13.7.2022

Official Journal of the European Union

C 270/1

Resolution of the European Committee of the Regions on the contribution of local and regional authorities to the Conference on the Future of Europe

(2022/C 270/01)

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR),

Having regard to:

—	the Resolution on the European Committee of the Regions’ priorities for 2020-2025 (1),

—	the Resolutions of the European Committee of the Regions on the Conference on the Future of Europe of 12 February 2020 (2) and of 7 May 2021 (3),

—	the Resolution of the European Committee of the Regions on the 2022 Work Programme of the European Commission of 2 December 2021 (4),

—	the report of the European Committee of the Regions’ High Level Group on European Democracy;

Whereas:

a.	The EU consists of 27 Member States, 280 regions and almost 90 000 municipalities, the principle of united in diversity must be a guiding one in the functioning of the EU;

citizens and their regional and local delegates to the Conference on the Future of Europe expect tangible outcomes that improve the functioning of the EU institutions and lead to reformed EU governance focusing on proximity and participation, in order to increase people’s trust in the EU and its democratic legitimacy;

c.	the inclusion of a strong delegation of regional and local political representatives in the Conference Plenary helped to bring the debates close to the concerns of citizens, with the aim of providing a territorial dimension to the future outcomes of the Conference;

d.	the key proposals raised by the local and regional delegates to the Conference have met general consent in the Conference Plenary, Working Groups, the caucuses of the political families, and the Multilingual Digital Platform;

European democracy

believes that democracy is a fundamental value of the EU underpinned by the rule of law and expressed by citizens’ trust in European, national, regional and local elections; considers that European, national, local and regional democracies, built on their regional parliaments and governments, councils and mayors legitimised by elections are fully complementary and mutually reinforcing and that democracy should be respected as a universal value across the EU;

considers that in order to address citizens’ increasing demand for tackling democratic deficit, the EU needs to promote a model of ‘House of European Democracy’ constructed on a three-dimensional legitimacy — European, national, regional and local corresponding to the vote cast by citizens at each level; regional parliaments with legislative powers will have a particular role to play here, due to their function as intermediaries between the citizens and the supranational level;

is convinced that representative and participative European democracy should work in a complementary manner to ensure that democracy delivers results to citizens in the places they live in;

points out that democracy is geared towards the participation of all people and that, in Europe, legitimacy arises primarily from people’s lived experience of subsidiarity; therefore sees a good future for a citizens’ Europe; in this context the active involvement of local and regional representatives at European level will be particularly important;

stresses the need for greater participation and engagement of citizens in EU policies through stronger electoral representation at all levels of governance, and considers that this will contribute to the Europeanisation of the public space; calls on the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council to boost representative democracy by increasing the funding available to political parties, groups and foundations present at EU level, including those representing the national, regional and local level;

believes that there is scope for better use of the existing Treaty framework via better synergies between the various levels of governance; however, Treaty changes should not be excluded if duly justified;

calls for building on the experience of the Conference to develop permanent and place-based dialogue with citizens as a participatory mechanism that would better link the EU with the realities at local, county, regional and national levels; believes that this permanent dialogue with citizens would prove its added value in the context of European, national and regional/county/local elections; in this regard, the work of the centres that form part of the Europe Direct network is noteworthy, as is that of the host structures which act as drivers for the dissemination of European values and the debate on the European project. In the same vein, local and regional authorities should encourage permanent forums for European dialogue and debate with the various actors in their region, with a view to bringing the European integration project closer to the citizens;

calls for new forms of civic participation to be institutionalised at European Union level by means of citizens’ dialogues with randomly selected citizens on specific topics;

highlights that EU regions, counties and cities have tangible know-how related to citizens’ participation and recalls that they have organised the majority of the nearly 5 000 citizens’ dialogues and events held in the context of the Conference; reiterates its readiness to continue to organise local dialogues aimed at narrowing the gap between European institutions and citizens through engagement at local, county and regional level;

Active subsidiarity and proportionality in the European decision making process

10.

recommends that the principles of multi-level governance and partnership be expanded and incorporated into the legislative and regulatory provisions of all EU policies that have a regional or local impact; reiterates its call for the codification of the principles of multi-level governance and partnership beyond the ESIF in an inter-institutional Code of Conduct, and for their inclusion in the Inter-Institutional Agreement on Better Law-Making;

11.

stresses that the European Missions, as a new and vital instrument in tackling burning societal challenges, are a real test of the EU’s impact and credibility. They need to have widespread legitimacy and acceptance. As the European Commission has highlighted, the role of cities and regions with all their stakeholders and citizens is crucial in achieving the ambitious targets of the EU Missions. Also calls on the EU Missions to define clear roadmaps and create a systemic new multi-governance approach and methodologies on experimenting, prototyping, monitoring, and scaling up the activities on all governance levels;

12.

calls for strengthening the principle of active subsidiarity through amendments to Protocol 2 of the Lisbon Treaty on the application of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles; demands that such amendments extend the deadline for scrutinising subsidiarity under the ‘Early Warning Mechanism’ to 12 weeks, introduce a systematic use of the subsidiarity ‘grid’ developed by the CoR and introduce a ‘green card procedure’, allowing for a significant number of national or regional parliaments to propose EU legislation;

13.

proposes that impact assessments include a territorial dimension, and that the principle of proportionality gets the same legal consideration as the principle of subsidiarity;

14.

calls to for the CoR to be gradually upgraded from an advisory body to a co-deciding body of the European Union on key policies areas with territorial impact;

15.

The importance of the initiatives launched by the European Committee of the Regions with regard to subsidiarity and the improvement of European legislation must be highlighted; not just the subsidiarity network but also RegHub, which is playing an increasingly larger role and is proving to be very useful to the European Commission;

16.

points out that the CoR represents a dimension of European policy that other EU bodies cannot, and that the CoR’s regional and local perspective therefore makes an indispensable contribution to policy-making and legitimacy within the European Union;

17.

considers it essential that the CoR should focus its work on policies with territorial impact, and therefore predominantly on matters in which local and regional authorities are either involved at implementing level or are significantly affected;

18.

calls for a mandate for the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU to discuss CoR opinions adopted after a mandatory consultation, and to give substantiated reasons if those opinions are not taken into account;

19.

requests that the CoR should be granted access to trilogues and related documents, provided that it has delivered an opinion on the proposal in question under Article 307 TFEU; demands that the CoR is given the ability to propose compromises to the co-legislators, which will enable them to receive valuable input regarding the implementation realities on the ground;

20.

calls for better inter-institutional synergies, for instance by involving the CoR in the work of the structures of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (e.g. commissions, committees and working groups) and the comitology procedure;

21.

recalls that 70 % of legislation is implemented at regional and local level, asks to be consulted in the EU’s annual and multi-annual planning, agenda and priority-setting processes, such as those foreseen under the Inter-Institutional Agreement on Better Law-Making; in this connection, highlights the added value of the RegHub network and calls for it to be strengthened;

22.

is convinced that giving greater consideration to the specific experiences of local and regional authorities in the implementation of EU law will lead to better regulation in the European Union;

23.

stresses that any evolution of the European electoral law, including the possible introduction of transnational lists, must respect the principle of territorial representation and ensure the connection to the local and regional dimensions of EU policies, and the proximity of the Members of the European Parliament to citizens;

European values and the rule of law

24.

points out that local and regional authorities have an important role to play in strengthening the rule of law, condemns therefore any attempts to attack the rule of law, instrumentalise the judicial system and undermine European values, rights and the supremacy of EU law over national law; underlines that local and regional authorities must be involved in monitoring the rule of law and assessing it based on the criteria developed by the Venice Commission;

25.

reiterates its call for steps to be taken to strengthen the EU’s and Members States’ authority, the credibility of public rule of law institutions, and regional authorities as incubators of democracy;

26.

considers that breaches of the rule of law principle must result in suspension of payments or financial corrections, and that in the event of such measures, those beneficiaries of EU funding including local and regional authorities, not responsible for the breaches of the rule of law should continue to receive financial support from the Member State concerned;

27.

recognises that the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing disparities in the European regions; calls therefore on the Conference’s components to reinforce European solidarity and recognise cohesion as a fundamental European value;

28.

proposes the establishment of an Erasmus programme for local and regional politicians to help develop their knowledge of the EU, increase fund delivery and improve the quality of policy implementation;

Youth, education and culture

29.

points out that the Conference on the Future of Europe should be used to spearhead efforts to achieve the Union of Equality, effectively addressing all forms of discrimination; considers it essential to better ensure that gender equality principles are mainstreamed throughout EU legislation and ‘gender-impact assessments’ are introduced for each newly proposed piece of EU legislation;

30.

considers that the Conference on the Future of Europe should make proposals for the sustainable protection and promotion of minorities in the EU, building on the proposals of the successful Minority SafePack Citizens’ Initiative;

31.

underlines the need to address the threats of disinformation in Europe and calls for the introduction of a Europe-wide curriculum for civic education, the promotion of European democratic values, critical thinking, digital skills and media literacy, to be developed and deployed in partnership with local and regional authorities;

32.

calls for strong action at EU level to reduce regional disparities in education, particularly in remote, cross-border, rural and poor urban areas; demands that the EU support national and regional efforts to future-proof education through the development of new teaching tools such as Pan-European multilingual digital platforms for the broad dissemination of educational content;

33.

highlights the importance of continuing to expand the recipients, opportunities and funds of the Erasmus+ programme, which is the most important instrument the European Union relies on to create a shared European awareness. In particular, the current resources and opportunities it offers at school level should be given a boost, as should those allocated to the various fields of public administration so that, in this case, it becomes a programme for the exchange of best practices, broadening the scope of the current Erasmus for Public Administrations programme;

34.

considers that tackling youth unemployment and youth and child poverty should become a priority in all European regions, cities and rural areas;

35.

considers that universal access to culture and sport activities is the key to enabling economic and social development and increasing the overall number of people, especially young people, involved in such activities, thereby facilitating the promotion of common European values;

Climate, Environment and Resilience

36.

recalls that regions and cities play a decisive role in implementing most mitigation and adaptation actions, in responding to climate disasters and in ensuring the active engagement of local communities in the green transition; demands, therefore, a clear institutional involvement of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of climate, energy and environmental policies, for direct access to EU funding, the minimisation of bureaucratic obstacles, and for coordinated programmes across all levels of governance and, in particular, the investment plans in support of the European Green Deal and the Recovery and Resilience Plans; underlines that direct funding is the precondition for cities and regions to be ready to uptake the ambitious targets being negotiated under the Fit for 55 package;

37.

highlights the territorial dimension of the European Green Deal and the interaction with the digital transformation and social policies; demands that the monitoring of the climate measures in the recovery and resilience plans takes into account the Local Green Deals; proposes a European Regional Scoreboard with clear, targeted, user-friendly indicators to measure and monitor the impacts of the European Green Deal at the level of NUTS 2 regions;

38.

reiterates its demands for a systematic organisation of multilevel platforms and dialogues to deliver structured and inclusive participation of local and regional authorities in planning and implementing Green Deal initiatives, that will also contribute to resilient local communities; emphasises that the success of the Green Deal requires a rapid transformation process towards renewable energy systems, their technologies and the adaptation of the associated infrastructure;

39.

underlines the growing role of local and regional authorities at global and European level for ensuring a just climate transition; notes that the Paris Agreement and the Edinburgh Declaration on the post 2020 global biodiversity framework recognise the relevance of multilevel governance to deliver climate neutrality, biodiversity and sustainable development in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals; reiterates its support for a system of Regionally and Locally Determined Contributions (RLDCs) to formally acknowledge, monitor and encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;

40.

recommends paying attention to the sustainable transformation of the transport sector that must be a just and fair one, making sure that no region is left behind and that sustainable and alternatively fuelled mobility is affordable and accessible for all citizens in all regions; proposes a Just Transition Mechanism for regions depending on the automotive industry in order to manage the changes in the sector, considering that the automotive sector (which provides direct and indirect jobs to 13,8 million Europeans, representing 6,1 % of total EU employment) is undergoing a fundamental transformation process on the way towards zero emission vehicles, with huge impacts on regional growth and jobs;

Health Union

41.

reiterates its commitment to work towards the creation of a fully-fledged European Health Union that respects the principle of subsidiarity and the legal competences in health; calls for a clearer role for the regional authorities, in particular regions with legislative powers in the field of health, and for local authorities, in the future EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, alongside national authorities and EU institutions;

42.

supports access to eHealth for all EU citizens; calls for a deepening of EU competences in the field of health, including through Treaty changes, particularly to enable the Commission to formally recognise a public health emergency at Union level; supports the call for strengthening health protection, EU manufacturing capabilities and increasing cooperation in the field of medicines;

43.

encourages the development of cross-border healthcare cooperation, including long term EU funding and allowing the free passage across borders of personnel and vehicles working in the emergency services and healthcare. Bureaucratic obstacles still impeding cross-border healthcare and emergency services should be removed quickly and without red tape, in the interests of citizens;

Economy, social justice and jobs

44.

is convinced that the Conference on the Future of Europe provides genuine momentum for the European pillar of social rights to become the new social rulebook, facilitating the transition to a sustainable economy and access to jobs, while enhancing social cohesion;

45.

calls for an overhaul of European economic governance, which must better support quality, public, long-term and sustainable investment at all levels of government through reviewed budgetary rules, and improve democratic accountability and efficiency through the better involvement of local and regional authorities in the European Semester via a partnership-based Code of Conduct. Reiterates its position in favour of abandoning unanimous decision-making in taxation, in order to allow the European Union to take the necessary decisions by qualified majority, as in other areas of action;

46.

calls for use of funding available for recovery, and for the green and digital transitions to facilitate labour market transition, reskilling and upskilling, while ensuring the same level of protection for people working for digital platforms or the gig economy as for those working in the offline economy;

47.

underlines to role of innovation in developing a stronger economy and ensuring both competitive and sustainable growth; is of the opinion that European innovation requires investment in the necessary capabilities (research infrastructures, broadband networks, supercomputing, Artificial Intelligence and open data sets) and needs to attract scholars and specialists in all European territories;

Digital transformation

48.

considers that digital transformation will need to ensure the full exploitation of technology, to the benefit of all sectors of society, within an ethical framework respectful of the rights of the citizens, especially in the use of disruptive technologies, and in particular artificial intelligence, while closing the digital divide and making sure digital literacy and connectivity become a reality in all parts of Europe;

49.

emphasises the need for data security, interoperability and storage and looks forward to the European Commission’s proposal for a European cyber security resilience Act; believes that in order to ensure access to digital services and information, including the efficient provision of public services, it is necessary to invest in secure, high-capacity infrastructure to provide internet access to both individuals and organisations;

50.

points out that digital transformation is dependent on a long-term vision for education, research and exchange in digital issues, where the EU must be an innovator and leader in discovering new digital technologies, services and must set appropriate and coherent digital standards;

51.

considers therefore that the discussion on the future of Europe needs to include ‘digital cohesion’ as an important additional dimension of the traditional concept of economic, social and territorial cohesion defined in the EU Treaty;

52.

calls for immediate action to address the digital divides among the EU Member States and between urban and rural areas when it comes to connectivity and digital infrastructure, digital skills, access and use of e-government services; calls therefore for the introduction of a ‘Digital EU Cross-border Service Card’ to simplify access to public and emergency services for citizens and businesses in cross-border regions;

Migration

53.

calls for a European approach when addressing the root causes of migration as a phenomenon driven by global instability and conflicts, state fragility and climate migration; urges effective capacity building to enhance the efficient and effective management of migration by all levels of governance;

54.

notes the recognition by citizens and delegates of the pivotal role local and regional authorities play in the integration and inclusion of migrants and refugees in particularly affected areas; calls therefore for the inclusion of local and regional authorities in the design of integration policies; requests the elaboration of a more flexible policy toolbox allowing subnational authorities to steer integration and to measure the success of integration and inclusion policies at regional and local level; and calls for the great potential of voluntary solidarity in our municipalities and regions to be harnessed in a voluntary reception capacity concept, integrated into a comprehensive and long-term policy on migration;

55.

recommends establishing methodologies for replicating sustainable reception and integration models, such as community sponsorship;

Conference on the Future of Europe’s outputs and follow up

56.

sees the Conference on the Future of Europe as a starting point for a fully empowering democratic process at European, national, regional and local level; reiterates the need for a continuous, genuinely inclusive, transparent, decentralised, geographically and politically balanced debate on the future of the European Union; considers that the Conference should follow an open-ended approach, including with regard to reforming policies and institutions, and that it should pave the way for lasting reforms, going beyond the duration of the Conference;

57.

reaffirms its full commitment to contributing to the Conference’s follow-up, by turning political initiatives and proposals into actions which meet citizens’ expectations; points out that the Conference’s success also depends on citizens’ recommendations ultimately being reflected in concrete results. If their recommendations are not adopted, or are adopted in modified form, the reasons should be set out clearly and transparently;

58.

underlines that when initiating follow-up actions, such as new legislative proposals for the implementation of the Conference results, the division of competences and in particular the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality enshrined in the Treaties need to be observed;

59.

instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Conference on the Future of Europe chairmanship, as well as the European Parliament, the French, Czech and Swedish Presidencies of the Council of the EU and the President of the European Council and the European Commission;

60.

is in favour of making full use of the initially planned two-year duration of the Conference, starting on 9 May 2021, to allow for appropriate and comprehensive discussion of citizens’ ideas and proposals. Only an interim report should be published in spring 2022.

Brussels, 27 January 2022.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions

Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS

(1) OJ C 324, 1.10.2020, p. 8.

(2) OJ C 141, 29.4.2020, p. 5.

(3) OJ C 300, 27.7.2021, p. 1.

(4) OJ C 97, 28.2.2022, p. 1.

13.7.2022

Official Journal of the European Union

C 270/8

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027

(2022/C 270/02)

Rapporteur:

Sergio CACI (IT/EPP), Mayor of Montalto di Castro

Reference document:

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027 — Occupational safety and health in a changing world of work

COM(2021) 323 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

welcomes the European Commission’s EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027 (the new EU Strategic Framework), which aims to protect workers’ health and reduce work-related deaths by 2030 (the ‘Vision Zero’ approach), while seeking to ensure a safer working environment that is in line with the new needs that are arising particularly (but not only) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considers by the same token that a strategy, and not a strategic framework, would give a stronger political signal with regard to the envisaged goals and proposed actions to attain them;

believes that the EU’s policy framework on occupational safety and health (OSH) has, to date, undoubtedly led to major improvements in raising OSH standards across the EU. Together with the Vision Zero approach, the framework underlines that the EU’s objectives here are heading in the right direction, albeit with a need for greater inclusion of all categories of workers, which is lacking in this proposal;

emphasises that the EU does need to play a role here in providing unified strategic direction. This need has been clearly demonstrated both by the studies carried out and by the tangible results achieved over the last few decades. What emerges most clearly from the OSH legislation is that action taken by the EU and the Member States, in conjunction with other players (such as the social partners and various stakeholders at different levels of governance) can have a positive and direct impact on working life when it comes to both health and safety;

wholeheartedly endorses the strategic framework’s three cross-cutting objectives set by the European Commission for the next five years, namely anticipating and managing change in the post-pandemic world of work during the digital, green and demographic transitions, improving the prevention of workplace accidents and illnesses, and increasing preparedness for potential future health crises;

is pleased that in order to achieve its objectives, the Commission intends to revise the Workplace Directive and the Directive on display screen equipment, as well as to update EU rules on hazardous substances in order to combat cancer and reproductive and respiratory diseases, and to update the protection limits for asbestos and lead;

recommends, furthermore, that the Commission lose no time in designing and implementing, in cooperation with the social partners, an EU-wide initiative on mental health at work to assess the emerging issues in this area. The initiative must be able to provide inspiration where needed in individual Member States/sectors/workplaces;

with regard to the two points above, firmly believes that these measures should apply to all categories of workers, including those currently excluded from the policy framework;

highlights the challenge posed by an ageing workforce for health and safety at work. The principle of workplaces adapting to people needs to be respected so that progress can be made towards inclusive working lives for workers of all ages;

welcomes the fact that, learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission intends to develop emergency procedures and guidance for rapidly deploying, implementing and monitoring measures in potential future health crises, in close cooperation with public health professionals;

10.

regrets that, although all Member States have so far at least partially integrated the letter and spirit of the EU policy framework into their national systems, none of them is actually adhering to it in its entirety. This is due to the fact that some countries failed to review and update their national OSH strategies to fully align them with the EU strategic framework for 2014-2020 owing to poor planning or poor performance on achieving the key objectives, as highlighted by the EU-OSHA, with regard, for example, to the ageing workforce, the simplification of procedures, and more effective and timely enforcement of legislation.

OSH and a culture of prevention

11.

points out that the number of accidents at work has decreased over the last forty years as a result of three factors: scientific and technological improvements, OSH legislation and OSH management systems. Accordingly emphasises that throughout the process of designing, adopting and implementing the strategy, the European and national legislator — in cooperation with the social partners — need to refer to a solid culture of prevention as the primary method for achieving the Vision Zero and other objectives, in the common interest of workers and businesses; stresses the importance of social dialogue and the involvement and cooperation of all stakeholders, governments and administrations at European, national, regional and local level, and of employers and workers, in prevention policies;

12.

points to a study of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) (1), which finds that investing in a good OSH strategy and in workplace risk prevention can deliver a return for companies of EUR 2,2 for every EUR 1 spent per employee per year — and this is without factoring in the immeasurable loss of working hours, reduced morale in the workplace and the consequent impact on businesses’ productivity and competitiveness;

13.

agrees with the European Commission that poor adherence to prevention principles also leads to bad publicity for companies affected by workplace accidents, with serious consequences for their reputation and employees’ job prospects;

14.

recommends that employers incorporate occupational risk prevention into their business through internal management models, appointing designated workers and in-house prevention services, and that training in prevention be promoted among workers.

OSH and the green, digital and demographic transition

15.

considers that advances in technology are constantly changing the landscape of the workplace. It is therefore a good thing that the EU is putting forward proposals that are in step with technology in the workplace, as set out in the Commission’s first objective for the new EU policy framework;

16.

considers that while the proposal to establish harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (AI) is a positive move, it should also address the problems that may arise in connection with health and safety in the workplace;

17.

agrees with the point made in the White Paper on AI (2) that workers and employers will be directly affected by the design and use of AI systems in the workplace, and that the involvement of the social partners will be a crucial factor in ensuring a human-centred approach to AI at work;

18.

reiterates here a relevant point on OSH made in the CoR’s opinion on the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence — A European Approach to Excellence and Trust (3), that the use of AI technologies is of considerable significance when it comes to working conditions and workers’ well-being. In this regard, it echoes the European social partners’ call for ‘data minimisation and transparency along with clear rules on the processing of personal data to limit the risk of intrusive monitoring and misuse of personal data’, in order to ensure respect for human dignity;

19.

the Committee also reiterates the vital importance of ‘enabling workers’ representatives to address issues related to data, consent, privacy protection and surveillance, linking the collection of data to a concrete and transparent purpose and ensuring transparency when AI systems are used in human-resource procedures’ (4);

20.

draws attention to the challenge posed by demographic change for health and safety at work. Policies to promote age management in businesses and organisations and innovative processes to adapt jobs to this situation are needed, taking into account the variety of age groups and the fact that older workers are not a homogeneous group.

Regional and local relevance of the strategy

21.

emphasises that the EU Strategic Framework 2021-2027 — with its Vision Zero approach — will require local and regional authorities to address the problems in this area and implement the objectives of the framework directly on the ground, and that they should do this through oversight, training and building a culture of prevention and worker protection, and by working together through the exchange of experience and good practices, and further identifying problems and assessing the solutions best suited to resolving them, followed up by feedback;

22.

considers that by overseeing the implementation of OSH legislation and the process of delivering the OSH objectives, the regions and cities can play a key role in achieving the ambitious goals of the strategy;

23.

considers that the regions and cities should continue to encourage and provide training and education for labour inspectors, employers and workers to help them adapt to the major work-related changes brought about by the green and digital transition, as well as by the new conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ageing workforce;

24.

believes that the closest possible cooperation between regional and local authorities and the EU and the relevant national authorities, as well as other cities and regions, coupled with the exchange of experience and good practices will drive progress on OSH and help build a culture of prevention;

25.

highlights the importance of research and the sharing of knowledge and best practices at European, national, regional and local level in order to detect and assess new risks and prevent them, on the basis of public authorities working together to develop advanced policies in this area;

26.

stresses that proper involvement of regions and cities is needed to further develop the OSH strategy. It is thus essential that they are actively involved in workplace OSH assessments. They must also be able to send feedback to the EU in order to help the EU to establish a clear picture of the situation on the ground for the purposes of putting right issues that arise in the course of the current framework period and helping to shape the next post-2030 strategy;

27.

to this end, calls on the Commission to create a dedicated digital tool (e.g. a portal) that complements the EU-OSHA’s European survey of enterprises on new and emerging risks (ESENER), to which regions and cities can refer when they consider it appropriate or necessary to provide guidance to the European legislator on health and safety at work.

Final policy recommendations

28.

strongly believes that local and regional authorities, in their capacity as employers, should lead by example when it comes to the full implementation of the measures proposed in the Strategic Framework;

29.

reiterates its belief that ‘public procurement can help prevent environmental and social dumping through the inclusion in the contract award criteria of qualitative, environmental and/or social aspects’ (5). Invites therefore local and regional authorities, when awarding public contracts, to pay particular attention to the working conditions, including health and safety at work, offered by contractors and their subcontracting chains;

30.

welcomes Vision Zero and its target of zero work-related deaths by 2030; believes it is important to continue strengthening efforts in the workplace to prevent workplace accidents and illnesses; would argue, however, that Vision Zero should not be limited to deaths, but should also cover workplace accidents and illnesses, as well as risk prevention and elimination, in line with the principles of the Framework Directive (6);

31.

points out that work itself is an important factor in promoting health; takes the view that, in order to maximise the effectiveness of the OSH strategy, it is important to adopt a holistic approach, which addresses the link between a good working environment, mental and physical health, efficiency, quality and the usefulness of an activity; to this end, highlights the benefits of implementing health promotion policies in workplaces and of promoting safe and healthy lifestyles, including aspects such as nutrition and physical activity;

32.

endorses the strategic reference framework on violence, harassment and discrimination in the workplace, and welcomes the attention paid to the gender perspective. However, the Committee would prefer the framework to be in line with ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work, which provides a comprehensive definition of violence and harassment and has a broader scope, covering workers and other persons in the world of work (7);

33.

reiterates its approval of the continued progress and three successive updates of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive; supports the Commission’s proposal to revise and expand the substances and exposure limits in the CMD, which have been developed through a well-established process and tripartite cooperation (workers, employers and government representatives) involving all Member States; notes that this tripartite cooperation takes place in the Commission’s Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work (ACSH). With this in mind, the Committee eagerly awaits further work to set binding evidence-based and scientifically up-to-date occupational exposure limits covering all 50 priority carcinogens (compared to the current 27) and to include substances toxic to reproduction, and to hazardous medicinal products;

34.

supports the inclusion of combined exposure to hazardous chemicals, endocrine disruptors and the revision of the BOELs for respirable crystalline silica in the chemical exposure section of the OSH policy framework;

35.

points to the need to provide guidance in relation to the European framework on the management of psychosocial risks that goes beyond an individualistic approach that fails to take into account the effects of work organisation on mental health; thus calls on the Commission to continue working with the Member States and regional and local authorities on the prevention of psychosocial risks at work and to explore the need for a communication on these risks in preparation for the presentation of a directive on this subject;

36.

expects Member States to comply with the ILO recommendation of one labour inspector per 10 000 workers; further stresses the need to further strengthen the sanctioning system and the collection (by labour inspectorates) and dissemination of data;

37.

calls for the Artificial Intelligence Act to include OSH since the studies carried out by individual Member States contain an in-depth assessment of work organisation, as well as physical and mental health and the safety of workers;

38.

believes that the Strategic Framework for Health and Safety at work should cover everyone in the world of work; notes that the scope of application of the OSH strategic framework excludes self-employed workers (including atypical workers and platform workers) and believes that the EU initiative on improving the working conditions of platform workers could also include a reference to OSH;

39.

stresses the need, therefore, for a thorough revision of this framework, and calls on the European legislator to raise the level of its ambition in this area and develop a longer-term vision;

40.

urges the European Commission to review the working conditions for teleworking, covering physical and mental health as well as safety. This should be done in cooperation with the European social partners, who are currently involved in negotiations on digitalisation. This is a matter of urgency given the unprecedented rise of this form of work in ‘the new normal’;

41.

welcomes the European Commission’s firm recommendation to the Member States to recognise COVID-19 as an occupational disease and reiterates the importance of employers’ obligations to ensure decent living and working conditions for mobile and migrant workers, including seasonal workers;

42.

welcomes the fact that, through its proposal, the Commission is anticipating the changes in the new world of work that are set to arise from the green transition, as well as the digital transition, but also, more generally, from the prevention of work-related illnesses.

Brussels, 26 January 2022.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions

Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS

(1) The return on prevention: Calculating the costs and benefits of investments in occupational safety and health in companies, ISSA, Geneva, 2011.

(2) COM(2020) 65 final.

(3) OJ C 440, 18.12.2020, p. 79.

(4) Ibid.

(5) OJ C 440, 18.12.2020, p. 42.

(6) Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work (OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1).

(7) Articles 1 and 2 of C 190 — Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No 190).

13.7.2022

Official Journal of the European Union

C 270/13

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – LRAs accelerating the implementation of the EU Pollinators Initiative

(2022/C 270/03)

Rapporteur:

Frida NILSSON (SE/RE), Member of a Local Assembly: Lidköping Municipality

Reference document:

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Progress in the implementation of the EU Pollinators Initiative

COM(2021) 261 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

underlines the importance of pollinators to the sustainability of our societies and nature. Pollinators play a key role both in food systems and in maintaining biodiversity and landscapes. It is therefore not only domesticated pollinators that need support; viable habitats for wild pollinators must also be provided, as they are a part of nature’s biodiversity. Domesticated pollinators should be seen as a complement to wild pollinators, and not the other way around;

is concerned at the lack of awareness about what pollinators are, the degree to which they are key to the functioning of our eco-systems and the consequences that their decline and extinction could have on our lives;

highlights the important link between biodiversity and climate change, and that these relate to and affect each other. Differences in temperature, changing weather conditions, loss of habitat and other factors caused by a changing climate are having a direct impact on the decline of pollinators. In turn, protection and restoration of biodiversity play an important role in climate adaptation;

appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the European Union framework for supporting and sustaining viable and diverse populations of pollinators and therefore welcomes the European Commission review of the Initiative on Pollinators, as well as the European Parliament Resolution and the Council Conclusions on this subject (1);

welcomes the positive direction taken by the EU Pollinators Initiative when implemented in 2018. Is concerned to note, however, that since then, the trend of a declining pollinator population has continued. Is thankful that the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services concludes that, despite insufficient action, it is not too late for the climate and for biodiversity, but that transformative action is needed at all levels;

supports, therefore, the conclusions of the Special Report 15/2020 by the European Court of Auditors (2) and has high expectations for the revision of the EU Pollinators Initiative;

appreciates the inclusion of objectives for biodiversity and pollinators in several EU strategies and policies, such as the new CAP, the EU strategy for Biodiversity and the Farm to Fork strategy;

calls for legally binding targets whose scope covers pollinators, as part of the upcoming European Commission initiative on nature restoration targets under the EU biodiversity strategy; In this light, offers to support the implementation of a new EU Pollinators Initiative, in particular regarding the implementation and monitoring activities;

The objectives outlined to help support pollinators should also aim to help the European Union reach the goals set in the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (3), in particular, the goals aiming to sustain biodiversity and habitats important to wild pollinators;

10.

is convinced that solving pollinator decline demands coordination and integrated strategies, involving all sectors and political spheres. It is important to engage all relevant actors and improve the efficiency of existing, but fragmented, efforts. The current Pollinators Initiative laid the foundation, but now requires further work;

11.

advocates that all three pillars of sustainability should be considered in the process of securing sustainable populations of wild pollinators. This means that social, economic and biological sustainability needs to be sufficiently addressed in the implementing measures;

Pollinators as part of the rural/urban divide

12.

highlights the importance of looking beyond agricultural policies when aiming to stop the decline of pollinators, as the agricultural sector and its contribution to declining populations of wild pollinators is in many ways already regulated and implemented in several EU policies;

13.

calls for special attention to be paid to conventional farmers in their efforts to reduce their impact on pollinators, as organic agriculture and agroecological practices in many ways already protects and nourishes pollinators. Research, innovation and a flexible system for implementation is key to solving the challenges but also to allowing a diverse agricultural sector;

14.

emphasises the need to examine the full extent of and to tackle environmental polluters that go beyond pesticides, such as light pollution, for example, which is proven to affect pollinators to a large extent but still remains unaddressed;

15.

points to the fact that urban areas can contribute to the positive development of biodiversity, through botanical gardens, allotments and residential gardens and urban vacant lots, which may have a direct impact on the populations of wild bee species (4);

16.

warns that in a world of expanding cities, incorporating the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services into urban planning and practices is a must in order to protect pollinator populations, contribute to their diversity and create new habitats;

17.

calls for the relevant authorities to carry out impact assessments that take account of development that limits ownership rights and which in other ways changes the possibility of sustainable livelihoods. These impact assessments need to consider not only the biological gains, but also the possible negative impact on residents’ livelihoods and lives;

Action at the EU level

18.

calls on the European Commission, the European Parliament and the EU Member States to ensure that post-pandemic recovery policies, programmes and plans contribute to the sustainable management of biodiversity, including stopping the worrying decline of wild and domestic pollinators;

19.

calls for support at local and regional level for an eco-scheme for pollinators that would include: the use of annual crops that are attractive to pollinators in at least 10 % of agricultural land; in addition to the flowering period of perennial crops, planting of at least two plant species that are of interest to pollinators between rows of plants in production, with flowering at different times of the year to guarantee to a maximum the availability of resources for pollinators; training for farmers on beneficial insects and integrated pest management practices; and measures to be taken in favour of farms that ensure the presence of pollinators in areas lacking biodiversity;

20.

calls for environmental considerations to be taken into account at all levels of public decision-making and across policies, as most human interaction with nature affects ecosystems, to some extent. Regarding pollinators, this should be given particular consideration in the development of urban areas, infrastructure and other land-use conversions;

21.

warns that, although regional and local authorities act as direct links to the European citizens, responsibility for implementing and developing objectives for pollinators does not solely lie in their hands. National governments and the EU have to contribute to this work by supporting, encouraging and coordinating solutions that can easily be implemented at a local and regional scale;

22.

calls on the EU Commission to actively support awareness-raising campaigns on national, regional and local levels, industry sectors and public through already existing and new channels;

23.

regrets that platforms that were built for knowledge building and the sharing of best practices as part of the Pollinators Initiative, such as the EU Pollinator-information hive, have not been able to reach all actors and are still insufficiently well known. Calls therefore for funding, knowledge and capacity building, as well as best practices, as part of the upcoming Commission initiatives to be designed and communicated in a transparent way, so that citizens are not only inspired but also know how to contribute to the task of creating sustainable habitats for pollinators;

24.

urges that the revised Pollinators Initiative investigate how existing networks and organisations can be used to share knowledge and best practices with local and regional authorities inside and outside the EU;

25.

offers, consequently, to work with the European Commission towards making the pollinators initiative part of existing EU initiatives, such as the Urban Greening Platform and the Green City Accord;

26.

reiterates that monitoring and reporting on the development of pollinators plays an important part in analysing the efficiency of any measures that are implemented. Calls, therefore, on the European Commission to share a reporting and monitoring framework that could be used by subnational authorities to this end. To ensure straightforward implementation and support in establishing standardised pollinator monitoring programmes at the local and regional levels, efforts should follow existing best practices;

27.

notes the close link between native species of flowers and native species or variations of pollinators and calls, therefore, for investment in knowledge, preservation and production of these species as a way of supporting pollinators;

28.

therefore calls on the European Commission to evaluate how the commitment to plant at least three billion additional trees in urban areas in the EU by 2030 could be expanded and linked to include more planting of native flower species;

29.

would like efforts to secure healthy populations of wild pollinators and effective biosecurity measures relevant for pollinators, as well as encouragements to use local plants to be included as an objective in the national CAP strategic plans to be approved in 2022, to push for further action. For easy and correct implementation, this responsibility should lie with the Member States;

Action at the local and regional level, and the involvement of the CoR

30.

highlights the possibilities and responsibilities of local and regional authorities in accelerating implementation of the Pollinators Initiative, now and even more so in the future;

31.

believes in the need for cooperation between local and regional authorities, both nationally and cross-border, when adopting and implementing environmental measures. For pollinators, biological corridors are essential to support the sustainability and resilience of populations. These types of task are well suited to local and regional authorities which can, by means of cooperation, easily implement measures that will contribute to sustainable populations of pollinators;

32.

also notes the importance of involving, besides local and regional authorities, civil society, knowledge institutions, local farmers and the private sector. To take full advantage of these actors, their work and innovation within their sectors, the new Pollinators Initiative must create an efficient framework for voluntary initiatives, knowledge, common goals and reports. This would allow these actors not only to help reach the goals set within the Initiative but also to go further;

33.

gives its commitment that, when working on environmental issues, in particular issues relating to biodiversity, it will raise awareness and underline the importance of objectives supporting pollinators, should set out clear roles for national, regional and local governments to contribute to reversing the loss of pollinators and support the development of national and local pollinator action plans, also as part of the Green Deal Going Local campaign;

34.

emphasises the importance of acknowledging the socioeconomic benefits of pollinator programmes as well. There are economic opportunities and opportunities for social inclusion by focusing on these programmes;

35.

expresses its intention to continue its close cooperation with the European Commission, especially in the revision and implementation of biodiversity objectives concerning pollinators;

36.

offers to launch a Pollinators Network as a pilot project, where local authorities can share knowledge and best practices with each other, aimed in particular at urban centres;

37.

calls on local and regional authorities to monitor and report on the conditions of pollinators, as knowledge of native species and local flora and fauna is key to understanding the local conditions of both wild and domesticated pollinators, and local and regional authorities are already familiar with their local and regional conditions;

38.

calls on CoR members to lead by example and organise dialogues and open meetings at the local and regional levels, ensuring that civil society and NGOs are included, as finding and closing knowledge gaps is one of the most important aspects of the Pollinators Initiative;

39.

calls on representatives of local and regional communities to evaluate the degree to which the rehabilitation of their industrial and historical sites can be achieved in combination with Nature-Based Solutions aimed at increasing the population of pollinators;

40.

strongly believes that including the younger generations in the debate and in finding solutions is crucial, as implementing environmental objectives and strengthening wild populations of pollinators in particular will take several generations. In this regard, welcomes existing examples, such as the involvement of young people in the STING project (5),but calls on CoR members and the wider community of local and regional authorities to build on this example and suggest citizen engagement activities in their cities and regions, aimed in particular at children and young people. Increasing awareness about pollinators could become part of the 2022 European Year of Youth activities;

European involvement on a global scale

41.

welcomes the positive signal sent by the UN CBD COP15 and its pledge to reverse the loss of animal and plant species by 2030;

42.

highlights the crucial importance of the Edinburgh Declaration for subnational governments, cities and local authorities on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (6) and also commits to promoting it in the sphere of the discussion on pollinators at the European and international levels;

43.

calls on the Commission to address the decline of pollinators internationally and to advocate strong measures to protect pollinators and their habitats during the second part of the CBD COP15, scheduled to take place from 25 April to 8 May 2022 in Kunming, China;

44.

stands ready to be part of the EU delegation to the UN CBD COP15 and future CBD COPs in order to share the views of local and regional authorities in the EU and the measures they have already implemented and also to help build on the success of the Edinburgh Declaration in the field of protecting pollinators and their habitats.

Brussels, 26 January 2022.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions

Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS

(1) 2019/2803(RSP) and Council conclusions adopted by the Council at its 3782nd meeting held on 17 December 2020 (14168/20).

(2) https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eca/special-reports/pollinators-15-2020/en/

(3) The UN Agenda 2030. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda

(4) Baldock, K. C. R. et al. Where is the UK’s pollinator biodiversity? The importance of urban areas for flower-visiting insects. Proc. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 282, 20142849 (2015), Theodorou, P. et al. The structure of flower visitor networks in relation to pollination across an agricultural to urban gradient. Funct. Ecol. 31, 838–847 (2017).

(5) STING (Science and Technology for Pollinating Insects) project by the European Commission.

(6) https://www.gov.scot/publications/edinburgh-declaration-on-post-2020-biodiversity-framework/

13.7.2022

Official Journal of the European Union

C 270/18

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – A long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas

(2022/C 270/04)

Rapporteur:

Juan Manuel MORENO BONILLA (ES/EPP), President of the Region of Andalusia

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

welcomes the long-term vision as a crucial step towards the sustainable development of rural areas and genuine territorial cohesion throughout the EU and regrets that the publication of this long-term vision comes after the conclusion of negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2021-2027, since that policy could have contributed to the implementation of this strategy, in particular through a better financial balance between the first and second pillars of the CAP;

regrets, in this regard, that the instruments for convergence between cohesion policy and rural development policy were discarded during the recent reform of the CAP and is particularly disappointed that moves to integrate the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) into the Common Provisions Regulation for Cohesion Policy for 2021-2027 were dropped;

highlights the need for the Conference on the Future of Europe to take people in rural areas into account in order to reflect their ideas, needs and potential and ensure their ownership of the European project; recommends incorporating communication and advertising techniques aimed at improving the collective image of rural ways of life, highlighting the cultural and social advantages of rural life;

stresses the need to ensure that mutually beneficial rural-urban linkages are integrated into all EU policies in line with territorial cohesion objectives by making the most of the strong interdependencies between rural and urban areas;

recommends that the current region-city-based territorial model be changed to one based on a shared and balanced rural-urban relationship. This model should include compensation mechanisms to allow mutual synergies and rebalance the rural-urban relationship. A common urban-rural model will also improve protection of biodiversity and promote biocultural diversity of rural areas;

regrets that guidelines for enhanced support action and financing for rural areas at EU level will only be prepared for the 2028-2034 programming period;

highlights the urgency of putting in place a European Rural Agenda that sets out concrete proposals for immediate action to support the long-term vision and recommends that these concrete proposals be accompanied by resources, financial instruments and quantitative targets to ensure the effective implementation of the long-term vision;

calls, in this respect, for a minimum earmarking of European funds for non-agricultural projects in rural areas to be introduced in both cohesion policy operational programmes and other European direct intervention programmes (Horizon Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility or Creative Europe);

welcomes the Commission’s ambition of mainstreaming the rural perspective in all EU policies. Territorial impact assessments of joint action at EU level create the conditions for more effective and coherent policies. In this connection, the Committee highlights the need for impact assessments also to take account of biodiversity and of biocultural characteristics;

10.

underlines the importance of ensuring adequate funding for the implementation of the vision for the EU’s rural areas. EU rural policy should, as far as possible, be integrated into cohesion policy in order to achieve a coherent development policy. Rural development affects more industries than just agriculture, and funding should therefore not be limited to the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Specific local circumstances and needs should be the starting point for EU rural policy, just as in cohesion policy;

11.

calls on the Member States and LRAs to apply the rural proofing approach to their strategies and investments under the current programming period 2021-2027, for the CAP, cohesion funds and the national recovery and resilience plans;

12.

stresses that the rapid and cost-effective development of renewable energies and their related infrastructure and technologies, as required for the Green Deal, can only take place in and with rural areas. There should be a focus here on restrictions on the energy grid and energy storage, particularly across borders. The capacity of the high-voltage grid is (in some places) at its limit and investments are needed to ensure continued transmission of renewable energy. To this end, it is vital that rural areas have a share in economic success;

13.

reiterates the importance of dialogue between all parties who have a stake in the future of rural areas, from the various levels of government and administration to the main economic sectors, companies, citizens and the academic world; initiatives such as forums, councils or round tables, where all actors participate, are excellent tools for discussing the main challenges faced by rural areas and finding solutions that take everyone’s voice into account;

14.

confirms the CoR’s commitment to working together with the European Commission to launch the Rural Pact this year and to developing a governance model that will allow all stakeholders involved to successfully implement the long-term vision; reiterates that the involvement of local and regional actors in this governance structure will be key to adapting actions to the needs and requirements of rural areas, with particular regard to those that are depopulated or facing demographic risks;

15.

given their potential to curb depopulation and create social and economic opportunities linked to the Green Deal, the CoR is of the view that the most strategic areas in which local and regional cooperation should be developed under the Rural Pact are: bioeconomy and specifically environmentally sustainable agriculture, regional food systems, mobility, digital connectivity, social and cultural vitality as well as innovation in social services of general interest and renewable energies; considers that rural areas are in a position to actively drive the sustainable European green transition that is needed;

16.

considers that further progress is needed on utilising natural ecosystem services (water, nutrients, aquifers, temperature regulation, biodiversity, etc.), the benefits of which could be allocated in part to rural municipalities, to support the organisation and development of their local areas;

17.

urges the Commission to make it easier for public funding for rural areas to supplement private initiatives where the provision of public goods is not commercially viable, and to consider state aid and tax incentives where appropriate;

18.

notes that the Communication recognises the specific status of the outermost regions, as laid down in Article 349 TFEU, and agrees there is a need to provide services of general interest in rural areas of the outermost regions which are of comparable quality to those in urban areas;

19.

draws attention to the particular challenges faced by rural regions impacted by structural change or the transformation processes needed for the green transition, such as in energy production or the automotive industry; these include rural tourist regions that have to cope with changing travel patterns due to COVID-19 and climate change;

20.

suggests developing transparent criteria, benchmarks and targets against which to monitor the impact of actions and progress made on implementing the vision;

21.

finally, calls for the establishment of indicators particularly relevant to rural areas — for example, in terms of the percentage of the population that has access to public transport, and digital, employment, health and cultural services — in the context of the European semester, to ensure that the vision for the future of the EU’s rural areas, particularly in sparsely populated areas, is part of all instruments set up by the EU for the periodic economic review of objectives and targets;

22.

stresses that for the rural agenda to be successful, it cannot be built on a one-size-fits-all approach; considers, therefore, that there is a need for precise categorisation of local areas and recognition of local specificities, underpinned by transparent and objective parameters and indicators that give real value to rural development;

23.

notes that the objectives of Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund (1) include supporting urban and rural areas with geographical or demographic handicaps. It also provides for Member States to allocate EU financial support to projects promoting environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economic development in the regions concerned;

24.

stresses, in this regard, that special support should be given to NUTS level 3 areas or very sparsely populated areas, or those with an average population decrease of more than 1 % between 2007 and 2017;

25.

calls on the European Commission, in agreement with the Member States and local and regional authorities, to guarantee that the initiative on the long-term vision for rural areas includes practical solutions and means of support to deal with demographic changes faced by rural areas, and reiterates the need to implement integrated projects based on the operational programmes under cohesion policy, the CAP national strategic plans and instruments laid down in the national strategic recovery plans. Lastly, European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg) projects are developing cross-border best practices to come up with innovative approaches and pilot projects for the integrated territorial development of urban-rural functional areas;

26.

calls for simpler implementing rules for European funds and State aid in rural areas, improvements in the way that they are combined and a shift to multi-fund model that ensures rural areas are integrated into all policies;

27.

considers that the guidelines to improve support and funding for rural areas, to be published by the Commission in its 2024 report, should cover a longer programming period and should not be limited to the 2028-2034 framework;

28.

draws the Commission’s attention to the need to incorporate system methodologies in the future design of rural areas, to ensure systemic rather than partial or linear visions of development;

29.

notes the importance of a comprehensive analysis of the problems of rural areas at the outset, as this will form the basis for the areas for action in the future Plan. In this regard, further economic problems should be added to those already examined, such as external competition, price instability and the distribution of gross value added between the different players in the production and marketing chain in the agricultural and agri-food sector;

30.

in terms of opportunities, considers that there is insufficient mention of and only an indirect reference to sectors such as sustainable rural tourism or leisure and cultural activities, despite the fact that they play a very important role in building diversified strong and sustainable rural economies. There are many potential additional activities linked to rural areas other than the agricultural sector, such as cycling tourism, hunting, hiking, mycology, wellness tourism, gastronomy, community-based arts or arts workshops and exhibition centres, etc.;

31.

would like to stress the importance of sound and balanced economic development with a focus on new business models. Some parts of the countryside, and specifically border areas marked by falling populations and vacant homes and premises, are increasingly vulnerable to destabilising criminal activity. This leads to a blurring of norms and reduces the sense of safety and quality of life;

32.

in this regard, reiterates that the future of rural areas is dependent on retaining and attracting young people to rural areas to pursue their life goals here; in seeking solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas it is therefore vital to actively engage young people, develop forums where they can share their ideas and support youth initiatives in rural areas;

33.

stresses that, in the current context, with ageing populations, there is an urgent need to develop an economy of essential services that ensures universal accessibility to all goods and services in rural environments, with a particular focus on older people; also welcomes the European Year of the Youth 2022 as a chance to provide opportunities and support rural youth in becoming active citizens and actors of positive change;

34.

urges the Commission to consider among its proposals in this area the contribution that distributed service delivery systems can make, in areas such as childcare, care centres for older people, schools and after-schools, shops, and health and social care (an area in which technologies such as telemedicine and telecare can make key contributions) and calls on the European Commission in that regard to set targets for the Member States in order to improve accessibility to services in general and basic public services in particular in rural areas;

35.

stresses the need to include all data on systems, both social, health and socio-health, in the proposed harmonised approach to the use of geospatial information systems, as well as the need to boost the interoperability of the social services system, and of it with other social protection systems;

36.

similarly, stresses the importance of incorporating indicators on ease of access to social care services and local social protection services;

37.

stresses the importance of making the most of rural-urban interdependencies within a framework of territorial equity. Inter-municipal investments should benefit all local and regional authorities, so that in the best case scenario both urban and rural areas benefit equally;

38.

urges that this positive effect be properly reflected in the per capita investment calculations per type of region (urban, intermediate, rural) and therefore calls for a review of the mechanisms for establishing profit indicators for these investments, with particular focus on small towns and villages in rural areas;

39.

stresses that renewable energy production is an opportunity for rural areas to combat energy poverty and generate energy self-sufficiency in functional areas (including rural-urban areas in their sphere of influence). Furthermore, the Committee stresses that greater acceptance of renewable energy production facilities can be achieved by keeping part of the revenues generated within rural communities;

40.

proposes to consider, where appropriate, the possibilities for promotion of reshoring, which creates opportunities for rural synergies between agriculture, manufacturing and commerce, therefore help strengthen local economy by creating jobs and reducing unemployment;

41.

highlights the importance of the framework offered by the vision for developing physical infrastructure to improve the connectivity of rural areas, and to facilitate their socioeconomic rejuvenation, and suggests including urban agendas in it;

42.

notes the importance of improving transport connections with peri-urban and rural areas, primarily through regional authorities and their operational programmes, in order to guarantee coordinated, effective and efficient action. To this end, rural and peri-urban areas should be fully interwoven into urban transport strategies (2);

43.

points out that the availability of commercial areas plays an important role in the sound and sustainable development of the regional economy and in the establishment or expansion of rural businesses; this is particularly true of regions undergoing structural change; local authorities need support for the proactive identification, designation or repurposing of suitable areas; the scope and cost of the planning services to be provided are often an issue;

44.

points out that particular attention should be paid to infrastructure and cross-border cooperation in rural border regions; emphasises the need to improve the public transport infrastructure and service system in rural areas, ensuring the development of sustainable mobility solutions that reduce travel times and of the number of connections between urban and peri-urban and rural areas;

45.

stresses that the primary objective of spatial and transport policy should be maximising the possibilities to meet needs, with a minimum of transport; rationalisation is important in this regard;

46.

recommends that multimodal mobility solutions should also take into account the contribution that ‘mobility as a service’ (MaaS) models can make in transitioning towards more energy and climate sustainable physical connectivity; for example, on-demand services and shared mobility connecting rural communities with transport hubs, particularly bus and rail stations, can boost the use of sustainable transport;

47.

agrees with the Commission that digitalisation plays a key role in the development of rural areas, enabling them to use innovative solutions to improve their resilience and harness their potential; calls, therefore, for particular attention to be paid to promoting frameworks that allow public action to be supplemented by private financing for digital infrastructure. While the latter are not competitive enough from the point of view of private investment, they are nevertheless highly competitive from a social and regional perspective. Broadband is vital for rural areas to access different services and to resolve the issues arising from the digital gaps several communities face;

48.

stresses that investment in digital infrastructure is not sufficient if it is not accompanied by sufficient digital training and up-skilling, especially in rural areas. This is also very important in the light of increasing global cybercrime and, in particular, in view of the need to ensure that local businesses that are part of the food chain are sufficiently cyber-secure;

49.

notes that rural areas have been particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the fact that their economies are much less diversified, many workers in these areas are key workers and they have poor internet infrastructure; however, the effects of the pandemic in terms of increasing teleworking offers opportunities to counter rural depopulation and generate innovative rural social and economic activities in the long term; therefore suggests considering, among other measures, promoting high-quality co-working spaces in rural communities, or creating tax incentives, to encourage private companies to allow employees to work in geographical locations of their choice;

50.

considers that, in the spirit of President von der Leyen’s thinking of ‘leaving no one behind’, we need tools to ensure that there are ‘innovation ecosystems’ in each territory that offer opportunities for all entrepreneurs and all rural micro-enterprises and SMEs, boosting these small rural businesses; there must also be a sufficient provision of training, including in digital skills and other soft skills relating to open innovation, interregional and international cooperation, and intercultural communication;

51.

welcomes the increased support for bottom-up initiatives such as LEADER/CLLD — which defines the role of local action groups — and ‘smart villages’, and encourages further use of the lessons learned from these programmes and approaches; draws attention, in this context, to the benefits of innovation-based regional development, focussed on local skills and engagement; competent bodies at regional and national level should be alert to innovative ideas from local stakeholders and support them where possible;

52.

calls for the inclusion of the contribution made by cultural heritage and cultural, artistic and creative professionals to building a sustainable and prosperous future and to improve the touristic attractiveness of rural areas, that will also improve the economic well-being of these settlements;

53.

considers the Communication’s recognition of the role of sustainable agricultural and forestry management in terms of resilience to the climate emergency and its associated risks, and in protecting biodiversity, to be of great value;

54.

highlights that the green and digital transitions should also ensure more resilient and fair societies that take into account the needs of all members of the rural community, including those of disadvantaged groups and of those living in less developed areas and in deep poverty. Emphasis should therefore be placed on making the digital and green transitions just and inclusive;

55.

considers that agriculture should be able to keep playing a central role in rural areas; calls on the Commission to ensure that the strategic plans that each Member State will have to develop under the new common agricultural policy (CAP) are properly drawn up, with the aim of ensuring that the European primary sector heads in the direction indicated in the Green Deal, the Farm-to-Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy, and that they allow for local strategies based on the characteristics of each region and the promotion of typical local products;

56.

stresses the need to promote self-sufficiency and food security processes based on local, quality and organic products, as part of innovative value chains that encourage regional organisation; notes the introduction of a 25 % share of organic farming in the coming years; considers, in this regard, that there will be a need for support and accompanying measures, as well as consumer incentive policies in line with this objective;

57.

stresses that generational agricultural renewal remains urgent and therefore support for the inclusion of young people and rural women in agriculture and farm ownership is important; therefore agrees with the Commission that special attention should be paid to the needs of young people, in order to encourage them to stay in rural areas. Considers it essential to boost public policies which promote the modernisation of farms that encourage young farmers to join the profession in order to tackle the problem of generational renewal. To this end, their access to social and labour market integration programmes as well as to education and upskilling and retraining options offered at local level and cultural activities, needs to be facilitated; also agrees on the importance of focusing specifically on women, by broadening labour and training opportunities and promoting measures to promote work-life balance;

58.

highlights the fact that a significant number of skilled workforce had to face changes in working conditions and regulations since Brexit and the EU should consider support frameworks for these categories of migrant workers. Also, most importantly, the EU should consider launching programs that help and motivate the emigrated skilled workforce to return home, to their homeland;

59.

considers fair prices and incomes for those working in agriculture to be essential. Any market development that is ruinous for businesses should therefore be counteracted. The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) should counteract this in times of crisis with tools such as the general adaptation of production volumes to market needs and rules on qualified market access;

60.

notes that a significant proportion of work in the EU’s agricultural and food sector is carried out by migrant workers. This population group often lives in vulnerable conditions. The EU’s social agenda therefore needs to be strengthened to achieve higher minimum wages, good working conditions and social integration;

61.

underlines that the green transition will pose many challenges for many of Europe’s farmers and breeders. In order to successfully harness the arising opportunities, a special effort is required in terms of communication, awareness-raising and training both to spread the word about new sustainable and green agriculture and to impart the new skills to put it into practice;

62.

emphasises the importance of preventing land abandonment and facilitating access to land. This requires the development of an appropriate regulatory framework, the creation of new land management tools and the provision of necessary fiscal incentives and funding;

63.

notes that the increasing prevalence of large predators and the associated increase in the killing of farm animals on mountain pastures are causing growing problems for mountain farming, and that in many cases mountain pasture farming is being abandoned, which in mountainous regions plays an important role in ensuring that entire regions do not become overrun with forests and thus makes a significant contribution to environmental protection and erosion control and to the priceless capital of landscape protection in rural areas; therefore calls on the European Commission to:

—	establish a common European wolf and large carnivores, especially bears management system;

—

explore an amendment to the annexes to the Habitats Directive in order to adapt more rapidly to the development of particular populations and to relax or strengthen the protection status by country or territorial unit where justified by a positive or negative development of the populations of the protected species and the threat to pastoral activities;

—	broaden the scope for adapting European legislation and the necessary measures to local conditions so that populations of predators, in particular those of wolves and bears, can be better managed;

64.

stresses the important role played by agricultural infrastructure in the organisation and cohesion of rural areas; calls on the Commission to include in its proposals measures to ensure that this infrastructure is preserved and that it remains largely as permeable (unpaved) roads;

65.

calls for flood zones to be included with regard to flagship initiatives on resilient areas, given their huge contribution to increasing climate resilience developing low-carbon agriculture and supporting flood protection and flood management. Many rivers and flood zones cross borders (which poses a challenge) and are part of the wider issue of water. There is therefore a need for international cooperation;

66.

stresses that a long-term vision for rural areas should strengthen the regions’ role in identifying their priorities; is of the view, in this regard, that when drawing up the legislation on the CAP, its national strategic plans and the national recovery plans an opportunity was missed to ensure future investment projects in rural areas are genuinely anchored in the needs of each local area, as identified by its own stakeholders;

67.

calls for existing regional smart specialisation strategies in each EU region, developed through a multi-stakeholder participation process, to be better taken into account in future when developing planning processes with an impact on rural areas;

68.

calls for consideration to be given to sufficient technical support for capacity building for rural authorities, which are in a weaker position in terms of their planning competences — particularly with regard to long-term strategies — and the spending of EU funds; also calls for support, simpler conditions or specific initiatives to allow municipalities with smaller populations and fewer administrative staff to also take part in European projects;

69.

highlights the importance of the social economy as an essential tool for the current and future development of the EU’s rural areas, playing a strategic role in dealing with the demographic challenge and an ageing population — through the creation of companies that are more resilient and have strong ties with their communities, anchoring the population to the local area — and stimulating the creation of quality jobs, training for its workforce, female entrepreneurship, the integration of young people into the labour market and generational renewal.

Brussels, 26 January 2022.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions

Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS

(1) OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 60.

(2) COM(2021) 811 — Communication from the European Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on ‘The new EU urban mobility framework’.

13.7.2022

Official Journal of the European Union

C 270/25

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Gender equality and climate change: towards mainstreaming the gender perspective in the European Green Deal

(2022/C 270/05)

Rapporteur:

Kata TÜTTŐ (HU/PES), Member of the General Local Assembly of Budapest, Hungary

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

reaffirms that gender equality is a core European value, and a fundamental principle of the European Union enshrined in the Treaties and recognised in Article 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Article 8 of the TFEU requires the Union, in all its activities, to aim to eliminate inequalities between women and men, and to promote equality;

remembers that gender equality, secure and adaptable employment and work-life balance are affirmed in Principles 2, 5 and 9 of the European Pillar of Social Rights proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on 17 November 2017;

recognises that climate change policies have gender-differentiated impacts and that gender equality and women’s empowerment need to be promoted for effective climate action (1); in this regard, stresses the fundamental importance of ensuring that women are in involved in the design of crises-responses strategies and actions for a more democratic and inclusive Europe;

A gendered approach to climate change

notes that hazards due to climate change, global warming, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation have a greater impact on the poorest and most vulnerable sections of the population in the countries of the Global South and of the EU; points out that climate change entails compound risks that exacerbate long-standing socioeconomic disparities and existing imbalances, such as those relating to the lack of gender equality; stresses, therefore, that climate policies and measures that neglect a gender analysis and perspective are likely to increase social inequalities;

acknowledges that, at the global level, women and girls are more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change and deterioration of the natural environment, while at the same time being powerful actors that can play a key role in the path towards climate neutrality and in adapting to the impacts of climate change; stresses that, in light of their specific experiences and perspectives, men and women can often have complementary innovative thinking and creative ideas, and that integrating gender analyses into climate policy and recognising diverse gender identities widens its application across the whole of society. In this sense, endorses the Joint statement published by the Scottish Government and UN Women at COP26 calling for the role of women and girls to be advanced in addressing climate change (2);

considers that women should be more empowered with regards to climate change; this should happen by improving their education and awareness on climate-related technologies, measures and actions and by fostering their role into the decision making processes related to these fields;

highlights that there are important links between gender, climate change and other environmental challenges; points out that women and men are likely to be affected differently by the impacts of climate change, depending on their specific life circumstances and different capabilities for mitigating and adapting to climate change at the individual level, have different perceptions of and attitudes towards options for climate change mitigation, and are affected differently by the socioeconomic impacts of climate policy; believes that women and girls can act as catalysts of behavioural change;

Mainstreaming the gender perspective

stresses that gender mainstreaming, understood as the integration of a gender perspective into the preparation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, regulatory measures and spending programmes, is a valuable tool for realising gender equality, and deplores its disuse;

notes that while the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 (3) acknowledges that policies and programmes under the European Green Deal (EGD) can impact women differently to men, the announced integration of the gender perspective in all major Commission initiatives is not explicit (4); refers to the European Parliament’s Resolution on the EGD, which ‘emphasises the need for a gender perspective on actions and goals in the EGD, including gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive actions’ (5);

10.

emphasises that gender impact assessments are a key element of the EU’s gender mainstreaming toolkit, which are not fully developed, since the collection and use of sex-disaggregated and intersectional data, statistics and information are all too often missing; calls on the Commission to apply the EIGE’s Guide to Gender Impact Assessment (6); stresses that data collected across the EU Member States should include more comprehensive gender indicators without increasing the administrative burden for local and regional authorities;

11.

welcomes the creation of a Task Force for Equality (7) to ensure the mainstreaming of equality, including gender equality and gender diversity, in all EU policies, from their design to their implementation and calls on the EU to facilitate the exchange of best practices among national, regional and local authorities avoiding a top-down approach;

12.

asserts that women’s participation in climate change decision-making is another important factor for more gender responsive and efficient climate change policies and programmes; calls for women’s participation to be boosted in actions across the EU institutions, government bodies and public authorities at all governance levels; calls on the Council to unblock the ‘Women on Boards’ Directive (8);

13.

stresses that the pandemic recovery is an opportunity to build a new normal and to redirect resources towards a climate-neutral and gender-balanced society; encourages the use of gender mainstreaming tools to implement the Recovery and Resilience Plans, given that they should be the basis not only for recovery, but for a sustainable, fair and equal society;

14.

calls for enhanced research in order to identify barriers to participation in decision-making, as well as to explore how gender stereotypes affect people’s consumption and lifestyles; encourages the use of models like GAMMA (Gender Assessment Method for Mitigation and Adaptation) in order to obtain better data;

15.

considers that a gender-sensitive approach can better respond to the needs and capacities of all citizens. Local and regional authorities (LRAs) are best placed to integrate social issues with climate action, since they are the level of government closest to the people and play a key role in implementing legislation; stresses that women’s participation needs to be promoted at all institutional levels, starting from the EU;

16.

calls for the European Climate Pact to reflect this gendered approach to influence climate actions and policies, through the inclusion of specific outreach activities focused on awareness raising, education and knowledge-sharing about gender perspectives;

17.

underlines the importance of cross-party cooperation among gender and environment-related NGOs, civil organisations, and of creating common awareness campaign and training programmes;

Green jobs

18.

welcomes the fact that a green, digital and inclusive recovery will provide opportunities for new jobs or for reintegrating long-term unemployed women into the digital economy; upholds that the path towards a sustainable and low-carbon economy will allow for the inclusion of a gender perspective to avoid the perpetuation of existing inequalities;

19.

stresses that women’s contribution in green economic activities is essential to achieve equitable sustainable development and should be seen and valued; women and girls can also benefit from the opportunities in the field of green entrepreneurship and become green employers rather than employees, provided that this does not create job insecurity for employees who are driven to self-employment;

20.

acknowledges that technology will play a more important role in all our lives and that it is critical that the technology sector should look like the society it serves; calls for specialised digital and technological training programmes targeted towards women and girls to be created and financially supported, as a key opportunity to speed up innovation in the field of the climate and energy transition, by enhancing gender quotas in these sectors and ensuring equal access to professional opportunities (9);

21.

calls on the Commission and the Member States to incorporate gender equality as an important element of the digital transition, including the gender perspective in the development of digital education policies, promoting mentoring schemes with female role models in ICT, eliminating conscious and unconscious gender discriminatory bias from algorithms, preventing cyber-violence, using the efforts and programmes of Erasmus+, boosting the concept of a life-long learning approach in adult education, particularly in remote areas, and preventing digital exclusion;

22.

considers that teleworking has the potential to lead to a better work-life balance, especially for women, provided that families have access to high-quality, affordable childcare throughout working hours, including leisure activities for older children, and provided that particular attention is paid to women’s greater exposure to domestic violence (10); stresses the importance of getting the latest technology hardware and high-speed internet for teleworking at an affordable cost, and of enlarging the WIFI4EU programme for remote areas; urges to proceed quickly with an ambitious implementation of the 2019 Work-Life Balance Directive;

Sustainable public transport and mobility

23.

emphasises that the design and planning of transport systems in cities should take greater account of the gender imbalance, since women tend to use public transport more frequently; stresses that safety and sense of security are major points that should be improved; mobility patterns (including timetables) and decisions about the convenience of routes need to consider the different uses by gender (more commuting for men and shorter, multi-stop journeys for women), as well as the division of roles in the labour market and the care economy; stresses that off-peak capacity, reliability and flexibility of public transport services need to better accommodate the mobility patterns of people of all genders and ages while keeping in mind that each municipality, region and country should organise its public transport services based on the different needs and realities, both in urban and rural environments;

24.

believes that simple, cost-effective and replicable initiatives like allowing night buses to stop on request or providing cycling lanes and pedestrian paths that are well-lit and fully separated from traffic could contribute to more sustainable, safe and inclusive mobility;

25.

believes that initiatives such as the Women in Transport — EU Platform for change can help strengthen women’s employment in the transport sector and provide a good forum to exchange best practices, and calls for a follow-up through the diversity ambassadors in transport;

26.

urges the Commission to plan how to link cities with remote areas, as well as how to ensure accessibility and connectivity, and greater use of clean vehicles, trains and electric-hybrid buses for longer distances; believes in digital solutions for ticketing routes on different apps; acknowledges the efforts of the new EU Urban Agenda;

Energy poverty

27.

is deeply worried about the soaring of prices for electricity and gas to their highest levels in decades in all Member States, which pushes many women and men into energy and mobility poverty; calls on the EU to take long-term countermeasures including investigating the reasons for the increase in energy prices;

28.

acknowledges that energy poverty disproportionately affects women due to structural inequalities in income distribution, their socioeconomic status and the gender care gap;

29.

points to the European Parliament’s Resolution (11) calling for the EU to include a gender dimension in all its energy policies and programmes focusing especially on women and girls who are facing poverty, social exclusion and marginalisation;

30.

encourages the EU Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) to apply a gender perspective in its indicators and when using and collecting data;

31.

reiterates that energy poverty is a major societal challenge, with social, economic and environmental consequences that must be addressed urgently at all levels of governance; underlines therefore that tackling energy poverty requires the use of various public policy instruments which take into account both energy efficiency and social protection issues;

32.

welcomes initiatives like the Platform for Change and the Price of Women in Energy as a means of promoting gender equality and the Social Climate Fund proposal to compensate for the socioeconomically imbalanced impacts of ETS extension to transport and buildings, which mentions the need to take into account women’s perspectives; stresses the need for the implementation of the Social Climate Fund and the Just Transition Fund to be guided by gender-sensitive approaches; welcomes the upcoming launch of the Equality Platform for the Energy Sector by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy;

Gender budgeting

33.

recalls that gender budgeting means gender mainstreaming of the entire budgetary process with a view to incorporating a gender equality perspective into all decisions on revenue and expenditure;

34.

acknowledges with concern the conclusions of two recent studies conducted by the European Parliament in 2015 and 2017, highlighting the insufficient application of gender budgeting in practice and the absence of progress in terms of gender-budgeting between 2015 and 2017 (12);

35.

is concerned that gender mainstreaming does not feature among the 11 assessment criteria set out in the Resilience Facility Regulation; more broadly, the European Court of Auditors (13) considers that the EU budget does not integrate the gender perspective, since key elements, such as gender analysis, gender-related objectives, indicators and accountability through reporting, are largely missing;

36.

regrets that the recent communication ‘Strategy for Financing the Transition to a Sustainable Economy’ (14) does not include a gender perspective, especially given that inclusiveness is one of the four main areas identified where additional actions are needed for the financial system to fully support the transition of the economy towards sustainability;

37.

calls on the Commission and the Council to commit to gender budgeting, to ensure it is applied to the whole EU budget and that the recommendations from the European Court of Auditors are fully implemented, including into the mid-term review of the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility;

38.

points to the CoR opinion ‘A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020 — 2025’ (15), which called for a clearer link between the strategy and the EU’s main political priorities and strategies, in particular the transitions towards a climate-neutral economy; welcomes the CoR opinion ‘The gender dimension of structural and cohesion funds 2021-2027, with a focus on the preparation of the operational programmes’ (16), which stresses the need to consider gender equality as a cross-cutting criterion for drawing up cohesion policy programmes, a goal to be pursued by the programmes and a powerful factor helping to achieve cohesion policy’s sustainable and balanced development goals;

International level

39.

welcomes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) decision to adopt its Gender Policy (17) and Implementation Plan to mainstream gender in its work;

40.

welcomes the establishment of a dedicated agenda within the UNFCCC process — the Enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) and the Gender Action Plan (GAP) — for addressing the lack of gender-responsive and gender-sensitive implementation of climate policies and ensuring that women’s voices are included in the global discussion and international negotiations on climate change, and specifically welcomes the appointment of national gender & climate change focal points (NGCCFP) for every party;

41.

notes the recognition in the Rio Conventions (18) of the important linkages between gender-related issues; points to the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action as the most comprehensive source of guidance and inspiration to achieve gender equality, in which Area K (19) in particular highlights the greater risks for women and girls of fragile ecosystems and the degradation of the state of the natural world, exacerbated by the effects of anthropogenic climate change;

42.

asks for assurance that the national determined contributions (NDCs) and regionally and locally determined contributions (RLDCs) will take social factors and the gender perspective, into account;

43.

welcomes the preamble of the Paris Agreement, which calls for gender equality to be achieved and for women’s empowerment to help limit global warming to be fostered; embraces the recognition made in the Paris Agreement of the need to adopt gender-responsive approaches in adaptation (Article 7.5) and capacity-building efforts (Article 11.2), but regrets the lack of action in this regard and the lack of a further implementation plan.

Brussels, 27 January 2022.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions

Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS

(1) Council conclusions — Preparations for the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings (Glasgow, 31 October–12 November 2021).

(2) https://www.gov.scot/publications/glasgow-womens-leadership-statement-gender-equality-climate-change/

(3) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0152&from=EN

(4) The European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final), the 2030 Climate Target Plan (COM(2020) 562 final) and the climate and energy framework (COM(2014) 15 final); A Clean Planet for All (COM(2018) 773 final) make no mention of gender; the Environmental Action Programme (1386/2014/EU) makes one mention of pregnant women as a vulnerable group. This is despite the fact that gender mainstreaming is a Treaty obligation; that a framework for EU gender equality policy and gender mainstreaming is set out in the Gender Equality Strategy (COM(2020) 152) and that the EU is committed to the SDGs (2015) and to the UNFCCC’s Gender Action Plan (2019). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcms.13082

(5) OJ C 270, 7.7.2021, p. 2.

(6) https://eige.europa.eu/gender-mainstreaming/toolkits/gender-impact-assessment/guide-gender-impact-assessment

(7) Union of equality: the first year of actions and achievements | European Commission (europa.eu)

(8) It would ensure that at least 40 % of the members on non-executive company boards are women.

(9) Successful examples: Women and Girls in STEM Forum, Girls Go Circular (eit.girlsgocircular.eu); the creation of the Women in Digital scoreboard as an integral part of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI).

(10) https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19

(11) OJ C 76, 28.2.2018, p. 93.

(12) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/660058/IPOL_BRI(2020)660058_EN.pdf

(13) https://www.eca.europa.eu/Lists/ECADocuments/SR21_10/SR_Gender_mainstreaming_EN.pdf

(14) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0390&qid=1635262292392&from=EN

(15) CDR 2016/2020.

(16) CDR 2503/2021.

(17) https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2020/05/IPCC_Gender_Policy_and_Implementation_Plan.pdf

(18) Namely the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the UN Convention on Combating Desertification (UNCCD).

(19) https://beijing20.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/CSW/PFA_E_Final_WEB.pdf

13.7.2022

Official Journal of the European Union

C 270/31

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – EU Action Plan: ‘Towards zero pollution for air, water and soil’

(2022/C 270/06)

Rapporteur:

Marieke SCHOUTEN (NL/The Greens), Alderman of the municipality of Nieuwegein

Reference document:

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Pathway to a Healthy Planet for All — EU Action Plan: ‘Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil’

COM(2021) 400 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

General comments

welcomes the European Commission’s Communication on the EU Action Plan: ‘Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil’, its focus on health and its cross-cutting approach. The CoR looks forward to the announced actions and proposals and calls for them to be coherent and consistent with each other and other Green Deal initiatives;

stresses the need for full implementation of EU legislation in line with the TFEU principles set out in Article 191(2) (the precautionary principle and the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should be prevented as much as possible at the source and that the polluters should pay);

emphasises that pollution is a major problem that needs to be tackled through effective multilevel governance and a cross-border approach: each stakeholder has its role, and action at all levels is necessary to prevent local and regional authorities (LRAs) from being confronted with negative effects at the end of the chain;

strongly believes that pollution is a symptom of a system of unsustainable production and consumption that is based on unlimited growth and extractivism and it can only be tackled if we move to a circular economy;

welcomes the six main 2030 targets as a start but regrets that most of the targets are not new. The CoR feels that more ambition and additional action is needed and encourages the Commission to start a continuous process of reviewing and adjusting targets towards the 2050 vision and to include the CoR in this process;

stresses that these goals at European level will require an ambitious and integrated approach — with environmental considerations being systemically addressed across policy areas — that connects the ambitions, timelines, procedures and tools of various environmental policies;

welcomes the fact that health is one of the main aspects of the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The integration of environmental health concerns is critical to bringing about the changes needed to reduce exposure to environmental stressors, in particular for people living in vulnerable conditions (1), as pollution is the leading environmental cause of disease and premature death around the world;

reiterates the need for Parliament, Council and Commission to take into account the proposals of citizens in the framework of the COFE regarding the topic of zero pollution, ensuring that ambitious new rules are implemented in this respect;

points out that the post-pandemic recovery should focus on ‘One Health’, acknowledging the interconnectedness between human, environmental and animal health. One Health needs to play a leading role in goals and legislation if we are to achieve sustainability and healthy regions;

Increase prevention at source

10.

welcomes the new zero pollution hierarchy based on a ‘reverse pyramid’ but regrets that ‘remedying and offsetting pollution-related damage’ is given minimal consideration;

11.

stresses that LRAs have a key role to play in translating this action plan into action on the ground but they can only fulfil their role if a preventive approach with effective source-based policies is put in place at EU level;

12.

welcomes the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and the more ambitious approach aimed at reducing emissions at the source. The IED should contribute to achieving the objectives of the circular economy;

13.

reiterates that emission rules are a particularly effective approach; therefore recommends that more attention be paid to tightening them, as a better way of reducing emissions at source;

14.

supports international work on best available techniques (BAT), including emerging technologies, to reduce industrial emissions whereby the range of emission levels is narrowed, so that a level playing field is created at international level;

15.

calls for the review and enforcement of BAT reference document (BREF) requirements to be sped up for various industrial polluters and for more stringent emission requirements to be applied as part of the review of the Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control (IPPC) process;

16.

stresses the importance of the ‘Sustainable Product Initiative’ (SPI) announced in the Circular Economy Action Plan with regard to environmental pollution from products, during the whole life cycle of products — from material extraction and production to use and recycling. Believes that the potential contribution of the SPI to the Action Plan could be specified in more concrete terms;

Strengthen the polluter pays principle

17.

stresses that governments should not be left to act alone: all sectors have an important role to play in controlling pollution and rectifying environmental damage at the source;

18.

calls for products and goods entering the EU to comply with the same environmental standards in place in the EU. Failing this, the European principle of ‘the polluter pays’ should be applied;

19.

emphasises that the polluter pays principle (PPP) underpins the EU’s environmental policy and requires polluters to bear the costs of measures taken to prevent, control and remedy pollution;

20.

highlights the European Court of Auditors’ Report (2), which found that coverage and application of the PPP is incomplete and that currently governments often bear the costs of cleaning up pollution;

21.

calls for the PPP to be better integrated into environmental legislation, in particular by lowering emissions limits to further reduce residual pollution and dealing with diffuse pollution from all sources, including agriculture;

22.

stresses that producers must be made legally and financially responsible for the mitigation measures needed to tackle pollution throughout the entire value chain through extended producer responsibility (EPR) for the environmental and disposal costs of all consumer goods and packaging materials;

Better implementation and monitoring

23.

points out that the costs and foregone benefits for the EU from not achieving the environmental targets specified in the EU environmental legislation amount to around EUR 55 billion per year (3);

24.

highlights that not all pollutants are equally damaging to human health and the environment and therefore a risk-based analysis may enable ecological and economic aspects to be better coordinated;

25.

stresses that LRAs play a critical role in implementing environmental and industrial policies and have broad competences in enforcement of pollution control and welcomes in this regard flagship 5: ‘Enforcing zero pollution together’;

26.

draws attention to the European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis (4), which shows that sub-optimal implementation of environmental legislation is most often the result of ineffective coordination between authorities, a lack of administrative capacity, insufficient funding, a lack of knowledge and data, insufficient compliance mechanisms and a lack of policy integration. The Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform should foster better coordination among all levels of government and across policy areas. The CoR strongly supports the new platform and welcomes its own role in it as a recognition of the great importance of LRAs for the zero pollution ambition;

27.

regrets that section 3.1 of this action plan does not mention the local and regional dimension, calls for the role of LRAs to be included more prominently and reiterates that LRAs need financial and technical support to implement the objectives on the ground;

28.

underscores that implementation problems cannot be solved by more legislation alone. Support mechanisms, capacity building for LRAs, knowledge sharing and innovation are essential to meet target values and standards;

29.

stresses that EU initiatives such as the Urban Agenda Partnerships can be used and that actively setting up new environmental partnerships to support implementation should be considered;

30.

welcomes the development of an integrated Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Framework (ZPMOF) and calls for all relevant data to be collected, harmonised and made available to all. The CoR underlines the importance of making the ZPMOF coherent with the new monitoring framework planned by the Environment Action Programme;

Supporting local and regional zero pollution action

31.

welcomes the Commission’s efforts to work with cities and regions under the Green City Accord, Green Capital and Green Leaf awards and the European Year of Greener Cities as they provide incentives for improvements;

32.

points out the need for an area-oriented approach. Specific policies should not be planned only for urban communities but also for other types of community, depending on specific geographical circumstances;

33.

emphasises that environmental improvement through spatial design, such as expanding high-quality green and blue spaces in urban areas, offers a ‘triple win’ by mitigating environmental pollution and supporting biodiversity, improving the health and well-being of urban populations and fostering social cohesion and integration (5);

34.

stresses the relevance of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) since they can provide sustainable, cost-effective solutions that create economic opportunities, employment and public health and well-being benefits. Technical support, knowledge exchange and capacity building should be offered to LRAs to enable them to consider the co-benefits in their public procurements;

35.

reiterates the overarching approach of better combining noise action and air quality plans with Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) in municipalities, in order to improve noise protection and air quality through attractive public transport and effective promotion of cycling and walking;

36.

supports the launch and continuous support of living labs for green digital solutions and smart zero pollution. Local Digital Twins can help to develop local and regional actions for green and digital transformation. Government control on digitalisation is indispensable because sustainable development is now inextricably linked with the digital world;

37.

calls for the European data space to include the exchange of data on sustainability so that value chains can contribute to the greening of industries. Moreover, setting up standards at EU level for data storage and exchange will ensure the availability of data that can be used for transitions towards zero pollution;

38.

welcomes the proposal of cooperation between the European Commission and the CoR for the creation of the Scoreboard of EU regions’ green performance, which will be the basis for the new award for the Green Region of the Year;

Specific issues

Air

39.

notes that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk in the EU; 400 000 premature deaths per year can be attributed to it (6);

40.

reiterates (7) that effective air quality policies require action and cooperation at global, European, national, regional and local levels. In line with the principle of subsidiarity, implementation largely relies on national, regional and local measures tailored to specific circumstances;

41.

welcomes the Commission’s ambition to align the EU’s air quality standards more closely with the latest WHO recommendations and to strengthen provisions on monitoring, modelling and air quality plans to help local and regional authorities; in particular, the provisions on monitoring, modelling and air quality plans need to be better aligned;

42.

suggests using the 2021 WHO target values as a goal to achieve by 2050, but not using the recommended values as limit values since many Member States do not yet meet the current ones;

43.

recommends taking into account the conclusions of the CoR Regional Hubs consultation, which investigated the implementation of the EU Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) and the National Emission reduction Commitments (NEC) Directives and the European Parliament’s implementation report (8), which describes the AAQ Directives as ‘a partially effective tool that needs to be improved’;

44.

points out that the pandemic created momentum by encouraging a modal shift and reallocating road space to walking and cycling — and more green space — thereby avoiding a return to car-dominated cities with high levels of air pollution;

45.

Points out that additional efforts are needed to reduce the levels of odour pollution and sees the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) as the main tool to combat odour pollution since it covers all forms of emissions. The CoR underlines the importance of citizen science and public participation for tackling odour pollution challenges. A multi-level approach including different inputs of various stakeholders can empower citizens to participate in decisions made about their environment and can support policy-makers and odour emitting activities to make informed decisions and better manage the issue of odour pollution;

Water

46.

welcomes the target of reducing microplastics released into the environment by 30 % and encourages the European Commission to set clear definitions of microplastics, but also to work on preventing the release of microplastics and non-wovens at source by proposing stricter measures on intentionally released microplastics;

47.

welcomes the revision of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive and supports the initiative to use this Directive to work towards recovering valuable nutrients and the initiative to look at emerging substances such as pharmaceutical residues and microplastics;

48.

recommends assessing the effectiveness of these measures and considering what investments are required regarding pharmaceuticals and microplastics, targeting hotspots, where there are risks to the ecology or drinking-water sources;

49.

advocates monitoring substances in the surface and groundwater using innovative monitoring and evaluation techniques and including this in the revision of the Priority Substances Directive and the Groundwater Directive. Points out the need for exchanges of information on discharges in catchment areas because emissions of pollutants have an effect downstream;

50.

expresses concern that water reuse in the EU is still limited and believes it could be supported through widening the scope of the EU regulation on minimum requirements for water reuse to include the use of water for the irrigation of green spaces in urban areas, parks, gardens and grounds for public use (e.g. recreation, sport);

Noise

51.

points out that one million healthy years of life are lost every year due to the effects of noise on health (9). Reducing noise pollution from roads is crucial to tackling this growing public health concern;

52.

argues that action is needed at European level to support local and regional efforts to reduce noise pollution from roads, rail and airports by ensuring better implementation and enforcement of the mapping and reporting requirements under the Environmental Noise Directive (END);

53.

encourages the Commission to assess the opportunity to revise the END to set ambitious mandatory targets for noise reduction in order to move closer to the WHO recommended limits and calls for a roadmap for action from all stakeholders;

54.

argues for a shift in the focus from measures that mitigate excessive noise to those that prevent noise altogether, such as supporting sustainable modes of transport like walking and cycling, is crucial to realise a significant and long-term noise reduction;

Soil

55.

Stresses the importance of effective enforceability on quality and origin of soil. In this light, uniform proof of origin and quality of soil across the EU Member States is crucial for local and regional authorities to stop the transport and use of contaminated soil across regions, which prevents the polluter from being held accountable.

56.

stresses the vital importance of healthy soil for well-being and prosperity and is in favour of a preventive and risk-based approach to soil contamination. The focus should not only be on chemical quality, but also on physical and biological soil condition;

57.

considers that when disposed of in landfills, plastics leach toxic chemicals into the soil and groundwater. When mismanaged, plastics pollute land, waterways and the oceans. Toxic additives and microplastics contained in rain, soil, waterways, oceans and on mountaintops cannot be eliminated by recycling, landfilling or incineration. Only legally binding limits on global plastics production for essential uses can make a difference;

58.

welcomes the EU Soil Strategy and the announcement of the EU Soil Health Law, as supporting soil protection through a European framework is a crucial step towards climate neutrality, biodiversity restoration, zero pollution, as well as healthy and sustainable food system. Argues at the same time for flexibility in the national implementation of actions under the action plan and the new Soil Strategy because there are major regional differences in terms of spatial planning, landscape, soil (composition) and soil use;

59.

welcomes the Commission’s efforts to advise farmers to adopt less polluting practices, reducing ammonia and nitrate emissions. Other emissions from the agricultural sector, such as phosphates, metals, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, are also important;

60.

calls for special attention to be paid to historical diffuse emissions. New standards are sometimes impossible to achieve, which results in restrictions on the use of polluted areas. Therefore, a source-based approach needs to be combined with a strategy for eliminating these existing sources of pollution;

Hazardous substances

61.

advocates proactive measures to limit chemicals before they enter the chain; this also includes regulations for the safe use of substances that are placed on the market. The EU should regulate chemical substances based on their intrinsic harmful properties to humans and the environment even in case of scientific uncertainty, also taking into account the exposure risk and their benefit for society and identify and exclude specific, unacceptable risks;

62.

considers REACH to be the key instrument in controlling hazardous substances entering the environment. It is essential that the REACH authorisation and restriction processes are used more and that more substances of very high concern are identified for the candidate list;

63.

calls for restrictions at EU level on problematic uses of dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their emissions. Many of these are of great concern as they are extremely persistent and have an adverse effect on human health and the environment;

64.

points out there is currently a lack of knowledge of the (eco)-toxicological effects for many hazardous substances to or via the environment. Scientific evidence on ecological and health impacts of chemical substances should be updated and considered continuously, and be made accessible, especially concerning risks to humans and the environment.

Brussels, 27 January 2022.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions

Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS

(1) EEA Report No 22/2018: Unequal exposure and unequal impacts.

(2) Special Report 12/2021: The Polluter Pays Principle: Inconsistent application across EU environmental policies and actions.

(3) Study 2019: The costs of not implementing EU environmental law.

(4) EEA Environmental indicator report 21/2017.

(5) Healthy environment, healthy lives: how the environment influences health and well-being in Europe.

(6) EEA: Air Quality in Europe — 2020 report.

(7) The future of EU Clean Air Policy in the framework of the zero-pollution ambition.

(8) European Parliament resolution of 25 March 2021 on the implementation of the Ambient Air Quality Directives: Directive 2004/107/EC and Directive 2008/50/EC (2020/2091(INI)) (OJ C 494, 8.12.2021, p. 64).

(9) https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/health-risks-caused-by-environmental.

13.7.2022

Official Journal of the European Union

C 270/38

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Towards zero emission road transport: Deploying alternative fuels infrastructure and strengthening CO2 emission performance standards

(2022/C 270/07)

Rapporteur:

Adrian TEBAN (RO/EPP), Mayor of Cugir City, Alba County

Reference documents:

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, and repealing Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council

COM(2021) 559 final

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/631 as regards strengthening the CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles in line with the Union’s increased climate ambition

COM(2021) 556 final

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A strategic rollout plan to outline a set of supplementary actions to support the rapid deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure

COM(2021) 560 final

I. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS

COM(2021) 556 final

Amendment 1

Recital 9

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(9)

[…] The strengthened CO2 emission reduction standards are technology neutral in reaching the fleet-wide targets that they set. Different technologies are and remain available to reach the zero-emission fleet wide target. Zero-emission vehicles currently include battery electric vehicles, fuel-cell and other hydrogen powered vehicles, and technological innovations are continuing. Zero and low-emission vehicles, which also include well performing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, can continue to play a role in the transition pathway.

(9)

[…] The strengthened CO2 emission reduction standards are only technology neutral in reaching the fleet-wide targets that they set if they take into account the CO2 emissions of the fuel they use — including in their production . Different technologies are and remain available to reach the zero-emission fleet wide target. Zero-emission vehicles currently include battery electric vehicles, fuel-cell and other hydrogen powered vehicles, and technological innovations are continuing. Zero and low-emission vehicles, which also include well performing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and vehicles driven on renewable e-fuels, advanced biofuels and biogas can continue to play a role in the transition pathway.

Reason

Low-emission vehicles and fuels like advanced biofuels need to be considered in a regional context where zero-emission electric vehicles are hard to deploy. See amendment below.

Amendment 2

Proposal for a new recital after recital 9

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(9a)

Specific characteristics of regions (like geographical location, climatic conditions) may make it difficult to fully electrify cars and light road transport vehicles. In such regions renewable e-fuel-powered, biofuel and hybrid vehicles, although they do not satisfy the zero tailpipe emissions definition, could have a more advantageous overall and flexible CO2 emission performance than ‘zero-emission at tail-pipe’-vehicles and should therefore not be excluded from the single market from 2035 onwards. The European Commission should therefore seek a possibility how to take renewable e-fuel-powered, biofuel and hybrid vehicles into account when defining the fleet-wide targets that vehicle manufacturers must meet in due time before these target become operational. Specific guidance should be provided for the types of regions mentioned above on how to achieve the objective of climate-neutral mobility. In addition, they should be given targeted support from the various EU funds.

Reason

Regions where geographic or climatic conditions make it hard to fully electrify road transport vehicles should be given support.

Amendment 3

Recital 11

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(11)

The targets in the revised CO2 performance standards should be accompanied by a European strategy to address the challenges posed by the scale-up of the manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles and associated technologies, as well as the need for up- and re-skilling of workers in the sector and the economic diversification and reconversion of activities. Where appropriate, financial support should be considered at the level of the EU and Member States to crowd in private investment, including via the European Social Fund Plus, the Just Transition Fund, the Innovation Fund, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and other instruments of the Multiannual Financial Framework and the Next Generation EU, in line with State aid rules. The revised environmental and energy state aid rules will enable Member States to support business to decarbonize their production processes and adopt greener technologies in the context of the New Industrial Strategy.

(11)

The targets in the revised CO2 performance standards should be accompanied by a European mechanism for a just transition of the automotive sector and regions to address the challenges posed by the scale-up of the manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles , the green transition in the automotive industry, automotive supply industry and associated technologies, as well as the need for up- and re-skilling of workers in the sector and the economic diversification and reconversion of activities. This European Mechanism for a just transition of the automotive sector and regions needs to provide financial support at the level of the EU , in the future with additional funds and currently through a coordinated use of funds like the Social Climate Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Just Transition Fund, the Innovation Fund, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and other instruments of the Multiannual Financial Framework and the Next Generation EU or the InvestEU’s ‘Just Transition’ scheme, in line with State aid rules and complemented through programmes in the Member States . The revised environmental and energy state aid rules will enable Member States to support business to decarbonize their production processes and adopt greener technologies in the context of the New Industrial Strategy.

Reason

A legislative proposal with such far-reaching consequences for workers, industry and regions needs to foresee a concrete ‘Just Transition Mechanism’ for the European automotive and supply industry as well as the regions where they are located. The impact will be felt above all on a regional level where re-skilling needs to take place together with the industry. Such a mechanism needs to be inclusive for the whole automotive sector and needs to be based on data that clearly maps the territorial impact of the legislation.

This amendment is linked to amendments 4 and 6.

Amendment 4

Recital 24

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(24)

The possibility to assign the revenue from the excess emission premiums to a specific fund or relevant programme has been evaluated as required pursuant to Article 15(5) of Regulation (EU) 2019/631, with the conclusion that this would significantly increase the administrative burden, while not directly benefit the automotive sector in its transition. Revenue from the excess emission premiums is therefore to continue to be considered as revenue for the general budget of the Union in accordance with Article 8(4) of Regulation (EU) 2019/631. However, a ‘European Mechanism for a just transition of the automotive sector and regions’ needs to provide targeted funding for regions from existing funds (as referred to in recital 11), based on a granular mapping exercise of territorial impacts of this legislation. The mid-term evaluation of the Multi Annual Financial Framework shall as a priority look into bundling of available funds from the above-mentioned sources into the ‘European Mechanism for a just transition of the automotive sector and regions’.

Reason

A ‘European Mechanism for a just transition of the automotive sector and regions’ is necessary to support the automotive supply industry which represents an important economic sector in many European regions. While OEMs might be better prepared for the upcoming changes, the whole supply chain industry, mainly consisting of SMEs, might lack the strategic and internal financial capabilities to adapt their skills and production to the changes in the automotive value chain. Additional funds could become necessary for the JTF compared to the currently agreed EUR 17,5 billion in order for the JTF to sufficiently address the profound changes that the ‘Fit for 55’ package will bring.

This amendment is linked to amendments 3 and 6.

Amendment 5

Article 1, point (9)

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(9)

the following Article 14a is inserted:

‘Article 14a

Progress report

By 31 December 2025 , and every two years thereafter, the Commission shall report on the progress towards zero emission road mobility. The report shall in particular monitor and assess the need for possible additional measures to facilitate the transition, including through financial means.

(9)

the following Article 14a is inserted:

‘Article 14a

Progress report

By 31 December 2023 , and every two years thereafter, the Commission shall report on the progress towards zero emission road mobility. The report shall in particular monitor and assess the need for possible additional measures to facilitate the transition, including through financial means. This assessment shall be based on a territorial impact assessment that identifies on NUTS 2 level the challenges for each region and how to mitigate the risks associated with these challenges.

In the reporting, the Commission shall consider all factors that contribute to a cost-efficient progress towards climate neutrality by 2050. This includes the deployment of zero- and low-emission vehicles, progress in achieving the targets for the roll-out of recharging and refuelling infrastructure as required under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the potential contribution of innovation technologies and sustainable alternative fuels to reach climate neutral mobility, impact on consumers, progress in social dialogue as well as aspects to further facilitate an economically viable and socially fair transition towards zero emission road mobility.’;

In the reporting, the Commission shall consider all factors that contribute to a cost-efficient progress towards climate neutrality by 2050. This includes the deployment of zero- and low-emission vehicles, progress in achieving the targets for the roll-out of recharging and refuelling infrastructure as required under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the potential contribution of innovation technologies and sustainable alternative fuels to reach climate neutral mobility, progress and impact on a regional (NUTS II) level, impact on consumers, including of consumers of vulnerable groups, progress in social dialogue as well as aspects to further facilitate an economically viable and socially fair transition towards zero emission road mobility.’;

Reason

The impact of the legislation will be mainly felt on regional level and the Commission shall address via a granular mapping of territorial impact the challenges and risks associated with this transition.

Amendment 6

Article 1, point (10)(b)

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(10)

Article 15 is amended as follows:

(b)	paragraphs 2 to 5 are deleted,

(10)

Article 15 is amended as follows:

(b)	paragraphs 2 to 4 are deleted,

(c)

paragraph 5 is replaced by the following:

In order to ensure to leave no one behind and make this transition socially fair, the Commission shall propose a ‘Just Transition Mechanism’ for the automotive sector, including a multi-level dialogue with the concerned local and regional authorities (LRAs), taking into account the territorial impact of this Regulation as regards the transformation of the automotive production and supply industry and the impact on the regional economic structures and automotive workforce.

Reason

While the Regulation in force foresees the possible introduction of a just transition financial aid programme, this aspect should be deleted with the legislative proposal. The original idea to fund just transition via revenue from the excess emissions premiums might not be sufficient to ensure a just transition of all automotive regions and might not ensure the constant budgetary availability of financial resources.

The JTF alone, with the currently agreed EUR 17,5 billion might also not be sufficient to address the challenges from the ‘Fit for 55’ package. It is therefore proposed to create a coordination mechanism for a just transition of the automotive sector and regions, tapping into the potential of the existing funds.

This amendment is linked to amendments 3 and 4.

COM(2021)559 final

Amendment 7

Recital 9

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

[…] Distance-based targets for the TEN-T network should ensure full coverage of electric recharging points along the Union’s main road networks and thereby ensure easy and seamless travel throughout the Union. Where an investment in publicly accessible infrastructure proves to be difficult due to regional factors like geographical location or population density, the possibility of EU financial support should be provided.

Reason

In order to be compliant with the trans-regional character of the TEN-T network, as well as to not impede European cohesion, the distance-based approach should be kept, however with a necessary financial support from either EU fund available; that is either for private or for public recharging points.

Amendment 8

Recital 10

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(10)

National fleet based targets should be established on the basis of the total number of registered electric vehicles in that Member State following a common methodology that accounts for technological developments such as the increased driving range of electric vehicles or the increasing market penetration of fast-charging points which can recharge a greater number of vehicles per recharging point than at a normal recharging point. The methodology also has to take into account the different recharging patterns of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. A methodology that norms national fleet based targets on the total maximum power output of the publicly accessible recharging infrastructure should allow flexibility for the implementation of different recharging technologies in Member States.

(10)

National fleet based targets should be established on the basis of the total number of registered electric vehicles in that Member State , plus a margin to be laid down of 10 to 20 %, following a common methodology that accounts for technological developments such as the increased driving range of electric vehicles or the increasing market penetration of fast-charging points which can recharge a greater number of vehicles per recharging point than at a normal recharging point. The methodology also has to take into account the different recharging patterns of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. A methodology that norms national fleet based targets on the total maximum power output of the publicly accessible recharging infrastructure should allow flexibility for the implementation of different recharging technologies in Member States.

Reason

Using the total number of electric vehicles registered in one Member State is not enough, as this number does not take into account, for example, vehicles coming from other countries, especially during holiday periods, but also on other occasions such as major events, fairs, etc.

Amendment 9

Recital 34

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(34)

These targets should take into account the types of vessels served and their respective traffic volumes. Maritime ports with low traffic volumes of certain ship categories should be exempted from the mandatory requirements for the corresponding ship categories based on a minimum level of traffic volume, so as to avoid underused capacity being installed. Similarly, the mandatory targets should not aim to target maximum demand, but a sufficiently high volume, in order to avoid underused capacity and to take account of port operational characteristics. Maritime transport is an important link for the cohesion and economic development of islands in the Union. Energy production capacity in these islands may not always be sufficient to account for the power demand required to support the provision of shore-side electricity supply. In such a case islands should be exempted from this requirement unless and until such an electrical connection with the mainland has been completed or there is sufficient locally generated capacity from clean energy sources.

(34)

These targets should take into account the types of vessels served and their respective traffic volumes. Maritime ports with low traffic volumes of certain ship categories should be exempted from the mandatory requirements for the corresponding ship categories based on a minimum level of traffic volume, so as to avoid underused capacity being installed. Similarly, the mandatory targets should not aim to target maximum demand, but a sufficiently high volume, in order to avoid underused capacity and to take account of port operational characteristics. Maritime transport is an important link for the cohesion and economic development of islands and the outermost regions in the Union. Energy production capacity in these islands and outermost regions may not always be sufficient to account for the power demand required to support the provision of shore-side electricity supply. In such a case islands and outermost regions should be exempted from this requirement unless and until such an electrical connection with the mainland or neighbouring countries has been completed or there is sufficient locally generated capacity from clean energy sources.

Reason

Self-explanatory.

Amendment 10

Recital 37

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

[…] The existing National Policy Frameworks should be revised to clearly describe how the much greater need for publicly accessible recharging and refuelling infrastructure as expressed in the mandatory targets is going to be met by the Member States. The revision should be based on a territorial analysis, identifying the different needs for different sub-national entities and it should take into account local and regional expertise and the strategies for deployment of re-fuelling infrastructure which have already been developed by local and regional authorities. The revised frameworks should equally address all transport modes including those for which no mandatory deployment targets exists.

Reason

The definition of national policy frameworks for the deployment of alternative fuels needs to be based on a real multi-level governance approach in order to fully take into account the interests of regional and local authorities and their strategies for deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure which already exists in various ‘Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans’ (SUMPs) or other regional mobility strategies.

Amendment 11

Recital 39

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(39)	The development and implementation of the revised national policy frameworks of the Member States should be facilitated by the Commission by means of exchanges of information and best practices between the Member States.

(39)	The development and implementation of the revised national policy frameworks of the Member States should be facilitated by the Commission by means of exchanges of information and best practices between the Member States and regional and local authorities .

Reason

A multi-level governance framework needs to be incorporated into the alternative fuels infrastructure deployment proposal. Such a framework could coordinate deployment in the Member States and address potential gaps.

Amendment 12

Recital 42

Text proposed by the Commission	CoR amendment
[…] Member States should establish and maintain appropriate instruments to promote the deployment of charging and refuelling infrastructure also for captive fleets, in particular for clean and zero-emission buses at local level.	[…] Member States should establish and maintain appropriate instruments to promote the deployment of charging and refuelling infrastructure also for captive fleets, in particular for clean and zero-emission buses at local level and for quick charging as well as overnight charging possibilities which is available to all public transport operators .

Reason

Public transport operators need refuelling possibilities for their fleet, both for overnight charging and also fast-charging for long distance transport. They should be publicly accessible. Policy levers and incentives to provide such publicly accessible infrastructure are needed.

Amendment 13

Proposal for a new recital after recital 45

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(45a)

The operating instructions for recharging points should be as uniform as possible for consumers, the processes should be standardised and the recharging points should be intuitive and easy to use with the aid of icons; a selection of languages should be offered. Compatibility must be ensured with the operating systems of commonly used electronic devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets).

Reason

To make recharging points as easy and quick as possible for consumers to use, the process should be simple and, where appropriate, standardised and, for example, should take into account users who do not know the language(s) of the country in question.

Amendment 14

Recital 47

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

(47)

It is crucial that all actors in the electric mobility ecosystem can interact easily through digital means to provide the best service quality to the end user. This requires unique identifiers of relevant actors in the value chain. To that end, Member States should appoint an Identification Registration Organisation (‘IDRO’) for issuing and managing unique identification (‘ID’) codes to identify, at least, operators of recharging points and mobility service providers. The IDRO should collect information on e-mobility ID codes that are already in use in the respective Member State; issue new e-mobility codes, where needed, to recharging point operators and mobility service providers under an Union-wide common agreed logic in which electro-mobility ID codes are formatted; allow to exchange and verify the uniqueness of these e-mobility codes via a possible future common Identification Registration Repository (‘IDRR’). The Commission should issue technical guidance on the set up of such organisation, drawing on the Programme Support Action on ‘Data collection related to recharging/refuelling points for alternative fuels and the unique identification codes related to e-mobility actors’ (‘IDACS’).

(47)

It is crucial that all actors in the electric mobility ecosystem can interact easily through digital means to provide the best service quality to the end user. This requires unique identifiers of relevant actors in the value chain. The range of actors should be as broad as possible, including in particular energy producers and distributors. To that end, Member States should appoint an Identification Registration Organisation (‘IDRO’) for issuing and managing unique identification (‘ID’) codes to identify, at least, operators of recharging points and mobility service providers. The IDRO should collect information on e-mobility ID codes that are already in use in the respective Member State; issue new e-mobility codes, where needed, to recharging point operators and mobility service providers under an Union-wide common agreed logic in which electro-mobility ID codes are formatted; allow to exchange and verify the uniqueness of these e-mobility codes via a possible future common Identification Registration Repository (‘IDRR’). The Commission should issue technical guidance on the set up of such organisation, drawing on the Programme Support Action on ‘Data collection related to recharging/refuelling points for alternative fuels and the unique identification codes related to e-mobility actors’ (‘IDACS’). The main objective should be cross-sectoral cooperation in order to maximise synergies.

Reason

It should be ensured that all actors involved cooperate and play their part in the overall customer service process and the operation of recharging points.

Amendment 15

Recital 54

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

[…] The Commission should therefore review this Regulation by the end of 2026 in particular as regards the targets setting for electric recharging points for HDV as well as targets for infrastructure for alternative fuels for zero-emission vessels and aircraft in waterborne transport and aviation.

[…] The Commission should assess the impact of this Regulation at the latest two years after its entry into force, using specific set objectives, taking into account the full life cycle of vehicle emissions for each technology and its impact on the CO2 emissions from road transport as well as the impact of each technology on the consumer (total cost of ownership). The Commission should also review this Regulation by the end of 2026 in particular as regards the targets setting for electric recharging points for HDV as well as targets for infrastructure for alternative fuels for zero-emission vessels and aircraft in waterborne transport and aviation.

Reason

The Regulation’s assessment should be based on specific criteria and reference should therefore be made to specific set objectives.

Amendment 16

Article 1(3)

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

3. This Regulation establishes a reporting mechanism to stimulate cooperation and ensures a robust tracking of progress. The mechanism shall comprise a structured, transparent, iterative and multi-level governance process between the Commission and Member States for the purpose of the finalisation of the national policy frameworks , taking into account local and regional strategies for deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure which have already been developed by local and regional authorities, and their subsequent implementation and corresponding Commission action.

Reason

Amendment 17

Article 3

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

1. Member States shall ensure that:

—	publicly accessible recharging stations for light-duty vehicles are deployed commensurate to the uptake of light-duty electric vehicles;

—	publicly accessible recharging stations for light-duty vehicles are deployed commensurate to the uptake of light-duty electric vehicles;

—	in their territory, publicly accessible recharging stations dedicated to light-duty vehicles are deployed that provide sufficient power output for those vehicles.

—	in their territory, publicly accessible recharging stations dedicated to light-duty vehicles are deployed evenly across the territory and that they provide sufficient power output for those vehicles.

To that end Member States shall ensure that, at the end of each year, starting from the year referred to in Article 24, the following power output targets are met cumulatively:

(a)	for each battery electric light-duty vehicle registered in their territory, a total power output of at least 1 kW is provided through publicly accessible recharging stations; and

(a)	for each battery electric light-duty vehicle registered in their territory, a total power output of at least 1 kW is provided through publicly accessible recharging stations; and

(b)	for each plug-in hybrid light-duty vehicle registered in their territory, a total power output of at least 0,66 kW is provided through publicly accessible recharging stations.

(b)	for each plug-in hybrid light-duty vehicle registered in their territory, a total power output of at least 0,66 kW is provided through publicly accessible recharging stations.

2. […]

3. Neighbouring Member States shall ensure that the maximum distances referred to in points (a) and (b) are not exceeded for cross-border sections of the TEN-T core and the TEN-T comprehensive network.

3. When deploying and promoting recharging infrastructure in accordance with point 2., Member States shall also take into account the objectives of Article 174 TFEU and shall ensure availability in less densely populated areas.

4. Neighbouring Member States shall ensure that the maximum distances referred to in points (a) and (b) are not exceeded for cross-border sections of the TEN-T core and the TEN-T comprehensive network.

Reason

To promote alternative propulsion systems, the necessary recharging infrastructure must also be available outside the TEN-T networks in areas where there are fewer users due to lower population densities and where private sector deployment is less profitable.

Amendment 18

Article 3(2)

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

2. Member States shall ensure a minimum coverage of publicly accessible recharging points dedicated to light-duty vehicles on the road network in their territory. To that end, Member States shall ensure that:

(a)	along the TEN-T core network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to light-duty vehicles and meeting the following requirements are deployed in each direction of travel with a maximum distance of 60 km in-between them:

(a)	along the TEN-T core network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to light-duty vehicles and meeting the following requirements are deployed in each direction of travel with a maximum distance of 60 km in-between them:

(i)	by 31 December 2025, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 300 kW and include at least one recharging station with an individual power output of at least 150 kW;

(i)	by 31 December 2025, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 500 kW and include at least one recharging station with an individual power output of at least 250 kW;

(ii)	by 31 December 2030, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 600 kW and include at least two recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 150 kW;

(ii)	by 31 December 2030, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 900 kW and include at least two recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 250 kW;

(b)	along the TEN-T comprehensive network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to light-duty vehicles and meeting the following requirements are deployed in each direction of travel with a maximum distance of 60 km in-between them:

(b)	along the TEN-T comprehensive network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to light-duty vehicles and meeting the following requirements are deployed in each direction of travel with a maximum distance of 60 km in-between them:

(i)	by 31 December 2030, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 300 kW and include at least one recharging station with an individual power output of at least 150 kW;

(i)	by 31 December 2030, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 500 kW and include at least one recharging station with an individual power output of at least 250 kW;

(ii)	by 31 December 2035, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 600 kW and include at least two recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 150 kW.

(ii)	by 31 December 2035, each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 900 kW and include at least two recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 250 kW.

(c)

in duly justified cases, in regions with certain specific characteristics (such as geographical location, difficult topography or population density) and where a distance based requirement is difficult to justify from a socioeconomic cost-benefit perspective, lower power outputs can be installed, however each recharging pool shall offer a power output of at least 300 kW and include at least one recharging station with an individual power output of at least 150 kW. Member States shall report such exemptions to the European Commission.

Reason

A recent study by the European Parliament (1) has concluded that the suggested charging power for the charging points on the TEN-T and the urban nodes are too low. This could hinder the uptake of EVs.

Concerning the exemptions, they are necessary since a purely distance-based approach to the location of charging infrastructure is not coherent with the local and regional need for re-fuelling infrastructure. Setting the same distance-based targets and charging load targets for the whole Union does not take into account regional difference (population density, geographical location).

Amendment 19

Article 4(1)

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

[…]

(d)	by 31 December 2025, in each urban node publicly accessible recharging points dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles providing an aggregated power output of at least 600 kW are deployed, provided by recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 150 kW;

(d)	by 31 December 2025, in each urban node publicly accessible recharging points dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles providing an aggregated power output of at least 900 kW are deployed, provided by recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 300 kW;

(e)	by 31 December 2030, in each urban node publicly accessible recharging points dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles providing an aggregated power output of at least 1 200 kW are deployed, provided by recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 150 kW.

(e)	by 31 December 2030, in each urban node publicly accessible recharging points dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles providing an aggregated power output of at least 2 000 kW are deployed, provided by recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 300 kW.

(f)

in duly justified cases, in regions with certain specific characteristics (such as geographical location, difficult topography or population density) and where a distance based requirement is difficult to justify from a socioeconomic cost-benefit perspective, lower power outputs can be installed, however with an aggregated power of at least 600 kW for heavy -duty vehicles and at least 150 kW individual power output. Member States shall report such exemptions to the European Commission.

Reason

Same as amendment 18.

Amendment 20

Article 6(1)

Text proposed by the Commission	CoR amendment
1. Member States shall ensure that, in their territory, a minimum number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations are put in place by 31 December 2030 .	1. Member States shall ensure that, in their territory, a minimum number of publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations are put in place by 31 December 2027 .
To that end Member States shall ensure that by 31 December 2030 publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations with a minimum capacity of 2 t/day and equipped with at least a 700 bars dispenser are deployed with a maximum distance of 150 km in-between them along the TEN-T core and the TEN-T comprehensive network. […]	To that end Member States shall ensure that by 31 December 2027 publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling stations with a minimum capacity of 4 t/day and equipped with at least a 700 bars dispenser are deployed with a maximum distance of 150 km in-between them along the TEN-T core and the TEN-T comprehensive network. […]

Reason

Hydrogen truck projects already exist in many Member States and regions. They urgently need planning stability. Provision should therefore be made for an earlier time limit and higher capacity.

Amendment 21

Article 13(3)

Text proposed by the Commission

CoR amendment

3. Member States shall ensure that national policy frameworks take into account , as appropriate, the interests of regional and local authorities, in particular when recharging and refuelling infrastructure for public transport is concerned, as well as those of the stakeholders concerned.

3. Member States shall ensure that national policy frameworks take into account the interests of regional and local authorities, in particular when recharging and refuelling infrastructure for public transport is concerned, as well as those of the stakeholders concerned. The national policy frameworks shall include a consultation mechanism of the sub-national level to incorporate a permanent feedback loop of the local level into the respective Member States’ strategies for deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. Alternative fuels infrastructure must be available in all regions. Therefore, deployment targets for regional (NUTS 2) alternative fuels infrastructure should be included to ensure cohesion of the Union.

Reason

While recital 16 and recital 38 note the need to include a multi-level approach in the national policy frameworks (NPFs), this is not further defined in the corresponding article, which would be a missed opportunity to incorporate a consultation mechanism for local and regional authorities into the NPFs, which would allow valuable regional level feedback into the respective Member States’ strategies for deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure and add to the overall coherence of it.

Amendment 22

Article 13(4)

Text proposed by the Commission	CoR amendment
4. Where necessary, Member States shall cooperate, by means of consultations or joint policy frameworks, to ensure that the measures required to achieve the objectives of this Regulation are coherent and coordinated. […]	4. Member States shall cooperate, by means of consultations or joint policy frameworks, to ensure that the measures required to achieve the objectives of this Regulation are coherent and coordinated with the sub-national level and respects the principle of subsidiarity, as well as of the multilevel governance . […]

Reason

Same as amendment 21.

II. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Just transition

underlines that research and mapping of the employment consequences and trends of a shift towards a climate-neutral automotive industry must be carried out. The Commission should thus evaluate the territorial impact of this Regulation on the automotive industry, workforce and regions;

stresses that the transformation of the European automotive industry towards zero-emission vehicles is the most comprehensive structural change in the sector to date, with a multitude of impacts on workers, suppliers and car manufacturing groups in Europe. In view of this major transformation of one of the key European sectors, the CoR calls on the European Commission to initiate a holistic and long-term strategic dialogue on the transformation of the automotive sector in the EU with all relevant stakeholders (OEMs, suppliers, trade unions, academia, environmental associations, NGOs, civil society, regions and cities, etc.) in order to provide political support for the structural change of the sector and to analyse and support its needs. Supports the existing forms of cooperation at the EU level, involving regional and local authorities, such as the Automotive Skills Alliance focused on the re-skilling and up-skilling of workers in the automotive sector, developing intelligence and fostering dialogue among all relevant partners and stakeholders in the sector;

supports the elaboration of specific plans for re- and upskilling, training and reallocation of workers in the EU automotive sector, in particular in the regions most affected by the transition;

supports public resources being made available for a Just Transition Programme for the automotive ecosystem. Its model should be the current Just Transition Platform. Funding for regional plans via the Just Transition Mechanism serve today millions of workers in carbon intensive industrial areas such as coal mining, including a dedicated Just Transition Fund;

urges the Commission to establish a ‘European Mechanism for a just transition of the automotive sector and regions,’ which should draw on European funds and make sure it addresses challenges in the regions most affected by the transformation and reaches all SMEs in the supply chain to adapt to the changes in the automotive value chain;

this Just Transition Mechanism should be based on the following principles:

a)	Adequate resources

b)	Policy support and exchanges of best practices

c)	Transition planning and social dialogue.

Funds allocated within the mechanism must be aimed directly at the affected workforce and transparently distributed via regions and cities in close cooperation with the public authorities competent in training and lifelong learning. They should not be a bailout for automotive companies, but a public investment in the upskilling, diversification, and education of the workforce;

embraces the initiative for an ‘Alliance of regions for a just and fair transition of the European Automotive and Supply Industry’. These regions, with a strong automotive sector, want to play an active role in making sure that no region is left behind and that the new, sustainable and alternatively fuelled mobility system is affordable and accessible for all citizens in all regions. The CoR fully supports the Alliance request for a just transition mechanism for the regions depending on the automotive industry in order to manage the changes in the sector;

underlines that investments in vocational and high-tech education required for the new skills in electric mobility should be made available for the local and regional levels;

supports new operations in alternative mobility of the same automotive company being kept in the same territory, with priority given to existing plants;

Alternative fuels infrastructure

10.

considers the rollout of charging and refuelling infrastructure for alternative drive systems, in conjunction with the new CO2 emission standards, and in particular the ramping up of electro-mobility, to be a key condition for achieving the climate targets at European, national and regional level. The EU’s existing obligations relating to recharging and refuelling infrastructure requirements are not sufficient for this purpose;

11.

welcomes the fact that, by transforming the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (AFID) into a regulation (AFIR), the Commission is proposing, for the first time, mandatory EU-wide, uniform and, above all, cross-modal minimum requirements for this infrastructure in the Member States;

12.

supports full decarbonisation of the road transport sector by 2050;

13.

stresses that, in principle, openness is required for manufacturers regarding different types of propulsion and technical solutions in order to achieve the objective of registering only zero-emission vehicles in the EU from 2035;

14.

following the principle of technological neutrality, the Commission must ensure technology competition, as well as alternatives for rural and remote areas, such as advanced biofuels (see sustainability criteria for biofuels in Annex IX of the Renewable Energy Directive);

15.

calls for an assessment of biofuels’ emission intensity (2); this assessment must consider the whole biofuel lifecycle and its impacts on land-use change, indirect land-use change factors, biodiversity, and food security;

16.

special attention should be given to:

—	public charging points in urban areas where an increasing number of electric vehicles will not have access to private parking

—	public charging points in remote and rural areas;

17.

calls for measures to promote development of the use of hydrogen technology in transport, which is currently going through a dynamic phase, and for conditions to be put in place for a sufficiently comprehensive network of hydrogen refuelling points as soon as the necessary technological solutions are available and the demand is known. The years 2027 and 2035 are natural staging posts in a roadmap with corresponding measures. These measures also include the preparation of the necessary legal acts and related decisions. However, it must be possible to grant derogations in duly justified cases where regions’ specific characteristics (such as geographical location or population density) make it difficult to justify the established requirements from a socioeconomic point of view;

18.

underlines the need for dedicated infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles, particularly public transport;

19.

easy access to smart and fast charging, as well as information on the availability of charging stations, payment solutions, charging tariffs (price transparency), etc. is essential;

20.

calls for priority to be given to measures to shift freight transport to rail when considering investments in alternative road propulsion systems;

General

21.

welcomes the intention to address vehicle emissions standards in order to achieve the objective of carbon neutrality. Cars and vans represent the biggest share of CO2 emissions in transport in absolute terms, and average emissions from internal combustion engine cars are rising;

22.

underlines the problem of second-hand car markets of polluting cars in Eastern and Central European Member States, shifting the toxic pollution and ‘carbon leakage’ problems to less-developed regions. This is impeding EU cohesion and works against the core value that all EU citizens have an equal right to clean air. The Commission should therefore ensure limits on the flow of old polluting vehicles in a way that protects the environment and public health, and is aligned with the Single Market;

23.

suggests that a new Euro 7/VII norm be designed in a way that is adapted to existing technical possibilities for reducing pollution. In principle, the requirements of the Euro 7/VII norm should not counteract the inevitable high costs of innovating new propulsion systems in the sector to achieve the climate objectives;

24.

given the potential impact of this Regulation on local and regional authorities, the CoR underlines the importance of being informed by the co-legislators on all changes to the initial proposal at each stage of the legislative procedure, including trilogue negotiations, in line with the principle of sincere cooperation, thus allowing the CoR to properly discharge of its Treaty prerogatives (Article 91 TFEU);

25.

considers that both draft regulations comply with the requirements of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles. The added value of EU action in this field and the appropriateness of the legal bases chosen by the Commission are clear and consistent. It regrets however that contrary to other proposals put forward within the ‘Fit for 55 package’, the draft regulation on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (COM(2021) 559) was not accompanied by a subsidiarity assessment grid and notes that two national parliaments issued a reasoned opinion on non-compliance with the principle of subsidiarity by the deadline for submissions, set at 8 November 2021.

Brussels, 26 January 2022.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions

Apostolos TZITZIKOSTAS

(1) Research for TRAN Committee — Alternative fuel infrastructures for heavy-duty vehicles | Think Tank | European Parliament (europa.eu).

(2) The land use change impact of biofuels consumed in the EU Quantification of area and greenhouse gas impacts https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/Final%20Report_GLOBIOM_publication.pdf

		ISSN 1977-091X
Official Journal of the European Union		C 270

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 65 13 July 2022

Contents		page
	I Resolutions, recommendations and opinions
	RESOLUTIONS
	Committee of the Regions
	Interactio – full remote – 148th CoR plenary session, 26.1.2022-27.1.2022
2022/C 270/01	Resolution of the European Committee of the Regions on the contribution of local and regional authorities to the Conference on the Future of Europe	1
	OPINIONS
	Committee of the Regions
	Interactio – full remote – 148th CoR plenary session, 26.1.2022-27.1.2022
2022/C 270/02	Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027	8
2022/C 270/03	Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – LRAs accelerating the implementation of the EU Pollinators Initiative	13
2022/C 270/04	Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – A long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas	18
2022/C 270/05	Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Gender equality and climate change: towards mainstreaming the gender perspective in the European Green Deal	25
2022/C 270/06	Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – EU Action Plan: Towards zero pollution for air, water and soil	31

	III Preparatory acts
	Committee of the Regions
	Interactio – full remote – 148th CoR plenary session, 26.1.2022-27.1.2022
2022/C 270/07	Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Towards zero emission road transport: Deploying alternative fuels infrastructure and strengthening CO2 emission performance standards	38