In Strasbourg on Tuesday 24 October, the European Commission unveiled its work programme for 2018, which includes 26 initiatives to be presented by May of this year, to complete measures to implement the ten political priorities of the Juncker Commission ahead of the European elections of June 2019 and to prepare the EU for 2025 and beyond.
In its programme, the Commission lists 66 priority pending proposals, which were presented in 2016 and 2017 and require rapid adoption by the Council and the European Parliament. It also refers to 15 pending proposals on which no agreement is looking likely, no longer serve their purpose or are technically outdated. The document contains 15 proposals following on from assessments of existing legislative acts under the REFIT programme and taking account of the opinions issued by the REFIT platform. Finally, the Commission will cancel three obsolete legislative acts.
The continuing work to get the action plan in favour of the circular economy fully up and running and to complete the digital single market, Energy Union, the Capital Markets Union, Economic and Monetary Union and Banking Union form the bulk of the initiatives to implement the ten priorities of the Juncker Commission.
To deepen the single market and reinforce its industrial base, the Commission also announces an initiative for the fair taxation of the digital economy, a raft of measures in favour of social equity and a proposal to improve the supply chain in the EU.
The Commission will also submit new targeted measures to complete the Security Union and achieve results in the framework of the European migration agenda and the global strategy, and to reinforce the civil protection mechanism of the EU.
On trade matters, the Commission will continue its “balanced and progressive” policy to benefit from globalisation, by finalising agreements concluded with Japan, Singapore and Vietnam, working towards an updated agreement with Mexico and an agreement with Mercosur.
The Commission's prospective agenda up to 2025 and beyond includes proposals to reinforce the EU of 27 after the anticipated withdrawal of the United Kingdom in March 2019, including one concerning the next multi-annual financial framework, one to make the process of legislating on the single market more efficient and one to improve the coherence and effectiveness of the common foreign policy.
It also contains an initiative to give the EU credible enlargement prospects for the first Western Balkans candidates.
The Commission has also promised a reflection document concerning a sustainable European future and a communication on the future of EU climate and energy policy, together with a proposal to extend the remit of the European Public prosecutor's Office to include the fight against terror.
In order to make the EU more democratic, the Commission will present proposals aiming to create the permanent position of European Minister for the Economy and Finance, who will be accountable, an initiative to further reinforce subsidiarity and proportionality and communication on seeking greater efficiency at the helm of the EU.
In addition, it will propose an initiative on the enforcement of the rule of law. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)