COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Commission Work Programme 2018 An Agenda for a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe
Date: 2017-10-24
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU activity, EU situation, European Union, action programme, application of EU law, economic growth, single market

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 24.10.2017  COM(2017) 650 final/2  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS  Commission Work Programme 2018  An Agenda for a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe  
 
 
I. 

A MORE UNITED, STRONGER AND MORE DEMOCRATIC UNION 

Europe  is  visibly  regaining  its  strength.  The  European  Union  is  now  in  its  fifth  year  of  an 
economic recovery that reaches every single Member State. With growth now above 2% for 
the EU as a whole  – and 2.2% for the euro area  – Europe's  economy has grown faster than 
that  of  the  United  States  over  the  last  two  years.  Almost  8  million  jobs  have  been  created 
during this mandate, thanks in part to the work of the EU Institutions, the contribution of the 
European Fund for Strategic Investments, the Youth Guarantee, the European Structural and 
Investment  Funds,  and  the  monetary  policy  of  the  European  Central  Bank.  Confidence  and 
trust  in  the  European  Union  is  returning.  Leaders  in  Rome  in  March  declared  their  will  to 
make  the  European  Union  stronger  and  more  resilient,  through  even  greater  unity  and 
solidarity and the respect of common rules. 

Europe now has a window of opportunity – but one that will not stay open forever. To make 
the  most  of  the  current  momentum,  the  Commission  is  tabling  its  work  programme  for  the 
next 14 months to the end of 2018. This builds on the Roadmap for a More United, Stronger 
and  More  Democratic  Union,  which  President  Juncker  presented  alongside  his  State  of  the 
Union  address  on  13  September  2017.  It  will  help  keep  Europe  on  track  by  continuing  to 
deliver on its positive agenda, and it will ensure that Europe's focus remains firmly on the big 
things, where European action has a clear and demonstrable added value. 

This  Commission  has  already delivered over 80%  of the proposals that are the essential  for 
completing  the  Digital  Single  Market,  the  Energy  Union,  the  Capital  Markets  Union,  the 
Banking  Union,  the  Security  Union  and  a  comprehensive  European  migration  policy1.  The 
priority  must  now  be  on 
into 
implementation. The sooner the European Parliament and the Council complete the legislative 
process,  the  sooner  citizens  and  business  will  feel  the  benefits  of  our  joint  work.  The 
Commission will redouble its efforts to support the co-legislators every step of the way. 

turning  proposals 

legislation,  and 

legislation 

into 

The focus of the work programme for 2018 is two-fold. First, the work programme sets out a 
limited  number  of  targeted  legislative  actions  to  complete  our  work  in  priority  policy  areas 
over the next months. The Commission will table all legislative proposals no later than May 
2018. This will allow the European Parliament  and Council the time and space to complete 
the legislative work before Europeans give their democratic verdict in the European elections 
of June 2019 on what we have achieved together. 

Secondly,  the  work  programme  also  presents  a  number  of  initiatives  that  have  a  more 
forward-looking  perspective, as the new Union of 27 shapes its own future for 2025. These 
initiatives reflect the debate kick-started by the Commission's  White  Paper on the Future of 
Europe and the State of the Union address. They can all be achieved by making full use of the 

1 'The European Commission at mid-term: State of play of President Juncker's ten priorities', Report by the 
European Parliament, 11 July 2017 

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untapped potential of the Lisbon Treaty.2 We will deliver all of these initiatives by the end of 
the mandate. 

As in previous years, the work programme also proposes a number of proposals that follow on 
from regulatory fitness and performance (REFIT) reviews of current laws, taking into account 
the  opinions  of  the  REFIT  platform.  To  allow  the  co-legislators  to  focus  on  delivering  the 
proposals that really matter, this work programme contains a significant  number of pending 
proposals  that  we  suggest  to  withdraw  given  that  there  is  no  foreseeable  agreement  in  the 
European Parliament and the Council or they no longer serve their purpose or are technically 
outdated. This work programme also continues the process of repealing pieces of legislation 
that have become obsolete.3 In parallel, we are publishing an overview of the Commission's 
better regulation agenda and its results4 together with the REFIT Scoreboard, which sets out 
in  detail  how  we  are  following-up  on  REFIT  platform  opinions  and  on-going  efforts  to 
evaluate and review existing laws. 

II. 

COMPLETING AND DELIVERING THE 10 PRIORITIES OF THE JUNCKER COMMISSION

5 

A new boost for jobs, growth and investment 

The  pickup  in  confidence  and  investment  across  Europe  has  been  central  to  the  improving 
economic  outlook.  It  has  created  jobs  and  growth  across  Europe,  and  has  supported  new 
infrastructure – both physical and digital – and helped Europe speed up its transition to clean 
energy. We must now continue our efforts to strengthen investment. The Investment Plan for 
Europe is playing an important role in getting projects off the ground, supporting Small and 
Medium-sized Enterprises and creating jobs. To build on this, we now need to deliver quickly 
on  the  'EFSI  2.0'  proposal  and  on  the  Omnibus  proposal6  to  make  it  easier  to  combine 
European Structural and Investment Funds with the European Fund for Strategic Investments. 
The  boost  in  investment  will  not  be  durable  without  accompanying  structural  reforms.  We 
will carry out an analysis of such reforms targeted at delivering investment.  The Commission 
will  continue  to  use  the  European  Semester  to  coordinate  economic  policies  and  promote  a 
growth strategy that delivers on investment, sound public finances and structural reforms. 

Europe's  economy  depends  on  its  industrial  competitiveness  and  building  on  the  views  of 
stakeholders,  the  European  Commission  presented  a  renewed  Industrial  Policy  Strategy  for 
Europe7. We will aim to support innovation, jobs and growth through our Circular Economy 

2 Annex 1 (New Initiatives) and Annex 3 (Priority Pending Proposals) present detailed lists of these proposals 
3 Annex 4 contains the detailed list of proposed withdrawals, and Annex 5 the list of repeals 
4  COM(2017)651  Communication  on  Completing  the  Better  Regulation  Agenda:  Better  solutions  for  better 
results 
5 The Commission will focus its communication work in 2018 on the priorities of the Commission, on the basis 
of  the  corporate  communication  action  in  2017-18  under  the  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  2014-2020 
(C(2016)6838 of 25.10.2016), with a specific emphasis on the Roadmap to Sibiu 
6 COM(2016)597 EFSI 2.0; COM(2016)605 Omnibus proposal 
7 COM(2017)479 Communication on Investing in a smart, innovative and sustainable Industry – A renewed EU 
Industrial Policy Strategy 

3 

 
                                                            
strategy8  that  can  bring  huge  benefits  to  our  economy,  our  competitiveness  and  our 
environment.  We  will  propose  a  limited  number  of  proposals  to  reinforce  our  work  in  this 
area.  These  will  notably  focus  on  how  we  produce  and  use  plastics,  working  towards  all 
plastic packaging being recyclable by 2030, and on how we reuse water and manage drinking 
water.  We  will  also  propose  a  framework  to  monitor  progress  in  developing  the  circular 
economy. As part of our sectoral approach to improving regulation, we will tackle the legal, 
technical  and  practical  bottlenecks where  chemical,  product  and  waste  legislation  meet.  We 
will continue to evaluate the bio-economy strategy of 20129 and we will examine how best to 
take it forward, including by broadening the scope. 

While the overall economic context is improving significantly, the European Union still needs 
to  deal  with  the  legacy of  the  crisis  and  translate  higher  growth  into  new  jobs,  fairness  and 
new  opportunities  for  all.  This  Commission  has  laid  the  groundwork  for  dealing  with  this 
challenge, for example with the European Skills Agenda10. We now need to move this agenda 
forward at Member States' and regional level with the support of the European Social Fund, 
paying particular attention to basic skills and to digital skills. 

A connected Digital Single Market 

With  360  million  Europeans  using  the  internet  every  day  to  work,  study,  shop  or  stay 
connected, Europe  needs  a truly  Digital  Single Market.  The Commission  has  already tabled 
24 legislative proposals to this end since May 2015. To date, only six of those proposals have 
been adopted by the co-legislators. The priority must now be for the European Parliament and 
Council to deliver on the pending proposals as swiftly as possible, notably on the Electronic 
Communications  Code,  the  proposed  copyright  reform,  and  the  Digital  Content  Directive. 
Europe  needs  reinforced  cooperation  on  spectrum  management  with  the  aim  of  achieving 
world-class, very high-speed fixed and mobile networks (5G), and also increased coordinated 
availability  of  spectrum  by  2020  under  consistent  regulatory  and  economic  conditions.  To 
complete the Digital Single Market we will also present a proposal on fairness in platform-to-
business relations, an initiative on countering fake news and revised guidelines on significant 
market power in the electronic communications sector. 

The success of the Digital Single Market ultimately depends on the confidence of Europeans. 
Cyber-attacks  are  on  the  rise  and  Europeans  now  face  new  and  varied  threats  online.  To 
respond to these, the Commission has made already on 13 September a number of proposals 
to  protect  our  citizens  better  from  threats  that  may  arise  from  new  technologies11.  We  will 
complete  this  package  and  protect  the  stability of  our  economies  and  our  democracies  from 
cyber-threats by setting up a network of cyber-security competence centres. At the same time, 
the Commission will also remain focused on making the most of the opportunities presented 
by new technologies such as high performance computing and autonomous cars. We will also 

8 COM(2017)33 Report on the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan 
9 COM(2012)60 Communication on Innovation for sustainable growth – a bio-economy for Europe 
10 COM(2016)381 Communication on A New Skills Agenda for Europe 
11 JOIN(2017)450 Communication on Resilience, Deterrence and Defence: Building strong cybersecurity for the 
EU 

4 

 
                                                            
look  to  make  the  most  of  artificial  intelligence  that  will  increasingly  play  a  role  in  our 
economies and societies. 

A resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy 

We  have  made  significant  progress  in  delivering  the  Energy  Union.  Adopting  the  Clean 
Energy Package for all Europeans12 presented in December 2016 and the proposals to update 
our policies on climate change is now the priority. The Commission will continue to work to 
improve the security of energy supplies and the functioning of the internal market. We will 
propose common rules for gas pipelines entering the European internal gas market. We will 
negotiate with Russia the key principles for operating the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project 
once the Council has adopted the strong mandate we recommended. In the field of transport, 
the  Commission  will  focus  its  efforts  on  new  CO2  standards  for  cars,  vans  and  heavy  duty 
vehicles.  We  will  take  forward  our  work  on  batteries  and  on  alternative  fuel  infrastructure, 
recognising their strategic role in the transition to clean mobility and clean energy. 

A deeper and fairer Internal Market with a strengthened industrial base 

A well-functioning Single Market  is at the heart of the European  project. It enables people, 
services,  goods  and  capital  to  move  more  freely.  It  provides  opportunities  for  European 
businesses  and  offers  greater  choice  and  lower  prices  for  consumers.  The  Commission  will 
focus its efforts in the next year on revising EU company law to support businesses with clear, 
modern  and  efficient  rules.  We  will  continue  our  efforts  to  protect  national  budgets  against 
harmful  tax  practices.  This  includes  modernised  rules  for  setting  VAT  rates,  new  rules  on 
administrative cooperation between Member States in the field of VAT, a proposal to simplify 
the VAT system for SMEs and rules for taxing the profits that multinationals generate in the 
digital  economy.  In  addition,  the  Commission  will  propose  measures  to  improve  the 
functioning of the food supply chain to help farmers to strengthen their position in the market 
place and help protect them from future shocks. 

To  complete  the  Capital  Markets  Union13,  we  will  make  proposals  to  tackle  the  interaction 
between  finance  and  technology  and  we  will  propose  rules  on  crowd  and  peer-to-peer 
funding.  We  will  facilitate  the  use  of  covered  bonds  and  reduce  barriers  to  cross-border 
distribution of investment funds, and we will present an initiative on sustainable finance. We 
will propose new rules on cross-border payments covering the non-Euro currencies. This will 
help  ensure  that  all  Europeans  pay  reduced  fees  when  transferring  money  abroad  or  taking 
money out of cash machines during their holidays. 

There is still work to do if we are to ensure that social fairness and labour rights are hallmarks 
of  the  single  market.  The  Commission  will  address  labour  mobility  and  social  security 
coordination  challenges  by  proposing  a  European  Labour  Authority  and  a  multi-purpose 
European social security number that will simplify citizen's interactions with administrations 

12 COM(2016) 860 Clean Energy for all Europeans 
13  The  measures  foreseen  for  the  completion  of  the  Capital  Markets  Union  were  announced  in  the  Mid-Term 
Review of June 2017 – see COM(2017) 292 

5 

 
                                                            
in a range of areas. We will propose to modernise social security systems, taking into account 
new forms of work to close the gaps so that everyone who works, irrespective of employment 
status, can contribute and have access to social protection coverage. To further safeguard and 
protect  workers  in  the  single  market  the  Commission  will  propose  reinforced  obligations  to 
make sure employees are informed in writing about their working conditions. 

We also need to protect our citizens better and to help do so we will present a Joint Action 
Plan  on  national  vaccination  policies.  This  will  support  Member  States  in  implementing 
vaccination  programmes,  reducing  vaccine  hesitancy,  and  strengthening  the  supply  of 
vaccines. 

A deeper and fairer Economic and Monetary Union 

To  maintain  the  momentum  of  the  recovery,  the  Commission  will  recommend  a  broadly 
neutral fiscal stance for the euro area with a continued focus on strengthening economic and 
social  convergence  and  resilience.  We  will  also  continue  our  work  to  create  a  deeper  and 
fairer  economic  and  monetary  union  and  to  enhance  its  democratic  accountability.  The 
economic and monetary union is our best tool to make Europe more prosperous and to protect 
Europeans from future economic shocks. The Commission will propose a substantial package 
of measures before the end of 2017 to take this work forward. 

As part of this package, we will propose to bring the European Stability Mechanism into the 
European  Union  legal  framework  to  make  it  more  democratically  accountable,  and,  at  the 
same time, strengthen its role  and decision-making. Our aim must be to have a true European 
Monetary Fund able to respond to crises, working alongside established day-to-day economic 
policy  coordination  and  surveillance  tools.  We  will  also  propose  to  create  a  dedicated  euro 
area budget line within the EU budget in order to provide for four functions: structural reform 
assistance;  a  stabilisation  function;  a  backstop  for  the  Banking  Union;  and  a  convergence 
instrument  to  give  pre-accession  assistance  to  Member  States  on  their  way  to  euro 
membership.  We  will  also  propose  to  integrate  the  substance  of  the  Treaty  on  Stability, 
Coordination  and  Governance  in  the  Economic  and  Monetary  Union  into  the  framework  of 
EU law as was agreed in 2012, while taking into account the appropriate flexibility built into 
the  Stability  and  Growth  Pact  and  identified  by  the  Commission  since  January  2015.  Our 
Economic and Monetary Union will only become stronger if solidarity and responsibility go 
hand in hand.  

Completing  the  Banking  Union  that  achieves  both  risk  reduction  and  risk  sharing  in  our 
banking  sector  is  another  key  pillar  of  this  work.  The  Commission  has  recently  set  out  an 
ambitious but realistic path to ensuring agreement on all outstanding elements of the Banking 
Union  –  notably  on  the  European  Deposit  Insurance  Scheme  –,  based  on  existing 
commitments by Council14 and we will present further proposals to address non-performing 
loans and on the development of EU sovereign bond-backed securities. A complete Banking 
Union,  together  with  the  Capital  Markets  Union,  will  help  build  the  stable  and  integrated 
financial system that citizens and businesses need. 

14 COM(2017)592 Communication on Completing the Banking Union 

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The  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights15  will  give  renewed  momentum  to  the  process  of 
convergence towards better working and living conditions among Member States. It will drive 
the EU's social agenda at all levels and will help us move towards a common understanding of 
what is socially fair in our single market – towards a ‘Social Standards Union’, as called for 
by  President  Juncker  in  his  State  of  the  Union  address  2017.  We  look  forward  to  the 
proclamation  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  at  the  Gothenburg  Social  Summit  in 
November. We will integrate the new Social Scoreboard that accompanies the European Pillar 
of Social Rights into the European Semester process so that we can monitor progress on these 
issues appropriately. 

A balanced and progressive trade policy to harness globalisation 

As  the  largest  trading  power  in  the  world,  Europe  depends  on  open  and  fair  trade  with 
partners from around the world. We aim to deliver a progressive and ambitious trade agenda, 
striking  a  balance  between  openness  and  reciprocity  and  enforcement  of  social  and 
environmental  standards.  EU  trade  deals  create  jobs  and  growth,  and  we  will  pursue 
negotiations with Mercosur and Mexico and work with the European Parliament and Member 
States  to  make  sure  that  agreements,  including  with  Japan,  Singapore  and  Vietnam,  are 
reached  and  properly  implemented  so  that  these  benefits  are  delivered.  We  also  want  to 
advance  trade  negotiations  with  Australia  and  New  Zealand  once  the  Council  will  have 
approved  the  mandates  recommended  by  the  Commission.  However,  we  are  not  naïve  free 
traders.  This  year,  we  will  continue  our  efforts  to  preserve  and  promote  Europe's  high 
standards  with  third  countries,  and  to  ensure  a  global  level  playing  field  for  European 
businesses  and  workers.  It  is  essential  in  this  context  that  the  European  Parliament  and 
Council  adopt  rapidly  the  pending  proposals  on  the  Modernisation  of  Trade  Defence 
Instruments and the Screening of Foreign Direct Investment into the EU.16 

An area of Justice and Fundamental Rights based on mutual trust 

The success of the internal market ultimately depends on trust. This trust can easily be lost if 
consumers  feel  that  remedies  are  not  available  in  cases  of  harm.  The  Commission  will 
therefore present a New Deal for Consumers to enhance judicial enforcement and out-of-court 
redress  of  consumer  rights  and  facilitate  coordination  and  effective  action  by  national 
consumer authorities. We will also continue our work on the protection of whistle-blowers. 

The  Union  aims  to  promote  the  well-being  of  citizens,  which  means  contributing  to  their 
security.  It  has  played  a  key  role  in  protecting  citizens  against  natural  disasters  in  the  past 
year,  and  must  continue  to  do  so.  The  European  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  is 
evidence of European solidarity both inside and outside the Union borders. We will propose 
to strengthen the mechanism and to endow it with its own operational capacities in order to 
ensure  that  the  Union  can  provide  better  crisis  and  emergency  support  to  our  citizens  with 
maximum efficiency and minimum bureaucracy. 

15 COM(2017)250 Communication on Establishing a European Pillar of Social Rights 
16 See Annex 3 on Priority Pending Proposals 

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Completing  the  Security  Union  is  a  priority.  While  we  have  made  real  progress  in  fighting 
terrorism,  we  will  present  proposals  to  improve  cross-border  access  by  law  enforcement 
authorities to electronic evidence and to financial data and further strengthen the rules against 
explosives precursors that terrorists use for homemade weapons. We will continue to promote 
cooperation  with  social  media  companies  to  detect  and  remove  terrorist  and  other  illegal 
content online, and if necessary we will propose legislation on removing terrorist content. The 
Commission  will  continue  to  support  Member  States  on  countering  radicalisation  and  in 
implementing  the  action  plan  on  protecting  public  spaces17,  and  is  working  on  further 
measures  to  improve  passenger  railway  security.  We  will  reinforce  our  efforts  to  make  the 
European Union a safer society, in full compliance with fundamental rights, with a proposal 
on the interoperability of information systems. 

The exchange of information and data is an essential feature of our societies and increasingly 
a cross-border phenomenon. The Commission  will finalise its guidance on the way forward 
on  data  retention.  In  early  2018,  the  Commission  also  aims  to  adopt  a  decision  on  data 
adequacy for Japan to ensure the free flow of personal data between the EU and Japan as an 
integral part of our strengthened economic partnership. 

The  Commission  reiterates  its  commitment  to  the  Schengen  system,  and  expresses  the 
intention  to  get  'back  to  Schengen'  as  soon  as  possible,  while  taking  proportionate  security 
requests  of  Member  States  fully  into  account.  For  this,  the  swift  adoption  by  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  Council  of  the  Commission  proposal  on  the  revision  of  the  Schengen 
Border Code is of the essence. 

Towards a new policy on migration 

We  are  on  track  in  implementing  the  European  Agenda  on  Migration.  The  European 
Parliament and Council need to prioritise the proposals already on the table. In particular, the 
Dublin  reform18  is  the  key  to  a  Common  European  Asylum  System,  which  is  based  on 
solidarity  and  ensures  that  responsibility  is  shared.  We  are  supporting  the  efforts  by  the 
European  Parliament  and  the  Council  to  conclude  the  work  on  the  reform  of  the  Common 
European Asylum System by June 2018. 

The  Migration  Partnership  Framework  will  be essential to  delivering  results  on  the  external 
component of our migration policies. More effective EU action on returning people who do 
not have the right to be in the EU requires determined efforts by Member States together with 
third  countries.  We  have  delivered  an  External  Investment  Plan19  which  will  support  a  new 
generation of investments in our neighbourhood and the African continent, and we will move 
swiftly now to implement it to support sustainable local projects. 

17 COM(2017)612 Action Plan on protecting public spaces 
18  COM(2016)270  Proposal  for  a  Regulation  establishing  the  criteria  and  mechanisms  for  determining  the 
Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member 
States by a third-country national or a stateless person 
19  COM(2016)581  Communication  on  Strengthening  European  Investments  for  jobs  and  growth:  Towards  a 
second phase of the European Fund for Strategic Investments and a new European External Investment Plan 

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Europe  needs  effective  legal  pathways  as  alternatives  for  those  who  risk  their  lives  and  are 
exploited  by  smuggling  networks.  Stepping  up  resettlement  will  provide  a  credible  EU 
response  to  those  in  need  of  protection.  As  an  ageing  continent,  Europe  also  needs  legal 
migration to bridge demographic and skills gaps. This is an area where the EU, acting jointly, 
is stronger than its Member States acting alone. The proposal on entry and residence of third-
country  nationals  for  highly  skilled  employment  ('Blue  Card  proposal'20)  should  be  agreed 
swiftly. The Commission will furthermore make the necessary proposals in 2018 to revise the 
Visa  Code  and  upgrade  the  Visa  Information  System  and  in  that  context  will  withdraw  its 
proposals for a Visa Code and the Touring Visa21. 

A stronger global actor 

Europe  continues  to  be  a  beacon  of  peace  and  stability  but  we  should  never  take  our  own 
security  for  granted.  We  must  cooperate  more  on  defence  by  mobilising  all  the tools  at  our 
disposal,  including  the  EU  budget.  There  is  a  strong  business  and  security  case  for  the 
European defence industry to innovate and cooperate more. The European Defence Fund must 
play a key role in this work. The Commission will prioritise the rapid implementation of the 
Fund, as well as the proposal for a European Defence Industry Development Programme22. 

We  will  pursue  and  strengthen  our  relations  with  key  partners  such  as  India  and  Latin 
America.  To  enhance  links  with  Asia  across  the  board  we  will  propose  a  strategy  to 
strengthen connectivity between our continents. Our longstanding partnership with countries 
from  Africa,  the  Caribbean  and  the  Pacific  is  of  great  value.  We  will  work  towards  the 
renewal  of  this  partnership  in  2020,  adapting  it  to  the  rapidly  evolving  global  context  and 
transforming  it  into  a  strong  and  modern  political  alliance.  We  will  work  together  for  our 
common  interests  and  for  a  strengthened  rule-based  global  order.  The  historic  nuclear  deal 
with Iran has opened the way for a renewal of broader relations between the EU and Iran. We 
will also take forward our relations with Iraq. 

A Union of Democratic Change 

Delivering a Union of democratic change has been a central commitment of this Commission. 
The Commission has significantly reinforced its efforts to engage with citizens through 312 
citizens'  dialogues,  by  consulting  all  stakeholders  more  extensively  as  part  of  our  better 
regulation agenda, and by proposing a revision of the European Citizens Initiative23 to make it 
more accessible and easier to use. We launched the European Solidarity Corps24 less than a 
year  ago  and  it  is  already  offering  thousands  of  young  people  new  opportunities  across  the 

20 COM(2016)378 Proposal for a Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for 
the purposes of highly skilled employment 
21 COM(2014)164 Proposal for a Regulation on the Union Code on Visas (Visa Code); COM(2014)163 Proposal 
for  a  Regulation  establishing  a  touring  visa  and  amending  the  Convention  implementing  the  Schengen 
Agreement and Regulations (EC) No 562/2006 and (EC) No 767/2008 
22  COM(2017)294  Proposal  for  a  REGULATION  establishing  the  European  Defence  Industrial  Development 
Programme aiming at supporting the competitiveness and innovative capacity of the EU defence industry 
23 COM(2017)482 Proposal for a Regulation on the European Citizens' Initiative 
24 COM(2017)262 Proposal for a Regulation laying down the legal framework of the European Solidarity Corps 

9 

 
                                                            
European Union. This helps our young people to engage with the society around them and to 
develop their knowledge and skills at the start of their careers. It now needs to be placed on a 
firm legal footing by the end of the year. 

Transparency and accountability are also central to democratic legitimacy. The Commission 
leads  by  example  in  its  relations  with  interest  representatives  and  encourages  the  European 
Parliament and Council to agree rapidly on the Inter-Institutional Agreement for a mandatory 
Transparency  Register25  for  all  three  institutions.  We  will  engage  constructively  with  the 
European  Parliament  and  Council  to  reach  agreement  on  the  proposed  amendments  to  the 
Comitology  Regulation26,  and  on  the  statute  and  funding  of  European  political  parties  and 
foundations27. 

III.  DELIVERING  BY  2025:  A  MORE  UNITED,  STRONGER  AND  MORE  DEMOCRATIC 
UNION 

While completing our agenda of today we need to prepare the Union of tomorrow. While this 
work programme outlines what we need to do together over the next fourteen months, it also 
proposes a number of initiatives that look further forward, towards 2025 and beyond.  

A new Europe  of 27  will emerge on 30 March 2019.  We have  an  opportunity  to  shape  this 
new Europe. Just a few weeks later, in June 2019, Europeans will go to the polls. Our work 
between now and then must ensure that as they vote, this new Europe meets their expectations 
and  delivers  on  the  things  that  matter  the  most  to  them.  This  is  the  objective  that  the 
Commission  has  set  out  in  the  Roadmap  to  Sibiu  for  a  More  United,  Stronger  and  More 
Democratic Union28, reflected now in the Leaders' Agenda agreed at the European Council on 
19 October, which is meant to lead to concrete results at a special summit in Romania on 9 
May 2019. The Commission’s political contribution to this roadmap is what we are delivering 
under this work programme. There is a need to act now, and this is why all of these forward-
looking  initiatives  will  be  put  forward  within  this  mandate  while  using  the  still  untapped 
potential of the current Treaties which allows us to move forward with ambition and speed. 

We will work together with the European Parliament and the Council as well as with national 
Parliaments  to  discuss  and  develop  this  Roadmap  and  to  work  on  these  initiatives  jointly. 
Throughout  the  process,  we  will  continue  to  build  on  the  democratic  and  inclusive  debate 
launched by the White Paper on the Future of Europe29, and the subsequent Reflection Papers 

25 COM(2016)627 Proposal for a Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory Transparency Register 
26 COM(2017)085 Proposal for a Regulation laying down rules and general principles concerning mechanisms 
for control by Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers 
27  COM(2017)481  Proposal  for  a  Regulation  amending  Regulation  on  the  statute  and  funding  of  European 
political parties and European political foundations 
28 Presented with the Letter of Intent on 13 September 2017 
29 COM(2017)2025 White Paper on the Future of Europe 

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that set out options in key areas.30 Every citizen has the opportunity to contribute to the Future 
of Europe and to provide direct feedback on how we should collectively move forward. 

A More United Union 

In the course of the mandate of this Commission, we will take all steps necessary to expand 
the  Schengen  area  of  free  movement  to  Bulgaria  and  Romania  to  open  up  the  same 
opportunities  that  others  enjoy.  We  should  also  allow  Croatia  to  become  a  full  Schengen 
member once it meets all the criteria. Similarly, the euro is meant to be the single currency of 
the European Union as a whole. It must unite rather than divide our continent. It must be more 
than a currency of a select group of countries. Member States that want to join the euro must 
be  able  to  do  so,  and  we  will  therefore  propose  a  new  Euro-accession  instrument  that  will 
offer both technical and financial assistance.  

While it is clear that there will be no further enlargement of the EU during the mandate of this 
Commission  and  this  Parliament,  as  no  candidate  is  ready  yet,  we  must  ensure  a  credible 
European  perspective  for  all  countries  of  the  Western  Balkans.  The  prospect  of  EU 
membership  is  a  real  driver  of  reforms  and  stability  in  the  region.  Within  this  context,  the 
Commission  will  present  a  strategy  for  the  EU  accession  of  Serbia  and  Montenegro  as 
frontrunner candidates in the Western Balkans. 

A Stronger Union 

A  stronger  Union  needs  to  be  equipped  with  appropriate  financial  means  to  continue  to 
deliver  its  policies.  The  Union  has  changed  fundamentally  in  recent  years,  as  have  the 
challenges  it  faces.  Our  Union  needs  a  budget  that  can  help  us  achieve  our  ambitions.  The 
Multiannual  Financial  Framework  for  the  period  after  2020  must  reflect  this.  Beyond  the 
immediate challenge of the departure of the UK, the Union must be equipped to harness the 
benefits of new and emerging technologies, to move towards a fully-fledged defence union, 
and to continue to tackle security issues and migration. Following political orientation debates 
in  the  College  (January  2018)  and  among  EU  leaders  (February  2018),  we  will  make  a 
comprehensive proposal for the next multi-annual EU budget in May next year, including on 
own  resources,  taking  account  of  the  recommendations  made  in  the  Monti  report.  Our 
objective  is  to  complete  negotiations  on  the  new  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  in  the 
mandate of this Commission. The new budget will help us to meet citizens' expectations of an 
EU  that  delivers  on  the  things  that  matter  most  and  that  contribute  to  the  long-term 
sustainability of the EU. 

To be stronger, Europe also has to be more efficient. It must be able to act more quickly and 
decisively in a range of policy areas so that citizens and businesses benefit more immediately 
from EU law. The Commission will therefore outline how the  EU could make use of the so-

30  COM(2017)206  Reflection  paper  on  the  Social  Dimension  of  Europe,  COM(2017)240  Reflection  paper  on 
Harnessing  Globalisation,  COM(2017)291  Reflection  paper  on  the  Deepening  of  the  Economic  and  Monetary 
Union, COM(2017)315 Reflection paper on the Future of European Defence, COM(2017)358 Reflection paper 
on the Future of EU Finances 

11 

 
                                                            
called ‘passerelle clauses’ in the current Treaties which allow us to move from unanimity to 
qualified majority voting in certain areas if all Heads of State or Government agree to do so. 
We will do this for internal market matters, as well as for certain foreign policy decisions to 
ensure the Union is a strong global actor with real weight in the world, while paying particular 
attention to the consistency and efficiency of these decisions. 

Finally, a stronger Europe must also protect its citizens and ensure that terrorists are brought 
to  justice. We will therefore propose  the extension  of the tasks of the new European Public 
Prosecutor's Office to include the fight against terrorism ahead of a specific Leaders’ summit 
in Vienna in September 2018 dedicated to security matters. 

A More Democratic Union 

is  an 

important  step 

We need to make a democratic leap forward to respond to the concerns and expectations of 
our  citizens.  As  a  first  step,  we  must  make  sure  that  the  European  Parliament  elections 
become more than the sum of national campaigns and elections in individual Member States. 
The Commission's proposal, mentioned above, to help European political parties to be more 
effective, 
innovation  of 
‘Spitzenkandidaten’ which led to the current Commission and its leadership. In the medium 
term  perspective,  we  need  to  continue  our  reflections  on  the  idea  of  transnational  lists  as  a 
way to make European elections even more European and more democratic. Similarly, when 
we reflect on institutional reforms that can make the Union both more democratic and more 
efficient, we should continue to explore the idea of a single President of the European Council 
and  of  the  Commission.  The  European  Union  is  a  Union  of  States  as  well  as  a  Union  of 
Citizens. A single President would reflect this dual legitimacy of our Union. 

this  direction  and  reflects 

the 

in 

The Commission will also set out its views on the possible creation of a permanent European 
Minister  of  Economy  and  Finance.  This  position  would  increase  the  efficiency  of  policy 
making by having the same person co-ordinating economic policy-making and key budgetary 
instruments  at  EU  and  euro-area  level,  and  it  would  increase  democratic  accountability  if 
combined with the position of a Vice-President of the Commission. We will, at the same time, 
present exploratory work for the possible development of a euro area safe asset. 

A  Union  with  a  stronger  focus  on  things  that  matter  needs  to  have  the  right  tools  to  act 
democratically  and  efficiently  when  and  where  it  is  needed.  Building  on  the  work  that  this 
Commission has already done, we should continue to be big on the big things. This means not 
regulating every aspect of citizens' daily lives. We must reflect seriously on doing less more 
efficiently  and  giving  back  competences  to  Member  States  where  it  makes  sense  to  do  so. 
Building  on  the  work  of  the  Task  Force  headed  by  First  Vice-President  Timmermans 
announced in the State of the Union address, the Commission will present its ideas on further 
enhancing subsidiarity, proportionality and better regulation to make sure we are only acting 
where the EU adds value. 

The future of Europe relies on the ability to uphold the common values that bind us together: 
democracy,  rule  of  law  and  fundamental  rights.  Respect  for  the  rule  of  law  implies  an 

12 

 
independent judiciary that is free from political control and is a prerequisite for a society in 
which  peace,  freedom,  tolerance,  solidarity  and  justice  prevail.  It  is  also  indispensable  for 
sustainable  and  fair  growth,  as  well  as  for  trust  in  Europe.  To  this  end,  we  will  present  an 
initiative to strengthen the enforcement of the Rule of Law in the European Union. 

IV.  DELIVERING  BETTER  ON  THE  GROUND  –  BETTER  REGULATION,  IMPLEMENTATION 
AND ENFORCEMENT 

Today, more than ever, there is a need for sound preparations, evaluations and evidence-based 
policy-making.  Any  decision,  any  proposal  must  take  into  account  all  available  facts  and 
evidence in a structured and comprehensive way. The stakes are too high, the challenges too 
complex  to  take  any  other  approach.  This  is  why  Better  Regulation  underpins  all  the 
Commission's work and continues to ensure that our proposals are based on the best available 
information. Over the last year we have significantly reinforced our efforts to engage actively 
with civil society to improve both the legitimacy and the quality of our work. We continue to 
act only where we need to and where it adds value. 

At the same time, even the best proposals will have no impact unless Member States translate 
them  into  national  rules  and  implement  them  correctly  and  efficiently  on  the  ground.  The 
Commission has a central role, as guardian of the Treaties, in ensuring that this is done. At the 
end of 2016, the Commission put forward a more strategic approach to infringement policy to 
ensure better compliance with EU law31. This policy allows us to focus on systemic problems 
where  enforcement  action  can  make  a  real  difference  to  ensure  swifter  compliance  where  it 
matters.  The  effective  enforcement  of  existing  EU  law  is  just  as  important  as  the  work 
devoted to developing new legislation. Member States must live up to their responsibility to 
respect and enforce the rules they themselves have jointly put in place. We are committed to 
the  full  implementation  of  the  Interinstitutional  Agreement  on  Better  Law-making32  agreed 
with the European Parliament and the Council last year. 

As  part  of  its  infringement  policy,  the  Commission  will  continue  to  support  and  work  in 
partnership  with  Member  States  to  ensure  that  EU  rules  are  applied  effectively  and 
consistently. The Commission will continue to encourage  the modernisation of enforcement 
authorities through the European Semester and, when necessary, through specific legislation. 
The Commission will also continue to help Member States improve the effectiveness of their 
national  justice  systems  and  to  fight  corruption  through  the  European  Semester,  and  to 
support  justice  reforms  and  judicial  training  with  EU  funds,  including  with  the  EU  Justice 
Scoreboard.  The  Structural  Reform  Support  Service  will  continue  to  provide  tailor-made 
support  to  help  Member  States  build  more  effective  institutions,  stronger  governance 
frameworks  and  efficient  public  administrations,  while  broadening  its  activities  to  more 
sectors and to more Member States. 

31 C(2016)8600 Communication on EU Law: Better Results through Better Application 

13 

 
                                                            
 
The  Commission  will  pay  particular  attention  to  independent  administrative  authorities  or 
inspectorates that EU legislation requires to be sufficiently and adequately equipped and have 
the  necessary  independence  to  perform  their  tasks.  These  include  national  competition 
authorities,  national  regulatory  authorities  in  electronic  communications  services  and  the 
energy sector, as well as rail regulatory bodies, national financial supervisory authorities and 
national data protection authorities.  

We  will  also  continue  to  work  in  partnership  with  national  authorities  through  a  range  of 
networks.  These  include  the  Body  of  European  Regulators  for  Electronic  Communications 
that assists and advises the Commission and national regulatory authorities in implementing 
the EU regulatory framework for electronic communications. Similarly, we will work with the 
European Competition Network that contributes to the effective and coherent implementation 
of competition rules. We will also take the same approach with the European Union Network 
for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law that plays a key in facilitating 
the  exchange  of  best  practice  in  enforcing  the  environmental  acquis  and  respect  for  the 
minimum  requirements  for  inspections.  The  recent  compliance  and  assistance  package,  in 
particular the Single Digital Gateway, will help citizens and business to make full use of the 
opportunities the Single Market offers.  

The  new  EU  data  protection  framework  will  establish  strong  common  standards  for  data 
protection that are fit for the digital age. Citizens and businesses will benefit from rules that 
both  provide  strong  protection  and  create  opportunities  for  innovation  in  the  Digital  Single 
Market.  The  Commission  will  provide  guidance  to  help  prepare  citizens,  businesses  and 
public  administrations  before  it  comes  into  force  in  May  2018.  In  doing  this,  we  will  work 
closely together with the new European Data Protection Board, the joint body of national data 
protection authorities that will assume its functions as of 25 May 2018. 

We will continue to strengthen our cooperation with the European Network of Ombudsmen, 
which  the  European  Ombudsman  coordinates.  This  brings  together  national  and  regional 
Ombudsmen to promote good administration in the application of EU law at national level. 

V. CONCLUSIONS 

Over  the  next  16  months,  Europe  has  a  window  of  opportunity  to  act  and  to  make  a 
difference.  The  Commission  Work  Programme  2018  builds  on  the  current  momentum  and 
sets out a targeted agenda to complete the ten priorities and the strategies that underpin them. 
2018 will be a decisive year for Europe. It must be about delivering concrete results for our 
citizens.  This  is  what  our  agenda  focuses  on.  We  will  make  sure  that  what  we  deliver  is 
simple, easy to understand and adds value so that citizens can feel the difference in their daily 
lives. 

The Joint Declaration on the EU's legislative priorities, signed by the Presidents of the three 
institutions  last  December,  has  proved  valuable  to  promote  quick  progress  on  the  most 
important and  urgent  legislative files.  We look  forward to  agreeing a new Joint Declaration 

14 

 
with  the  three  Presidents  to  ensure  that  the  European  Parliament,  Member  States  and  the 
Commission are all on the same track. 

The  Commission  will  work  intensively  with  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  to 
ensure that by the time citizens go to the polls in 2019 the Union will have delivered on what 
it  set  out  to  do.  Europe  will  be  judged  not  on  the  number  of  directives  and  regulations  we 
adopt, but  on the tangible results our  policies deliver  to  our citizens.  This work programme 
provides the basis for this common European effort. 

15