Publications Archive

The EU Commission wants to support structural reforms in the Member States in order to strengthen their macroeconomic resilience in the event of crises. The Commission intends to stabilise the euro area and to support euro-area candidate countries with introduction of the euro. For this purpose, a realignment and an increase in funds for the “Structural Reform Support Programme” is proposed.

The EU Commission wants to set up a European cybersecurity certification scheme (ECCS) in order to increase confidence in products and services in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. In the light of increasing cybersecurity risks and attacks, it has therefore submitted the proposal for a Regulation.

The EU Commission wants to create joint clinical assessments and harmonised assessment procedures at EU level for innovative health technology in order to remove barriers in the internal market. Thus, redundant duplication of work both in national HTA centres and for developers of health technology can be avoided and costs, currently incurred by developers due to differing national assessment concepts, can be reduced.

By way of a new Directive, the EU Commission wants to improve the working conditions of drivers in the passenger and freight transport sector. It is therefore proposing to extend the current monitoring obligations of Member States to include the drivers’ Working Time Directive.

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) will be transformed into the “European Monetary Fund” (EMF) and incorporated into EU law. In addition, the EU Commission wants to establish a financial backstop for the European Single Resolution Board (SRB) by way of the EMF.

The EU Commission wants to further deregulate international bus and coach services. In addition, national bus and coach services are to be opened up to foreign competition and inter-urban buses and coaches guaranteed fair access to bus stations.  

The EU Commission wants larger quantities of plastic waste to be recycled and, with proper disposal, prevented from entering the oceans. It has therefore submitted a Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy.

The European supervisory authority EIOPA will take on more responsibility for the supervision of insurance companies. In this regard, the establishment of an independent Executive Board may reduce Member States’ ability to interpret EU regulations improperly, to their own advantage. The establishment of an Executive Board will also facilitate the punishment of infringements of EU law committed by national supervisory authorities (NSAs) and allow for more effective resolution of conflicts between NSAs.

The EU Commission wants to introduce a “reform delivery tool” to provide financial support for structural reforms in the Member States and test it in a pilot phase. In cep’s view, financial support by way of the reform delivery tool may facilitate necessary structural reforms and thereby improve the stability of the eurozone.

With the creation of an EU Finance Minister, the European Commission wants to improve coordination of economic policy in the EU. With this aim, he will combine three offices into one - EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Union, Chair of the Eurogroup and Chair of the Board of Governors of the European Monetary Fund.