Strasbourg, 27/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - At a rather sparsely attended European Parliament on Tuesday 27 October in Strasbourg, the European Commission Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, presented its 2016 work programme consisting of “audacious and pragmatic proposals to overcome the challenges facing us”.
Timmermans said that “it is not the moment to change nothing” and attempted to explain that the style of the Juncker Commission could make all the difference, particularly by focusing on important subjects in the work programme: the investment plan, digital single market, single energy market, security, migration, capital markets union, action plan for a fair and equitable taxation, monetary union and the single market strategy etc. The Commission has outlined 23 major initiatives. He confirmed that the Commission was going to present a “circular economy” package.
Immigration and refugees related challenges. The Commission will adopt an action plan to revise the asylum system (Dublin) and put in place a new approach towards legal immigration, explained Timmermans. This will complete the proposal on external border management, which will be adopted at the end of 2016, as well as an initiative to coordinate the European Union coastguard services.
The Commission will put forward “concrete” proposals to implement the single market strategy. It will also take sectoral initiatives on defence and space.
Jozsef Szajer (EPP, Hungary) spoke on behalf of his group and said “we need to make our external borders secure… The security of our fellow citizens needs to be guaranteed”. Maria João Rodrigues (S&D Portugal) said that the main challenge is to respond to the refugee crisis so that a “humanitarian crisis is prevented”.
2016, year of social progress. The Commission will present a work programme for new competencies (particularly in the context of the digital era). Action at both the legislative and nonlegislative level is planned to improve the balance between professional and private life (support for women in the workplace). The Commission would also like to tackle the abuse of social rights. Timmermans hammered home the fact that “it is imperative that free movement does not threaten social protection”.
Maria João Rodrigues said that they needed a strong pillar in the field of social rights. She also called for a “mobility” package. Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA, Belgium) criticised the Commission for having done nothing to tackle the issue of “social dumping”.
Taxation. The Commission will attempt to ensure that corporation tax is fair and equitable, explained the Vice-President, “companies must be taxed where profits are made. Measures are planned to guarantee better transparency of the taxation system on companies and avoid tax evasion”. The Commission will propose measures to fight more effectively against fraud in the area of VAT. Rodrigues also highlighted the fact that companies should pay taxes where they make profits. Lamberts criticised the lack of energy expended by the Commission in the fight against tax competition.
The method. Jozsef Szajer welcomed the method followed by the Commission (concentrating on 10 priorities, subsidiarity, impact study, cutting red tape etc.) and stated: “It is a good thing that we are working hand in hand”. He highlighted the priority of youth employment and completion of the internal market in the energy and digital fields.
Vicky Ford (ECR, United Kingdom) said that there were a lot of positive things in this work programme but that they should not take action in areas such as health and education, which were the prerogatives of the member states. Sophia In 't Veld (ALDE, Netherlands) said that they had quite a few positive novelties in the area of asylum, migration, coastguards and the “blue card”. She regretted, however, the lack of new initiatives, particularly in the following areas: the fight against terrorism (assessment of the measures already in place), anti-discrimination directive and the mechanism for ensuring respect for democratic governance etc. Martina Michels (GUE/NGL, Germany) thought that the Commission had “missed its chance”. The other priorities outlined by Timmermans: the fight against terrorism and organised crime, following up investments in trade, a stronger and more prosperous economic and monetary union, the EU budget (mid-term review of the 2014-20 financial framework). Timmermans said in conclusion that the Commission wanted to act differently so that when the EU intervened, “they did so in a way that obtained results and changed things on the ground”. The Commission will therefore revise certain legislation, particularly in the area of security and health in the workplace. The Commission is finally proposing to get rid of or amend 20 legislative acts that are “outmoded or have no chance of being adopted”.
Timmermans has “gift of the gab”. During a press conference on Tuesday morning, Philippe Lamberts appeared to be sarcastic when he asserted that the Commission was in favour of reducing working hours if this were considered in the context of the reduction in the legislative dossiers processed under the Juncker Commission and pointed out that “the quality-of-life for European civil servant is a good thing, but for the quality-of-life of citizens, it's something else”. He also said that, “Mr Timmermans definitely has the gift of the gab but he has camouflaged a wish to please the business community”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)