Brussels, 12/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 16 December, the European Commission will publish its work programme for 2015.
The European Commission's work programme will include the launch of a European Strategic Investment Fund (ESIF) under the aegis of the European Investment Bank to establish an investment plan that is hoped to attract €315 billion in private investment once it has received the go-ahead from the European Summit (see EUROPE 11216). The Commission will unveil draft legislation to complete the internal market in energy (in the first quarter) and in the digital economy (before the end of the second quarter). The deepening of economic and monetary union is also one of the European Commission's priorities and this involves assessing the latest revisions of the Stability and Growth Pact and tangible proposals to ensure better coordination of economic policy in the eurozone. Following the LuxLeaks scandal, the Commission is keen to promote the right against fraud and tax evasion and will prepare an EU stance for the international climate talks in Paris at the end of 2015.
Accused by environmentalists of withdrawing crucial draft environmental legislation, the Commission justified the withdrawal because the work programme focuses on implementing the Juncker Commission's ten priorities, implementing the principle of continuity (with the previous Commission, the second Barroso Commission) and looking at existing proposals to see which ones need to be withdrawn, explained Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud on Friday 12 December.
Bertaud said that the European Commission remains strongly committed to ensuring a high level of protection of the environment, but draft legislation on issues like air quality may be scrapped because it's “pointless to waste time on proposals that have no chance of going through on the ground.”
Under a draft version of the work programme for 2015, there is a list of draft legislation that might be withdrawn, including legislation on organic farming, energy taxes, air quality, mutual access to EU and non-EU markets, compensation systems for investors, maternity leave (see EUROPE 11216), European contract law, the legal status of European foundations (see EUROPE 11202) and aid during flight stopovers. Bertaud said the draft legislation in question did not match priorities, was out of date, had no chance of reaching agreement at European legislator level or would be replaced by other draft legislation in the future that complies with the new strategic priorities.
The College of Commissioners has already held policy debates on this question and the president of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, discussed it with the European Parliament' Conference of Presidents (of political groupings) on Thursday. (MB)