Commission work programme 2021 . Annex I, New policy objectives.
Date: 2020-10-19
Institutions: Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU policy, European Commission, institutional activity, political programme

Commission Work 
Programme 2021
Annex I: New Policy Objectives

19 October 2020

No.

Policy objective

Initiatives

A European Green Deal

1

Fit for 55 package

Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), including maritime, aviation 
and CORSIA as well as a proposal for ETS as own resource (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Q2 2021)
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and a proposal for (CBAM) as own resource 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Q2 2021)
Effort Sharing Regulation (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 192(1) TFEU, Q2 
2021)
Amendment to the Renewable Energy Directive to implement the ambition of the 
new 2030 climate target (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 194 TFEU, Q2 2021)
Amendment of the Energy Efficiency Directive to implement the ambition of the 
new 2030 climate target (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 194 TFEU, Q2 2021)
Revision of the Regulation on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and 
removals from land use, land use change and forestry (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Article 192(1) TFEU, Q2 2021)
Reducing methane emissions in the energy sector (legislative, incl. impact assessment, 
Articles 192 and 194 TFEU, Q2 2021)
Revision of the Energy Tax Directive (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Q2 2021)
Revision of the Directive on deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 91 TFEU, Q2 2021)
Revision of the Regulation setting CO₂ emission performance standards for 
new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Article 192(1) TFEU, Q2 2021)
Revision of the energy performance of Buildings Directive (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Article 194 TFEU, Q4 2021)
Revision of the Third Energy Package for gas (Directive 2009/73/EU and 
Regulation 715/2009/EU) to regulate competitive decarbonised gas markets 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 194 TFEU, Q4 2021)

2

Circular economy 
package

Sustainable products policy initiative, including a revision of the Ecodesign 
Directive (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2021)
Circular electronics (non-legislative, Q4 2021)

(1) In this annex, the Commission provides further information, as far as available, on the initiatives included in its work programme, in line with the
Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-making. This information, which is provided in brackets next to each initiative, is indicative only and
subject to change during the preparatory process, notably in view of the outcome of an impact assessment process.

No.

Policy objective

Initiatives

3

4

Biodiversity and toxic-
free environment 
package

Sustainable and smart 
mobility

Action plan for the development of organic production: on the way to 2030 (non-
legislative, Q1 2021)
Minimising the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with 
products placed on the EU market (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Q2 2021)
Zero pollution action plan for water, air and soil (non-legislative, Q2 2021)
New legal framework on the restoration of healthy ecosystems (legislative, incl. 
impact assessment, Article 192 TFEU, Q4 2021)

Revision of the Directive on Intelligent Transport Systems, including a multimodal 
ticketing initiative (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 91 TFEU, Q3 2021)
Revision of the Regulation on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 172 TFEU, Q3 2021)
EU 2021 Rail Corridor Initiative, including the revision of the Rail Freight Corridor 
Regulation and actions to boost passenger rail (non-legislative and legislative, incl. 
impact assessment, Article 91 TFEU, Q3 2021)
Development of post-Euro 6/VI emission standards for cars, vans, lorries and 
buses (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2021)

A Europe Fit for the Digital Age

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Europe’s digital decade

Europe’s digital decade: 2030 digital targets (non-legislative, Q1 2021)

Data package

Data Act (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q3 2021)
Review of the Database Directive (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, 
Q3 2021)

Digital levy 

Digital levy and a proposal for digital levy as own resource (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Q2 2021)

A trusted and secure 
European e-ID

A trusted and secure European e-ID (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, 
Q1 2021)

Platform workers

Improving the working conditions of platform workers (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Article 153 TFEU, Q1/Q4 2021)

Industrial strategy for 
Europe 

Foreign subsidies

Updating the new industrial strategy for Europe (non-legislative, Q2 2021)

Follow-up to the White Paper on foreign subsidies: 
Levelling the playing field (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 207 TFEU, Q2 2021) 
Public procurement (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 207 TFEU, Q2 2021)

Civil, defence and space 
industries

Action plan on synergies between civil, defence and space industries (non-legislative, 
Q1 2021)

Design requirements 
and consumer rights 
for electronics

New design requirements and consumer rights for electronics (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2021)

An Economy that Works for People

14

Deepening the Capital 
Markets Union

Investment protection and facilitation framework (legislative, incl. impact assessment, 
Article 114 TFEU, Q2 2021)
Revision of prudential rules for insurance and reinsurance companies (Solvency II) 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Articles 53(1), 62 and 114 TFEU, Q3 2021)
Revision of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive and Regulation 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2021)

15

Sustainable corporate 
governance

Sustainable corporate governance (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Articles 50 and, 
possibly, 114 TFEU, Q2 2021)

No.

Policy objective

Initiatives

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

EU green bond standard

Establishment of an EU green bond standard (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 
114 TFEU, Q2 2021)

Anti-money laundering 
package

Anti-money laundering legislative package (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 
114 TFEU, Q1 2021)

Fair economy package

Action plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights (non-legislative, Q1 2021)
Recommendation for a European child guarantee (non-legislative, Q1 2021)
Communication on a new occupational safety and health strategy framework (non-
legislative, Q2 2021)
Action plan for the social economy (non-legislative, Q4 2021)

Generalised scheme of 
preferences

Towards the future generalised scheme of preferences legal framework granting 
trade advantages to developing countries (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 
207 TFEU, Q2 2021)

Detering and 
counteracting coercive 
actions by third 
countries

Performance 
framework 2021-2027

Instrument to deter and counteract coercive actions by third countries (legislative, 
incl. impact assessment, Article 207, Q4 2021)

Communication on the performance framework 2021-2027 (non-legislative, Q2 2021)

Completing the Banking 
Union

Revision of the bank crisis management and deposit insurance framework 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q4 2021)

Excise duties package

Revision of the tobacco taxation Directive (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 
113 TFEU, Q3 2021)
Amendment of the Directive on general arrangements for excise duties (legislative, 
incl. impact assessment, Article 113 TFEU, Q4 2021)

A Stronger Europe in the World

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Strengthening the EU’s 
contribution to rules-
based multilateralism

Joint communication on strengthening the EU’s contribution to rules-based 
multilateralism (non-legislative, Q2 2021)

The Arctic dimension

Joint Communication on the Arctic (non-legislative, Q4 2021)

Southern 
Neighbourhood

Disarmament, 
demobilisation and 
reintegration of  
ex-combatants

Joint Communication on a renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood 
(non-legislative, Q1 2021)

Joint Communication on a strategic approach to support disarmament, 
demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants (non-legislative, Q3 2021)

Research, innovation, 
education and youth

Communication on the global approach to research, innovation, education and 
youth (non-legislative, Q2 2021)

EU’s humanitarian aid 

Communication on the EU’s humanitarian aid in the context of the COVID-19 
pandemic and beyond (non-legislative, Q1 2021)

Consular protection

Consular protection – review of EU rules (legislative, Article 23 TFEU, Q4 2021)

No.

Policy objective

Initiatives

Promoting our European Way of Life

31

32

33

European biomedical 
research and 
development

Proposal to establish a new European biomedical research and development 
agency (legislative, incl. impact assessment Articles 118 and 168 TFEU, Q4 2021)

European health data 
space

European health data space (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Articles 114 and 168 
TFEU, Q4 2021)

Follow-up initiatives 
under the new pact on 
migration and asylum

A new EU action plan against migrant smuggling (non-legislative, Q2 2021)
A new strategy on voluntary returns and reintegration (non-legislative, Q2 2021)

34

Schengen package

35

Follow-up to the EU  
security strategy

36

37

Follow-up to the 
European Education 
Area and the updated 
skills agenda

EU strategy 
on combating 
antisemitism

Strategy on the future of Schengen (non-legislative, Q2 2021)
Amendment of the Regulation establishing the Schengen Evaluation Mechanism 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 70 TFEU, Q2 2021)
Revision of the Schengen Borders Code (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 77 
TFEU, Q2 2021)
Digitalisation of visa procedures (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Art. 77 TFEU, Q4 
2021)

Communication on an EU Agenda to tackle organised crime (2021-2025) (non-
legislative, Q1 2021)
Legislation to effectively tackle child sexual abuse online (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment, Article 114 TFEU, Q2 2021)
An EU agenda on counter-terrorism: prevent, protect, respond, anticipate (non-
legislative, Q3 2021)
Revision of the Directive on the freezing and confiscation of the proceeds of crime 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Articles 82 and 83 TFEU, Q4 2021)
Proposal to modernise existing intra-EU law enforcement cooperation by creating 
an EU police cooperation code (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Q4 2021)
Proposal for a Directive on Asset Recovery Offices (legislative, incl. impact assessment, 
Article 87 TFEU, Q4 2021)

European approach for micro-credentials (non-legislative, Q4 2021)
Individual learning accounts (legislative and non-legislative, incl. impact assessment, Q4 
2021)

Communication on the EU strategy on combating antisemitism (non-legislative, Q4 
2021)

A New Push for European Democracy

38

39

40

41

Rights of children

EU strategy on the rights of the child (non-legislative, Q1 2021) 

Preventing and 
combating specific 
forms of gender-based 
violence

Proposal to prevent and combat specific forms of gender-based violence (legislative, 
incl. impact assessment, Articles 82(2), 83 and 84 TFEU, Q4 2021)

Fighting hate crime and 
hate speech

Initiative to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate 
speech (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 83 TFEU, Q4 2021)

Digital judicial 
cooperation package

Digital information exchange on cross-border terrorism cases (legislative, incl. impact 
assessment Articles 85 and 88 TFEU, Q4 2021)
Joint Investigation Teams collaboration platform (legislative, incl. impact assessment, 
Article 82(1)(d) TFEU, Q4 2021)
Digitalisation of cross-border judicial cooperation (legislative, incl. impact assessment, 
Articles 81 and 82 TFEU, Q4 2021)

No.

Policy objective

Initiatives

42

Transparency and 
democracy package

Revision of the statute and funding of European political parties and European 
political foundations (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 224 TFEU, Q3 2021)
Greater transparency in paid political advertising (legislative, incl. impact assessment, 
Articles 114 and 224 TFEU, Q3 2021)
Revision of the Council Directive laying down detailed arrangements for the 
exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European 
Parliament for citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are 
not nationals (legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 22 TFEU, Q4 2021)
Revision of the Council Directive laying down detailed arrangements for the 
exercise of the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal elections by 
citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals 
(legislative, incl. impact assessment, Article 22 TFEU, Q4 2021)
Initiative against abusive litigation targeting journalists and rights defenders 
(legislative or non-legislative, Q4 2021)

Communication on the long-term vision for rural areas (non-legislative, Q2 2021)

Long-term vision for 
rural areas

43

44

EU disability strategy

Strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities (non-legislative, Q1 2021)

© European Union, 2020

Reuse is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. The reuse policy of European Commission documents is regulated by Decision 2011/833/EU 
(OJ L 330, 14.12.2011, p. 39). For any use or reproduction of elements that are not owned by the European Union, permission may need to be sought 
directly from the respective right holders. All images © European Union.

PDF    ISBN 978-92-76-23778-5    doi:10.2792/73568    KA-02-20-891-EN-N