Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission is considering postponing a series of initiatives in the areas of climate, environment, biodiversity and digital, according to a new draft version of its work programme for 2020, dated Monday 25 May and consulted by EUROPE.
These changes were already envisaged in earlier preparatory documents (see EUROPE 12481/8). Five major postponements should be noted: the European Climate Pact (see EUROPE 12443/12), initially planned for the third quarter of 2020, is postponed to the fourth quarter; - the new EU Forest Strategy, originally planned for the last quarter of 2020, is postponed to the first quarter of 2021; - the new EU strategy on adapting to climate change (see EUROPE 12486/16) planned for the fourth quarter of 2020 has also been postponed to the first quarter of 2021.
In addition, the presentation of the 8th Environmental Action Programme is postponed to the last quarter of this year, while the initiative to empower consumers to take action for the green transition is postponed to early 2021.
Deferrals are also envisaged in the digital sector. This includes the update of the action plan on digital literacy, now scheduled for the third quarter of 2020, and the follow-up to the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI), now planned for the first quarter of 2021. The revision of the Roaming Regulation is also reportedly postponed until 2021.
The Pact on Migration and Asylum will finally be presented in the second quarter of 2020.
In the financial area, the renewed strategy on sustainable finance is postponed to the fourth quarter of 2020, and the revision of the directive on non-financial reporting is postponed to the first quarter of 2021. The Communication on company taxation will be presented in Q4 2020, with the Action Plan and associated initiatives now expected in Q3 2020.
Finally, the strategy on a new security for the Union is postponed until the third quarter of 2020.
To consult the document in its entirety: https://bit.ly/2yDuenY (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens, Hermine Donceel, Damien Genicot, Sophie Petitjean, Marion Fontana, Agathe Cherki, Camille Cerise Gessant, Solenn Paulic)