout Europe, and thus to implement the scheme on the basis of ‘Quality Wifi4all’. In this regard, it would be important to ensure greater integration between all of the existing public WiFi services so as to make the most of the available resources and avoid waste.
3.1.

The package aims to speed up the clean energy transition while retaining the important goals of economic growth and job creation in Europe. The main reasons for the package are: — The first global agreement (Paris 2015) on climate change mitigation, which entered into force on 4 November 2016. The implementation of the EU’s ambitious commitments depends to a large extent on the successful transition to a clean energy system. — The energy sector is central to the development of the European economy. Hence, energy efficiency plays a crucial role in boosting other sectors of the economy. The development of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency products and services has led to the creation of new businesses, while other energy business models face growing difficulties. It is crucial for EU policy to achieve a net creation of new and high quality jobs and support the success of EU enterprises. — Another key objective is to ensure that the transition to a clean energy system will have a positive outreach to the people of Europe. This is a big challenge in view of the large disparities among Member States and the need to cover all parts of our society, including the vulnerable.
4.8.

Even those measures that were missing from the previous biodiversity strategies and are introduced in the action plan will not alter this fact: no awareness-raising campaign, however good, no public engagement, however ingenious, no improved guidance and not even the proclamation of 21 May as ‘European Natura 2000 Day’ — all new measures introduced in the action plan — will be effective unless the economic and financial conditions are right. The EESC believes that further improvement is very necessary in this area: adequate funding must be earmarked for the Natura 2000 network under the new medium-term financial plan from 2021 and sufficient staff must be provided for the authorities that administer it, at both EU and Member State level.
5.

The Committee welcomes the Commission’s intention to make the electoral programmes of European-level political parties more easily accessible to citizens. It has some doubts, however, about the proposed new paragraph 3a to Article 18 of the Regulation. This requires that a European political party should include in its application for funding evidence demonstrating that its member parties have continuously published on their websites, during the 12 months preceding the moment at which the application is made, the political programme and logo of the European political party as well as information in relation to each of its member parties on the gender representation among its candidates at the last elections to the European Parliament and among the MEPs.
4.9.

The EESC welcomes the Commission’s proposed desire to make the transformation of the automotive sector socially acceptable. The structural transition towards alternative powertrains will — together with digitalisation, autonomous driving and other things — be associated with dramatic changes in automotive value chains. One question this raises is which components are produced by manufacturers themselves and which are bought in. To date, the added value of e-components has been predominantly a supplier’s business, with the area of battery cells still dominated by Asian producers. The EESC therefore welcomes the Commission’s position on establishing the electric vehicle value chain in Europe (see point 3.7 on the EU Battery Alliance). It is still unclear what the next generation of battery cell will be like in technological terms and how the price-performance ratio will develop over time. Here the EESC recommends that the Commission monitor developments on an ongoing basis.
1.3.

The EESC welcomes and supports the European Commission’s decision to tackle the problem of intermediaries enabling aggressive tax planning. Making their activities transparent, through the reporting obligation proposed in the proposal for a directive, will deter intermediaries from offering their clients aggressive tax planning schemes, and thus reduce the harmful erosion of Member States’ tax bases. This should create a level playing field and tax justice between companies that have a framework for aggressive tax planning and those that do not but which are subject to higher taxation to make up for the erosion of the tax base in the individual Member States. Thus, the proposal provides a response to the desire of the majority of European companies for tax fairness between taxpayers, and to the increasing pressure from individual taxpayers.
4.6.

We have to be aware that the build-up of a significant share of low-emission vehicles requires a transition time , the duration of which is unpredictable. It depends on the developments made by the automotive industry, how quickly customers accept the new technology and the costs involved, as well as other factors such as charging infrastructure, fuel prices or public-sector procurement. However, this transition time must not be seen as giving free rein to continue exceeding the limits for diesel cars and to avoid retrofitting them with an SCR system to comply with the Euro 6 standard. The Commission should ensure that Member States’ national legislatures take up Euro 6 retrofitting as quickly as possible, and that responsibility and liability for costs are clarified.
the level of knowledge about nuclear technologies, their use and their consequences must be maintained and developed. Given that it plays a coordinating role in pooling resources and integrating joint efforts, the Euratom R&D framework programme offers significant European added value in this connection

2

The EESC reiterates and reaffirms its main point made in previous opinions, namely that: ‘
EN Official Journal of the European Union C 197/71

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 726/2004 as regards the location of the seat of the European Medicines Agency’

(COM(2017) 735 final — 2017/0328 (COD))

(2018/C 197/11)

Consultation European Parliament, 11.12.2017 Council, 14.12.2017 Legal basis Articles 114, 168(4)(c) and 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Section responsible Single Market, Production and Consumption Adopted in plenary 17.1.2018 Plenary session No 531 Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions) 167/0/0

Since the Committee endorses the contents of the proposal and feels that it requires no comment on its part, it decided, at its 531st plenary session, held on 17 and 18 January 2018 (meeting of 17 January), unanimously to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text.
The EU and its Member States lack consistent and comparable data and human rights indicators on women and girls with disabilities, as well as research on the situation of women and girls with disabilities in the EU ( 17 ) . The EESC recommends that the European agencies, notably Eurofound, Cedefop, the FRA and EIGE, should adopt a more systematic approach in their work regarding people with disabilities and their situation in the labour market and in society. This should particularly take into account the situation of women and the fact that intersectionality can lead to multiple forms of discrimination. The EESC further recommends that this issue should be clearly included in their Work Programmes. At both EU and national level, the issues of women and girls with disabilities should be incorporated into the collection of data and statistics on gender and age as well as into existing statistical series and surveys in accordance with UNCRPD principles. A mechanism should be established to monitor progress and fund data collection, studies and research on women and girls with disabilities and the intersectional discrimination they face, including by the most marginalised groups in society such as from ethnic and religious minorities, to guide policy planning. All research on the rights of persons with disabilities should take a gender perspective into account, and research on women and girls should take the disability perspective into account.
4.6.

GÉANT launched in 2000 interconnects research, education and national research networks and HPC centres with secure, high-capacity networks. The network is essential for supporting open science with services for trusted access. The GÉANT network is the largest and most advanced R & D network in the world, connecting over 50 million users at 10 000 institutions across Europe and supporting all scientific disciplines. The backbone network operates at speeds of up to 500 Gbps (2017). GÉANT has created the very successful eduroam service to allow R & D users to connect to any Wi-Fi network where the eduroam SSID is present — a scheme which has been proposed by the EESC as a role model for Wi-Fi access for all Europeans in the context of the strategy Connectivity for a competitive Digital Single Market — Towards a European Gigabit Society The pan-European networklaunched in 2000 interconnects research, education and national research networks and HPC centres with secure, high-capacity networks. The network is essential for supporting open science with services for trusted access. The GÉANT network is the largest and most advanced R & D network in the world, connecting over 50 million users at 10 000 institutions across Europe and supporting all scientific disciplines. The backbone network operates at speeds of up to 500 Gbps (2017). GÉANT has created the very successful eduroam service to allow R & D users to connect to any Wi-Fi network where the eduroam SSID is present — a scheme which has been proposed by the EESC as a role model for Wi-Fi access for all Europeans in the context of the strategy Connectivity for a competitive Digital Single Market — Towards a European Gigabit Society ( 9 )
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting for the period 2021-2027 (the “Pericles IV programme”)’

(COM(2018) 369 final — 2018/0194 (CNS))

(2018/C 440/34)

Consultation European Commission, 18.6.2018 Legal basis Articles 133 and 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Section responsible Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion Adopted at plenary 19.9.2018 Plenary session No 537 Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions) 207/0/1

Since the Committee endorses the content of the proposal and feels that it requires no comment on its part, it decided, at its 537th plenary session of 19 and 20 September 2018 (meeting of 19 September 2018), by 207 votes with 1 abstention, to issue an opinion endorsing the proposed text.
On which concerns the extension for five more years of the power conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts, the EESC agrees in principle with the proposal and is pleased that, as it had always called for, the Commission has considered it appropriate to extend the delegation for a fixed period, with the possibility of renewal, as long as there are no objections raised by the Council and the Parliament ( 2 )
4.1.

The EESC fully supports ongoing efforts to make capital markets a credible alternative for financing, as part of the Capital Markets Union agenda. However, it still seems doubtful that the current efforts are enough to reduce the considerable barriers that currently exist on the market. SMEs do not seem to be changing their financing behaviour; therefore, more needs to be done. The EC has recognised that it is just one step forward and not a complete solution to all the challenges of the capital markets. Table 2 Types of finance that SMEs wish to see more in the financing mix over the next three years, EU28 (10)