Resolution of the European Committee of the Regions on the Conference on the Future of Europe

(2021/C 300/01)

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)

1.

fully supports the need for a broad, genuinely inclusive, transparent, geographically and politically balanced, and decentralised debate on the future of the European Union;

2.

welcomes the much-awaited launch of the work associated with the Conference on the Future of Europe, despite continued challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and looks forward to contributing to the achievement of ambitious, far-reaching and lasting results with tangible benefits for all EU citizens;

3.

regrets the delay in the launch of the Conference that will cause the process, designed to last two years, to be reduced to one year; urges, nevertheless, the redoubling of efforts in order to make the Conference a success of democratic participation and citizen involvement;

4.

highlights that the Conference should be a process that gives a voice to all citizens, regardless of their background, age, origin or place of residence; encourages all actors to organise events and promote the digital platform among the entire society, going beyond the usual groups participating in the debates on the EU, so that it results in a fully inclusive debate;

5.

takes note of the Joint Declaration signed by the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission and welcomes in particular its clear references to regional and local authorities, regional parliaments and the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; reiterates its call to become a signatory to the Joint Declaration;

6.

points out that there are approximately one million elected representatives at local and regional level in the EU, who work on behalf of their citizens in nearly 90 000 subnational authorities. They make up the largest level of democratic representation, are closest to citizens in the EU and are collectively responsible for half of public investment in the EU and for implementing well over half of European legislation, thus significantly contributing to the attainment of the EU's political objectives;

7.

reaffirms the positions outlined in its resolution from 12 February 2020 and reiterates that most topics selected for debate during the Conference, including the climate, the environment, depopulation and the demographic challenge, health, education, culture, migration, the rule of law, digital transformation, a stronger economy and social justice, fall within the competences of regional and local authorities; therefore underlines that it will not be possible for the Conference to deliver concrete proposals unless a substantial part of these proposals emerge from active dialogue and consultations with the subnational level;

8.

defends the view that the Conference should follow an open-ended approach with regard to reforming policies and institutions and pave the way for lasting reforms of the European Union, going beyond the duration of the Conference;

9.

considers the Conference to be an opportunity to bring Europe closer to its citizens and to strengthen their sense of ownership in the European project through the ‘European House of Democracy’, with local and regional authorities as its foundations, Member States as its walls and the EU as its roof; commits to playing an active role in examining various political avenues for enhancing multilevel governance and promoting further integration in Europe in areas in which it is justified and brings added value;

10.

believes that, in light of the current pandemic, it has become vital to strengthen democratic principles and the pivotal role of cities and regions in providing credible answers to people, and to emphasise the importance of working together across all levels of governance and across borders to face common challenges. This should be fully reflected in the composition and the rules of procedure of the Conference;

11.

intends to play an active role in the Conference through the participation of its members in the Executive Board and as delegates in the Conference's plenary deliberations; commits to providing thematic input to the Conference on matters of key concern for local and regional authorities, including through a number of local citizens' dialogues that the CoR will organise throughout the EU; calls for the participation of young people and of people representing the diversity of our societies as a prerequisite to holding comprehensive discussions;

12.

considers that the Conference plenary should be built on solid democratic foundations and should therefore include among its members an appropriate number of representatives of regional and local parliaments and councils, alongside their counterparts from the European Parliament and national parliaments; underlines the need for a geographical, political and gender-balanced representation in the Conference;

13.

underlines the need to step up administrative efforts to include, in the debate of the Conference on the Future of Europe, the voice of the EU's outermost regions, whose circumstances are unique and specific within the EU and which can act as spearheads for the EU in other continents;

14.

welcomes the launch of the multilingual digital platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe and commits to promoting and contributing to it by organising participatory dialogues and delivering relevant feedback; encourages local and regional authorities to disseminate the platform among their citizens and to promote the participation of the entire society, regardless of background, origin or place of residence;

15.

considers that all kind of views about the EU and its future need to be represented, both in the events and in the digital platform, to have a Conference that can be considered as a truly democratic process; points out, however, that minimum values must be respected and that among these views, those which go against human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, either involving abusive, defamatory, hateful or racist statements or statements contrary to public order, should not be allowed; organisers and participants should commit to respecting these values at all times;

16.

notes that the CoR has already started organising debates in its plenary sessions and commission meetings, and adopting opinions on topics relevant to the Conference's work. Furthermore, major CoR events — such as the EU Week of Regions and Cities, the annual EuroPCom Conference and local and regional citizens' dialogues and consultations, as well as events organised by the Committee's political groups — will be focused on the Conference;

17.

underlines the need to redouble efforts at all administrative levels to include in the Conference of the Future of Europe debate the voice of areas that suffer from serious and permanent natural or demographic disadvantages, such as sparsely populated areas, island territories, cross-border regions, or mountain regions;

18.

highlights its ongoing initiative to consult citizens through local and regional dialogues hosted by CoR members, with a series of successful events already conducted before the launch of the Conference. These events facilitate citizens' interaction with politicians across all levels of government and demonstrate that the debate on the direction in which the European Union is heading matters significantly to Europe's regions and cities;

19.

recalls that the Conference needs to reach every area of Europe, urban and rural; underlines the fundamental role that subnational levels might play in ensuring the Conference's debates arrive in rural areas and in allowing their specified needs to also be considered;

20.

values inter-institutional cooperation and increased synergies in the roll-out of such activities and will facilitate other outreach activities by cooperating with its partners, such as: regional parliaments through the Conference of Regional Legislative Assemblies of Europe (CALRE), the RLEG initiative promoted by a group of regions with legislative powers, the RegHub network and the Cohesion Alliance network, young elected politicians through its own dedicated programme, regional and local politicians in charge of the Europe Direct centres and the ‘Building Europe with Local Entities’ (BELE) pilot project;

21.

will continue to strengthen its cooperation with European and national associations of local and regional authorities, with communities of stakeholders from regions and cities, with the second chambers of national parliaments, and with other actors;

22.

commits to increasing the Conference's impact and outreach, and to promoting and using innovative forms of participatory democracy. Local and regional authorities have a proven record in feeding citizens' input into the political decision-making process; calls on the Member States to actively shape the conference at national level and to ensure the involvement of local and regional authorities. It is crucial that they join the debate and reflection, enlisting the support of citizens in their territories, so that their voice is heard and their expectations are reflected in the political decision-making process;

23.

calls for the establishment of a permanent European dialogue with citizens to strengthen democracy at all levels of government and to encourage citizens' participation and ownership of the EU project, as stipulated in its opinion Local and Regional Authorities in the permanent dialogue with citizens (1), adopted in October 2020; considers that citizens' dialogues should not be a one-way communication exercise, but should feed into EU policy-making;

24.

underlines that the follow-up to citizens' contributions, and in particular the final recommendations of the Conference, are as important as the method of input; stresses that this follow-up should be carried out in a coordinated and inclusive manner, and should also fully involve the CoR; further considers that the Conference should be granted sufficient time to present concrete proposals for improving the EU's institutional framework and making it future-proof; recognises that, as much as the Conference can gain public trust, it can also lose that trust if the promise of delivery and inclusiveness of views expressed is not kept; insists that the success of the Conference will ultimately lie in the fact that citizens note that their voices have been listened to and that they have contributed to shaping the future of the EU;

25.

stresses that, in order to support its political and institutional mission, for the duration of the Conference, the CoR has set up a High-Level Group on European Democracy (2), chaired by former European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, which will stimulate discussions about the CoR's vision of European democracy from the subnational governmental perspective and on how to reinforce the impact and influence of local and regional authorities and the CoR in the European decision-making process;

26.

looks forward to working with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU and to presenting local and regional authorities' contributions to the EU's future at the 9th European Summit of Regions and Cities, to be held during the French Presidency of the Council of the EU;

27.

instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the Presidency of the Council.

---

(1)  CDR 4989/2019.

(2)  The High-Level Group is chaired by President Emeritus of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and comprises six other members: former European Commissioners Joaquín Almunia and Androulla Vassiliou, former Members of the European Parliament Rebecca Harms and Maria João Rodrigues, the President of the European Youth Forum, Silja Markkula, and Tomasz Grosse, Professor of the University of Warsaw.

Resolution of the European Committee of the Regions on free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic (Digital Green Certificate) and the scaling up of vaccine production

(2021/C 300/02)

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)

1.

notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable consequences for the free movement of citizens within the European Union and beyond and has affected, in particular, cross-border travel and commuting;

2.

believes that vaccination to protect European citizens from COVID-19 and the emerging variants is the main way to bring the pandemic under control and to restore free movement;

3.

regrets that, to date, the Member States of the European Union are lagging behind on vaccination because of a slow start in concluding vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies, their lack of transparency regarding the contracts, and then the delayed deliveries of vaccines and difficulties in organising vaccination campaigns;

4.

insists that a common approach to verifying and certifying people's status in relation to COVID-19 is paramount to ensure the efficiency, effectiveness and interoperability of policies and of technical solutions to monitor the pandemic, and to facilitate the exercise of the right to move and reside freely within the territory of all EU Member States;

5.

welcomes the proposal of the European Commission for a Regulation on a framework for the issuance, verification and acceptance of interoperable certificates on vaccination, testing and recovery to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic (Digital Green Certificate), as well as the proposal for a Regulation on Digital Green Certificates for third-country nationals legally staying or residing in the EU;

6.

welcomes the EP's position to amend the title to ‘EU COVID-19 Certificate’ in order to increase understanding of the usefulness of the certificate, thereby facilitating the promotion of it among citizens; stresses that local and regional authorities have an important role in promoting the certificate among their inhabitants and highlighting the added value of the EU in this context; calls therefore on the European Commission to engage with the European Committee of the Regions in a joint campaign effort;

The Digital Green Certificate

7.

reiterates its support, expressed in the Resolution on the COVID-19 pandemic vaccination campaign (RESOL-VII/010), to create a standardised and interoperable form of proof of vaccination for medical purposes, considering that certification of vaccination is a medical necessity. In order to avoid discrimination, this certificate should be delivered automatically within the European Union to vaccinated people, those who have recovered from COVID-19 or those who have been tested;

8.

insists on the fact that that the green certificate is not a new travel document giving new rights or privileges, but only a tool for the sole purpose of facilitating the exercise of the freedom of movement of persons during the COVID-19 pandemic;

9.

welcomes the fact that the proposed framework will provide for interoperable certificates not just for COVID-19 vaccination but also for testing and recovery in order to facilitate the holders' exercise of their right to free movement between EU countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and to improve respect of the sanitary measures in place. Further considerations should be given concerning the valid duration of the certificate and, if necessary, an update in the future;

10.

expresses concern, however, about the real interoperability of such technology between Member States when some of them are already planning to integrate vaccine certificates into their corona tracing apps, many of which are not compatible with other EU corona tracing apps;

11.

considers the Digital Green Certificate to be a means of combating and eliminating the threat of fake COVID-19 certificates, cases of which have been reported. High security standards need to be guaranteed in particular concerning paper-based certificates;

12.

insists that the Digital Green Certificate should be neither a pre-condition for the exercise of free movement rights nor a travel document and stresses the principle of non-discrimination, in particular towards non-vaccinated persons;

13.

suggests that Article 1 of the proposed regulation be amended in order to clarify that the Digital Green Certificate would not affect the right of cross-border workers to move freely between their homes and places of work during the pandemic. Nor should it affect the free movement of goods and essential services across the Single Market, including that of medical supplies and personnel through the so-called ‘Green Lane’ border crossings referred to in the Commission Communication on the implementation of the Green Lanes under the Guidelines for border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of goods and services;

14.

insists that non-discrimination must mean people who are not vaccinated but have a valid test confirming they are healthy being able to exercise their right to travel. Such a test must be available widely and at a minimum cost;

15.

supports the acceptance of certificates issued by third countries to EU citizens and their family members where these certificates are issued according to standards equivalent to those established by the regulation; expects similar treatment to be extended to the legally-staying or residing third-country nationals vaccinated in third countries;

16.

considers that the Digital Green Certificate should only apply to the vaccines which have received a European approval through a decision of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Article 2.3 of the European Commission regulation should be amended accordingly;

17.

agrees that the Digital Green Certificate should be issued free of charge in a digital or in a digital and paper-based format, in line with the digitalisation efforts of the European Union. Article 3.2 should be amended accordingly;

18.

points out that the regulation should recognise the internal organisation of the Member States and respect the subsidiarity principle by taking into account the fact that, in some Member States, national authorities are not the only authorities issuing health certificates. Reference should be made to ‘relevant public authorities’ throughout the regulation (starting with Article 3.2);

19.

asks the European Commission, after the entry into force of the Digital Green Certificate, to coordinate restrictions on the free movement of people within the EU, such as quarantine, self-isolation, a test for COVID-19 infection or denial of entry. In particular, it insists that the Member States should notify the other Member States and the Commission without delay and in advance of introducing such restrictions, together with the relevant reasoning and indications of the scope of the measures taken (amendment to Article 10.1);

20.

calls for respect of data protection in the very sensitive and personal framework of health and asks the European legislator to assess thoroughly the data protection implications of the proposed certificate in particular, its compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and in regards to the storage of data and whether EU data could be moved out of the European Union; insists that once the pandemic is over the data should no longer be assessed;

21.

reiterates the need to respect the fundamental rights and the principles recognised in particular by the Charter of Fundamental Rights when this regulation is implemented by Member States and their regions, including the right to respect for private and family life, the right to the protection of personal data, the right to equality before the law and non-discrimination, the right to free movement and the right to an effective remedy. In this regard, any restrictions on fundamental rights should be subject to proportionality assessments and checks;

22.

urges the European Parliament and the European Council to adopt the Digital Green Certificate as soon as possible in order to have it and the system fully operational this summer, providing an important step for the recovery of the EU economy;

23.

urges Member States to exercise caution in how they use the Digital Green Certificate. Basic services should remain available to all citizens;

The scaling up of vaccine production

24.

reaffirms that the European Union's action should abide by the principle of solidarity. Access to vaccination should not be determined by the place where people live or by the economic strategy of private undertakings;

25.

calls for a rapid increase of vaccine production in Europe and supports the efforts of the European Commission aiming to scale up this vaccine production, particularly by increasing the number of manufacturing sites in the European Union; asks the European Commission to examine whether ad-hoc state aid provisions should be envisaged for that purpose;

26.

believes that, in order to increase vaccine production, the European Union could explore new solutions such as a temporary suspension of patents for medicines and medical technologies to treat or prevent COVID-19 infections;

27.

reiterates its call on the European legislators to present robust and bold proposals for the development and production of essential medicines on European soil, in order to ensure the EU's strategic autonomy by reducing dependency on third countries;

28.

reaffirms that the vaccination of the European population must remain the first priority of the European Union and welcomes the authorisation mechanism for exports of COVID-19 vaccines outside the EU as a necessary step for vaccine producers to fulfil their obligations towards EU citizens; at the same time, insists that this vaccination process can only be efficient if the European Union continues to help providing vaccines to the rest of the world, particularly in the less developed countries, notably within the COVAX alliance, of which 142 States are part.

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights from a local and regional perspective

(2021/C 300/03)

Rapporteur-general: Anne KARJALAINEN (FI/PES), Member of Kerava Municipal Council Reference document: Referral of the Portuguese Presidency Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan COM(2021) 102 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

General comments

1.

is pleased that the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union has included implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) as a priority objective in its programme, and at the presidency's request has drawn up an opinion on the local and regional perspective for the Porto Social Summit. It is important that there be a commitment at the highest political level to promote a strong social Europe and people's well-being during the current decade;

2.

very much welcomes the European Commission's EPSR Action Plan, which presents the necessary long-term policies and concrete instruments that will be the basis for more sustainable economic and social systems for the future in all the European Union Member States;

3.

is pleased that the Action Plan recognises the importance of local and regional authorities in implementing, developing and adding value to the initiatives. Local and regional authorities will play a key role in strengthening the vitality of the regions and achieving the quantitative headline targets for employment, skills and social protection for 2030, on condition that sufficient funding is made available for implementing the Action Plan;

4.

points out that the implementation plan will underpin and promote the efforts of local and regional authorities to implement employment and social policies. It is important to look beyond the current crisis and undertake social investment to reinforce the social dimension, also to ensure the smooth operation of the internal market;

5.

notes that clear, coordinated and ambitious implementation of the EPSR will enhance the European Union's commitment to the UN's 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as socially fair implementation of the European Green Deal;

6.

notes that the subsidiarity and proportionality principles will determine the level at which the EU and the Member States deploy the proposed policy instruments and legislative measures when it comes to implementing the EPSR;

Joining forces in Porto

7.

urges the Member States, social partners and civil society organisations taking part in the Porto Social Summit to jointly commit to accelerating implementation of the EPSR in the areas falling within their remit, making people the priority. Most of the tools for implementing the principles of the Pillar are in the hands of Member States, regional and local governments, as well as the social partners and civil society. Success will depend on the commitment of different levels of government and stakeholders and joint responsibility supported by the European institutions. Regions and municipalities are willing to play their part in building a strong and resilient social Europe which will guarantee that the green and digital transitions are fair and which will facilitate recovery from the COVID-19 crisis both economically and socially. There is clear public support for this, with nine out of ten European citizens seeing a social Europe as important (1);

8.

observes that Europe is seeing the biggest health, social and economic crisis of a generation, a crisis that is putting European solidarity to the test. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment, poverty levels and people's psychological well-being will continue to be felt for a long time and will require social and health investment by all levels of government, effective policy mixes and economic resources. Investments and measures to be implemented under the Recovery and Resilience Facility must have a strong social dimension to reinforce social security systems, fund good-quality jobs, improve and secure public services, reduce poverty and promote gender equality. The focus should be on protecting above all the most vulnerable, such as people at risk of poverty and social exclusion, single-parent families and single mothers struggling to achieve a work-life balance, persons with disabilities, migrants, victims of gender-based violence etc., and on making the recovery inclusive and socially fair. The fundamental commitment to the economic freedom of public authorities to provide, commission and finance services of general economic interest is of major importance in this respect;

9.

notes that the European Union is at a turning-point where new thinking is possible, and also necessary. Welfare systems need overhauling in a world shaped by global megatrends. It is more important than ever to invest in people's well-being and to consider the benefits of the economy of well-being. The CoR sees the Porto Social Summit as an important opportunity to agree on common goals where people's well-being and equality are put at the heart of policy, and social issues are made an enduring priority in the European Union;

Common objectives to be affirmed in Porto

10.

supports the three headline targets for employment, skills and social protection presented in the Action Plan to be achieved by the end of the decade in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The proposed new headline targets imply that by 2030 at least 78 % of the EU population aged 20 to 64 should be in employment, at least 60 % of all adults should participate in training every year, and the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion should be reduced by at least 15 million;

11.

points out that to achieve the employment target will mean creating new quality jobs, improving women's employment, facilitating all young people's access to employment, with due consideration for young people belonging to disadvantaged groups, and ensuring that groups under-represented in the labour market are fully integrated into it. The COVID-19 crisis has affected the employment of women, young people, migrants and people with disabilities. Attention should be paid also to difficulties encountered by people facing discrimination in the field of employment on other grounds such as age, ethnic and racial origin, religion or belief and sexual orientation;

12.

agrees that the proposed initiatives relating to employment and comprehensive collective bargaining are important in ensuring better protection for workers. New forms of employment, labour mobility, the platform economy, flexible working time arrangements and remote working require dialogue between the social partners and close involvement in the implementation of the EPSR. Regrets by the same token that, beyond the evaluation of the experience of the European instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE), the Action Plan does not consider a debate on a permanent European unemployment insurance scheme;

13.

points out that new industrial, circular economy and SME strategies, as well as the social economy, support the creation of quality jobs and more competitiveness. These strategies should also narrow gender gaps in relation to renewable energy and green jobs;

14.

draws attention to existing social responsibility criteria in public procurement and their contribution towards preventing social dumping. Therefore suggests making public contracts more strongly conditional on the application of fair wages and other conditions of employment laid down by law and/or collective agreements, including in subcontracting chains;

15.

underlines the need to ensure work-life balance and better access to the labour market for women, who constitute the overwhelming majority of family carers, paying particular attention to single-parent and large families. Increasing the employment rate of women and reducing the pay gap will also improve women's pensions and reduce the risk of poverty in retirement;

16.

recommends implementing the Youth Guarantee as soon as possible and paying particular attention to measures to improve the situation of young people aged 15-29 who are not in employment, education or training. Modernising apprenticeships and improving internship programmes will enhance young people's chances to find work in growth sectors, which is important when youth unemployment has risen steeply across Europe during the COVID-19 crisis. Also calls for measures to be taken to ensure that schemes promoting youth employment do not favour precarious forms of employment;

17.

stresses that recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, the green and digital transitions and demographic changes will affect Europe's regions and sectors differently, requiring a reallocation of labour and substantial retraining. The CoR calls on Member States, local and regional authorities and social partners to find solutions for adult access to upskilling and reskilling, especially for older workers who are unemployed, making use of good practices and the EASE (2) system;

18.

proposes that education and skills objectives be integrated not only into the implementation of the European Education Area, but also the European Research Area and the European Skills Agenda, leaving no one behind in the green and digital transitions;

19.

points out that local and regional authorities have a key role to play in developing skills-related policies and providing training. The CoR calls for the use of apprenticeships under EASE (3) and the European framework for apprenticeships (4), so that SMEs in particular can offer apprenticeships to young people, and with a view to improving the labour market situation of under-represented groups;

20.

stresses the importance of ensuring effective implementation of the European Union's Gender Equality Strategy, with particular focus on the inclusion of vulnerable women (victims of gender-based violence, single-parent families, etc.). Gender equality, as well as the recognition of gender diversity, must be mainstreamed across the Pillar's implementation;

21.

points out that, despite the efforts made, poverty and social exclusion have not been eradicated in Europe and the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to worsen the situation further. While the poverty reduction target could be more ambitious, especially given the social damage caused by the pandemic, reducing poverty by at least 15 million — of which at least one third should be children — must be the top priority for the decade, requiring a focus on the root causes of poverty and on effective measures, including holistic interventions in the most disadvantaged areas to tackle it. National income support schemes and related services provide the final resource for ensuring decent living conditions;

22.

points out the essential role of public social services at local and regional levels in the implementation of key social rights principles to mitigate the negative social consequences of the pandemic; as such, they are vital in making economic recovery fairer and more socially inclusive, through supporting the employment, health, and social inclusion of the most vulnerable;

23.

stresses the importance of effective implementation of the European Child Guarantee and EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child through national child care plans, which promote equal opportunities for all children and break the intergenerational cycle of disadvantage by ensuring access to essential services for children at risk of poverty or social exclusion. All children must have access to quality childcare, early childhood and pre-school education, healthy nutrition, and after-school activities. Particular attention should be paid to children in vulnerable situations, such as homeless children and children without parental care, with a view to providing them with community and family-based care and ensuring that no child is left behind. Preventing and combating all forms of violence and discrimination, promoting child-friendly justice and strengthening children's participation in society are also key priorities, as clearly stated also in the new comprehensive EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child. The rights of the child must be protected in the digital world too;

24.

stresses by the same token the need to effectively address the needs of a growing ageing population and ensure them a quality of life by safeguarding their right to quality social care, day care and long-term care, sectors which have been significantly affected by the pandemic and suffer a skilled labour shortage;

25.

points out that municipalities and regions have an important role to play in providing public services and that sufficient financial resources must be available for this important task. Investments in green, digital and social infrastructure will reduce regional disparities and improve access to affordable public services in rural areas, deprived urban neighbourhoods, areas affected by industrial transition, and areas with severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as the outermost regions, and more remote and isolated regions, where access to digital resources is often more limited;

26.

notes that municipalities and cities play an important role in urban planning and providing public-cooperative, sustainable and affordable housing. There must be greater provision of decent housing for all citizens, suited to their specific needs, such as those of older people and people with disabilities, in order to foster independent living and prevent them from being institutionalised, as well as the needs of large and single-parent families, victims of gender-based violence and young people who have been subject to protection measures as minors. Housing solutions must be embedded in local development plans aiming at the creation of liveable neighbourhoods. Inclusive, protective and participatory approaches should be applied not only by the EU's renovation wave strategy, but also through a strong commitment of the EU and the Member States to building new homes, including for long-term housing tenancies. Enabling local and regional authorities to better combine different funding sources and to build sustainable housing is vital. Homelessness must be tackled in an integrated and holistic way by focusing on improving the health and social support networks of homeless people. An example here is the ‘Housing First’ approach, which has been successful in reducing long-term homelessness. Local and regional authorities should therefore be part of the ‘European Platform on Homelessness’. The Committee regrets in this regard that the Action Plan sets no quantitative target for the fight against homelessness;

27.

stresses that local and regional actors have a major opportunity to influence emissions over the coming decades, through sustainable planning and investment in relation to energy production, construction and transport. Measures taken as part of Europe's building Renovation Wave can increase jobs, improve quality of life and tackle energy poverty by supporting energy efficiency investments in low-income households. To protect tenants' rights and avoid gentrification, housing cost neutrality (including inter alia rent, energy and operating costs), should be applied when public support is involved within the context of the Renovation Wave;

28.

notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has further deepened the digital divide. The CoR proposes promoting ‘digital cohesion’ as an objective of the European Union so that suitable digital infrastructure is in place to ensure that e-services and digital education are accessible to everyone. Particular attention should be paid to access to digital tools for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups;

Social Scoreboard

29.

points out that national averages of social indicators do not reflect all social challenges in the European Union. This can lead to misleading results by covering up the social and regional disparities that often exist within Member States. A regional social scoreboard can help establish a strong regional monitoring policy, ensuring that the Social Pillar is implemented at all levels and that regional investments are geared towards achieving the principles of the Pillar. Regional monitoring should make use of data already collected and not impose an administrative burden on regions;

30.

considers it necessary to promote a strong, effective and clear common European policy in order to ensure the proper management of migratory movements that is fully shared by Member States and regions. The Committee reiterates its firm belief that ‘the objectives of the Migration and Asylum Pact, in particular securing solidarity between Member States and a comprehensive approach bringing together migration, asylum, integration and border management measures, can only be achieved by the Member States if they act together under the framework of the Common European Asylum System and when interests and capabilities of all of them are better recognised in the solidarity mechanism’ (5);

31.

notes the importance of adding more indicators and of using instruments promoted by the European Union itself, such as the Regional Social Progress Index, which must broadly cover all 20 principles of the Social Pillar. Presentation of figures in all indicators should be broken down by areas of interest, including gender, since gender equality is an overarching principle of the European Pillar. The CoR underlines the need to further develop the knowledge base and indicators of the country-specific recommendations so that the objectives of the Pillar can be achieved more effectively. Local and regional authorities should actively contribute to the debate on improving the Social Scoreboard;

Socio-economic governance

32.

notes that the European semester and the Recovery and Resilience Facility are currently the most important legislative tools available to encourage, support and guide national governments in making the EPSR principles a reality in the European Union. The CoR calls for the EPSR to be prioritised under the European semester so that the recovery from the current crisis is truly inclusive and tackles social exclusion, poverty and inequality;

33.

reiterates its call for better coordination of economic and social policies between European and national government levels under the European semester, and calls on local and regional authorities to be more closely involved in this coordination, through shared management based on the subsidiarity principle. Under this principle, strategic planning and implementation tasks must be delegated not just to the Member States but also to local and regional authorities, which are best placed to effectively respond to local needs and challenges (6);

34.

calls for the establishment, within the context of sustainable finance, of a ‘social taxonomy’ as an enabling tool to increase investments in social infrastructure, such as healthcare, education, or housing. Such tool could help address challenges in the accessibility of essential services by rewarding the use of new technologies and efforts to foster a skilled workforce and tackle staff shortages, while helping social infrastructure investments to be better recognised as valuable investment assets;

Funding

35.

encourages the use of the Multiannual Financial Framework and the Next Generation EU recovery tool to implement the EPSR at national level, contributing to the green and digital transitions, social fairness and resilience;

36.

encourages programming authorities to flag the expenditure in structural and investment funds relating to the implementation of the EPSR;

37.

calls for more resources to be allocated at local and regional level from national budgets and EU funds, in order to finance local measures, services and social investment to support the most vulnerable groups in particular, showing due regard for the principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination;

38.

stresses that, in planning the allocation of financial resources, greater use should be made of distributional impact assessments in order to better take account of the impact of reforms and social investments on different groups.

---

(1)  Eurobarometer survey on social issues, 03/2021.

(2)  Effective active support to employment (EASE) C(2021) 1372.

(3)  Idem.

(4)  Council Recommendation on a European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships, 2018.

(5)  CoR 4843/2020.

(6)  CoR 2167/2020.

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Enlargement Package 2020

(2021/C 300/04)

Rapporteur: Nikola DOBROSLAVIĆ (HR/EPP), Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County References: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 Communication on EU enlargement policy COM(2020) 660 final; SWD(2020) 350 final; SWD(2020) 351 final; SWD(2020) 352 final; SWD(2020) 353 final; SWD(2020) 354 final; SWD(2020) 355 final; SWD(2020) 356 final Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans COM(2020) 641 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

General comments

1.

notes with great interest the European Commission's 2020 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy, the reports on candidate countries Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey, and those on potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo (1), as well as the Commission's Communication on an Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans;

2.

welcomes the fact that, at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb in May 2020, the geostrategic importance of the enlargement process as an investment in peace, stability, security and economic growth across Europe was reiterated and support for a European perspective for the Western Balkans clearly emphasised; reiterates that it is in favour of all Western Balkan countries joining the EU, provided they meet all the accession criteria; underlines in this respect the importance of sending positive signals to countries of the Western Balkans to foster their engagement in the long process of becoming EU Members;

3.

calls on the European Commission to remain committed to high standards of openness, inclusiveness and responsiveness when drawing up the enlargement package, and to indicate in its report how stakeholders from enlargement countries — in particular local and regional authorities — were involved in drafting this document and the progress report, as well as the extent to which the stakeholders consulted were provided with feedback on the results of the consultation;

4.

reiterates that public administration reform in the Western Balkan countries, which the European Commission systematically monitors in line with the principles of public administration, cannot be implemented without good governance at local level, and calls on the European Commission to incorporate into its public administration reform support measures and instruments more precise performance indicators on fiscal decentralisation, the empowerment of local and regional authorities to develop and provide quality services to the general public and businesses, and the promotion of inclusive and evidence-based policy-making at local and regional levels;

5.

notes with regret the lack of progress made by the Western Balkan countries in fundamental areas of the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and the fight against corruption, as well as the still unfavourable environment for independent media and the development of civil society;

6.

underlines that missing political plurality or suppression of positions and intimidation of elected officials belonging to opposition parties at the local level in some of the countries of the Western Balkans are major challenges to local democracies in those countries;

7.

notes with concern that, due to the lack of progress in the enlargement process, all Western Balkan countries could be further exposed to greater influence from third parties who are continuously seeking to expand their influence in the region, including Russia and China;

8.

supports the EU's efforts not only to boost the resilience of the Western Balkan countries, but also to foster closer cooperation on cybersecurity and strategic communications, so as to ensure that all externally funded economic activities comply with EU values, norms and standards, especially in key areas such as public procurement, the environment, energy, infrastructure and competition;

9.

welcomes the EU's comprehensive support given to the governments of the Western Balkans for addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and for responding effectively to urgent health and socio-economic needs; asks the European Commission to recognise the importance of the role of local and regional authorities in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and to propose additional measures to support decentralised cooperation between local and regional authorities and increase their crisis management capacities;

10.

calls on the European Commission to put forward proposals for involving representatives of the national, regional and local levels in the Western Balkans in the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe, with a view to creating a better framework for local and regional authorities; suggests to hold a series of citizens' dialogues in the Western Balkans to give citizens the opportunity to express their concerns and raise their expectations about membership to the European Union;

Country-specific observations

11.

fully supports adopting the negotiating framework and opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania as soon as possible in order to show that political support for the enlargement process is serious and that the promise to open accession negotiations with those countries that meet the necessary criteria will be kept;

12.

notes with concern that Serbia and Montenegro — countries with whom accession negotiations are currently under way — need to act more decisively to improve the environment for freedom of expression and the work of independent media, as well as making progress in the area of judicial independence and the fight against corruption;

13.

welcomes the overall progress made in the accession negotiations with Serbia so far, however calls for accelerated reforms in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental rights, as well as for progress in the normalisation of Serbia's relations with Kosovo, as set out in the Negotiating Framework; urges the Serbian authorities at all levels of governance to communicate unambiguously on the country's EU integration aspirations and on the relations with the EU as Serbia's main political and economic partner;

14.

notes with regret the collapse of political pluralism in Serbia, the lack of an effective opposition in the Serbian parliament and the unfavourable environment for the development of local democracy, and reiterates the need to address the long-standing shortcomings of the electoral process through transparent and inclusive dialogue with political parties and other relevant stakeholders well before the next elections, taking into account the recommendations of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights;

15.

calls on the Commission to encourage Montenegro to step up its efforts to ensure transparent and inclusive policy-making, including greater centralised control over the quality of public stakeholder consultations;

16.

expresses its concern at the limited progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on the key reforms highlighted in the European Commission's opinion on BiH's application for EU membership (2), specifically the functioning of democratic institutions, the rule of law, protection of fundamental rights and public administration reform, and especially regarding non-compliance with the rulings and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the decision of the Constitutional Court on electoral laws, the lack of equality between constituent peoples and respect for the rights of other citizens, as well as insufficient progress in combating corruption and in securing the professionalisation and depoliticisation of public administration;

17.

welcomes the fact that local elections were finally held in Mostar (BiH) on 20 December 2020 after more than twelve years, which is a significant contribution to strengthening democratic processes, respecting the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as an incentive to further strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path;

18.

is nevertheless concerned about the confirmed cases of election fraud in Mostar and the hate speech followed by incidents targeting some of the candidates running for the local elections; urges therefore the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina to make the necessary amendments to the Election law ahead of the next general elections in 2022, avoiding thereby election fraud in the future; invites the Delegation of the European union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with other representatives of the international community, to strongly condemn hate speech and attacks on candidates, especially female candidates as was the case ahead of the elections in Mostar.

19.

calls on the Commission to persevere in finding solutions regarding the establishment of an association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo (with the European Committee of the Regions offering concrete support and cooperation based on its role and expertise) and the further normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo;

20.

calls on the Commission, in line with its own recommendations and the positive recommendations of the European Parliament, which the CoR strongly supports, to call once more on the Council to address the issue of visa liberalisation for Kosovo;

21.

reiterates the importance of legislative reforms to ensure a clear division of powers and funding between central and local governments in Kosovo;

22.

calls on Albania to achieve more progress on the priorities set out by the Council in paragraph 10 of its conclusions of 25 March 2020;

23.

calls on Albania to pursue and consolidate its territorial administrative reform as part of a broader programme aimed at boosting decentralisation, strengthening local fiscal autonomy and increasing the capacity of municipalities to provide high quality public services, as well as ensuring stronger political support for implementing the aims of the action plan for decentralisation and local governance by 2022; calls on the Albanian authorities to conduct a comprehensive land sector reform, consolidate property rights, and swiftly advance the process for registration and compensation; encourages Albania to swiftly adopt and implement the remaining legislation related to the 2017 Framework Law on the protection of national minorities and welcomes the adoption of the law on the population census;

24.

calls for the role of the Albanian local and national self-government consultative council to be further strengthened as a good example of how the role of local authorities in policy-making can be formalised;

25.

notes that in North Macedonia, and also in most of the other Western Balkans countries, there is no integrated system for planning, managing or monitoring regional development, and calls for the administrative and technical capacities of the operational structures responsible for managing EU funds to be boosted, particularly in the areas of transport and environmental protection;

26.

strongly condemns the continued serious backsliding of Turkey in fundamental fields of the European acquis, including the serious and persistent decline in the functioning of local democracy in Turkey, the significant deterioration in key human rights, EU fundamental values, the rule of law, and the general weakening of effective checks and balances in the political system following the entry into force of constitutional amendments;

27.

expresses concern at the continued practice of forcibly dismissing elected mayors in the south-east and replacing them with government-appointed officials, as well as the arrests of other local representatives; calls on Turkey, in line with the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the recommendations of the Venice Commission, to refrain from taking measures that hamper local democracy, and are detrimental to the general democratic climate both at local and regional levels;

28.

stresses Turkey's anti-EU rhetoric, and strongly condemns Turkey's illegal and provocative behaviour against 2 EU Member States, namely Greece and Cyprus, through serious and persistent violations of their sovereignty and sovereign rights, as well as its unprecedented aggressive rhetoric against its neighbours, fully incompatible with its candidate country status;

29.

condemns Turkey's unilateral steps in Varosha and calls for full respect of UN Security Council Resolutions 550 and 789. The Committee of the Regions supports the speedy resumption of negotiations, under the auspices of the UN, and remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, within the UN framework and in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and in line with the principles on which the EU is founded. It expects the same of Turkey;

30.

reaffirms that it is in EU's strategic interest to seek to resolve differences with Turkey through dialogue and in accordance with international law and to establish a mutually beneficial cooperation; recommends that the cooperation in the area of migration and refugees, should earmark EU funding for direct actions by regional and local governments involved in the management of migrant flows, displaced persons and refugees in Turkey; The EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement should be fully and effectively implemented vis-à-vis all Member States, while noting that cooperation in the area of justice and home affairs with all EU Member States remains essential;

The role of local and regional authorities in the enlargement process and the strengthening of regional cooperation

31.

stresses the importance of the role of local and regional authorities in fulfilling the criteria for EU membership and implementing the EU acquis, in particular in the areas of economic and social cohesion, agriculture and food security, environmental protection, public procurement and social policy, as well as the important contribution of local and regional self-government bodies in communicating the effects of EU accession and winning general public support for the accession process;

32.

notes with regret the lack of concrete EU policy proposals on systematic and strategic support for local and regional authorities in the Western Balkans, as expressed by the CoR in its opinions on the 2018 and 2019 enlargement package;

33.

welcomes the efforts of the European Commission to evaluate the financial support provided by the EU to local authorities in the enlargement countries and neighbourhood policy countries between 2010 and 2018, and calls for the invaluable evaluation results to be widely publicised;

34.

calls on the European Commission to develop practical tools to support effective capacity building for local and regional authorities in the Western Balkans, including through specific thematic support programmes and regional technical assistance projects, as well as via ongoing exchanges, mentoring and networking;

35.

once again urges the Commission to extend the Support for Improvement in Governance and Management (SIGMA) initiative to sub-national levels of administration in candidate and potential candidate countries, in order to define decentralised models for public administration reforms, and to support improvements in local governance and local public management, with a view to applying the acquis;

36.

calls again on the European Commission to put in place ad hoc operational methods so that the TAIEX and Twinning mechanisms can be used for cooperation between local and regional governments of the Member States and those of the candidate and potential candidate countries;

37.

points out the importance of continuing support for local and regional authorities in the Western Balkans via the European Committee of the Regions and its relevant cooperation bodies, such as the Working Group for the Western Balkans and the Joint Consultative Committees with Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, but also points to the need to raise the profile of the activities of these bodies at national and regional level. In this context, also points to the urgency of setting up a joint consultative committee with Albania;

38.

calls on the Commission to refine the indicators for measuring the progress made in public administration reforms in relation to the involvement of local and regional authorities in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of public policies, and to take additional steps to strengthen them and to effectively consult local and regional authorities in shaping policies that affect their work and the quality of local services to the public;

39.

welcomes the Commission's support to date in strengthening youth cooperation in the Western Balkans, which is of great importance in maintaining and further developing good neighbourly relations, including support for initiatives such as the Regional Youth Cooperation Office; calls on the Commission, in future initiatives to foster young people's involvement, to ensure greater involvement of local and regional authorities as key partners for local youth associations and educational institutions when carrying out youth projects that help strengthen good neighbourly relations;

40.

suggests that, in future, representatives of local and regional authorities also be properly involved in the work of intergovernmental conferences on accession negotiations;

Rule of law, fundamental rights and the environment for independent media activity

41.

reiterates that the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions are key benchmarks against which the EU assesses candidate countries' progress towards membership, and expresses concern at the limited progress and numerous challenges related to the lack of political will, the continued existence of certain elements of state capture, limited progress in the area of judicial independence, institutional resistance and the unfavourable environment for independent media activity in most candidate and potential candidate countries;

42.

stresses that the existence of a supportive environment for the development and operation of independent media and civil society is a precondition for the sustainability and irreversibility of complex reforms in the EU accession process, as well as a basis for the development of local democracy;

43.

recommends that the Commission consistently apply conditionality in relation to compliance with EU rules in the use of EU funds and the Economic and Investment Plan, in particular in public procurement procedures and in terms of transparency, and that it set clear indicators in this regard;

44.

stresses that local and regional authorities, due to their proximity to the public, have a key role to play in promoting and respecting European values and protecting fundamental rights and can be important partners and leaders in tackling racism and hate speech, combating discrimination, promoting gender equality, protecting vulnerable groups and minorities, and fostering social cohesion;

45.

is deeply convinced that local and regional authorities, due to their specific role as local policy-makers and public service providers, can play a greater role in addressing some shortcomings in the area of the rule of law and fundamental rights, but also in strengthening transparent and accountable governance of local policies and better protecting the rights of vulnerable groups;

46.

calls on the Commission to continue to support local and regional authorities in the candidate countries and potential candidate countries in order to improve standards for involving interested members of the public in the design and implementation of local policies, including participatory budget planning models and local budget preparation;

47.

warns of the high risk of corruption that exists in public procurement procedures at local and regional authority level in candidate and potential candidate countries, and calls on the European Commission to use specific tools to ensure more proactive transparency, improve quality control in public procurement and foster an open data policy at every stage of the public procurement procedure;

48.

invites the European Commission to better assess the role of local and regional governments in addressing fundamental issues at local level, to make it easier for them to build up their capacities and skills in the areas of the rule of law and fundamental rights and to support them by providing concrete tools and instruments to carry out these tasks, while acknowledging the respective role and contributions of national and international associations of local and regional authorities;

The role of local and regional authorities in implementing the Economic and Investment Plan

49.

welcomes the launch of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans as a key tool to support the economic recovery and development of the countries in the region in the coming period and stresses the importance of timely and appropriate involvement of local and regional self-government bodies in programming and monitoring the implementation of measures and funded projects, while respecting high standards of transparency, access to information and open data;

50.

supports practical measures to extend the EU's green and digital transition initiatives to the Western Balkans, reaffirming the region's significance as a key part of Europe and the strategic importance of investing, long before full EU membership, in social and economic development, sustainable transport infrastructure and the protection of the environment in the region;

51.

stresses that large infrastructure investments planned under the Economic and Investment Plan in the areas of transport, energy, green and digital infrastructure, in addition to core networks, should always include resources for regional and local connectivity so that people in local communities can benefit from the investment, especially through the construction of new access roads for towns and villages;

52.

supports the principle of making investment under the Economic and Investment Plan conditional on reforms, and calls on the European Commission to accompany each investment with an appropriate notification of expected reforms at local and regional level;

53.

points out that a higher profile for EU investment at regional and local level and clearer communication of fundamental principles and values such as public procurement rules, environmental norms and fiscal sustainability standards should contribute to a greater commitment to EU accession reforms and reduce the risk of harmful influence on the part of external players in the region (e.g. Chinese loans, etc.);

54.

supports the efforts made to prepare a new cycle of pre-accession assistance programmes (IPA III) and reiterates the importance of providing thematic support to boost the capacity of regional and local authorities under IPA III, in line with an earlier European Committee of the Regions' opinion (3) on the subject;

55.

calls on the European Commission to develop guidelines for EU support to local and regional authorities in the enlargement countries in the new financial period 2021-2027, with clear objectives, expected results and indicators to monitor progress, modelled on similar guidelines developed by the Commission to support civil society and independent media in the countries of the region;

56.

in this context, calls on the European Commission to set up an independent regional committee to monitor the implementation of the IPA III programme and Economic and Investment Plan, involving representatives of local and regional authorities, civil society and the media from enlargement countries, selected on the basis of a public call for interest, in accordance with pre-established transparent criteria;

57.

stresses that proactive transparency and openness of data contributes to public confidence in the appropriateness of the use of public funds and calls on the Commission to set up an open data portal with detailed, publicly available and searchable information on all beneficiaries of the IPA III programme and Economic and Investment Plan.

---

(1)  This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution UNSCR 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

(2)  SWD(2019) 222 final, COM(2019) 261 final.

(3)  European Committee of the Regions Opinion on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III); COR 2018/04008; SL C 86, 7.3.2019.

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025

(2021/C 300/05)

Rapporteur: Yoomi RENSTRÖM (SE/PES), Member of a Local Assembly: Ovanåkers Municipality Reference document: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025 COM(2020) 565 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.

welcomes the communication on A Union of equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025. The Committee stresses that equality is one of the fundamental values on which the European Union is founded, as reflected in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which give the EU a mandate and responsibility for combating discrimination;

2.

is concerned about the findings of the Fundamental Rights Report 2019, produced by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), which confirms that ethnic minorities and migrants continue to face harassment and discrimination across the EU, despite long-standing EU anti-racism laws. According to that report, just 15 of the 27 EU Member States have specific action plans and strategies to combat racism and ethnic discrimination, and there are still gaps in national legislation aimed at criminalising racism;

3.

is equally concerned about the results of the Special Eurobarometer on Discrimination in the EU (1). It reports that almost 59 % of respondents consider discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin to be widespread in their country, particularly with regard to discrimination based on skin colour. However, perceptions, opinions and attitudes still vary widely depending on the group discriminated against and also from country to country;

4.

welcomes the Commission’s commitment to undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the EU’s existing legal framework for combating discrimination, racism and xenophobia, and to monitoring the application of the Racial Equality Directive (2) and ensuring that the Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia (3) is implemented correctly;

5.

stresses that combating discrimination in all areas must be a priority for the EU, but notes that, as it stands, there are gaps in the EU’s anti-discrimination legislation in that certain grounds for discrimination are only covered in the areas of employment and occupation. The Committee calls on the Member States’ representatives in the Council to conclude the negotiations on the horizontal Equal Treatment Directive (4), which has been blocked since the Commission proposed it in 2008;

6.

welcomes the fact that the Commission has for the first time acknowledged that structural racism exists and is part of the social, economic and political system we all live in, and that it sees the need to address this issue through a comprehensive policy. There therefore needs to be a change in the EU’s approach to racism;

7.

welcomes the fact that the action plan proposes a series of measures bringing together all decision-making levels in society, together with civil society and equality bodies, to combat racism more effectively in Europe, for example by means of national anti-racism action plans;

8.

notes that the action plan represents a step towards achieving the sustainable development goals in the 2030 Agenda, in particular Goal 10 on reducing inequality;

9.

anticipates that the action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights, to be published in 2021, will provide additional support for equality in the labour market, including for people from minority racial (5) or ethnic backgrounds;

Structural racism — tackling the underlying problem

10.

highlights the importance of recognising the historical roots of racism. Ensuring that colonialism, slavery and the Holocaust are remembered is an important element in promoting inclusion and understanding. The Committee calls for counter-narratives condemning racism, promoting social inclusion and empowering people regardless of racial or ethnic origin;

11.

underlines that one crucial step in effectively addressing structural racism is identifying areas where racism persists, such as education, housing, healthcare, employment, access to public services, the legal system, law enforcement or migration control, and political participation and representation;

12.

urges the Commission to consider the anti-racism action plan from a broader perspective and in conjunction with EU immigration policy and the common European asylum policy;

13.

highlights the need for comprehensive data on discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin in Europe. Unless we measure and quantify the extent of discrimination and inequality, it will be very difficult to tackle them effectively. Equality data can offer powerful tools to combat discrimination and exclusion and highlight the situation of groups at risk of discrimination, the aim being to plan inclusive policies and ensure their implementation;

14.

takes the view that equality data provides insight into the extent of structural racism and how it can be combated, but that there is a need for new methods of collecting data on discrimination and equality. Full compliance with constitutional standards, EU data protection law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is a prerequisite, in order to mitigate potential risks of misuse or abuse;

15.

welcomes the decision of the Commission to collect data on racial and ethnic diversity of its staff, using a dedicated survey on a voluntary and anonymous basis, thus fully respecting data collection rules. Stresses in this regard the need for all EU bodies to carry out similar assessments, as racial and ethnic representation at all levels of the EU public administration is key to achieving equality;

16.

once again emphasises ‘the importance of implementing an intersectional perspective, which is necessary for involving in the implementation of the strategy vulnerable individuals who may face multiple forms of discrimination’ (6), with special reference to vulnerable groups such as, inter alia, migrant women, unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents or LGBTI people. Therefore, the CoR asks the European Commission to further develop this intersectional approach, in cooperation with the Member States, and draw up guidelines to facilitate the implementation of this approach in the planning, management and evaluation of public policies;

17.

points out that unaccompanied foreign minors are a group that is very vulnerable to racism and require special attention in line with the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2021-2024);

18.

calls for anti-racism policies to be mainstreamed into all EU policies. The European Committee of the Regions stresses that all anti-discrimination policies should also have an intersectional approach in order to tackle multiple discrimination effectively;

19.

believes that the economic dimension of structural racism is often ignored. It entails significant economic costs, as it prevents people from reaching their potential. A society that is less racist will be economically stronger;

20.

underlines that COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated Europe’s existing inequalities, marginalisation and discrimination, and has reinforced structural racism. Already vulnerable people are being even harder hit. In addition to the millions of workers who have lost their jobs and incomes, the people most severely affected are migrants at the borders, those with precarious jobs, undocumented people, low-income families, homeless people, older people, women, and people with disabilities or chronic diseases — including many racial and ethnic minorities. Therefore, any response to the pandemic should take an anti-discrimination approach and have direct and indirect impacts on racism in various areas of society;

21.

reiterates its call for ‘robust measures to defend civil liberties and democracy in an increasingly digitalised era, including steps to reduce the risks of a “digital big brother” and to fight fake news, disinformation campaigns, hate speech and discrimination, particularly racism, in the digital realm, regardless of whether these negative phenomena originate within or outside the EU’ (7);

22.

also reiterates that ‘a pivotal element of any future regulatory framework applying to artificial intelligence is the introduction of safeguards to ensure that artificial intelligence is free from bias and does not reproduce discrimination on grounds of gender, ethnicity age, disability or sexual orientation’ (8);

23.

stresses the need to address discriminatory attitudes among law-enforcement authorities, police brutality and racial profiling of certain racial or ethnic groups, and believes that police and law-enforcement authorities must lead by example in the field of anti-racism and anti-discrimination;

24.

considers it essential, in those Member States where local and regional authorities have responsibility for policing, to take action to combat and prevent racism in law enforcement, to scrutinise policing practices, to invest in the training and development of these authorities, and to process data relating to racial profiling in a transparent way. Local and regional authorities should also develop comprehensive community violence-prevention programmes, based on public safety and full respect for EU non-discrimination standards in policing;

25.

once again stresses that ‘a society in which the human rights of all groups in the population are fully guaranteed and that complies with international and legal standards, including with regard to combatting discrimination and racism and other forms of intolerance, will play a central role in preventing and combatting violent radicalisation’ (9);

Local and regional authorities on the front line

26.

welcomes the fact that the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan 2020-2025 puts local and regional authorities at the heart of the fight against racism. The Committee notes that, due to their proximity to the general public, local and regional authorities play a crucial role in promoting and respecting European values and are on the front line when it comes to tackling racism and hate crime, protecting vulnerable groups and minorities, and promoting social cohesion;

27.

calls for local and regional authorities to be recognised as strategic partners in designing, implementing and monitoring the national action plans, in view of their responsibilities and the important anti-racism work they are already undertaking within their areas of competence;

28.

highlights the key role played by local and regional authorities in promoting awareness-raising, training and education to combat racism, especially among young people;

29.

considers it to be of the utmost importance to earmark financial resources for local and regional authorities in the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, from EU funds and from Next Generation EU, in order to promote social inclusion and combat racism and discrimination in areas such as access to the labour market, education, social welfare, healthcare and housing. This includes paying special attention to the more vulnerable groups and earmarking funds for safeguarding unaccompanied foreign minors, since in many cases this is the responsibility of local and regional authorities;

30.

believes that, in addition to adopting anti-racism action plans at national level, it may be useful to have local and regional action plans. They could help address structural racism by means of concrete measures. This also reflects the position taken by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in its 2019 report, in which it stresses the need to have action plans at all levels in the fight against racism. Local and regional authorities should be duly supported when drafting sub-national action plans, including through ad hoc initiatives for capacity-building;

31.

could be involved in this and serve as a platform for the further development of measures to combat racism at local and regional level, for example by supporting social integration, combating energy poverty and promoting access to decent housing;

32.

underlines the importance of involving national, regional and local authorities, as well as civil society, in order to give the national anti-racism action plans legitimacy and to combat racism in Europe more effectively. It is also important to share good practices between different countries and local and regional authorities, sharing the objectives and measures set out in anti-racism plans elaborated by different levels of governance;

33.

believes that, in order to fulfil the potential of the Commission’s forthcoming proposals for national anti-racism action plans, there must be robust processes to ensure that they are implemented within the timeframe set, with clear and measurable targets, and that progress is monitored at both national and European level, with the Commission taking full responsibility for its part of the follow up;

34.

stresses that an evaluation of the effectiveness of the national anti-racism action plans should be scheduled two years after their establishment, with full information from local and regional authorities;

The European Committee of the Regions, the EU institutions and anti-racism initiatives

35.

supports UNESCO’s European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR) initiative and particularly welcomes European projects related to the fight against racism, including the recent ‘SUPport Everyday Fight Against Racism’ (SUPER), within the framework of the European Commission’s Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme;

36.

urges the Commission to formally involve the Committee each year when it designates one or more ‘European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity’, as a way of recognising and highlighting cities’ efforts to introduce robust inclusion strategies at local level;

37.

is very keen to participate as a formal partner in the organisation of the anti-racism summit on 21 March 2021, which will be held in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;

38.

believes that, as the Committee and local and regional authorities are on the front line in the fight against racism and discrimination, they should play a formal role in exchanges, regular consultations and dialogue with the EU institutions;

39.

welcomes the Commission’s extensive efforts to strengthen policies based on fundamental values and to build the EU’s Union of Equality through a number of action plans and strategies to address discrimination on specific grounds (race, gender equality, LGBTIQ, Roma, people with disabilities, antisemitism). However, given the cross-cutting nature of the aforementioned strategies, the Committee considers it appropriate to have not only individual progress reports but also intersectional ones, evaluating the interaction between the different strategies and their cumulative effects in the case of multiple forms of discrimination at national, regional and local levels;

40.

supports the Commission’s efforts to develop a Union of Equality that, with the help of the new internal equality task force, will safeguard the interests of all people, regardless of racial or ethnic origin, by integrating equality and intersectionality into all EU policies, legislation and funding programmes;

41.

looks forward to being involved and cooperating with the future coordinator for anti-racism to be appointed by the Commission;

42.

will follow the Commission’s call to set a good example and improve the representativeness of CoR staff through recruitment and selection measures.

---

(1)  https://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/data/dataset/S2251_91_4_493_ENG/resource/afca8c2e-a0a8-4a22-84ef-29a3a1fb9a1b

(2)  Directive 2000/43/EC implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin

(3)  Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA

(4)  Proposal for a Directive on the principle of equal treatment, COM(2008) 426 final.

(5)  The use of the term ‘racial origin’ in this document, as in the action plan, does not imply an acceptance of theories that attempt to determine the existence of separate human races.

(6)  CoR opinion 2016/2020 on A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025.

(7)  CoR opinion 2354/2020 on A strategy for Europe’s digital future and a strategy for data.

(8)  CoR opinion 2014/2020 on Artificial Intelligence — A European approach to excellence and trust.

(9)  CoR opinion 6329/2015 on Combatting radicalisation and violent extremism: prevention mechanisms at local and regional level.

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities

(2021/C 300/06)

Rapporteur-general: Daniela BALLICO (IT/ECR), Mayor of Ciampino (RM) Reference document: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Union of equality: Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 COM(2021) 101 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.

stresses that the rights of persons with disabilities, as enshrined in Articles 2, 9, 10, 19, 168 and 216(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Articles 2 and 21 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), Articles 3, 15, 21, 23 and 26 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Articles 3 and 17 of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as well as in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ratified on 26 November 2009, must be guaranteed and promoted in all areas and at all levels of the European Union and the Member States;

2.

welcomes the Communication on a Union of equality: Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030, as a strategic initiative intended to promote their autonomy and inclusion, guarantee the exercise of their rights on an equal basis, and protect citizens most at risk of discrimination and social marginalisation;

3.

is of the view that local and regional governments need to be recognised as strategic partners in the design, implementation and monitoring of the strategy because of their responsibilities and the work they do in carrying out those responsibilities;

4.

calls for greater recognition of local and regional authorities, as many policies on the inclusion of persons with disabilities must be carried out and implemented on the ground, working closely with the person with a disability. To ensure full ownership, we need adapted national, regional and local policies and resources, as well as sufficient additional resources from the European funds to implement a fair transition to independent living and participation in the community for people with disabilities;

5.

stresses the importance of the strategy's political framework and its actions, as the strategy provides a fresh opportunity to achieve specific objectives in the area of inclusion and independent living for persons with disabilities in the European Union, starting with the Member States. The strategy comes at a difficult time, as the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously jeopardised the survival, health and dignity of people with disabilities. It has shown up all the weaknesses in social protection and inclusion systems;

6.

welcomes the fact that a framework of specific measures has been established to guarantee rights and opportunities to a fifth of the population who are living with disabilities, whether physical and/or non-visible, sensory or intellectual, mental health problems or multiple disabilities. Having a disability is an indicator of being at greater risk of poverty, exclusion and depression, especially when the environment is not designed for humans in all their diversity;

7.

welcomes the strategy regarding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is the first universal action plan for guaranteeing rights and opportunities to persons with disabilities;

8.

supports the launch of the Disability Platform in 2021 and asks to be part of this platform — to be set up by the European Commission — as an observer, in order to ensure that persons with disabilities are effectively included in all programmes and policies. Stresses the need to involve local and regional authorities fully, given that they are key players in managing policies directly concerning people with disabilities in their local areas;

9.

calls for enhanced cooperation with the representative European institutions and therefore highlights that the CoR could contribute to the work of the platform by harnessing local and regional authorities and raising their awareness of the challenges associated with the new strategy. These include countering stereotypes and discrimination against persons with disabilities and promoting appropriate and equal treatment of them in everyday life;

10.

stresses the importance of working with civil society organisations, associations of persons with disabilities and their family members, with a view to putting the ‘nothing about us without us’ principle into practice, providing mechanisms to enable persons with disabilities and their family members to participate, through bodies working in the sector, while at the same time creating specific spaces for women and girls with disabilities;

11.

reiterates the importance of adopting a holistic intersectional approach; calls for the inclusion of specific actions relating to vulnerable groups of persons with disabilities facing barriers based on the intersection of multiple grounds, such as sex, gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic origin, age, religion and belief, or a difficult socioeconomic or other vulnerable situation. Recommends therefore that the European Commission extend this intersectional approach and develop initiatives that will have an impact on the planning, management and assessment of public policies;

12.

reiterates the need to adopt the principle that public administrations should set an example of how to structure social inclusion and how to guarantee rights and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, both in terms of employment opportunities on the open labour market and in producing accessible services. To this end, the CoR, as an employer and institutional player, should follow this principle of leading by example and establish a timeline for this;

13.

stresses the need, in particular with regard to finding employment and the accessibility of goods and services, to point out how the private sector can be involved, through public-private partnerships;

14.

notes that the strategy considers the pandemic only in terms of independent living and briefly inclusion in education. Moreover, notes the lack of proper recognition for informal care, which predominantly concerns women and has re-emerged as a key issue during the pandemic as services to family members have been scaled back. This has highlighted the importance of essential care and support work, as well as the need to enhance access to technology and its use in the personal environment;

15.

calls on the Member States to include suitable measures for people with disabilities in the national reform programmes and in the national recovery and resilience plans;

Accessibility, independence and equality

16.

endorses the European Commission's plan to launch AccessibleEU, a resource centre that will bring all stakeholders together, in 2022. Moreover, calls for: an assessment of the internal market for assistive technologies by 2023, support for the implementation of the accessibility requirements stipulated in the public procurement directives; an assessment of the application of the Web Accessibility Directive; and the launch of an inventory of assets on rail infrastructure and their level of accessibility;

17.

welcomes the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) by the EU and its Member States; calls on the Council and all member states to sign the UNCRPD Optional Protocol;

18.

agrees with the European Commission on the need to monitor the implementation of the various directives on accessibility so that the European Union and the institutions are able to put in place appropriate implementation policies; accessibility rules should be scrupulously adhered to and improved in order to provide accessible environments, both in residential buildings and all elements relating to the accessibility chain;

19.

points out that people with disabilities must be given every opportunity to lead an independent life, and that the right to autonomy throughout their lifetime must be guaranteed. Personal assistance for people with a physical disability and a higher level of dependency must be regulated;

20.

highlights the key role played by all persons with disabilities as experts on themselves. In this regard, local and regional authorities play a key role when it is necessary to recognise their active participation in the decision-making processes, including on accessibility. To this end, highlights the European Access City Award, awarded annually by the European Commission to three European cities that have excelled in making the urban environment more accessible to all of their citizens, and with particular regard for problems related to age and general mobility levels, and encourages similar initiatives to reward accessibility in the rural and natural environment;

21.

urges the European Commission to consider accessibility as a binding criterion when carrying out the planned revision in 2021 of the legislative framework on energy in buildings in order to make them more accessible to people with disabilities;

Enjoying EU rights

Moving and residing freely

22.

agrees with the need to adopt a European card for people with disabilities before the end of 2023, in order to guarantee that they can enjoy their EU rights to the fullest and also with a view to the mutual recognition of disability status in all Member States. Looks forward to the Commission's future proposal on the European card and hopes that it will overcome the difficulties encountered in the testing phase;

23.

supports the Commission's intention to ensure more effective cooperation with the Member States, to ensure that they transpose the card as soon as possible, and at the same time, work towards harmonising recognition of disability. The latter is fundamental for guaranteeing the right to mobility within the European Union, starting with the right to be able to enjoy comparable benefits and support, as well as breaking down barriers;

Fostering participation in the democratic process

24.

agrees with the need as pointed out by the strategy, to foster the participation of people with disabilities in civic and political life, as they are still subject to discrimination, including when exercising their right to vote;

25.

calls on the Commission to envisage a European agreement on the right to vote of persons with disabilities, so as to remove the barriers of all types and to reaffirm the full right of persons with disabilities to express their political preference in the same way as any other European citizen. Points out that as things stand, the Commission has adopted a programme of consultations on inclusive European elections which does not include the topic of disability. Recommends that this programme include persons with disabilities, and all areas where elections are conducted, as soon as possible;

26.

agrees that there is a need to improve access to healthcare for persons with disabilities. Also agrees with the Commission's assessment of the inadequacy of social-welfare and socio-health services, the limits of which have been exposed during the pandemic. Highlights the particularly difficult situation in remote and rural areas. Notes that this is the first time segregation has featured in a European document of such importance and welcomes this move. Believes that it is absolutely right to address the question of the segregation of persons with disabilities and their de-institutionalisation, so that they can exercise their right to successful independent living in the community, through development of local services that include health monitoring, digitalisation of support for personal autonomy and personal assistance, with the possibility to choose where, with whom and how to live;

Developing new skills for new jobs

27.

points out that throughout the European Union, the pandemic crisis has led to job losses for people with disabilities. Notes that this has also happened to the relatives of people with disabilities who provide care, and particularly concerns their mothers, partners and daughters;

28.

shares the view that stepping up the digital and green transitions offers opportunities, due to the use of information and communication technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics adapted to the requirements of people with disabilities, and the need to invest in their digital skills;

29.

highlights the need to collect comparable data on disability in order to better assess the situation of people with disabilities in different contexts, measure policies and actions, monitor their progress, and proceed with appropriate action;

30.

calls on the Commission to systematically tackle the lack of information regarding persons with disabilities, especially in the rural areas. As called for by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and reaffirmed by the UN Human Rights Committee, this information gap must not only be filled using disaggregated data, but also with inclusion indicators that monitor policies and the fulfilment of the rights of persons with disabilities;

31.

concurs that there is a need to adapt the skills of persons with disabilities through education and professional training and the next action plan for digital education 2021-2027. Also supports the strategy of implementing these actions on the basis of a strong commitment by the Member States to ensuring that they have inclusive and accessible programmes, as well as the necessary resources, making the most of existing ones and ensuring complementarity between them. Would also highlight the need to make it easier for persons with disabilities to attend university;

32.

stresses the need for specific provisions enabling the upskilling and reskilling for persons with disabilities in order to harness the potential of the digital transition in particular. On this basis, welcomes the use of apprenticeships as a tool for social inclusion in the Youth Guarantee Programme;

33.

supports the European Commission's initiative to urge Member States to set clear targets for increasing the employment rate of persons with disabilities, especially in the open labour market, and to strengthen the capacity of employment services. Reiterates the need to facilitate self-employment and self-entrepreneurship for people with disabilities. Calls on the Member States to consider tax breaks for companies hiring employees with disabilities or preferential taxation for self-employed persons with disabilities and especially entrepreneurship;

34.

welcomes the issuing of the Action Plan on Social Economy which envisages the improvement of the enabling environment for the social economy, including opportunities related to persons with disabilities. Calls for more investments in social enterprises with a focus on integration. Maintains that social enterprises can promote a market-oriented model for activities which, if managed successfully, can be expanded and be financially sustainable in the open labour market (1);

Equal access and non-discrimination

35.

recognises that the issue of access to justice is not secondary and relates in particular to institutional discrimination against persons with intellectual, psychosocial and mental health disabilities. Urges the Member States to raise the profile of best practices as a way of disseminating them and achieving a multiplier effect;

36.

points out that a large number of EU citizens have developmental disabilities and/or mental illnesses and could therefore be placed under plenary or partial guardianship. Expresses its concern, however, that a person placed under plenary guardianship can lose virtually all their legal rights and that the decisions that affect them most in their lives are taken by legal representatives. Many adults are placed in an institution against their will at the behest of a representative appointed by a court. The CoR calls on the Member States to adopt rules implementing Article 12 of the UNCRPD (2) and to involve users, their families, user rights advocate organisations and specialists in the decision-making;

37.

believes that the issue of combating violence against persons with disabilities — in particular women, children and adolescents with disabilities — must be addressed, along with the issue of people with intellectual and relational disabilities. Points out that there is a need to step up action in this regard in the new strategy. For example, sheltered residential facilities should be better monitored, and all counselling centres and shelters for women should be made fully accessible;

38.

agrees that one of the main challenges facing the European Union in the area of disability is the need to combat discrimination in all areas of the lives of persons with disabilities;

39.

recognises that education is the main vehicle for tackling inequalities, and this also applies to people with disabilities. Agrees that the guarantee of inclusive education should cover childhood, adolescents and adults with disabilities. Recognises that European programmes in this area support and promote such activities. Calls for local and regional authorities, as well as associations of people with disabilities and their family members, to participate in learning programmes for people with disabilities in order to promote the exchange of good practices, and calls for the active participation of local and regional authorities in the integration of social inclusion policies into education policies;

Improving access to art and culture, leisure and recreational activities, sport and tourism

40.

supports promoting the personal development of persons with disabilities, especially children and young people, as with everyone else, through access to art, culture, recreational activities, leisure activities, sport and tourism;

41.

stresses, in particular, the role played by sport in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities, and urges the Member States to promote programmes enabling children, young people and people with disabilities with greater limitations on their participation;

Leading by example

42.

recognises the importance of adopting a structured system to efficiently implement the strategy. The first step is the systematic inclusion of persons with disabilities in decision-making;

43.

highlights the need to effectively combat physical and mental disability stereotypes in the public discourse, media representation and education in practice, opting for a zero tolerance to physical/mental disability-based prejudices and stigmatisation, including to discriminatory language usage. Local and regional authorities are very well placed to lead by example both as employers and as service providers, and because of their proximity to citizens;

44.

shares the Commission's commitment to boosting its human resources strategy so that people with disabilities are included in workplaces and supported through reasonable arrangements that enable them to be as productive as their colleagues: this includes access to buildings and all working tools, with particular attention to the design, development and use of technology that works for people;

45.

supports the need to strengthen the framework for monitoring the implementation of the strategy by introducing effective indicators based on existing data to measure and assess the impact of the social inclusion of people with disabilities and with a view to promoting and incorporating measures following this evaluation; notes the importance of drawing up annual reports summarising Member States' progress on the inclusion of persons with disabilities, including good practices by local and regional authorities and associations of people with disabilities and their family members;

46.

calls on the European Union, the Member States and their regional and local authorities to strengthen the disability-related aspects in their national and regional statistical systems, so that reliable and regular data can be obtained in consultation with Eurostat.

---

(1)  Eurofound (2021), Disability and labour market integration: Policy trends and support in EU Member States, https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_publication/field_ef_document/ef20013en.pdf

(2)  https://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convention_accessible_pdf.pdf

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Safe and sustainable chemicals for a toxic-free environment in Europe's cities and regions

(2021/C 300/07)

Rapporteur: Adam STRUZIK (PL/EPP), President of Mazovia Region Reference document: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability — Towards a Toxic-Free Environment COM(2020) 667 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

The importance of the chemicals strategy

1.

strongly welcomes and supports the steps leading to the implementation of the chemicals strategy, as chemicals have dominated almost the entire product manufacturing market and play a fundamental role in everyday life; stresses that these activities are of particular importance in the context of human health, environmental protection and the economy, including the development of safe and sustainable chemicals;

2.

recognises the added value of the strategy in terms of increasing the competitiveness of the European chemicals sector, harnessing the key role of chemicals to ensure climate neutrality, achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, meeting the ambitions of the circular economy, supporting the plan for the recovery and energy transition and integrating various aspects of chemical governance, including safety, energy efficiency, environmental impact, research and innovation;

3.

points out that the COVID-19 crisis has proven the vulnerability of our societies to threats and the need to enhance their resilience against economic, social and environmental shocks; reaffirms the central role of the new European Recovery Instrument in supporting the EU, while paving the way for a greener and just transition and sustainable future;

4.

considers technology sovereignty and a resilient and sustainable European value network and closed European value chains to be essential, especially for the implementation of the Green Deal and the energy transition; points out the advisability, in the interests of sustainable solutions, of avoiding relocation of the production or use of substances regulated in the EU to third countries where comparable high standards of occupational health and safety and environmental protection are not guaranteed: only attractive and stable framework conditions can retain or restore levels of value added and production in Europe's regions and close value chains;

5.

calls for recognition of the importance of multilevel governance in order to effectively link the goals and objectives of the chemicals strategy to the green recovery of the European economy; stresses that the wide range of topics covered by the objectives of the chemicals strategy allows for the integration of new and existing plans in the chemicals sector, as well as for the development and implementation of measures that can take due account of local market needs and complement national efforts in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity;

6.

underlines that National Recovery and Resilience Plans represent an opportunity to use the potential of multilevel governance, including in implementing the chemicals strategy. These actions have to be backed by appropriate regulatory frameworks and resources by fully involving local and regional authorities in the definition and implementation of the plans and granting them direct access to EU funds;

7.

draws attention to a number of legal, financial and technical barriers faced by local and regional authorities in the handling of chemicals. A coherent, predictable and simplified legal framework will contribute to a uniform approach to the assessment and management of chemicals in all EU countries. This will limit the emergence of further legal gaps between the EU and other regions. In addition, grants and technical assistance will enable local and regional authorities to support investments related to the development, commercialisation, implementation and uptake of safe and sustainable substances, materials and products;

8.

welcomes the possibility for the European Commission to support research and innovation, including the development of advanced materials for applications in the energy, construction, mobility, health, agriculture and electronics sectors to ensure the green transition, research, development and deployment of low-carbon manufacturing processes for materials and chemicals with a low environmental impact, innovative business models, including those based on a more efficient use of chemicals and other resources, and minimising waste and emissions as much as possible (1);

Consistency of the chemicals strategy with areas covered by other EU documents

9.

welcomes the fact that, given the numerous solutions designed to protect human health and the environment, the chemicals strategy for sustainability is closely linked to the objectives of the Green Deal. The implementation of comprehensive legislation for the chemicals industry can help to ensure that they are applied transparently and enforced effectively. Introducing new requirements and restrictions on the use of chemicals in consumer products, including detergents, cosmetics and food contact materials, will help improve the environment and consumer health. However, the stability and effectiveness of the planned changes for the chemicals sector will depend to a large extent on compatibility with the solutions already in place, time and the resources provided to carry them out;

10.

calls for a clear and coherent policy to ensure, at both local and regional and global levels, tools and resources to promote the circular industry, from designing solutions to implementing sustainable production, distribution, use, recycling, recovery and disposal of chemicals, while respecting the environment and the health of the population; to this end, calls for greater regulatory clarity on the interface between chemical substances, products and waste (CPW Interface), with a view to introducing circularity across all Member States;

The specific role of regions and local authorities

11.

expresses the keen interest and willingness of regions and local authorities to take action to improve the safe production and sustainable use of chemicals. These activities should be supported by appropriate regulatory frameworks and resources through full access to knowledge and the guarantee of financial resources for these authorities. In addition, the authorities could obtain feedback on difficulties and problems with the implementation and application of the legislation in place;

12.

in view of the close relationship between local and regional authorities and residents, and the direct knowledge of the specific features of individual regions, highlights the possibility of preparing and conducting campaigns to raise public awareness of the principles and objectives of the chemicals strategy. Direct cooperation between local authorities and businesses operating in their region makes it possible to assess the problems resulting from the application of the introduced regulation on a practical level. It is important that both local authorities, who are responsible for directly applying the law, and the bodies responsible for overseeing compliance with it, have the appropriate legal tools to monitor and control compliance;

13.

notes that local and regional authorities have an important role to play in implementing the chemicals strategy; taking into account the direct knowledge of the specific features of individual regions, stresses the importance of the involvement of these authorities in carrying out an information campaign to raise awareness (including among SMEs and residents/citizens) and to encourage specific sectors of the economy to substitute harmful chemicals with alternative substances and to use design to try to produce safe and sustainable chemicals and materials;

14.

considers it important for local and regional authorities to require the goods and products they acquire through public procurement to contain safe chemicals, thus helping to ensure that undesirable goods and products are phased out;

15.

stresses the particular importance of SME innovation and investment capacity to safe and sustainable production and use of materials, the potential of which can be effectively harnessed through support and dialogue at local and regional level. SMEs in particular offer specific chemicals for innovative speciality and niche products and adaptation to the needs of these. Since they tend to need small quantities and a high variety of chemicals, they are more likely to be affected by the problem that the established procedures for each substance are very costly and time-consuming and they are reliant on information or collaboration from pre-registrants, authorisation holders, suppliers and customers. Interregional support can be very useful here;

16.

calls for requirements for local authorities and SMEs to be comprehensible, transparent and reasonably administratively manageable; notes on this point that a lot of important information is still only available in English and this language barrier is a problem;

Organising how the strategy is implemented

17.

considers that, in order to ensure that the chemicals strategy is implemented successfully, efforts must be determined in accordance with a bottom-up approach and fairly distributed between EU territories in line with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, while ensuring the necessary flexibility bearing in mind the cost-benefit ratio;

18.

stresses the need for an implementation plan for the chemicals strategy that makes the obligated parties feel safer, minimises the risks arising from its implementation and allows for ongoing monitoring of progress and an efficient response to threats;

19.

at the same time, points out that the functionality and reactivity of certain chemicals required for certain uses is often part and parcel of their hazardous properties. Processes and technologies must therefore also be included and promoted that enable the safe use of dangerous substances throughout their life cycle, ensuring that they are properly managed as waste once they are no longer in use. Specific unacceptable risks must be identified and excluded;

20.

points out that implementing the strategy will require flexible and innovative solutions as well as new business models to introduce and promote innovative technologies. This will help rebuild the economy, increase the competitiveness of SMEs and implement solutions to improve human health and the environment through: — implementing the circular economy and sustainable agro-industrial systems; — introducing sustainable bio-based solutions; — pursuing health and environmental policies; — transitioning to a sustainable blue economy; — using digital connectivity and ecosystems as technologies to complement the strategy; — ensuring a sustainable and fair transition and job creation, while subsidising projects in line with the strategy's goals;

21.

recommends that local and regional authorities be consulted when drawing up national plans for strategies and building resilience; encourages the European Commission to draw on the experience gained through the CoR's network of regional hubs;

22.

encourages the Commission and the chemicals regulation authorities (ECHA, Member State authorities) and expert panels (e.g. RAC) to facilitate greater procedural transparency and scientific exchanges with the companies and regions concerned in the interests of practical and sustainable solutions, and calls on the Commission to ensure that changes to European legislation resulting from this strategy always comply with the Commission's Better Regulation agenda, and are therefore always subject to a corresponding impact assessment. This is particularly necessary in impact assessments and in the identification and definition of ‘essential societal uses’, which must not give rise to the exclusion of safe uses of substances without proper justification; asks that consideration be given to whether every decision to put a substance on the candidate list (for authorisation) should be preceded by a risk management option analysis;

23.

recognises the great potential of the agriculture, textiles, electronic and construction sectors in implementing the chemicals strategy. These sectors play an important role in the whole process and contribute to the development of sustainable and safe chemicals, as they use them extensively in their activities;

24.

points out that the agricultural industry is an important recipient of chemicals, including plant protection products and fertilisers, which directly impact human health and the state of the environment. The Green Deal is committed to the development of organic food production, which will consequently reduce the use of chemicals in the agricultural sector; in this regard, highlights the need to find innovative solutions as an opportunity for scientists to develop bio-based chemicals;

Support through regulatory measures

25.

recalls the analysis of the European Environment Agency (EEA), which shows that sub-optimal implementation of EU environmental legislation is most often the result of ineffective coordination between local, regional and national authorities. This is related to a lack of administrative capacity, insufficient funding, knowledge, data and compliance mechanisms, as well as a lack of policy integration; stresses, therefore, the need to close the gaps in existing policies and legislation, to ensure policy coherence and regulatory stability and to earmark funds for helping entrepreneurs adapt to new requirements and the training of administrative staff;

26.

draws attention to the fact that the changes that are being implemented give regional and local authorities real legal means to be able to protect areas and their inhabitants from the risks associated with both the use of chemicals and the risks associated with the management of hazardous chemicals during the transformation of the chemicals sector;

27.

it is necessary to review and strengthen the REACH and CLP regulations, and their interface with OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) legislation, as well as to simplify procedures; draws attention to the need for the European Commission to consult the national authorities responsible for implementing the REACH regulation and OSH legislation before introducing new legislation. The new rules should complement existing law and make it more effective in its application and enforcement through established and well-functioning processes;

28.

points to the need to tighten up the REACH regulation in terms of requirements for safe use of recovered substances placed on the market;

29.

stresses the need to use a single instrument to coordinate public action. This will ensure access to an updated set of information about planned and ongoing initiatives relating to chemicals by authorities in all areas of legislation;

Strengthening oversight and enforcement of the rules

30.

notes that Europe needs a strong and coordinated enforcement policy, particularly for imports, including through online sales, which account for the majority of cases of non-compliance with rules on substances in products;

31.

points out the need to monitor and report legislative changes. On this basis, it is necessary to react, monitor and enforce compliance with them and take corrective actions;

32.

stresses the need to strengthen monitoring and implementation of existing legislation. Consistent and simplified legislation covering the EU market will have an impact on a unified and coordinated policy of monitoring and enforcing it;

33.

points out that the authorisation procedures provided for in the system should also apply to non-EU producers in the same way as European producers. The strategy should therefore focus on creating a level playing field for all stakeholders. This will allow a system to be created in which all businesses from both Member State and non-EU markets are equal before the law, thus ensuring the competitiveness and innovation of European businesses;

Innovation and competitiveness

34.

stresses that the chemicals industry needs a transformation of its own production processes, in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The energy transition in the industry will often involve radical modernisation or complete replacement of existing facilities, which may be problematic, while at the same time implementing innovation for safe and sustainable chemicals. However, the challenges of climate neutrality and innovative solutions can help preserve and improve the competitiveness of businesses;

35.

draws attention to the need to protect the innovation and competitiveness of European businesses, in particular SMEs, as regards the protection of intellectual property. The actions to be taken should take into account the introduction of uniform principles and frameworks by the relevant authorities, e.g. by developing reliable regulatory conditions and ensuring the protection of commercially confidential information in their possession;

36.

recommends that, when introducing changes relating to implementing the chemicals strategy, account should be taken of the time needed to adapt/convert facilities and manage hazardous chemicals that have been withdrawn from the EU market. Actions taken may affect downstream users of chemicals and their business models. In this context, implementation of European legislation should take into account the opinion of industry as a whole on the alternative possibility to replace withdrawn raw materials/products, and carry out an impact assessment involving regional and local authorities and communities;

37.

believes that authorisation of substances under chemicals law should be better synchronised with investment and innovation cycles, especially for complex products, as well as with the length of time required for product and material approvals and plant authorisations;

38.

stresses the importance of measures aiming to develop scientific knowledge on the presence of hazardous chemicals in the environment, including on land, in the air, in drinking water, flora and fauna and food, in terms of the sources of these substances and their impact on human health; therefore welcomes the strategy's intention of strengthening the polluter-pays principle;

The substance flow chain

39.

stresses the need to support the efforts of different sectors and businesses to substitute potentially hazardous substances by promoting research and development, investing in sustainable chemicals and technological innovation;

40.

points to the need to disseminate and introduce new standards and certifications related to sustainable chemicals. The application of environmental criteria by regional and local authorities would influence the motivation to use, and promotion of, sustainable products;

41.

supports the implementation of the concept of sustainability starting from the design stage of substances. Products made from sustainable substances should be fully recyclable so as to provide a safe raw material for further production; the manufacturing process is directly and inextricably linked to the process of product design and development. If a product's life cycle is taken into account already at the design stage, sustainable production will play a role that enhances the creation of sustainable products, reducing or eliminating negative impacts on the environment and society. The aim is for the chemicals industry to be low-emission, energy efficient, safe in terms of production and use as well as competitive, and for the challenges it faces to be achievable;

42.

points out that the implementation of the chemicals strategy will depend to a large extent on achieving the objectives of the circular economy. Chemical recycling represents an opportunity for the chemicals sector as it helps reduce the environmental impact and leads to the discovery of innovative solutions for the use of recycled materials in products, as well as enabling the production of high-quality recyclable materials; stresses, therefore, the need for this area to be covered by a specific support scheme to encourage the use of recycled materials;

43.

underlines the importance of the need to manage waste arising from the withdrawal of some substances/products from the EU market. This issue relates not only to financial issues, but also to environmental costs. On these issues, the EU should support both regional and local authorities as well as businesses upgrading their facilities or changing how they work, as well as investing in sustainable innovation that will clean up waste streams, increase recycling and reduce landfilling, particularly of plastics and textiles;

Assessment of chemicals and access to information on chemicals

44.

stresses the importance of interregional cooperation in order to create a consistent policy for the promotion of safe chemicals and to increase the safety of their use and the promotion of circular production;

45.

underlines the significance of product safety, in particular avoiding potentially hazardous substances and ensuring easy access to information on the chemical composition of a product throughout its entire life cycle;

46.

in this regard, draws attention to the right to information in order to enable consumers to make informed choices; points out that this can be done by introducing effective information requirements and ensuring that the presence of hazardous substances can be traced from the point of manufacture of the product, including, inter alia, through the SCIP database maintained by ECHA, as well as the introduction of product passports;

47.

stresses the need to create a fully connected and interdisciplinary EU database on chemical safety, to be set up by the European Chemicals Agency; these actions will ensure the establishment of a uniform and transparent approach to chemicals as well as to the risk assessment of chemicals. In addition, it will ensure that precise and unambiguous definitions and criteria are put in place, taking into account a good understanding of the use of chemicals and potential exposure, and based on sound and up-to-date scientific evidence;

48.

assessment of the sustainability of a product must take into account the full life cycle and include the highest possible level of circularity, including resource efficiency, energy, water and land use, as well as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. In addition, it should build on the methodologies for assessing product sustainability that European chemical companies have already started to prepare; points out that this assessment can also be a primary source of information when making decisions on substitutions;

Bioeconomy

49.

draws attention to the importance of cooperation between the industrial and agricultural sectors. The agricultural sector is an important source of information for the creation and use of bio-based substances, while particular attention should be paid to the potential of biomass as a raw material for chemical production; At the same time significant reduction of pesticides, insecticides and other agrochemicals in line with the goals set out in the farm to fork strategy is a key to preserve biodiversity and reduce environmental damages;

50.

stresses the role of hydrogen in improving energy efficiency and developing innovation. Hydrogen technologies are a priority for achieving the European Green Deal and a key element in the transformation of the chemicals industry, and their deployment requires the development of coherent and simplified legislation and financial support;

51.

recognises the potential of hydrogen, which can become a key element in the transformation of the chemicals industry, which is one of the most energy-intensive industries; stresses, however, that tapping into its potential requires financial support;

Ensuring skills

52.

human capital is an important area in the implementation of the chemicals strategy; draws attention to the need to ensure continuity of staff in connection with the digital and green transitions, as well as with the transformation/redesign of the area. It is also important to provide the time for workers to be properly trained in chemical management. Upskilling and reskilling of workers is key to ensuring competitiveness;

53.

welcomes the possibility of financial support from EU funds for the upskilling and reskilling of workers involved in the production and use of chemicals (2). These actions will create new economic opportunities while fostering social justice and resilience, especially in the most vulnerable regions, and will contribute to the achievement of the green transition;

54.

points out that proper risk assessment, the prioritisation of measures, the search for safe and sustainable substances and materials and the discussion of advantages and disadvantages in any particular instance require very complex knowledge, specialist expertise and investment of time on the part of companies and authorities, and that there is a constant need for information, advice and further training;

Support through financial resources

55.

calls for the creation of a budgetary framework that ensures a level playing field for the transformation of industry towards safe and sustainable chemicals and materials, encouraging behavioural change while ensuring competitiveness on the European and global markets. These actions aim to ensure a sustainable transition capable of supporting social and economic cohesion;

56.

in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, which has had a noticeable impact on the finances and functioning of local and regional authorities, calls on the European Union to provide direct access to funding for projects supporting sustainable chemicals. The EU should also provide additional support to regions in transition;

57.

stresses the need to provide legal and financial instruments to promote and support, at local and regional level, innovative solutions that contribute to the emergence of a new generation of chemicals and the green transition of the chemical industry;

58.

supports a dedicated fund for EU-wide human and environmental (bio)monitoring as part of the Horizon Europe programme.

---

(1)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability — Towards a Toxic-Free Environment.

(2)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability — Towards a Toxic-Free Environment.

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Local and regional authorities protecting the marine environment

(2021/C 300/08)

Rapporteur: Emma NOHRÉN (SE/Greens), Vice-Mayor of Lysekil Municipality Reference document: Portuguese Presidency of the Council

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.

welcomes the referral by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council on the role of local and regional authorities (LRAs) in protecting the marine environment;

2.

is deeply concerned that the EU’s marine environment did not achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020, as required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), and in line with the EU commitment to the 2017 UN Ocean Conference;

3.

recalls that healthy seas are critical to the planet for life-supporting functions such as production of oxygen, climate regulation, food production and many other ecosystem services;

4.

notes that coasts are the most densely populated areas in the EU and are also home to a wide variety of organisms; fish need nursing and feeding grounds in these fragile marine ecosystems in order to grow and develop; is concerned about fish stocks, including commercially exploited stocks, as the pressure on coastlines for urban development and tourism is increasing;

5.

warns that the state of the Union’s coasts and seas is further exacerbated by pressure from climate change and ocean acidification, altering the seas’ physical and chemical characteristics towards planetary boundaries where irreversible changes to ecological conditions for life on Earth occur;

6.

supports the goals and targets to protect biodiversity in the EU Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030; emphasises that oceans’ vital role for the EU must be better visualised and highlighted; urges the Commission to include clear, measurable targets with accompanying deadlines in its action plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems in line with the UN CBD COP15’s post-2020 global biodiversity policy framework, which is to be published by 2021 (1); recalls that the key role of our oceans and coasts in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies should be adequately factored into the solutions proposed (2);

7.

stresses that 94 % of EU citizens believe that protecting the environment is important (3), which underscores that environmental protection needs to be fully integrated into public decision-making at all levels, in a systematic, cross-sectorial approach;

8.

believes that the pandemic and its restrictions further demonstrate the significance of nature for recreation, health and mental well-being; stresses that the true value of nature and biodiversity needs to be fully taken into account when we rebuild our economy through green recovery and resilience plans; underlines that investments in the marine environment can bring short-term socio-economic and medium- to long-term environmental benefits by, among others, actively restoring marine ecosystems, scaling up remote electronic monitoring (REM) and stopping plastic pollution at its source (4);

9.

emphasises that, in order to successfully restore biodiversity and halt environmental degradation, it is essential to establish a true circular economy based on responsible production, with clear goals for reuse of goods, reduction of consumption and recycling of materials, which would substantially cut down the use of new raw materials; firmly believes that the intertwined climate, biodiversity and resource-use crises should be tackled together;

10.

underscores that the ecosystem-based approach, and the precautionary and polluter-pays principles are the core policy principles for governing EU legislation on the marine environment;

11.

believes that it is time to act, by both correcting structural problems regarding MSFD implementation and, at the same time, kick-starting actions that can unleash local and subnational authorities’ untapped potential to protect the EU’s marine environment;

Improving MSFD implementation with LRAs’ contribution

12.

points out that many policies and decisions taken by authorities at local or subnational level regarding planning and granting of authorisations for human activities such as urban construction, transport projects, waste water treatment, waste management, industrial production, farming, energy production, etc. have an impact — directly or indirectly — on the quality of water, seas and marine biodiversity, both in coastal areas and at sea; therefore, protection of the environment needs to be factored into all public decision-making models; stresses that green public procurement can play a key role in helping communities and regions become resource efficient and environmentally sustainable;

13.

commends the many municipalities and regions that already cooperate with each other on a number of successful measures to improve the marine environment, and expects Member States to fully take note of these efforts and integrate them into the planning and assessment of their national marine environment strategies; reiterates that Member States are responsible for ensuring continuity, coordination and cooperation in their marine environment strategies to strengthen and improve vertical coordination between national, subnational and local authorities;

14.

observes that many municipalities and regions are not aware of their right to act, nor of their duties with regard to the implementation of the MSFD; calls on each Member State to assess the procedures they have put in place to achieve the objectives of the MSFD and clarify responsibilities between different decision-making bodies and inform them thereof, with the aim of ensuring the strategy’s effectiveness and efficiency;

15.

stresses the need to recognise the role of local and subnational authorities in the implementation of the MSFD; calls on the Commission to propose rules for Member States on how to integrate these authorities into the consultation procedure and into the process of identifying, designing and planning measures, clarifying responsibilities and fostering more engagement and ownership from LRAs;

16.

notes a willingness from companies to support tangible restoration projects; underlines the importance of continuity and a long-term vision in the marine strategy, also at local level; believes that establishing a clear and transparent direction for the marine strategy creates opportunities for businesses to invest;

17.

takes note of the Commission’s efforts to harmonise, between Member States, as well as with their neighbouring non-EU countries, standards, processes, threshold values and reporting linked to water and biodiversity under various pieces of EU legislation;

18.

supports further cooperation with the Regional Sea Conventions; underscores that a shared regional understanding of what constitutes GES is crucial; firmly believes that a harmonised approach and synchronised reporting will ultimately create synergies and save resources; calls on the Member States to support and commit to this pursuit of a harmonised and robust data collection system;

19.

underscores that long-time data series are crucial to discovering slow changes in the environment, tracking drivers of ecosystem degradation and evaluating actions and measures;

20.

recommends that Member States involve coastal municipalities and regions, which have local knowledge, in the collection and assessment of data; advocates an open mind to citizen science;

21.

compliments the Commission for its publically available WISE Marine web portal (5) which, among other things, contains information on the status of each descriptor as reported by Member States; the latter should, without further delay, improve electronic reporting;

22.

understands that the first implementation cycle of the MSFD has been a complex exercise and a challenge but underlines that, without defined threshold values and clear, ambitious and measurable goals, progress will never be made; therefore urges such targets to be defined without further delay;

23.

stresses that the achievement of the MSFD is totally dependent on successful implementation of the Water Framework Directive and the Urban Waste Water Directive; therefore asks the Commission to investigate how to improve coordination and coherence between the Directives and propose guidance for Member States on how to coordinate the implementation of the Directives;

24.

sees a need for coherent management of maritime space between different stakeholders; underlines that the ecosystem-based approach is the basis for the implementation of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, with the aim of enforcing management decisions that help to achieve GES;

Untapping LRAs’ potential

25.

suggests that coastal communities and regions seize the opportunity to boost the local economy, create new jobs and at the same time improve the state of their coastal waters by using the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, LIFE and other EU funds for measures and projects that contribute to the objectives of the MSFD;

26.

points out that results of locally implemented measures need to feed into the assessment of the national marine strategy; stresses that measures preferably should be long-term, since results take time, due to slow recovery in the marine environment; notes that financial means must be secured for a proper long-term assessment;

27.

notes that tourism is one of the major economic sectors in coastal regions; stresses that sustainable tourism needs to take a holistic view by also taking into account the well-being of local residents and ‘life below the surface’;

28.

points out that plastic litter and underwater noise from tourism can have the biggest impact on marine animals, and therefore underlines the importance of preserving nature and marine life, which are the main attractions of the coast; encourages coastal communities to promote ideas like ‘silent bays’ for kayaking or motorboat-free zones, combining the well-being of local residents with that of its ‘life below the surface’ inhabitants;

29.

notes that environmentally differentiated port fees can be an efficient way for coastal regions to improve the environment, and reduce emissions to air and water, as well as waste and noise;

30.

calls for coastal municipalities and regions to be consulted on decisions regarding ship routing;

31.

believes that well-managed combined land/sea protected areas can enhance protection of the fragile transition zones between land and marine environments and, at the same time, increase the attractiveness of coastal regions as centres for recreation and sustainable tourism;

32.

points out that landlocked communities and regions are also dependent on the oceans for life-supporting functions, as well as for food, recreation, transport, energy, etc. and are likewise responsible for pollution that occurs upstream;

33.

encourages municipalities and regions to launch their own initiatives and cooperate between themselves, also at cross-border level, as well as with upstream regions, to identify and design measures to address particular problems such as plastic pollution, excess nutrients, polluted run-offs, excessive boat traffic or whatever problem needs to be addressed; reiterates that EU funds are available to support such initiatives;

34.

is ready to support any initiative undertaken to establish ‘EU cities for Healthy Oceans’, a platform for EU cities to jointly address the causes of loss of marine biodiversity and degradation of the marine environment;

35.

points out that land-sea interactions and the interconnectivity between different policy areas are complex matters in relation to marine conservation, which poses a challenge to most local and subnational authorities with limited capabilities, human resources, time and money;

36.

strongly believes that providing local and subnational authorities with knowledge-sharing support, technical assistance and resources can unleash the untapped potential of more ambitious actions and measures at subnational level for more efficient implementation of the MSFD;

37.

suggests using relevant EU funds and creating an outreaching ‘EU Ocean Academy’ consisting of young scholars from all Member States with good communication skills who, in cooperation with universities, inspire and continuously disseminate new knowledge and information about the importance of healthy oceans, the links between the marine environment and other policies, possible measures and best practices;

38.

calls on the Commission to put subsidiarity into action and create a 2030 European Marine Biodiversity Task Force consisting of a pool of operational environmental project managers who will be at the disposal of subnational authorities to enable them to launch voluntary projects and measures to address a particular problem in a specific marine subdivision or land-based area; suggests that this task force could help the co-managing regions acquire the right skills by contracting experts, as well as providing operational support with planning and organisation, and advising on projects and how to apply for EU funding;

Where the EU needs to ensure a level playing field

39.

welcomes the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy to reduce pesticides and nutrients, and notes that one of the main sources of eutrophication in EU seas is agricultural fertilisers. It is of the view that the new targets must ensure environmental, economic and social sustainability;

40.

emphasises the importance to the marine environment of the effective implementation of an ambitious EU Zero pollution action plan for water, air and soil to be published in May 2021;

41.

understands that nitrogen and phosphorus as nutrients are vital raw materials and that phosphorus is included in the EU’s list of critical raw materials; has been informed that nutrients can be efficiently recycled from waste water treatment and can replace virgin raw material from mining; calls on the Commission to propose EU rules on quota obligations for recycled nutrients in fertilisers marketed in the EU;

42.

strongly supports the Commission proposal to create a coherent network of effectively managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering 30 % of EU seas, including through fish stock recovery areas, as provided for under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and areas where the most destructive fishing techniques and economic activities are restricted;

43.

agrees with the objective that 10 % of EU seas must benefit from a high level of protection, including areas where all catches and all economic activities are prohibited, i.e. no-take zones; stresses that the MPA network must be representative of the diversity of EU marine ecosystems; emphasises that each MPA needs to have a management body and a management plan with clear conservation objectives, measures and appropriate monitoring;

44.

is alarmed by the poor protection and insufficient monitoring and control provided in current EU MPAs; observes that, according to the EEA (6), less than 1 % of MPAs in the EU could be considered marine reserves with full protection; notes that many human activities are often not regulated in MPAs, such as offshore oil extraction, extraction for minerals, dredging, maritime traffic, fishing and aquaculture etc.; requests restrictions on the most destructive activities in MPAs, on a coherent network level;

45.

points out that large parts of EU environmental legislation such as the MSFD and the Nature Directives have not been sufficiently implemented according to a report by the Court of Auditors (7) and that, given the state of the marine environment, stricter conservation measures are needed; urges the Commission and Member States to increase efforts to implement the respective measures with a view to enabling more efficient protection of the marine environment;

46.

underlines that, since 2013 and the CFP reform, we have become acutely aware of how climate change and ocean acidification affects the oceans and how rapidly these changes occur; believes that we can no longer focus solely on maximising fisheries yields as the core objective of EU fisheries management; firmly believes that the objective must be to allow fish populations to be restored to levels above those that allow them to fulfil their crucial role in marine ecosystems to include a buffer for the increasing impact of stressors such as climate change and biodiversity decline so that those ecosystems can continue to provide critical services such as oxygen production, climate regulation, carbon storage and food provision;

47.

strongly believes that all kinds of harmful subsidies in fisheries that contribute to excess fishing capacity, overfishing, climate change and ocean acidification must end; calls for greater support for research and innovation to help reduce the environmental footprint of Europe’s shipping fleet, in particular by developing alternative fuels that could be used in existing boats; as well as by removing the exemption for fuel used in fishing in the Energy Taxation Directive;

48.

draws the attention to the slow recovery of vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems and therefore the need to effectively implement the EU Deep Sea Regulation; recalls the requirement to cease fishing with bottom-contacting gear below 400 metres in areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) are known to exist or are likely to occur; urges the bottom fisheries footprint be delineated in areas between 400 and 800 metres’ depth, and to close areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems are known or likely to occur;

49.

urges the Commission to strengthen the implementation of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, including by increasingly applying multi-species approaches, in order to minimise the negative impacts of fishing activities and other factors, such as climate change, on marine ecosystems, fish populations and society and to ensure ocean resilience to climate change; reiterates that fully documented fisheries and quality data is key to improving fisheries management; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary steps in order to improve data collection on recreational fisheries, considering their environmental impact and socio-economic value;

50.

welcomes the Commission’s EU Climate Law proposal; highlights the key role the oceans play in regulating the Earth’s climate and in providing us with life-supporting functions; stresses that oceans are being put under severe pressure and that they are fast deteriorating; therefore calls on the Commission to propose an ocean law, in the same spirit as the climate law;

51.

strongly believes that putting into action the proposals in this opinion could unleash LRAs’ potential with regard to MSFD implementation; the EU must demonstrate leadership in the preparatory process of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and its implementation; but also in relation to UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources;

52.

urges the Commission to intensify efforts to achieve balance between fishing fleet capacity and fish stocks, using the tools in the CFP and the EMFAF regulations in a more coordinated and active way;

53.

is deeply concerned by the growing use of scrubbers by ships as a way to meet the reduced sulphur emission limits; points to the fact that the discharge water from scrubbers contains highly toxic substances with long-term impact on the marine environment, causing bioaccumulation, acidification and eutrophication, calls on the Commission to propose a ban on the discharge of scrubber water within the EU, as well as measures to incentivise the use of alternatives to heavy fuels in shipping;

54.

calls on the Commission to establish an Ocean Fund, as proposed by the European Parliament in its report on Global data collection system for ship fuel oil consumption data, amending Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8), with the aim of improving the energy efficiency of ships and supporting investments in innovative technologies and infrastructures to decarbonise the maritime transport sector and the deployment of sustainable alternative fuels that are produced from renewables and of zero-emission propulsion technologies; supports that the proposal to use 20 % of the revenues under the Fund to contribute to the protection, restoration and better management of marine ecosystems impacted by global warming, such as marine protected areas;

55.

calls on the Commission in its review of the Directive of recreational craft and personal watercraft to adopt ambitious limits for exhaust and noise emissions, including emissions both above and below surface; urges the Commission to include electrically driven engines in the scope of the Directive;

56.

is deeply concerned by the irreversible environmental pollution caused by the release of microplastics into the environment; points to the fact that the costs of cleaning microplastics from water are borne by local authorities, water treatment plants and water supply companies; therefore calls on the Commission to adopt strict mandatory regulatory measures to reduce the unintentional release of all microplastics at source and a general phase-out of intentionally added microplastics, including nanoplastics and biodegradable and soluble polymers;

57.

highlights that sports pitches are one of the largest contributors of intentionally added microplastics released into the environment and that it is mainly local communities and municipalities who carry the costs for measures to mitigate such leakage; underlines that several natural alternatives to rubber granules exist and therefore calls on the Commission to adopt a ban to all new granular infill for sport pitches, with a six-year transition period;

58.

recognises deposit return schemes as efficient tools to reach the mandatory target of a 90 % collection rate of plastic beverage containers by 2029, as set in the EU Single Use Plastics Directive; calls on Members States that do not yet have a deposit return scheme for plastic beverage containers to establish one and suggests that they draw on successful experiences from neighbouring Member States; calls on the Commission to guide Member States to use compatible national deposit return schemes, as a step towards a single market for packaging.

---

(1)  COM(2020) 380 final.

(2)  As highlighted by the IPCCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.

(3)  (EC, 2017b) EEA Report 17/2019: Marine messages II.

(4)  See https://www.birdlife.org/sites/default/files/turning_the_tide_june2020_1.pdf

(5)  https://water.europa.eu/marine

(6)  See Box 3.2 of EEA Report 17/2019: Marine messages II.

(7)  Court of Auditors’ special report 26/2020: Marine environment: EU protection is wide but not deep.

(8)  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2015/757/oj

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Experiences and lessons learned by regions and cities during the COVID-19 crisis

(2021/C 300/09)

Rapporteur: Joke SCHAUVLIEGE (BE/EPP), Vice-president of the Flemish Parliament

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Introductory comments

1.

notes that the COVID-19 health crisis has required a large-scale and comprehensive response, considering not only national but also international and cross-border situations as well as local and regional needs;

2.

affirms its commitment to working closely with European cities and regions and their networks, Member States, EU institutions and international organisations to take stock of the lessons learnt on the management of the COVID-19 crisis and recovery at all levels of governance in order to improve the response capacities of the EU in future pandemics and other kinds of crises;

3.

notes that the role of local and regional governments cannot be underestimated in this case. They have the advantage of proximity to the citizens, which ensures that they understand local needs, and are also the first line of response. Also, various forms of civil society engagement play a very important role in ensuring the connection with the citizens and delivering services to them;

4.

points out that 19 of the 27 Member States assign primary and/or sole responsibility for public health to local and regional authorities;

5.

stresses that local and regional authorities have been — and continue to be — on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, responding, as the level closest to the citizens, to the health, social and economic emergencies affecting their communities and leading our society towards sustainable and resilient recovery;

6.

is convinced that more coordination between all levels of governance is needed to ensure a coherent and efficient response to future crises. This applies not only to areas such as the procurement of medical equipment, but also to cross-border arrangements, border closures and movement of people, to economic support as well as to information sharing and foresight activities that support better preparedness;

7.

is also convinced that the question of deepening the EU competences in the field of health (Article 168, TFEU) in order to improve coordination, cooperation and an efficient response to future health threats, should be discussed during the Conference on the future of Europe. Enhanced European cooperation must be developed, taking account of the subsidiarity principle;

8.

reiterates that border regions have been particularly hit hard by the pandemic, because of their situation Because measures in neighbouring countries are not unambiguous, this leads to a lot of uncertainty and inconvenience for residents and entrepreneurs of border areas. More consultation is therefore needed on, among other things, border closures, restrictions on the free movement of persons, economic support measures and other regulations. Border regions can actually serve as testing grounds for a better European approach;

9.

welcomes the measures taken and the new proposals put forward by the European Union in the context of the fight against COVID-19 and to support the recovery from the crisis across the whole of the EU; proposes that their effectiveness on the ground be thoroughly evaluated based on experiences from rural areas, cities and regions;

10.

takes stock of the Committee of the Regions’ 2020 Barometer of Regions and Cities (1), which provides detailed evidence on the impacts of COVID-19 locally and regionally and presents concrete examples of best practices as well as challenges experienced by cities and regions, including rural areas and less developed regions;

11.

calls on the European institutions and national governments to involve local and regional authorities in the preparation of the national and EU-level Recovery and Resilience plans in the context of COVID-19 and possible future pandemics; is convinced that these measures need a local and regional dimension to be effective;

A crisis affecting regional health systems

12.

highlights the responsibilities of local and regional authorities in the field of public health in many Member States; commends the actions taken by municipalities, cities and regions in protecting the health of their citizens, managing essential health care services, supporting health care workers and investing in health systems in their territories, working in close cooperation with civil society and other actors and under immense pressure during this severe health emergency;

13.

is convinced that with regard to the creation of a future European Health Union and the announced discussion on health competences in the context of the Conference on the Future of the EU, that it is necessary to involve local and regional authorities in these discussions about deepening the health competences of the EU in line with the principle of subsidiarity;

14.

draws attention to the existing regional disparities in health systems and bottlenecks in emergency preparedness as highlighted by the CoR 2020 Barometer of Regions and Cities; urges national governments and EU institutions to take measures to reduce these disparities based on cities’ and regions’ recent experiences on the ground. The European Semester should better address the utmost importance of public investments in health systems;

15.

stresses that EU-level reporting on healthcare performance and data for better preparedness should include a local and regional dimension and not only be based on data at the national level. This is particularly important in order to preserve freedom of movement for individuals, in particular for cross-border workers, in areas in which the virus’s dissemination is under control;

16.

calls for a strong and reinforced EU vaccine strategy that demonstrates solidarity. It is important for quality and safety reasons to maintain the common EU supply process for COVID-19 vaccines. Highlights that EU should maintain and defend the common market for vaccines and protective equipment. No country should be able to stop deliveries or sign its own contracts with vaccine manufacturers. It is important that the agreements signed at EU level are transparent and impose clear requirements on the delivery of vaccines, as the EU spends large sums on development and production facilities;

17.

is convinced that the EU must address shortages and reduce its dependency on third countries by encouraging the Member States and businesses to bring back the production of certain medicines, critical substances, including vaccines, and protective equipment to European soil in order to ensure the EU’s strategic autonomy and increase preparedness and resilience in normal circumstances and in a crisis;

18.

is convinced that it is imperative for European regions to collect high quality, secure data relevant to health, demographic and socioeconomic factors of the population with the aim of identifying vulnerable groups and facilitating effective healthcare policies. This needs to be properly financed on a sustainable footing;

19.

points out that all levels will need to invest in the training and resilience of their local health workforce, bolstering areas with the biggest shortages in this regard and providing budgetary justification for these measures;

20.

stresses that cross-border cooperation should be part of all emergency plans. Europe needs to increase solidarity between its Member States and regions and include bottom-up approaches. Cooperation is also required at international level with the most disadvantaged as we have learnt that we will either emerge together from the health crisis or not at all. Common investments can be a lot more effective, as was clearly demonstrated in the area of health when regions and countries took over patients across borders. Furthermore, the purchase of protective equipment, and a common approach to knowledge gathering and research on all topics related to the pandemic, would have provided major added value. Europe needs to boost and protect its research capacity and internal production in terms of vaccines as well as materials and equipment for this and potential future pandemics, ensuring that it is self-sufficient and not dependent on external markets;

21.

calls for actions to increase the credibility, accountability and mutual respect between the different levels of governance by correctly dividing responsibilities between the different levels and assuring good communication; better coordination among policy levels, in formal and informal settings, could be achieved by establishing effective working groups between the national, regional and local levels, and by adequate support for local actors, both financially and in terms of frameworks and guidelines;

22.

firmly believes that European regions need to carry out a specific assessment of the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of the general population, particularly in the most vulnerable groups, to step up investment in mental health and to devise strategies to protect children and young people during the health crisis;

Impacts of the pandemic on rural areas

23.

points out that the pandemic has exacerbated many of the known problems in rural areas and highlighted once more the vulnerability of these regions. Stresses, however, that rural areas, specifically farmers, have played a crucial role in strengthening the resilience of the European food systems during the pandemic, and to continue ensuring that European food remains plentiful, affordable and accessible farmers will need help in mitigating current and future threats. The latest innovative farming methods and technologies could play a key role here;

24.

stresses that, in general, policy is made from the perspective of cities and urban areas. This policy is not always well adapted to the different context, needs and opportunities of rural areas; urges the European Commission to take measures to better consider the rural context. In the current context, identifies the risk that, due to the emergency nature of the crisis, the recovery plan and other EU policies could be implemented in a way more favourable to cities and urban areas. If the recovery plan does not involve regions in its drafting and implementation, some needs and opportunities for rural areas will not be taken into account. Furthermore, it is important to stress that rural policy goes beyond agricultural policy and includes social policy and policy on the management of services in rural areas; these areas are often marginal in terms of production but are central as regards the environment, landscape and protection of biodiversity. More attention must paid to business development, services, innovation, wildlife and landscape protection and accessibility in rural areas;

25.

welcomes the European Commission’s consultation on a new long-term vision for rural areas; points out that to tackle the different challenges, it is important that the European Commission set specific targets and indicators for these challenges. To avoid parallel systems, such targets and indicators should be part of the follow-up and development that takes place within regional development. This would make it a less voluntary document and encourage the Member States and policy makers to reflect on how these targets can best be reached. Based on the reports by the different Member States on the specific targets and indicators, it would be possible to monitor the progress and, where necessary, provide extra budget or support. Concrete examples are: — digital transition — targets for infrastructure for high-speed internet, adapted approach for smart villages/countryside, targets on digital skills; — quality and delivery of health services, education, skills training and broadband; — outreach approach to social and environmental wellbeing, by actively detecting and meeting the needs of the population;

26.

observes that the pandemic has not necessarily had only negative consequences for rural areas. Remote working is likely to have long-term implications for the labour market, with both companies and employees seeing new opportunities to work outside towns and cities. If rural areas are connected by having access to fast broadband and can also offer key public services, they can be even more feasible places for people to choose to make their future in;

27.

is convinced that the twin digital and green transitions can provide opportunities to support rural recovery;

28.

highlights the crucial role women have played in rural areas during the pandemic by caring for the environment and people; urges the European Commission to ensure gender mainstreaming in any policies dedicated to rural areas;

29.

stresses that in quickly changing situations, the lack of information to enable well-informed decisions becomes even more apparent. Sharing data between regions and Member States can help tackle this challenge. To enable this, certain technologies and infrastructure need to be put into place. Data sharing platforms can help make data quickly available. Existing systems can be adapted based on new information. This applies to the health sector, but is also very valuable for other systems that were highly influenced by logistical challenges, changes in the workforce, etc. It is imperative to create new forms of coordination in supply chains (materials, natural resources, waste management, etc.), rebuild the agri-food chain and develop more circular and interconnected ways of thinking;

30.

points out that the flexibility to use uncommitted EAFRD funds to address COVID-19 related liquidity problems for farmers and SMEs in rural areas benefitted Member States that had a low absorption rate of these funds, whereas those Member States that had already used their allocated funding were not able to benefit from this measure (2);

31.

recommends investment in strengthening the resilience of agri-food supply chains, both local and global, with an emphasis on sustainable production, circular supply chains and possibly retaining local value. From a resilience perspective, emphasising diversity in suppliers and customers and creating buffers and reserves and redundancy in supply chains would seem to be promising avenues, but they can also be costly actions for individual businesses;

32.

considers that the pandemic could be seen as an opportunity to accelerate the green transition in our rural areas, for instance by implementing local or regional food systems and more rapidly reaching the quantitative targets of the Farm to Fork Strategy and, more generally, the objectives of the European Green Deal provided that this does not hamper the economic security of European farmers and businesses;

33.

notes that the European Commission proposes to assess the resilience of the food system and to develop a contingency plan to ensure food supply and food security in times of crisis. The plan will set up a food crisis response mechanism coordinated by the European Commission and involving the Member States. It will comprise various sectors (such as agriculture, fisheries, food safety, the workforce, health, transport, alternative sources of energy and farming for energy) depending on the nature of the crisis. It will be important to ensure that LRAs in rural areas are also able to provide input to this mechanism;

34.

supports the creation of new opportunities for citizen participation, together with public and private sector organisations, and enhancing the role of communities in co-creation aimed at developing solutions for contemporary problems in urban and rural areas, for example through the creation of rural and urban commons;

35.

emphasises the role that solidarity networks and the collaborative economy have played during the pandemic in rural communities, as well as linking rural and urban areas;

36.

is convinced that in order to tackle the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis in rural areas, it is useful to support and strengthen the LEADER initiative and to draw attention in all Member States to the development of relevant community and business activities, to step away from the narrow focus on agriculture and to explore the concept of smart villages as a way to enable more flexibility. There is a need to adapt the administrative requirements in such a way that volunteers or groups of residents can also participate in the programme. A more flexible bottom-up approach will also be necessary to find a balance between solving short-term needs of local people and introducing innovation on a local level. This can be done for example by linking the Local Action Groups to networks of innovators;

37.

stresses that an effective agricultural crisis reserve is clearly an essential part of the toolkit to respond to any future pandemic emergency, and it needs to be properly financed on a sustainable footing;

38.

asks for local and regional authorities, including those of the outermost regions, to be involved in setting up the new EU instruments, such as the Next Generation EU recovery plans and the food crisis response mechanism proposed by the Commission in the Farm to Fork Strategy;

39.

stresses that the instrument of EIP-AGRI Operational Groups is a good tool for supporting agricultural innovation. A similar mechanism should be brought forward to stimulate rural innovation beyond the agricultural sector. This approach should include all relevant actors with knowledge and expertise on a specific rural challenge and support the creation of networks of knowledge brokers for innovation in rural areas, for example on topics like health or education;

40.

highlights the importance of the regional level in defining the critical points in food systems in order to improve the understanding of local food systems to make better use of the capacity of local actors; stresses the need to look at local food systems in a holistic way, not only focusing on short supply chains, but also involving large retailers, for example by encouraging supermarkets to share information and data on food originating both from inside and outside of the region; stresses the need to develop local food strategies, making use of the crisis as an opportunity to rebuild production processes in a more sustainable way; supports measures to move food production closer to the territories and involving cities and rural areas in food governance;

Recommendations on European Commission rural aid schemes during the crisis

41.

notes that the EU enabled support by national governments in two ways. First, it created a new instrument, SURE, to provide up to EUR 100 billion in loans to countries, backed by guarantees provided by Member States. Farmers, food-processing companies and other rural enterprises such as those in the hospitality sector have benefitted from these schemes, which ensure that workers receive an income and businesses keep their staff. Second, it relaxed the conditions and thresholds for Member States to provide state aid to affected businesses. The latter was most significant, as it enabled billions of euros of support to be provided to farmers and fishers during the pandemic;

42.

underlines that facilitating the movement of seasonal workers and of agricultural goods across borders were the two direct measures taken at the EU level to avoid the disruption of agri-food supply chains; In the long term, to ensure European food safety, it would be more efficient to develop a territorial food system. Underlines that a revision of the competition regulations could be necessary in order to develop short and local food supply chains;

43.

considers that rural development policy must be recognised as a discrete policy area alongside agricultural policy, and should be explicitly coordinated with and integrated into regional policy. The development of rural areas does not just concern agricultural businesses and farmland management, but also involves measures to support broader business development, tourism, services in rural areas, broadband roll-out, accessibility and communications, which must be central to rural development policy;

44.

suggests that measures to increase the flexibility of the EU budget need to be explored. As an example, the usefulness of the Single Margin Instrument would be improved by eliminating the requirement that amounts mobilised over and above the respective annual ceilings must be offset against the corresponding margin for current or future years. Another option would be increasing the permitted maximum size of the Flexibility Instrument;

45.

stresses that an effective agricultural crisis reserve is clearly an essential part of the toolkit to respond to any future pandemic emergency, and it needs to be properly financed on a sustainable footing;

46.

notes that a key element in the EU response to the COVID-19 crisis was to enable national responses. This was done through flexibility in competition and in particular state aid rules. Flexibility in state aid rules played a pivotal role in defining public authorities’ leeway to support companies and households and thus their ability to cushion the impact of the current pandemic. Suggests that support by national governments should be carefully monitored so as to prevent distortions between Member States;

47.

advocates that there should be a mechanism in place to engage policy dialogues within Member States among all the relevant stakeholders (including, but not limited to, regional authorities, the business community and civil society). For LRAs in particular, it is essential that their investment needs, including for rural areas, be fully reflected in Member States’ recovery plans;

48.

recommends investment in strengthening the resilience of agri-food supply chains, both local and global. From a resilience perspective, it is necessary to regulate markets, strengthen the position of farmers vis-à-vis other stakeholders in the sector, change the international agricultural trade rules so as to encourage greater fairness and solidarity in trade relations and develop territorial food systems;

Unforeseen pressure on local and regional public finances

49.

highlights that the implementation of the various emergency measures has had a dramatic impact on public finances and local and regional economies, the organisation of public services and on the operations of local and regional authorities both in the short and in the long term. At the same time, local and regional authorities are facing an increased demand for health, sanitary and social services for citizens, public transport, education and other public services, as well as for economic incentives to local businesses and for the implementation of actions towards sustainability and climate neutrality;

50.

calls for more resources for local and regional authorities from central governments and the European Union to boost their health and care systems and emergency preparedness now and in the long term;

51.

points out that that businesses in rural areas must have access to credit and capital. Banks are abandoning the countryside just as physical offices are being transformed into virtual offices. By investing in venture capital, the EU can ensure accessibility so that businesses in rural areas can have the same opportunities to develop as those in more densely populated areas;

52.

calls on the European institutions to ensure that there is sufficient clarity with regard to the interplay between the different new financing and funding mechanisms, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and existing national and EU schemes, to avoid additional complexity and potentially low absorption rates at the local and regional levels (3). Encourage Member states and the European Commission to better involve local and regional levels in the overall recovery effort. Their role at the frontline of the pandemic, in public investment, and in these twin transitions, must be part of the core recovery plan;

53.

highlights the findings of its recent implementation report on state aid; notes that the current regional state aid maps and framework do not adequately capture the true situation in the EU regions due to the new challenges emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and its short- and medium-term economic effects; stresses that experiences on the ground point to the need for more flexible approaches and instruments to help public authorities effectively address the impact felt at regional and local level;

54.

highlights that social investment should be strengthened as a key priority for a fair, equal and inclusive recovery with the emphasis on accessible social infrastructure and social services at local and regional level to improve economic, social and territorial cohesion, with the right policy mix and financial resources for implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights and the SDG agenda. There is also a need to further boost digital transition and social innovation in this regard;

55.

emphasises that the EU recovery plan should be directed towards environmentally friendly and sustainable development, which is so important for both people and the environment, and which will lead to a new normal recovery. The pandemic showed us the need for more green infrastructure, climate-friendly mobility and sustainable tourism;

Recommendations in relation to State Aid Rules

56.

underlines the fact that for some Member States, massive State support equates to increasing government deficits and their public-debt levels at a time of shrinking tax revenues and higher unemployment benefits payments, something that might prove particularly risky especially for those Member States particularly hit by the pandemic that happen to be also the largest Eurozone economies. On the other hand, the fear of rising debt levels may lead some Member States to postpone investments or spending in crucial sectors for the recovery, which will most likely also result in widening the economic divergences within the Single Market;

57.

raises awareness about the fact that excessive and very strict rules and conditions framing the control by the Commission may hinder the ability of public authorities to effectively fulfil their role in all these missions while, on the other hand, a very broad flexibility in State aid comes with the risk of resulting in further increasing regional inequalities within the EU. It seems that the new reality after the coronavirus pandemic obliges all of the parties concerned to redefine the right balance between the two limits;

58.

welcomes the extension of the Temporary State Aid Framework to December 2021. If a new outbreak or revival of restrictive lockdown measures were to take place after the summer, the economic damage will be much higher and the temporary exceptional support will be even more necessary and needed for longer to prevent intrinsically sound companies from going bust. Hence an extension of the Temporary Framework until the end of the corona pandemic would be something to aspire to, particularly when it comes to the regions hardest hit by the crisis;

59.

stresses the need to adapt various rules. It is noted, for instance, that on top of the recent amendment of the GBER in relation to companies in difficulty, a more flexible criterion for companies in difficulty is needed, especially for the start-ups and scale-ups sector, which often have regular funding rounds and thus become technically companies in difficulty, even when they are intrinsically sound and fast-growing companies. Accordingly, more flexibility in relation to the de minimis regime is urgent, while it would be desirable to complement the scope of Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 (4) by providing, in addition to aid to compensate the damage caused by natural disasters (Article 50), also aid to make good the damage caused by pandemic events. An ‘adaptation’ of the rules on accumulating would be useful as in circumstances such as the existing ones, accumulation between aid under de minimis or under GBER with aid granted under the TF must be allowed, taking into account the intensity thereof, also on those eligible costs;

60.

favours shifting the burden of proof in such a way that the complainant and/or the European Commission have to show that a local service poses a threat to intra-Community trade. It is argued that having the burden of proof lie with the Commission would increase legal certainty and willingness to act on the part of local decision-makers and reduce the number of complaints. It is claimed that there is an urgent need to change the current situation, as a sword of Damocles regarding the recovery of funds hangs over a large number of measures, since individual aid beneficiaries are unable to provide extensive evidence. In this context, it could also be useful to expand the criterion of harm to trade or to specify the term ‘local’ in greater detail;

61.

notes that regions and cities are facing a new reality framed by the socioeconomic challenges triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. This new reality requires more flexible policy approaches and instruments that help public authorities effectively address the impact felt at regional and local level. In light of this, the current regional aid maps (programming period 2014-2020) do not adequately capture the true situation in the EU regions due to the new challenges emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and its short- and medium-term economic effects. In a similar vein, the overall population coverage, the maximum permissible levels of aid and the type of investments provided for in the Regional State aid framework should be increased/broadened in order to meet the new socio-economic challenges in the EU regions as a result of the pandemic;

62.

warns that the regional aid maps to be adopted before the end of 2021, which will be drawn up on the basis of statistical data from before 2020, may hinder the economic recovery of the most disadvantaged regions until the 2024 mid-term review is adopted. In effect, as they use statistical data from before 2020, these maps will not accurately reflect the economic situation of regions which are ‘a’ or ‘c’ areas and may cause difficulties when it comes to the economic recovery of these regions, by reducing the maximum aid intensity applicable or by laying down particular restrictions on the granting of aid to large enterprises following the change in the status of certain regions. The Committee of the Regions therefore calls on the European Commission to take account of this situation and to adopt measures going beyond a mid-term review in 2024 to ensure that the most disadvantaged regions which are ‘a’ or ‘c’ areas are not adversely affected by changes in their status making it difficult for them to recover;

63.

recognises the need to assess the impact of the pandemic at regional level with a view to reflecting this in the regional aid maps through a mid-term review in 2024. In a similar vein, increased economic inequalities and unfair distribution of the benefits of the Single Market triggered by asymmetrical State intervention across the EU also have to be assessed in light of the risk that some citizens/MS may not continue to favour a Single Market whose benefits are distributed unfairly. Thus, it would be useful if the Commission, which has oversight of those measures and of the amounts, conducted an analysis of their impact on the single market and on regional inequalities. This will inform policy-making and ensure a better targeting of all relevant EU policies on the specific needs of EU territories;

64.

considers that general principles of State aid rules, such as the incentive effect, must not be a barrier to the implementation of EU recovery funds. In this regard, calls on the European Commission to consider the incentive effect to be present when the aid leads to one or more of the following outcomes: a considerable increase in the size of the project or activity; a considerable increase in the geographical scope of the project or activity; a considerable increase in the amount invested by the beneficiary of the project or activity; or a considerable increase in the speed of implementation of the project or activity;

65.

notes that the application of State aid rules is intrinsically intertwined with the use of Cohesion policy instruments. It has also been recommended that the use of Simplified Cost Options referred to in the GBER be transposed into the Regional Aid Guidelines as well and not be limited to operations co-financed from ESIF only. These provisions offer an interesting compromise between the necessary monitoring of public money and a reasonable and accessible administrative burden. In addition, the relocation provisions, in particular those relating to Cohesion policy, have been identified as not sufficiently defined and unclear. A suggestion that State aid exemptions be granted immediately in connection with the approval of operational programmes confirms the close links between the Competition and Cohesion policy rules;

Supporting the digital transition in rural areas

66.

takes note of the findings of the CoR 2020 Barometer of Regions and Cities (5) stating that the new digital solutions adopted by local and regional authorities in response to the COVID-19 crisis could bolster the ongoing digital transition, but also risk exacerbating the ‘digital divide’, including between rural and urban areas;

67.

points out that the future of rural areas depends on them being provided with sufficient basic services and infrastructure and, of course, on the digital divide being tackled. Underlines their crucial importance of the transition towards a sustainable and climate-neutral economy and society. Sustainable resource-efficient business models with a focus on the circular economy and increased use of bio-based materials open up new opportunities that need to be seized via EU instruments;

68.

calls for policies and funding that support high digital connectivity for all EU regions and local authorities — including rural areas — to ensure that people and companies can adapt to the crisis and the changing world of work; observes that an increased use of teleworking may cause demographic and economic shifts from the cities towards intermediate or rural areas. Notes, nevertheless, that such a shift would only be possible with the development of sustainable mobility linkages between rural, intermediate and urban areas;

69.

calls for investment in the provision of high-speed internet everywhere, with specific attention to rural and less developed areas. Next to that, it will be important to develop strategies for providing (rural) households with the necessary affordable and decent hardware. A very specific action could be for Europe to give incentives to companies to donate hardware to people. Setting specific targets for rural areas in terms of provision of rural broadband, hardware and skills is necessary. The current DESI report (Digital Economy and Society Index) should provide this information;

70.

highlights the need for digital education and training aimed at people who need better digital skills, considering different age groups, income levels and specific target groups such as farmers. Schools, along with other centres where people live together or meet socially, can play an important role in digitalisation projects (for all age groups), but other agencies and enterprises can also do so;

71.

asks that the Digital Europe Programme, with its network of European Digital Innovation Hubs, pay specific attention to the needs of rural areas and offer adapted services through platforms that have a thorough understanding of their specific needs, with a close link to local communities;

72.

regarding the flexibility measures introduced by the EU in the implementation of ESI funds to help tackle the crisis, highlights the fact that an actual reduction of structural and cohesion funding for rural areas was observed in many Member States. The ability to increase the EU co-financing rate had the adverse effect of reducing overall transfers to rural areas because it allowed a reduction in national co-financing;

Wellbeing, poverty and quality of life

73.

emphasises that there are different factors influencing poverty and wellbeing in cities and in rural areas. The approach to tackle the issues is often based on urban realities. Furthermore, there is not much comparative research on the different aspects of wellbeing, which makes it difficult to adapt the approach to the rural context;

74.

highlights the need to invest in (comparative) research on rural wellbeing, poverty and quality of life to have more insight into the specific challenges that rural areas face;

75.

stresses that volunteers are central to quality of life and wellbeing and have played an important role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Volunteers and volunteer organisations are often organised at a very local level, in neighbourhoods or on a street. This proximity has enabled them to help where necessary, by communicating measures to people or by providing them with groceries and/or social care and healthcare. It is recommended that local and regional authorities tap into these existing volunteer networks to find new ways to reach people who experience poverty or who have wellbeing problems. To unlock the potential that lies in these volunteer organisations, EU funds might allow a different kind of co-financing for these organisations. For example, allowing the use of volunteer hours as co-financing would enable these organisations to apply more easily for EU funding;

76.

points out that all levels of government need to consciously prepare a communication strategy to ensure that people understand the existing risks and guide them to adopt correct behaviours. The consistency of messages, providing reliable and accessible information sources and using good visuals are important aspects of this strategy. There is a need to train teams of communicators who can directly reach the people and to train officials and experts in communication; stresses the need to recognise the role of local authorities in this communication strategy, who can help to create a bridge between the policy makers, the experts and the public;

77.

highlights the importance of monitoring respect for the subsidiarity principle. Emergency measures cannot lead to the centralisation of powers by national governments — thus limiting the role of the national parliaments and of local and regional authorities;

78.

stresses that some vulnerable workers such as digital platform workers, delivery workers or drivers, along with workers who provide care or assistance for dependent persons, are essential to our economy and should be better recognised in our society. Moreover, workers in teleworking must be guaranteed a right to disconnect;

79.

notes that the crisis is estimated to have made approximately an extra 900 000 people unemployed in the first three months of the crisis based on Eurostat data. This is why the EU’s recovery efforts must have a strong social dimension, in order to protect social security systems, safeguard workers’ jobs and avoid wrongful dismissals;

80.

highlights that the crisis has aggravated gender inequalities and gender-based violence. Cases of domestic violence rose by a third in some EU countries following lockdown. Moreover, the COVID-19 crisis has a clear gender dimension. At the same time, the pandemic has exacerbated Europe’s existing inequalities, marginalisation and discrimination, and has reinforced structural racism. Similarly, it has had a harmful impact on the most vulnerable groups, including older people and people with disabilities;

81.

points out that cities and regions and the EU leaders can build a stronger social Europe by working together in a renewed strategic partnership; points out, moreover, that urban-rural cooperation has particularly great potential for the recovery (‘joining forces’);

82.

highlights that social investment should be strengthened as a key priority for a fair and inclusive recovery. We have the chance to do more than temporarily undo the effects of the pandemic crisis and start up where we left off. We can build back better. We should make sure all Europeans have access to affordable healthcare of good quality. We should create more quality jobs with fair working conditions, more inclusive education paths and skills training, ensure decent and affordable housing, provide active support for the most vulnerable and equal opportunities for all people. To achieve this, we need strong investment in social infrastructure and social services at local and regional level, with the right policy mix and financial resources for implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights and the SDG agenda;

83.

highlights the need for a cross-border strategy and cross-border coordination on communication, measures and recovery. Notes that Solidarity between local and regional municipalities across State borders has been remarkably strengthened (in the sharing of medical equipment, charity actions, etc.). At the same time, due to the different and sometimes alienating national level measures, ordinary people’s perception on the other side of the border has become suspicious or fearful. Even in cases of such strong integration as in the Benelux and the Nordic Council’s states, many conflicts have appeared and the recovery of trust will need time;

84.

stresses that transparency is a fundamental issue in a crisis situation: citizens need to know who is in charge of what. In some ways, the pandemic has deeply affected the way in which policy-making is done; notes that the overall quality of a democracy can be assessed in such a pandemic;

85.

draws attention to the fact that good communication requires speaking the language of the people. This language is not only a matter of words, but also the way people express them and can understand messages, cultural differences and opinions; notes that communication to anti-vaxers poses a specific challenge in this regard, just like refuting fake news.

86.

if this crisis has revealed anything, it is the interdependence between all people on the planet and the importance of keeping a close eye on the real problems, with local and global efforts reinforcing each other. We have learned that we are facing a global crisis that requires a global and solidarity-based response. This requires greater international cooperation to help meet the needs of poorer regions as well, preventing the virus from circulating freely with the risk of more dangerous mutations. It is now clear that decentralised cooperation between our regions and cities has proved a key instrument in European international cooperation to help the most disadvantaged regions address the challenges of ensuring universal, high-quality access to much-needed public services, with a view to achieving the end goal of all emerging from this global crisis and doing so together.

---

(1)  European Committee of the Regions: 2020 Barometer of Regions and Cities available at: EU Annual Regional and Local Barometer (europa.eu).

(2)  Ibid.

(3)  European Committee of the Regions: 2020 Barometer of Regions and Cities available at: EU Annual Regional and Local Barometer (europa.eu).

(4)  Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty (OJ L 187, 26.6.2014, p. 1).

(5)  European Committee of the Regions: 2020 Barometer of Regions and Cities available at: EU Annual Regional and Local Barometer (europa.eu).

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — European Health Union: Reinforcing the EU's resilience

(2021/C 300/10)

Rapporteur: Roberto CIAMBETTI (IT/ECR), President of the Regional Council of Veneto

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

General remarks — The COVID-19 pandemic

1.

notes that, because of the pandemic, public health has been pushed even further to the forefront of the regions', cities', Member States' and the European Union's agenda and become one of the top political priorities;

2.

in this context, welcomes the Health Union Communication, which proposes to strengthen the current EU health security framework, which dates back to 2013. The partially obsolete framework includes the Decision on serious cross-border health threats, which facilitated the exchange of information and supported specific national measures taken, but was not able to cater to the current pandemic;

3.

shares the European Commission's view regarding the need to have more public investments in national health systems to ensure that they have the resources and means they need to emerge from the current crisis, as well as to strengthen their resilience in the long term. These objectives should be reflected in the country-specific recommendations under the European Semester. What the pandemic has highlighted in many areas has been the lack not just of early deployment of intensive and sub-intensive care (beds, equipment, specialist medical and nursing staff), but also of local health and palliative care. This has put Member States' different health systems in serious difficulty, especially at times of peak demand for care. At the same time, health systems and health professionals in many countries have demonstrated a strong ability to rapidly adjust and adapt their activities to the new conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic;

4.

welcomes the European Commission's proposal for a strengthened mandate to enforce a coordinated response at EU level in the Health Security Committee, enabled by targeted recommendations on response measures by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC);

5.

points out that the COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by major restrictions to freedom of movement inside the European Union, restrictions that have particularly affected border regions; therefore reiterates its request for an EU legal framework to allow for efficient management of cross-border public services which would address the needs of citizens living in these areas (1). Such a framework should be centred around the recently proposed EU regulation on serious cross-border health threats (2);

6.

welcomes the fact that the Communication contains proposals for medical countermeasures, including many measures such as stockpiling, increased production, joint procurement and better demand assessment for vaccines, PPE, medical devices, therapeutics, and laboratory and testing equipment whilst remaining compatible with the principle of subsidiarity. To boost its resilience and address shortcomings in times of crisis as well as provide scientific and technical assistance, including training, the EU needs to become more self-sufficient in medical supplies for the health sector and less reliant on third countries as referred to in the EU pharmaceutical strategy;

Cooperation between the ECDC and local authorities

7.

considers it essential that the ECDC can collaborate directly with individual regions in` the Member States, or with groups of them, to facilitate the analysis of specific epidemiological situations that may arise. This collaboration could also include support for the training of all those involved and facilitate the circulation of information and communication;

8.

urges the European Commission to re-establish the European Network for Highly Infectious Diseases (EuroNHID), a co-funded network of experts in the management of highly infectious diseases from national or regional centres set up to care for patients suffering from such diseases;

9.

considers it necessary to invest more in scientific research within the EU, given that the transition to a more resilient society requires significant technological changes;

10.

notes that there is a need to set up databases in cross-border areas, shared between the neighbouring countries and regions, that identify available stocks of medical supplies and PPE;

11.

welcomes the European Commission's undertaking, in cooperation with the Member States and the regions, to set up a common general health database that enables comprehensive management and monitoring of shared problems, bearing in mind that pandemics do not stop at borders and that today's society is a globalised one: individual territories are not isolated, contact between them and the rest of the world is inescapable and the way in which pathogens are transmitted can only be determined after the fact, if at all;

Conference on the Future of Europe

12.

believes that the Conference on the Future of Europe provides a suitable platform for discussing and providing impetus on the evolution of the EU's role in health in the future, in order to respond to citizens' expectations and improve the efficacy of Europe's healthcare systems. The development of enhanced European cooperation must take account of the subsidiarity principle and respect the fact that Member States have primary responsibility both for health and social care and public health, and for crisis preparedness and management;

13.

notes that, although health policy remains a primary competence of the Member States, it is necessary to launch a reflection on how to improve coordination in the field of health and how to strengthen the EU's response to serious cross-border health threats during the debate on the future of Europe, while taking into account the different subnational structures in the field of health and the different competences of the health authorities in individual Member States. These improvements could, among other things, enable the EU Member States to jointly recognise a public health emergency at macroregional or Union level. They could also make it possible to increase the capacity of rescEU, including the capacity to organise stockpiles and emergency medical teams;

14.

maintains that, since in many Member States, local and regional authorities have important responsibilities and competences in the field of public health, the CoR, as the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives, needs to have a strong representation in all the discussions at EU level on health competences, including those in the ambit of the Conference on the Future of Europe;

15.

expresses the wish to be closely involved in the work of the Global Health Summit, which will be held in Italy in 2021 and which will enable the EU to steer the worldwide exploration of how to strengthen global health security in the age of pandemics;

Role of regional and local authorities

16.

reiterates the fact that local and regional authorities are on the front line in the COVID-19 pandemic. They carry out important actions and have responsibilities in many Member States in protecting the health of the citizens, employing a large share of the healthcare workforce, funding and managing health systems and care facilities in the short and long term, and in designing and implementing health policies, as well as prevention and health promotion activities. Crucial in this respect are the forms of regional autonomy that make it possible to change the existing organisational structure rapidly in order to be able to respond promptly to emergencies;

17.

points out that regions that can communicate directly with the EU will be able to find the best solutions in the short term to deal with emergencies and will be able to better use the resources best suited to their needs, since regional circumstances within individual states are often diverse and the needs of different regions may not coincide;

18.

regrets that the Communication does not, unfortunately, specifically refer to the regional and local levels as essential elements in health policy, but confines itself to noting the role of border regions in cross-border cooperation on health;

19.

believes, furthermore, that greater coordination between all levels of government is needed in order to avert a situation in which the essential autonomy of each local area or region results in inequalities in patient treatment;

20.

stresses the need to establish a public-private network of excellence, including, in the event of major public health emergencies, gold-standard hospitals specialising in the study and treatment of infectious diseases that can be transmitted by air, contact or vectors;

Lessons learned from the pandemic

21.

notes that Member States' health systems exhibited varying degrees of crisis preparedness. In some cases they were not ready to deal with a crisis on such a scale because of under-investment in public health and shortages of medical staff, whereas in others they displayed greater resilience. This demonstrates a need for the European Commission to be able, in close cooperation with each Member State, to regularly assess its epidemic preparedness;

22.

welcomes, in this sense, the proposal of the European Commission to organise in a coordinating capacity stress-tests of the health systems in Member States in order to ensure the functioning of the Union preparedness and response plan. Considers that these stress-tests should fully involve, depending on their competences, regions and cities in the Member States concerned;

23.

calls to ensure the continuous development of the digital platforms and applications, including the platform for surveillance established under Article 14 of the regulation on serious cross-border threats to health; furthermore, calls for local and regional authorities to be involved in the preparation, auditing and stress-testing of the proposed binding health crisis preparedness and response plans to be drawn up at national and EU levels;

24.

recommends that the proposed foresight activities and enhanced reporting requirements on healthcare data and performance include a regional dimension as well as the national one;

25.

notes that the local and regional health and social services and intermediate facilities have played a key role in supporting hospitals, enabling both the role of ‘COVID hospital’ to be concentrated in specific hospitals and also patients to be treated who are COVID-negative or have tested negative after contracting COVID-19 and need to complete their treatment; stresses the need to strengthen local health care, which cares for patients before and after arrival in hospital. The European Commission and the CoR should both play an important role in disseminating good practice in this sector;

26.

notes that the pandemic has hit the most fragile sections of society (the elderly, the sick, children and young people) particularly hard, sometimes throwing into relief the fragility of the global socio-economic system and vulnerability in relation to technology (smart working, remote schooling, etc.); underscores the fact that these sectors therefore require more targeted support, including from the EU;

27.

thinks that coordination capacity must be bolstered after the pandemic by promoting sustainable lifestyles at local level, focusing fully on the citizens, by building a framework of smart incentives and rules capable of stimulating and rewarding civic behaviour directed towards the common good;

28.

calls for joint EU procurement to be used to purchase COVID-19 vaccines and medicines and for these to be used more systematically to avoid competition between Member States. It calls, furthermore, for it to be used to ensure equal and affordable access to other important medicines and medical devices, especially for new innovative antibiotics, new vaccines and curative medicines, and medicines for rare diseases;

Investment in health systems

29.

points out that, in terms of investment in health systems, the Communication mentions support to Member States to improve the resilience, accessibility and effectiveness of their health systems, linked to the European Semester, the Social Scoreboard and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and national plans; maintains that the involvement of local and regional authorities in all these instruments and processes needs to be ensured and/or strengthened, following the subsidiarity principle;

30.

identifies as a strategic priority the promotion of remote basic telehealth services by integrated teams of professionals for the treatment and monitoring of home-based patients with chronic and multi-morbidity conditions; stresses that telemedicine can increasingly transform the home into a place of care, with evident economic and social savings and high efficiency in treatment, prevention and healing;

31.

maintains that the Member States can cooperate in ensuring that the contractual framework and the financial treatment of health professionals carrying out equivalent activities are similar, so as not to create — assuming professional parity — privileged areas that are more attractive to health workers and, on the contrary, disadvantaged ones which are unable to recruit health workers;

32.

considers that fair pay and salary top-ups for front-line health workers are essential for maintaining the resilience of the health systems. They help to recognise the professionalism of health workers and are a way of expressing gratitude for their selflessness, something that has been of proven value in shoring up the resilience of health systems during the pandemic in various Member States;

33.

considers that intermediary professionals between those who are merely involved in personal care and those with nursing skills can help meet the needs of care institutions and ensure the necessary elasticity in social and health care services;

34.

thinks Member States need to assess facilities and staff skills on an ongoing basis to ensure that they are able to handle practical tasks (e.g. swabs and vaccines) for the entire population in the event of systemic emergencies;

Vaccine strategy

35.

calls on the Member States to involve local and regional authorities in the vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2 so they can contribute to the timely deployment and distribution of vaccines and provide clear factual information on vaccines to citizens in order to counter disinformation;

36.

supports the sharing of good practice between local and regional authorities in the EU with regard to tackling vaccine hesitancy and understanding the reasons behind such hesitancy among healthcare and social care professionals;

37.

strongly believes that it was a right decision to allow the European Union to procure vaccines on behalf of the Member States. Argues that to ameliorate the situation with the availability of vaccines, medicines and other medical supplies, the EU should seek to minimise its dependence on third countries with regard to their production. Furthermore believes that companies which developed vaccines thanks to the use of public funds should share their patents with other companies to boost the production capacities in Europe;

38.

considers that the vaccine strategy should evolve apace with progress in the vaccination of the population, so that this strategy first targets high-risk groups and people working in essential services, such as health and social care workers, and then branches out to wider groups, also taking into account the reduction of social and economic restrictions on the ground;

39.

supports the creation of an organisational model that enables as many people as possible to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, using all doses in individual vials;

Strategy for fighting health disinformation

40.

calls for coordinated measures to be taken by all Member States to monitor and fight health disinformation. As local and regional authorities are in the front line when it comes to tackling health challenges in most Member States, it is these authorities that are most directly affected by the — often deliberate — spread of health misinformation. It is imperative for local and regional authorities to receive unified, coordinated support so that they can combat this issue effectively.

---

(1)  COTER-VII/005.

(2)  COM(2020) 727 final.

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions — Powering a climate-neutral economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration

(2021/C 300/11)

Rapporteur: Gunārs ANSIŅŠ (LV/RE), Member of Liepāja City Council Reference document: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic And Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Powering a climate-neutral economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration COM(2020) 299 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: An EU Strategy to harness the potential of offshore renewable energy for a climate neutral future COM(2020) 741 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on an EU strategy to reduce methane emissions COM(2020) 663

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Electricity continuity, interconnection of electricity networks in the European Union (EU) and the clean energy transition

1.

stresses that the current crisis highlights the need to ensure continuity of energy and electricity supply in every European region, including in situations where global supply chains may be disrupted;

2.

believes that the energy characteristics of Europe's regions vary greatly in terms of their electricity demand, generation potential and available infrastructure, including within the borders of the same country. Therefore, in addition to international connections between systems, further effort must be made to develop intranational interregional infrastructure to ensure in particular that renewable energy is transferred from regions with considerable resources, and this infrastructure should be supported by an overall European vision, as it contributes to the cohesion of the European electricity market;

3.

points out that it is also important to strengthen transnational cooperation by carrying out energy projects jointly and increasing the capacity of transnational connections in order to cover potential electricity shortages during peak hours. However, national minimum levels of secure power plant capacity must not be undercut;

4.

notes that the European Union currently imports 58 % of the energy it needs, mostly in the form of oil and gas. The clean energy transition will reduce the EU's dependence on fossil fuels and import thereof. The EU Strategy for Energy System Integration will contribute to this process and to meeting the energy and climate targets. Moving towards cleaner energy carriers, as well as adopting efficient energy use measures, the EU as a whole will consume less energy, increase the number of energy producers via tools to facilitate self-consumption and the creation of energy communities, use local renewable resources to a greater extent and gradually diversify energy imports. Energy savings, diversification and local energy production will help make Europe's economy more resilient and reduce dependence on external sources;

5.

underlines the importance of clean hydrogen, primarily from renewable energy, as highlighted in the EU Energy System Integration Strategy, for the further integration and decarbonisation of the energy system; calls in this connection for the swift implementation of the EU hydrogen strategy and refers to its opinion on clean hydrogen; expects the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package announced by the European Commission and the forthcoming revision of the EU gas market to put into effect the calls made in this opinion and to promote sectoral integration;

6.

stresses the importance of enabling and promoting a variety of different solutions and combinations of energy systems, taking into account technological development and the different circumstances in the EU's regions in terms of climate, geography, infrastructure, energy systems, etc. The EU's regulatory framework should, as far as possible, be technology-neutral in relation to emission reduction and sustainability, taking into account all existing alternatives, especially those available at local level, and avoid overregulation and heavier administrative burdens for sustainable and secure solutions and steer efforts to reduce families' energy poverty. Energy production using nuclear fission does not meet the sustainability criterion;

7.

is deeply concerned about the construction of Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which threatens European energy security, increases EU dependency on the Russian Federation, ignores the interests of many EU and non-EU countries and, in light of the EU's overall decarbonisation targets, is bound to become prematurely obsolescent. Supports the European Parliament in its view that the completion of this political project must stop immediately;

8.

draws attention to the five dimensions of realising the Energy Union: increasing energy security, strengthening the internal energy market, increasing energy efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions (‘decarbonisation of the economy’) and promoting research and innovation in the energy sector. Ensuring the continuity of electricity must play a more significant role in this– particularly in the event of a crisis, including an energy crisis — with a view to ensuring that critical infrastructure can operate continuously in all regions. In this context, solutions for local energy production, storage capacity and tools for flexibility are needed, alongside sufficient and versatile generation capacity, so as to create solutions for emergencies and interruptions for all inhabited areas, especially in less developed regions, those with low population density and those with isolated energy systems. At the same time, the need to modernise electricity transmissions should be emphasised. It is necessary to insist on removing physical barriers to the development of good quality interconnections between all EU regions to guarantee a genuine integration of the electricity system. Having several national energy systems work in synchronous mode significantly reduces the operating costs of the energy system and improves security by reducing the potential negative impact of local accidents on the stability of the energy system and simplifying its essential operating parameters, such as frequencies and maintenance;

9.

stresses that particular attention should also be paid to the management and cost-effectiveness of the electricity system as well as to local solutions for energy production and storage (cost-effective batteries, pumped storage plants, etc.) and shared self-consumption;

The specific role of local and regional authorities

10.

notes that the EU Strategy for Energy System Integration has a role to play in the economic recovery of local and regional authorities, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. In making the transition towards a more integrated energy system, it is important to set the energy-efficiency-first objective at local and regional level, taking into account the broader context of the less developed regions and the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency reduces total investment and costs needed in relation to energy production, infrastructure and consumption. It also reduces use of land and materials as well as pollution and biodiversity loss. Energy system integration can help local and regional authorities achieve greater energy efficiency as the available resources would be used for the transition to more efficient energy technologies;

11.

believes that local and regional authorities should encourage both an increase in the share of renewable energy and improvement of policies and measures, particularly in the heating, cooling and transport sectors. It is also necessary to determine a clearer energy savings plan, particularly in the fields of transport and buildings;

12.

points out that transport accounts for around 30 % of final energy consumption in the European Union and depends primarily on petroleum products, and that its decarbonisation requires greater electrification of final consumption, both for direct use in transport and for the generation of new energy carriers such as fuel, without rejecting any technological solution for unjustified reasons. The CoR also deems it necessary to develop the energy infrastructure required for this and thus make a significant contribution to reducing energy dependency on third countries, thereby increasing Europe's energy security;

13.

points out that buildings consume 40 % of the energy consumed in Europe and that, therefore, a systematic plan to reduce consumption and encourage renewable energy sources in the building stock will significantly reduce energy dependency on third countries, thereby increasing Europe's energy security;

14.

points out that investments to improve the energy performance of buildings, which are highly beneficial, should be supported by a sufficient budget to assist people with them, and that local authorities should be involved in planning and managing these resources;

15.

calls on the Commission to provide maximum support for research into the renovation of buildings subject to traditional landscape or historical constraints so as to ensure a respectful integration of renewable energies, and calls for this issue to be made one of the cornerstones of the new European Bauhaus;

Strengthening the existing infrastructure of each region while aligning the best development path to their regional specificities

16.

believes that when implementing the energy system, it is essential to assess the impact of the measures on growth in each region and in particular on achieving the cohesion policy objectives laid down in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. This is the only way to achieve balanced development and genuine competition in an open market. Unfortunately, one of the obstacles is the significant difference in energy prices for end-users;

17.

considers that account should be taken of the additional efforts required in the outermost regions to overcome technical barriers faced by systems that are not interconnected, without access to the internal energy market and without their own provision. This requires huge investments in energy infrastructure (back-up capacity, transmission networks including inter-island submarine cables, energy storage systems, smart grids and logistics for access, transport and storage of less polluting fuels) which taken together can guarantee the security and quality of energy supply and the integration of the regions' local energy sources, especially renewable energy of a variable nature;

18.

points out that, without taking away from innovative solutions, when integrating the energy system, it is mainly necessary to strengthen each region's existing basic infrastructure, whose strengths and advantages have been proven in practice. Given that the situations in regions vary widely in terms of climate and infrastructure, creative and smart solutions should be sought for the weak points in each region's basic infrastructure. It would be wrong to say, therefore, that the use of electricity for heating buildings should be increased in all regions. District heating is highly developed in a number of countries. In Latvia, for example, it covers more than 70 % of the population, and the amount of energy supplied to customers by district heating is similar to the amount of electricity consumed in Latvia; district heating can contribute by providing energy storage and power generation and by making use of energy resources that cannot be exploited at building level. This requires district and local heating and heating networks to be converted gradually to renewable energy;

Cost-effective for people and businesses

19.

stresses that when developing any energy system, it should be assessed whether it would lead to lower costs for businesses and people. The energy-efficiency-first principle should aim to reduce the climate impact and increase the resource efficiency of integrated energy supply systems as well as improving efficiency for end-users. At the same time, however, care must be taken to ensure that the transition does not go against the interests of consumers, namely that efforts to improve energy efficiency do not lead to higher energy tariffs or other costs for people and businesses without appropriate compensation;

20.

believes that the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be achieved in the way that the Member State concerned considers most advantageous and effective, especially for the sections of society for which the Member State should provide social protection. It is therefore still necessary, in shifting to renewable energy sources in the future, to take into account the prerogative of each Member State and each regional and local authority to determine its own energy mix and energy supply structure;

21.

stresses that both in the EU regulatory framework and in the Commission's future work, the Commission should play an important role in improving the EU public's knowledge and understanding of the use of renewable energy technologies, as well as support for renewable energy production, as the public's attitude towards some renewable energy technologies or their production is a major obstacle, together with regulations that fail to match advances in technology, to increasing the production of renewable energy. It is also essential not only to raise awareness among the local community, but also to demonstrate that it is the local community that benefits from renewable energy in practice;

22.

notes that particular attention should be paid to solutions that would help close the significant gaps between end-users in terms of energy prices (including all related costs). The increased use of renewable resources in the energy system should also be assessed in terms of the cost for the end-user. Thus, there is room for developing innovative and consumer-friendly solutions in this area;

The road to climate neutrality in 2050

23.

notes that the additional efforts undertaken by regions with isolated electricity systems — for which innovative technological solutions enabling interconnection with other integrated networks are not yet available — should be taken into account. This is the case for the outermost regions, where alternative solutions need to be considered that, taken as a whole, can guarantee the security and quality of the energy supply while also achieving climate neutrality;

24.

believes that the EU's goals for greenhouse gas or climate neutrality by 2050 can only be achieved by combining efforts on energy saving, energy efficiency, renewable energy and waste heat use. In order to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions in all sectors, it is not only necessary to increase energy efficiency and promote the use of renewable energy sources, but also to develop connections to basic infrastructure;

25.

notes that for Europe as a whole to achieve its 2050 climate neutrality target, what is important for the energy system in each region is not the percentage increase of the existing green energy share in total consumption, but real plans for each region to achieve the common EU target — the share of green energy in the total consumption in each region. In light of existing achievements (1), it is clear that national and regional efforts to integrate the energy system will vary significantly. For some regions, the challenge will be to increase the share of green energy in energy consumption, and for others it will be taking the necessary steps towards more efficient use of energy, and for others still it will be improving basic infrastructure. A regional approach to the local development of the EU Energy Strategy for System Integration is thus the basis for delivering a climate neutral economy;

Outlook on offshore renewable energy technologies

26.

welcomes the EU Strategy to harness the potential of offshore renewable energy for a climate neutral future as realistic, stressing the need for concrete planning in order for the capacity of renewable energy sources — including the current installed offshore wind capacity –to be increased. Achieving the 2030 and 2040 climate targets requires the timely uptake of established and cost-effective renewable energies such as onshore wind and solar energy. The uptake of renewable energy is important for Member States to help move towards zero pollution and climate neutrality by 2050. Uptake is therefore an important element in the production of hydrogen from renewable energy sources for the decarbonisation of sectors in which emissions are difficult to reduce;

27.

agrees with the need to support new renewable technologies (e.g. hydro, geothermal, solar, tidal, wave and floating offshore wind and solar technologies, offshore hydrogen generation) in a targeted manner, while at the same time supporting the EU's economic and environmental objectives; stresses, at the same time, the need for a clear plan to link renewable energy production networks and installations, such as offshore grid and offshore wind power generation directly to a cross-border interconnector in the future. Offshore energy production combined with cross-border transmission would allow significant savings in terms of costs and use of maritime space. At the same time, fishing opportunities and shipping traffic must not be restricted;

28.

calls for clear and practical conditions for the use of offshore renewable energy sources in terms of biodiversity considerations. Green energy and biodiversity objectives should not be pitted against each other, but practical ways should be found to achieve them, thereby making it easier to realise the offshore energy potential more quickly in practice and ensuring concrete maritime spatial planning, not only in line with the biodiversity requirements, with less disruption for marine life, but also taking into account people's desire to preserve the marine landscape, the growing potential of eco-tourism and demands to preserve the attractiveness of natural surroundings;

29.

notes the potential of islands and outermost regions when it comes to developing offshore renewables, which could play an essential role in helping these regions transition to a climate-neutral economy and could also provide industrial, economic and social benefits throughout the EU;

30.

points out that the use of offshore energy can lead to increased employment or retraining of workers, but that it is important not to restrict existing forms of employment and opportunities related to them. It is essential to ensure the reskilling and upskilling of the workforce, in line with the specific needs of the offshore renewable energy sector;

31.

calls for a special role to be played by ports in the EU's offshore renewable energy strategy through modernising them and ensuring that they take advantage of the new business opportunities for the assembly, production and maintenance of offshore energy installations;

32.

welcomes the Commission's view that the proposed scale of the EU Strategy to harness the potential of offshore renewable energy for a climate neutral future can only be achieved if all stakeholders — Member States, local and regional authorities, the EU population, social partners and NGOs — work together; stresses that, in order to ensure continued and increasing progress in the field of offshore renewable energy, legal certainty and clarity must be ensured, as investments are generally highly capital intensive, especially in the early stages of a project;

A new EU strategy to reduce methane emissions — new opportunities

33.

notes that according to the EU strategy to reduce methane emissions, the EU accounts for only 5 % of global methane emissions. It can therefore be concluded that even the most ambitious EU plans to reduce methane emissions will have little impact on reducing the planet's greenhouse gas emissions. Imports of goods into the EU's single market should only be allowed from countries (or parts thereof) that provide the same standards for greenhouse gas reduction as the EU. Only in this way will it be possible to ensure that the climate targets set by the EU will not adversely affect the competitiveness of the EU and its businesses at global level;

34.

calls for the faster detection of methane leaks both through the Copernicus programme and through other tools where the Copernicus programme is not able to provide sufficient data. It is essential to identify areas with significant methane leaks outside the EU and to make this information public, thus enabling EU citizens to make informed choices as to whether to purchase goods produced in such locations. According to the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook, there are significant differences between oil and gas plants in various countries throughout the world in terms of methane emissions, which shows the potential for significant reductions in methane emissions. The CoR therefore calls both for the avoidance of methane leakage along the production, transport and utilisation chains within the EU and for the prevention of imports of fossil fuels with input from methane leakage during extraction, processing and transport;

35.

draws attention to the fact that around 41 % of global methane emissions come from natural (biogenic) sources, such as wetlands or wildfires, as stated in the EU strategy to reduce methane emissions. Preventing and effectively fighting wildfires in the EU should become one of the most important objectives, as they not only affect the rise in global temperatures, but cause extreme damage to Europe's nature, people and businesses; calls also for consideration to be given to the EU's potential to promote more effective prevention and suppression of wildfires in other countries outside the European Union, where significant forest areas are burned each year;

36.

calls, at the same time, for ensuring that methane reduction targets do not adversely affect the convergence of European regions or increase socio-economic disparities between them;

37.

calls for the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) to include effective measures to cut methane emissions from agriculture. Low input systems such as grazing, together with soil protection measures, can make an important contribution to this as part of the new eco-schemes;

38.

calls for greater attention to be paid to European producers in developing technologies and making them available, so that the methane reduction targets do not lead to additional costs for people and businesses, in particular arable and livestock farmers. At the same time, when reducing methane emissions in agriculture and livestock, it is important to ensure there is no rise in food prices;

Final conclusions

39.

stresses that, in addition to making use of new opportunities in renewable energy production, it is still important to ensure that the European network is extended as a matter of priority to cover each region in the common European energy network. This will allow renewable resources available in different locations to better complement each other. Minimum standards for security of electricity supply and maintenance of network stability are also a matter of urgency;

40.

points out that it is important to take into account existing regional disparities, paying particular attention to rural and sparsely populated areas, and to support cost-effective solutions, ensuring a reduction in energy costs for Europe's people and businesses, particularly vulnerable groups, and taking care not to exacerbate the energy poverty which may be affecting the most vulnerable groups;

41.

notes that the COVID-19 pandemic makes it even clearer that there is a need for an energy transition that will foster a more sustainable society and economy while guaranteeing the capacity of each European region to deliver basic services during a crisis; stresses that the transition must be fair, gradual and irreversible, as short-term unsustainable solutions could cause harm rather than benefits;

42.

stresses the need for a more systematic approach to the involvement of local and regional authorities in making decisions on the energy transition. It is important to ensure that the relevant local and regional authorities are involved in the development of national energy and climate plans, possibly via multilevel climate and energy dialogues; reiterates its call for the Member States and the Commission to set up a permanent multi-level dialogue platform on energy issues in order to promote the active involvement of local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, businesses and other stakeholders in the governance of the energy transition. The CoR points out that the renewable energy Directive ((EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2)) has provided a very good basis for renewable energy communities. Member States are called upon to transpose the directive in order to increase participation in citizen energy communities;

43.

points out that in order to achieve the new objectives, it is essential to cooperate with local and regional authorities and to properly inform and raise awareness among the general population and entrepreneurs, which forms a basis for shaping our future sustainably;

44.

stresses that, given the importance of citizen participation, it should be unthinkable that the EU Energy System Integration Strategy could be implemented successfully without initiatives that promote a bottom-up flow of information and foster information exchange and education at local level; notes that proper stakeholder involvement not only facilitates public support for policy measures, but also promotes a comprehensive and transparent assessment of progress.

---

(1)  Eurostat, ‘Share of renewable energy in the EU up to 19,7 % in 2019’, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20201218-1

(2)  Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 82).