The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission : state of play in autumn 2023.
Date: 2023-09-20
Institutions: Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU initiative, European election, President of the Commission, democracy, digital transformation, economic policy, living conditions

The six policy 
priorities of the 
von der Leyen 
Commission 
State of play 
in autumn 2023 

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS 

EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service 
Author: Étienne Bassot 
Members' Research Service 
PE 751.445 – September 2023 

EN 

 
 
in  carrying  through  the  policy  agenda  set  by 
This  EPRS  paper  analyses  progress  made 
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and her College of Commissioners when 
they took office in December 2019. It looks in particular at the state of play with respect to delivery of the 
agenda's six key priorities, as we enter the final months running up to the 2024 European elections. 

The  von der Leyen Commission  –  either  on  taking  office  or  more recently – has  announced  a  total  of 
610 planned initiatives. In concrete terms, EPRS finds that more than two thirds (420) have now been 
submitted and, for those which are legislative proposals, the co-legislators have started work. Of the 420, 
more than half (221) have already been adopted by the co-legislators, or, for the non-legislative initiatives 
(such as strategies, action plans and other communications, amounting to nearly one fifth of the total), 
by  the  Commission  itself.  The  vast  majority  of  the  remainder  are  either  close  to  adoption (26)  or 
proceeding  normally  through  the  legislative  process (141).  On  the  other  hand,  almost  one  sixth  are 
moving  slowly  or  are blocked (32).  While  the  Commission's  first  priority  –  the  European Green Deal  – 
ranks highest in terms of the number of initiatives planned (154), the second, fourth and fifth priorities – 
'A Europe fit for the digital age', 'A stronger Europe in the world', and 'Promoting our European way of 
life'  –  have higher  rates  of  initiatives  actually  adopted so far (more  than half for  the second  and fifth, 
almost three quarters for the fourth, largely due, for the latter, to its less legislative nature). 

Further details of the state of play on the EU legislative proposals tabled by the Commission, including 
all those mentioned in this paper, can be found on the European Parliament's 'Legislative Train Schedule' 
website, developed by EPRS. 

AUTHORS 

This paper was drawn up by the Members' Research Service within the Directorate-General for Parliamentary 
Research  Services  (EPRS)  of  the  Secretariat  of  the  European  Parliament.  It  was  coordinated  and  edited  by 
Isabelle Gaudeul-Ehrhart,  on  the  basis  of  contributions  from  the  following  policy  analysts  in  the  Members' 
Research  Service  of  EPRS:  Polona Car  and  Guillaume Ragonnaud  (A  Europe  fit  for  the  digital  age); 
Gregor Erbach  (A  European  Green  Deal);  Silvia Kotanidis  and  Rafał Mańko  (A  new  push  for  European 
democracy); Martina Prpic (Promoting our European way of life); Stefano Spinaci (An economy that works for 
people); and Branislav Stanicek (A stronger Europe in the world). Graphics were done by Györgyi Mácsai, EPRS. 

To contact the authors, please email: eprs@ep.europa.eu. 

LINGUISTIC VERSIONS 

Original: EN; Translations: DE, FR 

Manuscript completed in September 2023.  

DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT 

This  document  is  prepared  for,  and  addressed  to,  the  Members  and  staff  of  the  European  Parliament  as 
background  material  to  assist  them  in  their  parliamentary  work.  The  content  of  the  document  is  the  sole 
responsibility of its author(s) and any opinions expressed herein should not be taken to represent an official 
position  of  the  Parliament.  Reproduction  and  translation  for  non-commercial  purposes  are  authorised, 
provided the source is acknowledged and the European Parliament is given prior notice and sent a copy. 

Brussels © European Union, 2023. 

Photo credits: Philippe BUISSIN © European Union 2023 - Source: EP 

PE 751.445 
ISBN: 978-92-848-1005-5  
DOI:10.2861/116474 
QA-04-23-850-EN-N 

eprs@ep.europa.eu  
http://www.eprs.ep.parl.union.eu (intranet) 
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank (internet) 
http://epthinktank.eu (blog)

 
 
The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission 

Table of contents 

Introduction ___________________________________________________________________  1 

1. European Green Deal __________________________________________________________  4 

2. A Europe fit for the digital age ___________________________________________________  7 

3. An economy that works for people ______________________________________________ 10 

4. A stronger Europe in the world _________________________________________________ 12 

5. Promoting the European way of life  _____________________________________________ 14 

6. A new push for European democracy ____________________________________________ 16 

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The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission 

Introduction 

The September 2023 state of the Union address will be the last one of this Parliamentary term. The 
European institutions are entering the final phase of the current five-year political and institutional 
cycle. With the European elections scheduled for 6-9 June 2024, this European Parliament will hold 
its final plenary session in April. These coming months will therefore be crucial for the Commission 
to deliver on its commitments and for the Parliament, together with the Council of the European 
Union, to adopt legislation. 

A fair assessment of the Commission's delivery on its commitments has to start with the recognition 
that this mandate has been marked by two challenges – literally – unknown to this generation in 
Europe.  The  first  such  challenge  was  the  coronavirus  pandemic.  COVID-19  emerged  as  the 
Commission was just beginning its mandate; the pandemic was declared within its first 100 days. 
The second was Russia's war on Ukraine. The effects of this 'tectonic shift in European history', to use 
the words of the Versailles Declaration, are manifold and far from over. 

One  of  the  main  findings  of  this  twice  yearly  analysis  is  that,  over  recent  years,  despite  the 
challenges,  the  European  institutions  have  delivered  steadily:  the  European  Commission  has 
reacted  with  proposals  and  initiatives  to  address  events  as  they  unfold  while  at  the  same  time 
continuing to deliver on its wider programme and commitments. The European Parliament too has 
continued to debate, negotiate and adopt legislation and budget, as has the other co-legislator, the 
Council.  

That the rate of progress has remained, for a further half year, largely unchanged is to the credit of 
the European institutions: the Commission in tabling the initiatives, and the European Parliament 
and Council for their work on the legislative proposals, through to adoption. At a time when building 
compromise and reaching majorities is a challenge, as seen in the Member States of the European 
Union (EU) as well as in other democracies across the globe, and when democracy itself is challenged 
in too many places, this is an achievement worth noting, especially as the months tick down to the 
next European elections. 

It  is  noteworthy  that,  on  some  parts  of  the  political  agenda,  the  challenges  themselves  have 
provided additional reasons to support initiatives and accelerate reform. This has been the case for 
instance for the European Green Deal. This summer, Europeans have once again experienced first 
hand, and even more so than in previous years, what global warming means in practice, from fires 
in Greece, Cyprus and Portugal to the flooding in Austria, Croatia and Czechia. July was the hottest 
month  ever  recorded  on  our  planet,  according  to  the  European  Union's  climate  observatory, 
Copernicus. The wildfires raging in Greece are the biggest ever recorded in the European Union, 
according to the European Commission. This succession of extreme climate events over the summer 
has continued to show the crucial importance of delivering on the agreed targets, at both European 
and international levels. In the European Union, it is the role of the co-legislators to represent and 
bring on board all parts of society in reaching these objectives. 

On the world stage too, international events have propelled this Commission's priority of 'a stronger 
Europe  in  the  world'  to  a  new  dimension,  as  illustrated  by  the  photograph  on  the  cover,  which 
pictures the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the European 
Parliament  plenary  session  on  geopolitical  issues  –  in  this  instance  on  the  need  for  a  coherent 
strategy for EU-China relations.  

This analysis monitors all six of the Commission's priorities. It combines a two-page presentation of 
each priority and a synthesis infographic (page 3) illustrating the degree of progress – both overall 
and under each of the six priorities.  

Our analysis finds that, across the six priorities, more than one third of the initiatives announced 
have  been  finally  adopted,  and  almost  a  further  third  are  proceeding  normally  through  the 

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legislative process. The adoption process varies from one proposal to another. The past few months 
have seen adoption in record time of the proposal for a regulation setting up an act in support of 
ammunition production (ASAP). Tabled by the Commission on 3 May 2023, it was signed on 20 July 
and published on 25 July. Other procedures can take years, and some 5 % of the total presented by 
the Commission are proceeding slowly or blocked. Nine months ahead of the European elections, 
and with just seven to go until the last plenary session of this Parliament, it is fair to assume that, 
with three in ten initiatives announced still to be submitted, and only a third of the announcements 
brought to final adoption in the past four years, not all the initiatives announced by the Commission 
will be tabled in time to be discussed and agreed by the co-legislators, and to come into law, before 
the end of this term. 

According to this EPRS analysis, of the over 600 initiatives announced (610), more than two thirds 
(69 %, 420) have now been submitted and, in the case of the legislative proposals, the co-legislators 
have started work. It is worth noting that almost one in five of the Commission's initiatives are non-
legislative, for instance strategies, action plans and other communications. Of the 420 initiatives that 
have been submitted, just over half (53 %) have already been adopted (221) – by the legislators in 
the case of the legislative proposals, or simply by the Commission in the case of the non-legislative 
initiatives  – while  the  vast majority of  the  other  half  are  either  proceeding  normally  through  the 
legislative process (141, or 71 %) or are close to adoption (26, or 13 %). Conversely, a certain number 
are proceeding very slowly or are currently blocked (32, or 16 %). 

With a focus on each of the six policy priorities, the European Green Deal ranks highest in terms of 
the  number  of  initiatives  planned  (154).  The  executive  has  tabled  almost  two  thirds  of  them  (or 
62 %), half of the latter (51 %) being adopted by the co-legislators. The third priority, 'An economy 
that works for people', comes next (128), with more initiatives tabled (72 %) but less than half of the 
latter have been adopted (46 %). The digital priority totals 105 initiatives planned, 55 % of which 
have already been submitted (58), and 31 adopted (53 % of the total). For 'A stronger Europe in the 
world', an area with relatively few legislative initiatives by definition, and in contrast to the majority 
of the Commission's priorities, more than eight out of ten (82 %) initiatives have already been tabled 
(see Section 4) and three in five adopted. A fair amount of work remains to be done for the other 
priorities: 40 % of the proposals have still to be submitted for 'A Europe fit for the digital age', 19 % 
for 'Promoting our European way of life' and 28 % for 'A new push for democracy' (see Sections 2, 5 
and 6). This latter priority comes lowest in terms of number of initiatives announced (60). 

The next edition of this publication, scheduled for after the April plenary session, will be the last one 
of this cycle and will provide an overall assessment of the Commission's delivery before the 2024 
European elections. 

For more information on how the von der Leyen Commission's agenda is proceeding, a proposal-
by-proposal  assessment  is  available  on  the  European  Parliament's  'Legislative  Train  Schedule' 
website, developed by EPRS. 

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The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission 

The von der Leyen Commission's six priorities: Legislative and non-legislative delivery as of 
31 August 2023 

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1. European Green Deal 

The von der Leyen Commission adopted the European Green Deal in its first month in office, setting 
its priority to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent, become a world leader in the circular 
economy, eliminate pollution, protect biodiversity and mobilise finance for the green transition. The 
Commission is on track towards delivering the key elements of the European Green Deal by the end 
of its mandate, despite delays on some files. While the climate- and energy-related initiatives have 
enjoyed  broad  political  support,  the  environment-related  proposals  on  pesticides,  nature 
restoration  and  industrial  emissions  have  proved  far  more  contentious,  not  least  because  of  the 
perceived impact on EU farmers. Citing concerns about food security and European industry, leaders 
of some EU Member States have called for a 'regulatory pause' on new EU environmental regulation, 
noting the need to focus on implementing the already adopted Green Deal initiatives. Meanwhile 
the European Court of Auditors recently warned that Member States' efforts may be insufficient to 
reach the 2030 climate and energy targets and for a timely transition towards a circular economy.  

The first major crisis for this Commission, the coronavirus pandemic, has not hindered progress on 
the Green Deal. On the contrary, the EU has used the crisis recovery instruments to advance climate 
action, by requiring Member States to spend 37 % of EU funding under the Recovery and Resilience 
Facility on climate investment and reforms. The second major crisis, Russia's war on Ukraine, has 
turned energy efficiency and renewables into critical tools to tackle rising energy prices and energy 
security challenges. The Commission's RePowerEU initiative of March 2022 sought to diversify gas 
supplies and accelerate the transition to clean energy. It was complemented by the EU 'Save Energy' 
communication, a new Regulation on Gas Storage, and the EU 'Save gas for a safe winter' plan. In 
2023, the Commission is taking initiatives to boost the global competitiveness of EU industry in the 
transition to climate neutrality through its Green Deal industrial plan. This comes in response to the 
United States' inflation reduction act and its support for clean energy and green technologies. 

Making Europe the first climate-neutral continent 
The adoption of the European Climate Law in June 2021 marked a major milestone in implementing 
the European Green Deal. It established an independent scientific advisory board and set a legally 
binding EU target of climate neutrality by 2050, and a binding intermediate target to reduce net 
greenhouse  gas  (GHG)  emissions  by  55 %  by  2030  compared  with  1990  levels.  The  process  for 
setting a 2040 climate target, as required by the climate law, was launched in March 2023. 

To  implement  this  increased  ambition,  the  Commission  presented  the  'fit  for  55'  package  in 
July 2021. By September 2023, most of the legislative files in the package have been agreed by the 
co-legislators. The package contained legislative proposals to revise the entire EU 2030 climate and 
energy  framework,  including  the  legislation  on  effort-sharing,  land  use  and  forestry,  renewable 
energy, energy efficiency, emissions standards for new cars and vans, clean maritime and aviation 
fuels,  and  the  Energy  Taxation  Directive.  The  Commission  also  proposed  to  strengthen  the 
emissions  trading  system  (ETS)  and  establish  a  new  ETS  for  road  transport  and  buildings, 
complemented  by  a  new  social  climate  fund  to  address  its  social  impacts.  A  new  carbon  border 
adjustment mechanism puts a price on GHG emissions associated with certain imported goods. The 
Commission tabled a revised regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases in April 2022, a regulation 
on carbon removal certification in November 2022, and revised CO2 standards for new trucks and 
buses in February 2023, and presented the 'greening freight transport' package in July 2023.  

The  Commission  addressed  energy-related  emissions  through  the  strategies  on  energy  system 
integration, hydrogen  and  methane  and offshore  renewable  energy  sources in  2020,  and  a  solar 
energy strategy in 2022. In December 2021, the Commission proposed legislation on energy-related 
methane emissions, the energy performance of buildings and a revised regulation and directive for 
the  EU  gas  and  hydrogen  markets,  and  proposed  a  reform of  the  EU  electricity  market  design in 

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The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission 

March 2023.  To  foster  the  EU  market  for  clean  hydrogen,  the  Commission  intends  to  launch  an 
EU hydrogen bank by the end of 2023 and plans an €800 million pilot auction in autumn 2023. 

The  European  Commission  launched  the  European  climate  pact,  a  non-legislative  initiative  in 
December 2020,  and  tabled  a  new  strategy  on  adaptation  to  climate  change  in  February 2021, 
seeking to mainstream climate adaptation and strengthen the international dimension.  

Becoming a world leader in the circular economy 

In  May  2021,  the  Commission  updated  its  March  2020  long-term  strategy  for  Europe's  industrial 
future  that  was  aligned  with  the  European  Green  Deal.  The  strategy  was  complemented  by  a 
chemicals strategy for sustainability, adopted in October 2020, the Batteries Regulation adopted on 
12 July 2023, and a proposal on construction products in March 2022. The February 2023 Green Deal 
industrial plan aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU's 'net zero' industries through a 
favourable  regulatory  environment,  access  to  finance,  development  of  skills  and  open  trade  for 
resilient supply chains. A proposal for a net-zero industry act was presented in March 2023.  

The March 2020 circular economy action plan promotes the sustainable use of resources, especially 
in  resource-intensive  sectors  with  a  high  environmental  impact,  such  as  electronics,  textiles  and 
construction. The Commission tabled legislative proposals on waste shipment in November 2021, 
on  empowering  consumers  for  the  green  transition  and  ecodesign  requirements  for  sustainable 
products in March 2022, and on packaging and packaging waste in November 2022. Proposals on 
the right to repair and on substantiating green claims were tabled in March 2023.  

Eliminating pollution and protecting biodiversity 
The Commission adopted a zero-pollution action plan in May 2021 and tabled proposals to revise 
the  Industrial  Emissions  Directive  and  the  Ozone  Regulation  in  April 2022.  A proposal  on  air 
pollutant emissions standards for road vehicles was presented in November 2022. The key objective 
of the 2020 biodiversity strategy for 2030 is mainstreaming biodiversity across all policy areas. The 
Commission adopted a new EU forest strategy in 2021 and tabled a new deforestation regulation 
adopted by the co-legislators in May 2023. In 2022, the Commission tabled legislative proposals on 
nature  restoration,  pesticides,  air  quality,  water  pollution  and  waste  water.  In  July  2023,  the 
Commission proposed a soil monitoring law, a revision of the Mercury Regulation and a revision of 
the Waste Framework Directive to address food and textiles waste. Remaining initiatives for 2023 
concern chemicals (REACH), microplastics, sustainable food systems and greening corporate fleets. 

Further  key  initiatives  of  the  European  Green  Deal  have  included  the  'farm-to-fork'  strategy  for 
sustainable food, tabled in May 2020, a renovation wave for the building sector, a sustainable and 
smart  mobility  strategy  in  December 2020,  and  an  action  plan  for  organic  food  production  in 
March 2021. In March 2022, the co-legislators adopted the eighth environment action programme. 

Financing the European Green Deal  
According to Ursula von der Leyen's political guidelines, record amounts of public funds were to be 
invested in advanced research and innovation, complemented by a strategy for green financing. EU 
funding for the European Green Deal is provided through the EU multiannual financial framework 
(MFF)  and  the  Next  Generation  EU  (NGEU)  instrument,  with  30 %  of  expenditure  dedicated  to 
climate  objectives.  In  addition,  the  European  Investment  Bank  (EIB)  has  aligned  its  investment 
activities  with  climate  objectives.  In  January 2020,  the  Commission  presented  the  sustainable 
Europe investment plan to increase funding for the transition by mobilising €1 trillion and to create 
an  enabling  framework  for  sustainable  investment.  In  April 2021,  the  Commission  presented  its 
proposal for a corporate sustainability reporting directive. It adopted a renewed sustainable finance 
strategy and proposed a voluntary EU green bond standard in July 2021. 

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The LIFE programme, adopted in April 2021, is the only EU fund entirely dedicated to environmental 
and climate objectives, with a budget of €5.4 billion in current prices for the 2021-2027 period. The 
Just Transition Fund, adopted in June 2021, has a budget of €17.5 billion to support the people and 
regions most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality.  

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The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission 

2. A Europe fit for the digital age 

As the legislative cycle enters its final months, the European Commission has presented the majority 
of its initiatives to steer Europe towards digital transformation. Important pieces of legislation have 
been adopted and entered into force, notably the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act 
(DMA), and the Directive on a high common level of cybersecurity (NIS2). For others, such as the 
chips act, the data act and the proposal for a cybersecurity regulation for EU institutions, the co-
legislators have found political agreement. There has been progress in legislative deliberations on 
several  other  proposals,  notably  on  the  artificial  intelligence  act  proposal,  revision  of  the  eIDAS 
Regulation, and working conditions of platform workers. New proposals are still expected by the 
end of 2023, such as the new radio spectrum policy programme, the EU regulatory framework for 
hyperloop,  as  well  as  proposals  that  had  earlier  been  announced  for  2022,  for  example  on 
multimodal digital mobility services. 

Shaping the digital future of Europe 
With the cyber-resilience act proposal well on its way in the legislative process, the cybersecurity 
package,  published  on  18  April,  rounds  off  the  cybersecurity  proposals  of  this  legislature.  The 
EU cyber-solidarity act aims to reinforce capacities in the EU to detect, prepare for and respond to 
the  growing  cybersecurity  threats  and  attacks  across  the  EU.  The  proposal  would  introduce  the 
European  cyber-shield,  a  cyber-emergency  mechanism,  and  a  cybersecurity  incident  review 
mechanism to assess and review significant or large-scale incidents. A cybersecurity skills academy 
would aim to bridge the digital cybersecurity skills gap in the EU, achieve the ambitious target of 
the  digital  decade  programme  of  increasing  the  number  of  information  and  communication 
technologies (ICT) professionals by 20 million by 2030. The proposal would notably include a single 
point of entry for cybersecurity programmes, training provisions, and for cybersecurity certification. 
To enable the latter, the Commission proposed a targeted amendment to the Cybersecurity Act, 
which would permit cybersecurity certification schemes for managed security services. 

As a response to the European Parliament resolution with recommendations to the Commission on 
organising  sports  events  in  the  digital  environment,  the  Commission  adopted  a  non-legislative 
recommendation on piracy of live content on 4 May. It would step up the fight against online piracy 
of sports and other live events, which could be hindered by unauthorised streaming.  

On 11 July 2023, the Commission adopted a non-legislative initiative on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds, 
calling  for  them  to  be  based  on  human-centric  digital  transformation,  anchored  in  fundamental 
rights and EU values, and create opportunities for business and promote innovation. The actions of 
the strategy, focused on the next technological transition, are built around objectives of the digital 
decade programme, also addressing the global governance of virtual worlds and Web 4.0. 

Supporting industry and small and medium-sized enterprises 
On  18  April  2023,  the  Commission  put  forward  two  proposals  for  Council  recommendations  to 
support  Member  States  to  enhance  EU  citizens'  digital  skills:  key  enabling  factors  for  successful 
digital education and training, and improving the provision of digital skills in education and training. 

On 27 April, the Commission adopted a package of legislative proposals in the field of intellectual 
investment  and  competitiveness,  and 
innovation, 
property  rights,  aimed  at  promoting 
complementing the unitary patent system which came into operation on 1 June 2023. The package 
includes proposals for regulations on supplementary protection certificates for plant protection and 
medicinal  products,  a  proposal  for  a  regulation  on  compulsory  licensing  of  patents  for  crisis 
management, and a proposal for a regulation on standard essential patents.  

On 3 May, the Commission put forward a proposal for a regulation setting up an act in support of 
ammunition  production  ('ASAP').  With  a  budget  of  €500  million,  it  would  reinforce  the 

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responsiveness and ability of the EU defence industry to ensure the timely availability and supply of 
ground-to-ground and artillery ammunition as well as missiles. The interinstitutional negotiations 
were  particularly  rapid:  Parliament  and  Council  found  an  agreement  on  7  July  and  the 
ASAP Regulation entered into force on 25 July. 

On 17 May, the Commission published a code of good practices to facilitate the development and 
assessment of important projects of common European interest (IPCEIs). On 8 June, the Commission 
approved  under  EU  State  aid  rules  the  sixth  IPCEI,  concerning  microelectronics  and  focusing  on 
innovative  and  resource-efficient  technologies  and  components.  It  was  prepared  by  14  Member 
States. Its total investments are expected to reach €21 billion, of which €8.1 billion from State aid.  

On  6  June,  the  Commission  published  the  transition  pathway  for  the  textiles  ecosystem,  putting 
forward actions to make the industry greener, more digital, sustainable, resilient and competitive. 

Improving the functioning of the single market 
On 27 February 2023, the Commission put forward a proposal on the digital labelling of EU fertilising 
products. It would ensure the good functioning of the single market and protect human health and 
the  environment  by  improving  the  readability  of  labels  and  facilitating  their  management  by 
companies. On 22 March, the Commission adopted a proposal for a directive on substantiation and 
communication of explicit environmental claims ('green claims directive') to tackle the proliferation 
of misleading commercial practices concerning the environmental sustainability of products on the 
internal market and to boost the competitiveness of companies making real efforts to reduce their 
environmental impact. On 29 March, the Commission tabled a proposal for a directive expanding 
and upgrading the use of digital tools and processes in company law. Its objective is to increase trust 
and transparency in the EU business environment and enhance companies' operations and activities 
in  the  single  market.  On  30  March,  the  Commission  adopted  a  proposal  for  a  regulation  on  the 
approval  and  market  surveillance  of  non-road  mobile  machinery  (NRMM,  such  as  combine 
harvesters and machines for construction work) circulating on public roads. It intends to address the 
considerable  differences,  across  the  EU,  in  technical  requirements  and  approval  procedures 
concerning their circulation on roads, to improve the functioning of the single market and ensure a 
high level of  road  safety  across  the  EU.  On  19  April, the  Commission  launched  the  public  buyers 
community  platform,  a  digital  platform  aimed  at  improving  public  procurement  processes.  On 
28 April, the Commission tabled a proposal for a regulation on detergents and surfactants to ensure 
the  better  functioning  of  the  single  market  by  addressing  new  market  developments  (such  as 
microbial cleaning products), and the current lack of efficient information requirements.  

Under  the  ongoing  review  of  EU  competition  tools,  on  20  April  the  Commission  adopted  the 
2023 merger  simplification  package,  consisting  of  a  revised  implementing  regulation,  notice  on 
simplified procedure, and communication on the transmission of documents. On 1 June, it adopted 
revised  horizontal  block  exemption  regulations  on  research  and  development  and  specialisation 
agreements (HBERs), and revised horizontal guidelines, giving companies guidance to help them 
assess the compatibility of their horizontal cooperation agreements with EU competition rules. On 
4 April, the Commission published updated State aid guiding templates to assist Member States in 
designing the measures included in their national recovery and resilience plans, in line with EU State 
aid rules. A public consultation on the draft revised market definition notice used by the Commission 
in antitrust and merger cases ended on 13 January 2023. The Commission stated that it was planning 
to have the new market definition notice in place in the third quarter of 2023, but it has still to be 
finalised.  

One of the priorities of the strategy to enhance European economic security adopted on 20 June by 
the  Commission  and  the  High  Representative/Vice-President  of  the  Commission  (HR/VP)  is  to 
promote the EU's competitiveness and growth, strengthen the single market, support a strong and 
resilient economy, and boost the EU's research, technological and industrial base. 

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The legislative proposal to further address the health and environmental risks related to exposure 
to asbestos in buildings was announced for the second quarter of 2023.  

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3. An economy that works for people 

In her 2019 political guidelines, Ursula von der Leyen promised that the transition towards a green 
social market economy would be fair for all, and committed to fostering an 'economy that works for 
people'. Despite the economic shocks caused by the pandemic and Russia's war on Ukraine, more 
than seven out of ten of the initiatives planned have been tabled as well as several additional ones. 

Deepening economic and monetary union 
The  European  Commission  put  forward a  package  for  a  reform  of  the  EU  economic  governance 
framework,  a  key  pillar  of  the  architecture  of  economic  and  monetary  union.  Three  legislative 
proposals,  presented  on  26  April  2023,  gear  up  towards  greater  national  ownership,  better  EU 
enforcement, and more gradual adjustment supported by reforms and investments, while keeping 
the current reference values (3 % deficit ratio, 60 % debt ratio on gross domestic product, GDP). On 
20 June 2023, the Commission proposed a mid-term review of the 2021-2027 multiannual financial 
framework (MFF).This includes a dedicated Facility to support Ukraine up to 2027, a reinforcement 
of the EU budget to address internal and external dimensions of migration, a strategic technologies 
for Europe platform (STEP) to promote the EU's long-term competitiveness, and a mechanism to 
address the higher Next Generation EU funding costs due to the surge in interest rates. On 28 June 
2023, the Commission tabled a single currency package with two legislative proposals to support 
the use of cash and to introduce a framework for a digital euro.  

Completing the banking union and the capital markets union 
The banking union made progress towards completion. In June 2023, the co-legislators reached a 
provisional agreement on two proposals amending the EU-level banking rulebook to strengthen 
the risk-based capital prudential framework, further harmonise supervisory powers and tools, and 
improve access to data. In April 2023, the Commission adopted a proposal to reform EU bank crisis 
management aiming to extend the scope of the existing regulation to smaller banks and ensure 
effective utilisation of private funds in resolution.  

The capital markets union (CMU) remained a key EU priority; further impetus was given to deepen 
it. The Commission designed an action plan in 2020, followed by a number of proposals in 2021. 
Among others, new proposals to amend the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) and 
Regulation  (MiFIR)  as  well  as  the  investment  funds  rulebook  (UCITS  and  AIFMD),  on  which 
provisional deals were reached in June and July 2023, respectively.  

The  Commission  also made  a  proposal  to  amend insurance  prudential  regulation  (Solvency II)  to 
further finance the real economy – currently with the co-legislators. In May 2023, the Commission 
put forward a retail investment strategy, consisting of a package of proposed new rules to protect 
and empower retail investors.  

In October 2022, the Commission adopted a legislative proposal on instant credit transfers in euros 
(also known as instant payments), designed to allow citizens and businesses to transfer money at 
any time of any day within 10 seconds. In June 2023, it made a proposal on a framework for financial 
data access (also known as open finance), a proposal to amend and modernise the current Payment 
Services Directive (PSD2, which would become PSD3) and a proposal to establish a payment services 
regulation (PSR).  

Helping recovery and resilience to external shocks 
To address the major economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of 
Ukraine, the von der Leyen Commission has taken economic measures to boost recovery and make 
the economy more resilient, while staying aligned with the 2019 political guidelines (such as the 
green  transformation  of  the  economy).  The  Commission  proposed  Next  Generation  EU  (NGEU), 

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financing it through supranational debt; it is expected to borrow up to around €800 billion from the 
capital markets by the end of 2026, of which up to €250 billion (or 30 % of NGEU) by issuing green 
bonds. According to the most recent Commission report on the implementation of borrowing, to 
date, €183 billion has been disbursed : €153 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (about 
€106 billion in grants, and €47 billion in loans, to Member States); €30 billion from the EU budget. 
This is financing investments in six areas (or pillars): green transformation; digital transformation; 
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; social and territorial cohesion; health, and economic, social 
and institutional resilience; and policies for the next generation. 

To  repay  the  funds  raised  to  finance  the  grant  component  of  NGEU,  the  Commission  adopted 
initially  two  proposals:  the  first  would  introduce  new  own  resources,  through  the  extended  EU 
energy trading system, a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) and the reallocated profits 
of  very  large  multinational  companies  (based  on  Pillar 1  of  the  Organisation  for  Economic 
Co-operation  and  Development/G20  agreement);  the  second  would  amend  the  2018  Financial 
Regulation, to align the financial rules to the provisions of the 2021-2027 MFF and NGEU. In June 
2023, the Commission put forward an adjusted package for the next generation of own resources, 
amending its previous proposal. The proposal aims to ensure more diversified and resilient types of 
revenue: it would increase the emissions trading system (ETS)-based own resource, add new sectors, 
and include a new temporary statistical own resource based on company profits.  

Implementing the social pillar and promoting equality 
Following the political guidelines, the Commission adopted an action plan for the implementation 
of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights in March 2021. It sets three headline targets 
for the EU on employment, skills and social protection, and commits the Commission to a number 
of concrete actions. Standing out among the legislative items are the adopted directives on binding 
pay transparency and on adequate minimum wages. Based on a Commission proposal, the Council 
adopted  a  recommendation on  adequate  minimum income  ensuring  active  inclusion,  which  the 
Parliament  wishes  to  strengthen  into  a  directive.  Further  recommendations  concerned  the 
European  Child  Guarantee  to  protect  children  at  risk  of  poverty  and  social  exclusion,  and  the 
strengthened  Youth  Guarantee  supporting  jobs  for  young  people,  while  the  most  recent  ones 
targeted  support  for  employment  following  the  COVID-19  crisis  and  the  strengthening  of  social 
dialogue. The Commission has also outlined an EU direction in strategies concerning the rights of 
persons with disabilities, rights of the child, the Roma people, gender equality and LGBTIQ equality, 
health and safety at work and care. 

To promote a socially responsible economy, the Commission adopted in February 2022, a proposal 
for  a  directive on corporate  sustainability  due diligence  and  in  September 2022,  a  proposal  for  a 
directive on the protection of workers from risks relating to exposure to asbestos at work. Following 
a Commission proposal tabled in November 2022, the Council adopted a decision on guidelines for 
the employment policies of Member States. In June 2023, the Commission adopted a proposal for a 
Council recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions. 

Promoting fair taxation 
In December 2022, the Council adopted a directive on ensuring a global minimum rate of corporate 
taxation for multinational groups, based on the OECD international agreement on a 15 % tax rate. 
As part of its EU strategy on business taxation, in May 2022, the Commission proposed a debt-equity 
bias  reduction  allowance  (DEBRA).  On  8 December 2022,  the  Commission  presented  the  value 
added tax (VAT) in the digital age package, consisting of three elements: improving and expanding 
single  VAT  registration  for  businesses  through  a  VAT  one-stop  shop,  updating  VAT  rules  for  the 
platform economy, and introducing real-time digital VAT reporting. In May 2023, the Commission 
adopted  proposals  for  a  comprehensive  reform  of  the  EU  customs  union.  A  package  of  three 
legislative proposals aims to facilitate business operations through a new EU customs data hub, to 
allow smarter customs checks, and a more modern approach to e-commerce. 

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4. A stronger Europe in the world  

One year and a half into the war in Ukraine, the EU and its partners continue to demonstrate their 
unity, resilience and capacity to develop what von der Leyen defined as a 'geopolitical Commission', 
that  stabilises  its  neighbourhood,  accelerates  enlargement  and  champions  multilateralism  and  a 
rules-based global order, through a more active role and stronger voice for the EU in the world. In 
her 2022 State of the Union address, the Commission President stressed that the response to the 
Ukraine crisis will determine not only the EU's geopolitical status in the coming years, but also the 
nature of the international relations and tools deployed in safeguarding peace, European values and 
principles. Consequently, the EU's main foreign policy priorities now are to respond to the military 
aggression against Ukraine, accelerate enlargement, and support global trade, peace and security. 

Responding to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine  

In line with President von der Leyen's initial pledge that European leadership 'will always be guided 
by our values and our respect for international law', the EU has adopted 11 cycles of heavy sanctions 
against Russia's financial system, industry, and people and entities who have facilitated the war in 
Ukraine  and  the  harmful  activities  of  the  Russian  government.  The  latest  package  of  sanctions, 
adopted on 23 June 2023, includes a new anti-circumvention tool that will allow the EU to restrict 
the  sale,  supply,  transfer  or  export  of  specified  goods  and  technology  to  third  countries  whose 
jurisdictions are considered to be at continued and particularly high risk of circumvention. 

In  February 2022,  the  EU  agreed  to  allocate  a  first  package  of  assistance  measures  worth 
€500 million from the European Peace Facility (EPF) – an off-budget mechanism designed, inter alia, 
to  support  EU  partners'  military  forces  –  to  Ukraine.  Together  with  seven  previous  tranches  of 
support,  the  assistance  measure  of  €1  billion  adopted  on  13  April  2023  brings  the  total 
EU contribution for Ukraine under the EPF to €4.6 billion. The EPF has a total budget of more than 
€12  billion  for  the  2021-2027  period.  In  addition  to  the  EPF,  the  Act  in  Support  of  Ammunition 
Production (ASAP) was adopted on 20 July 2023.  

In November 2022, the European Union military assistance mission Ukraine (EUMAM) was launched 
for two years. Furthermore, the EU has allocated €685 million from the EU budget to deal with the 
humanitarian  consequences  of  this  war,  both  in  the  country  and  for  refugees.  This  decision  has 
complemented the activation of the temporary protection mechanism that provides refugees with 
a secure status and access to education, medical care and work in EU Member States (see section 5 
below), as well as temporary trade liberalisation under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. 

On 17 January 2023, the European Commission disbursed €3 billion to Ukraine, the first tranche of 
an  €18 billion  support  package  for  2023,  the  EU's  largest  ever  macro-financial  assistance  (MFA) 
package  for  a  third  country.  Some  €10.5  billion  of  this  MFA  'Plus'  package  has  already  been 
disbursed; the sixth tranche of €1.5 billion was disbursed on 25 July 2023. In addition, in June 2023, 
the Commission proposed to create a new instrument, the Ukraine Facility to provide predictable 
financial support for Ukraine over the 2024-2027 period. The Facility should cater both for short-
term state and recovery needs and medium-term reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine, with 
a €50 billion expected budget. As of July 2023, together with the resources made available to help 
Member States, the overall support to Ukraine and Ukrainians amounts to €76 billion. 

Accelerating EU enlargement 
One geopolitical priority of the Commission is to accelerate EU enlargement. On 28 February 2022, 
Ukrainian  President  Volodymyr Zelenskyy  announced  Ukraine's  official  request  for  'immediate 
accession  via  a  new  special  procedure'.  Following  Ukraine,  both  Georgia  and  Moldova  also 
requested  to  join  the  EU.  Considering  the  Commission's  positive  opinions,  on  23 June 2022,  EU 
leaders  decided  to  grant  Ukraine  and  Moldova  'candidate  country'  status,  and  Georgia  'pre-
candidate country' status. On 3 February 2023, at the 24th EU-Ukraine summit, leaders reconfirmed 
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the will 'to rebuild a modern, prosperous Ukraine firmly anchored on our common European path'. 
Out  of  seven  priorities  identified  by  the  European  Council  based  on  the  Commission  proposal, 
Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi declared that Ukraine has already 
completed  two:  reform  of  judicial  governance  bodies  and  key  media  legislation.  He  added  that 
Ukraine has achieved good progress on the Constitutional Court reform and some progress in anti-
corruption reforms, anti-money-laundering efforts, 'de-oligarchisation', and national minorities. 

As for the Western Balkan accession countries, President von der Leyen had welcomed the Council's 
decision  to  open  accession  negotiations  with  Albania  and  North  Macedonia  in  2020.  On  19 July 
2022, the two countries opened accession negotiations. In December 2022, EU leaders decided to 
grant candidate country status to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Subsequently, the most critical task in 
the region is to complete the comprehensive agreement within the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. 

After  the  re-election  of  President  Recep  Tayyip  Erdoğan  in  May  2023,  the  European  Council 
conclusions of 29-30 June invited the High Representative and the Commission to submit a report 
to the European Council on the state of play of EU–Türkiye ties. Türkiye remains a 'key partner' for 
the EU and is eligible for EU financial support through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance 
(IPA-III 2021-2027) and also for the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+).  

Supporting global peace, security and trade 

President von der Leyen's political guidelines stated that 'peace, security and development are all 
mutually dependent. We need an integrated and comprehensive approach to our security'. Several 
new  initiatives  were  adopted  in  the  first  half  of  2023.  After  the  adoption  of  a  new  EU  maritime 
security strategy and European space strategy for security and defence in March, the Commission 
welcomed the political agreement reached in June between the co-legislators on the regulation on 
establishing  the  instrument  for  the  reinforcement  of  the  European  defence  industry  through 
common  procurement  (EDIRPA)  with  a  budget  of  €300  million.  EDIRPA  will  incentivise  Member 
States  to  procure  commonly  the  most  critical  and  urgent  defence  products  in  light  of  Russia's 
unjustified invasion of Ukraine. 

In her political guidelines, President von der Leyen also expressed her readiness 'to pave the way for 
an ambitious and strategic partnership with the United Kingdom, which will remain our ally, our 
partner and our friend'. Relations with the UK have thawed after the endorsement of the Windsor 
Framework agreement in March 2023 as well as through cooperation on Ukraine. The co-legislators 
also  adopted  the  regulation  governing  EU  implementation  and  enforcement  of  the  Trade  and 
Cooperation Agreement and the Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK. 

Furthermore, President von der Leyen wished to strengthen Europe's role as a global leader and 
standard-setter through a strong, open and fair trade agenda. On 6 February 2023, the Commission 
President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the EU-India Trade and Technology Council. 
In March 2023, the EU relaunched trade negotiations with Thailand. With New Zealand, on 9 July 
2023  the  EU  signed  the  comprehensive  and  ambitious  trade  deal  concluded  in  June  2022.  The 
Distortive Foreign Subsidies Regulation entered into force on 12 January 2023, and in June 2023 the 
EU successfully concluded interinstitutional negotiations on the Anti-coercion instrument. In June 
2023, the Commission adopted the new agenda for relations between the EU and Latin America and 
the Caribbean. Eight years since their last gathering, EU leaders and leaders from the Community of 
Latin  American  and  Caribbean  States  (CELAC)  met  in  Brussels  for  the  third  EU-CELAC  summit on 
17-18 July 2023. On 5 July, the Commission presented the modernised EU-Chile agreement to the 
Council  for  authorisation  of  its  signature.  On  20  July,  the  Council  gave  its  green  light  to  move 
towards the signature of the Post-Cotonou Agreement.  

Finally,  to  deliver  on  the  commitment  set  out  in  the  2022  State  of  the  Union  address,  the 
Commission proposed a package of measures to combat corruption on 3 May 2023. With regard to 
the external dimension, the Commission proposed to establish a dedicated common foreign and 
security policy (CFSP) sanctions regime to target serious acts of corruption worldwide.  

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5. Promoting the European way of life 

The 'Promoting our European way of life' priority covers a wide range of issues, encompassing not 
only  migration,  asylum  and  internal  security  policies,  but  also  education,  social  integration  and 
health. The humanitarian crisis at the EU's eastern borders has propelled the reform of EU migration 
and asylum policy to the top of the EU agenda, leading to notable progress on the adoption of key 
legislative  proposals.  Significant  progress  has  also  been  achieved  in  EU  internal  security  policy, 
which  calls  for  a  greater  focus  on  addressing  cyber-  and  hybrid  threats,  building  resilience, 
modernising law enforcement and bringing cooperation and information-sharing to a new level. 
New developments in health policy include a new pharmaceutical package and a comprehensive 
approach  to  mental  health.  Education  policy  sees  further  proposals  aimed  at  current  needs  and 
challenges, such as digital skills and literacy. 

A new pact on migration and asylum 
Russia's war on Ukraine has forced millions of people to flee, creating a major humanitarian crisis. In 
March 2023, the Commission adopted a communication on the Temporary Protection Directive, one 
year after the EU activated this 2001 directive for the first time. The communication took stock of 
the EU's action in the year since the activation of the directive, stating that around 4 million people 
were  granted  protection  in  the  EU,  including  one-fifth  of  Ukraine's  children.  The  Commission's 
support of Member States in providing emergency assistance to people fleeing the war continued, 
including through the 'Cohesion's Action for Refugees in Europe' (CARE). 

Against this background, progress has accelerated on some major initiatives under the new pact on 
migration and asylum, proposed by the Commission in September 2020. The Council adopted its 
position on asylum and migration management, as well as border screening and asylum procedure 
in June 2023. The Parliament had already adopted its position in April 2023. Work continues on the 
proposal for a regulation to address situations of instrumentalisation of migrants. In March 2023, the 
Commission also presented a recommendation on the mutual recognition of return decisions and 
expediting  returns.  Interinstitutional  negotiations  are  currently  ongoing  on  the  screening  and 
Eurodac  recast  proposals.  The  voluntary  relocation  mechanism,  signed  in  June  2022  between 
18 EU Member States and 3 associated countries to plan for relocations or financial contributions, 
has been criticised for weak implementation. The revised Schengen evaluation mechanism entered 
into force in October 2022 and the Parliament has yet to adopt its report on the proposal to revise 
the Schengen Borders Code. 

In April 2023, the Parliament adopted its position on the two legislative proposals that are part of 
the  package  of  measures  on  legal  migration  tabled  in  April  2022:  the  revision  of  the  Long-term 
Residents  Directive  and  the  Single  Permit  Directive.  Other  initiatives  in  the  package  include 
establishing an EU talent pool, stepping up operational cooperation and facilitating access to the 
EU labour market for those displaced by the war in Ukraine. 

Towards a security union 2.0 

The 2020-2025 EU Security Union Strategy frames the EU action on internal security for that period. 
Taking  evolving  cross-border  and  global  threats  into  account,  the  strategy  focuses  on  the 
interconnections between the physical and digital environments, as well as internal and external 
security. The Directive on the Resilience of Critical Entities, one of the Commission's initiatives to 
increase the EU's resilience to a wide array of threats including cyber- and hybrid threats, entered 
into force in January 2023, as well as the revised Directive on Security of Network and Information 
Systems  (NIS2).  The  EU is focused  on  enhancing  the  EU's  cybersecurity  through  a  series  of  other 
initiatives. Parliament and Council are currently working on completing their respective positions 
on the proposal for permanent rules to combat child sexual abuse online, proposed in May 2022. 

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The proposed regulation would set mandatory measures to detect and report child sexual abuse 
online and create a new independent EU centre on Child Sexual Abuse. 

information-sharing  and  cooperation  between 

When it comes to building an EU security ecosystem, both Europol and the EU Drugs Agency were 
endowed with strengthened mandates in June 2022 and June 2023 respectively. As to improving 
cross-border 
law  enforcement  authorities, 
important progress has been made on the EU police cooperation code package: the Directive on 
information exchange between law enforcement authorities entered into force in June 2023. The 
Parliament confirmed the committee position on the second proposal, the proposal for a regulation 
on  automated  data  exchange  for  police  cooperation  (Prüm II),  in  plenary  in  June  2023,  allowing 
interinstitutional  negotiations  to  start.  The  third  element  of  the  package,  a  recommendation  on 
operational police cooperation, was adopted by the Council in June 2022. In June 2023, the Council 
adopted its position on the two legislative proposals revising the rules on the collection and transfer 
of advance passenger information (API), aimed at enhancing security and improving external border 
controls.  The  Commission  announced  a  proposal  on  reciprocal  access  to  security-related 
information for front-line officers, between the EU and key third countries, which is now planned for 
the fourth quarter of 2023. In June 2023, the Parliament and the Council adopted the directive and 
the regulation to facilitate access by law enforcement to electronic evidence. 

Work continues on the 2021 package of proposals to strengthen the EU's anti-money-laundering 
and countering the financing of terrorism rules. The Parliament confirmed the decision to enter into 
interinstitutional negotiations on the revision of the Directive on Asset Recovery and Confiscation 
in June 2023. Work continues on the December 2022 proposal to revise the 2011 Anti-trafficking 
Directive, with the aim of completing it before the end of the current term.  

Towards a European health union 
The coronavirus pandemic boosted the Commission's ambition to build a European health union. 
The health security framework was strengthened by the European Health Emergency Preparedness 
and Response Authority (HERA), reinforced mandates for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and 
the  European  Centre  for  Disease  Prevention  and  Control  (ECDC),  and  the  Regulation  on  serious 
cross-border threats to health. The Council recommendation on cancer screening was updated in 
December 2022 and the European care strategy was adopted in September 2022. Work successfully 
continued on the proposal for a regulation on the European health data space, as well as on the 
proposal for a regulation on standards of quality and safety for substances of human origin intended 
for human application. In April 2023, the Commission put forward a 'pharmaceutical package' to 
revise  the  EU's  pharmaceutical  legislation.  It  includes  proposals  for  a  new  directive  and  a  new 
regulation, which would replace the existing pharmaceutical legislation, including the legislation on 
medicines for children and for rare diseases. The package is completed by a communication and a 
proposal for a Council recommendation to step up the fight against antimicrobial resistance, which 
was  adopted  by  the  Council  in  June  2023.  Also  in  June  2023,  the  Commission  published  a 
communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health.  

A European education area for quality and inclusive education 
Several  strategic  European  education  area  (EEA)  initiatives  have  already  been  carried  out, 
contributing  towards  the  achievement  of  the  EEA  by  2025.  For  instance,  the  Council  adopted  a 
recommendation on blended learning approaches for primary and secondary education (November 
2021),  on  building  bridges  for  effective  European  higher  education  cooperation  (April  2022),  on 
learning for the green transition and sustainable development (June 2022), on micro-credentials for 
lifelong  learning  and  employability  (June  2022),  and  on  pathways  to  school  success,  (November 
2022). The Commission tabled the European strategy for universities in January 2022. In April 2023, 
the Commission adopted two proposals for Council recommendations: on key enabling factors for 
successful  digital  education,  and  on  improving  the  provision  of  digital  skills  in  education  and 
training.  

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6. A new push for European democracy 

Of the three initiatives announced under this priority in the Commission's 2023 work programme, 
only one (the anti-corruption package) was delivered by July 2023 while the other two initiatives are 
still in the making: protection of the EU democratic sphere from covert foreign influence and the 
European  disability  card.  For  the  latter,  a  consultation  earlier  in  the  year  led  to  the  Commission 
issuing its proposal on 6 September 2023. 

Anti-corruption package 
On 3 May 2023, the Commission, in cooperation with the High Representative/Vice-President of the 
Commission (HR/VP), issued a joint communication presenting a new strategy against corruption. 
On  the  same  date  the  Commission  adopted  a  proposal  for  a  directive  laying  down  minimum 
standards for combating corruption based on three main pillars: i) preventing and building a culture 
of integrity through campaigns to raise awareness on corruption, obligation for Member States to 
regulate interactions between public and private sectors and the disclosure of conflict of interest for 
public  officials;  ii)  streamlining  definitions  and  sanctions  (e.g.  harmonisation  of  definitions  of 
criminal offences prosecuted as corruption to cover bribery, misappropriation, trading in influence, 
abuse  of  functions,  obstruction  of  justice  and  illicit  enrichment  related  to  corruption  offences, 
harmonising  aggravating  and  mitigating  circumstances);  iii)  requiring  Member  States  to  provide 
effective investigative tools and a clear and transparent process to lift immunities and privileges.  

Interinstitutional ethics body  
On  8  June  2023,  the  European  Commission 
long-awaited  proposal  for  an 
interinstitutional  ethics  body  (IEB)  to  be  created  by  way  of  an  interinstitutional  agreement.  This 
proposal  should  remedy  the  current  fragmented  ethics  regulatory  framework  governing  the  EU 
institutions  without  overlapping  with  the  competences  of  existing  bodies  (e.g.  EPPO  and  OLAF). 
Taking account of the differences in role and mission of the EU institutions, the IEB would aim at 
establishing a common culture of ethics and common standards.  

issued  the 

Review of the Victims Rights Directive 

After a consultation held in spring 2022, the Commission presented a proposal to amend the current 
rules of the Victims Rights Directive (Directive 2012/29/EU) taking account of the evaluation of the 
same directive performed in June 2022. The Commission proposes to improve the recognition of 
judgments  and  judicial  decisions  in  criminal  matters,  improve  crime  reporting,  adopt  a  victims-
centred approach where victims are recognised as such and can rely on their rights through better 
consideration of their needs, particularly for vulnerable victims, better access to information and to 
specialist support, and facilitated access to compensation from the offender. 

Protection of adults in a cross-border situation 
Increased mobility is a phenomenon that affects not only young and productive adult Europeans, 
but also people in need of assistance due to either age-related illness or special health condition 
that has impaired their ability to look after their own affairs. For this reason, on 31 May 2023 the 
Commission tabled a proposal for a regulation, within the area of judicial cooperation in civil matters 
(Article 81  TFEU),  aimed  at  preserving  the  rights  of  those  persons  by  streamlining  the  rules  that 
apply  in  terms of  defining  the  competent  court,  the  applicable law,  validity of  foreign  powers of 
representation, practical improvements on digital communication, the introduction of a European 
certificate  of  representation  to  facilitate  providing  evidence  of  powers  of  representation, 
interconnection of registers to facilitate retrieving information and in general improvement of the 
cooperation between national authorities. 

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The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission 

Transfer of criminal proceedings 
On 5 April 2023, the Commission tabled a proposal for a regulation on the transfer of proceedings 
in criminal matters to establish common rules when a criminal proceeding initiated in one Member 
State  is  transferred  to  another  Member  State.  The  proposed  regulation  would  facilitate  judicial 
cooperation and prevent conflicts of jurisdiction by establishing a uniform procedure across the EU. 
It would be an alternative to the surrender of a person for criminal prosecution under the European 
arrest  warrant  when  that  is  not  possible  or  is  disproportionate.  The  proposal  for  a  regulation 
includes:  specific  grounds  for  jurisdiction,  criteria  under  which  such  a  transfer  can  be  requested, 
certain rights for suspects and accused persons as well as for victims, a procedure for requesting a 
transfer, time limits for taking the decision on the request as well as an exhaustive list of grounds for 
refusing a transfer.  

Other initiatives  
As announced, to follow up on the Conference on the Future of Europe, the Commission convened 
citizens'  panels  largely  resembling  those  of  the  Conference  (random  selection,  diversity  in  their 
composition, strong representation of young people). In 2023, they focused on food waste, virtual 
worlds  and 
issued  the  progress  report  on  the 
implementation of the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 in April 2023, and the strategic foresight 
report in June 2023. 

learning  mobility.  The  Commission  also 

Rule of law and EU values 
In July 2023, the Commission published its fourth rule of law report, addressing the state of play of 
judicial independence, the fight against corruption, media pluralism, and checks and balances in 
each  Member  State.  The  Commission  formulated  new  recommendations  to  each  Member  State, 
analysing the progress made with regard to the implementation of its 2022 recommendations, as 
well as formulating new tasks. On 30 March 2023, Parliament adopted its resolution on the previous 
rule  of  law  report  (procedure  2022/2898(RSP)),  noting  with  satisfaction  that  it  'represents  a  step 
towards  a  coherent  mechanism  to  uphold  the  Union  values'.  Whilst  welcoming  the  inclusion  of 
country-specific recommendations, the Parliament criticised them for being too vague, and called 
upon  the  Commission  to  implement  all  of  its  previous  demands  concerning  the  reports,  e.g.  to 
include  all  EU  values  within  their  scope,  as  well  as  to  'immediately  enter  into  negotiations'  with 
Parliament  and  Council  to  adopt  an  interinstitutional  agreement  for  an  EU  mechanism  on 
democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.  

In the context of the ongoing Article 7 TEU procedures against Poland and Hungary, the Commission 
has  made  the  effective  implementation of  the  two Member  States'  recovery and  resilience  plans 
(RRP), although both approved by the Council, conditional on the meeting of a number of 'super 
milestones' pertaining to rule of law reforms. In May 2023, the Hungarian parliament adopted a law 
aimed  at  fulfilling  the  rule  of  law  milestones,  inter  alia  by  strengthening  the  national  judiciary 
council, which is yet to be evaluated by the Commission. A law adopted by the Polish parliament in 
January  2023  aimed  at  reforming  the  disciplinary  procedure  against  judges  to  comply  with  the 
relevant  milestones  was  referred  by  the  President  to  the  constitutional  court,  where  it  is  still 
pending. In the July 2023 rule of law report, the Commission mentioned that it will assess Poland's 
compliance  'upon  the  submission  ... of  the  first  payment  request'.  The  European  Court of Justice 
(ECJ) considers that Poland has only partly complied with its judgments on judicial organisation in 
that Member State, reducing, in April 2023, the daily penalty (requested by the Commission) from 
the initial €1 million to €500 000. On 5 June 2023, the ECJ rendered its judgment in a fourth case 
brought  against  Poland  by  the  Commission  over  judicial  organisation  (C-204/21),  finding  that  a 
number of reforms from 2019 breached the rule of law.  

17 

 
 
 
EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service 

References 

European Commission reference documents 

Commission work programme: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and adjusted 2020. 
Commitments  made  at  the  hearings  of  the  Commissioners-designate,  Compendium  of  briefings, 
Directorates-General for Internal Polices (IPOL) and External Policies (EXPO), European Parliament, 2019. 
A  Union  that  strives  for  more  –  My  agenda  for  Europe,  Political  guidelines  for  the  next  European 
Commission 2019-2024, by candidate for President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, 
European Commission, July 2019. 
Parliamentary hearings of the Commissioners-designate − An analysis of the portfolios of the von der 
Leyen Commission, Compendium of briefings, EPRS, European Parliament, November 2019. 
State of the Union addresses by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the European 
Parliament plenary: 2022, 2021, 2020. 
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European Commission, European Commission, 27 November 2019. 

European Parliamentary Research Service reference documents 

Bassot E., Unlocking the potential of the EU Treaties: An article-by-article analysis of the scope for action, 
EPRS, European Parliament, May 2020. 
Bassot E., Ten issues to watch in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, EPRS, European Parliament. 
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2022, spring 2022, autumn 2021, spring 2021, autumn 2020, EPRS, European Parliament. 
Bassot E., The von der Leyen Commission's priorities for 2019-2024, EPRS, European Parliament, January 2020. 

A selection of European Parliamentary Research Service publications 

Bąkowski P., Understanding EU counter-terrorism policy, EPRS, European Parliament, March 2023. 
Bąkowski P., Combating corruption in the European Union, EPRS, European Parliament, December 2022. 
Caprile  A.,  Delivorias  A.,  EU  sanctions  on  Russia:  Overview,  impact,  challenges,  EPRS,  European 
Parliament, March 2023.  
Caprile A., Stanicek B., Russia and the Western Balkans: Geopolitical confrontation, economic influence 
and political interference, EPRS, European Parliament, April 2023. 
Car P. and De Luca S, EU cyber-resilience act, EPRS, European Parliament, May 2023. 
Clapp S., Pichon E., Charting a course through stormy waters: The EU as a maritime security actor, EPRS, 
European Parliament, March 2023.  
Conference on the Future of Europe, Topical Digest, EPRS, European Parliament, March 2021. 
de Groot D., Legal protection for rainbow families exercising free movement: The 'Baby Sara' case, EPRS, 
European Parliament, November 2022. 
Díaz  Crego M.,  A  comparative  analysis  of  financial  disclosure  obligations  on  members  of parliaments: 
Strengthening integrity, independence and accountability in the European Parliament, EPRS, European 
Parliament, May 2023. 
Diaz  Crego  M.  Strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation  (SLAPPs),  EPRS,  European  Parliament, 
September 2022. 
Dumbrava  C.,  Luyten  K.,  Orav  A.,  EU  pact  on  migration  and  asylum:  State  of  play,  EPRS,  European 
Parliament, June 2023. 
Erbach G. and Jensen L, Fit for 55 package, EPRS, European Parliament, June 2022. 
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Service with the Directorates-General for Internal Polices (IPOL) and External Policies (EXPO), European 
Parliament, July 2023. 

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The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission 

Kiss  M.,  and  Szechy,  B.A.  Hungary's  National  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan:  Latest  state  of  play,  EPRS, 
European Parliament, April 2023  
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a comprehensive recommendations mechanism? EPRS, European Parliament, March 2023  
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This  EPRS  paper  analyses  progress  made  in  carrying 
through the policy agenda set by Ursula von der Leyen, 
President of the European Commission, and her College 
of  Commissioners  when  they  took office in  December 
2019.  It  looks  in  particular  at  the  state  of  play  with 
respect to delivery of the agenda's six key priorities, as 
we  enter  the  final  months  running  up  to  the  2024 
European elections. 

The von der Leyen Commission – either on taking office 
or  more  recently  –  has  announced  a  total  of  610 
planned  initiatives.  In  concrete  terms,  EPRS  finds  that 
more than two thirds (420) have now been submitted 
and,  for  those  which  are  legislative  proposals,  the  co-
legislators have started work. Of the 420, more than half 
(221) have already been adopted by the co-legislators, 
or, for the non-legislative initiatives (such as strategies, 
action plans and other communications, amounting to 
nearly one fifth of the total), by the Commission itself. 
The  vast  majority  of  the  remainder  are  either  close  to 
adoption  (26)  or  proceeding  normally  through  the 
legislative process (141). On the other hand, almost one 
sixth  are  moving  slowly or  are  blocked  (32).  While  the 
Commission's first priority – the European Green Deal – 
ranks  highest  in  terms  of  the  number  of  initiatives 
planned (154), the second, fourth and fifth priorities – 'A 
Europe fit for the digital age', 'A stronger Europe in the 
world', and 'Promoting our European way of life' – have 
higher rates of initiatives actually adopted so far (more 
than half for the second and fifth, almost three quarters 
for  the  fourth,  largely  due,  for  the  latter,  to  its  less 
legislative nature). 

This is a publication of the Members' Research Service 
EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service 

This document is prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European 
Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work. The content of 
the document is the sole responsibility of its author(s) and any opinions expressed herein should 
not be taken to represent an official position of the Parliament. 

PE 751.445 
ISBN 978-92-848-1005-5  
doi:10.2861/116474