EC COMMISSION ROADMAP FOR A MORE UNITED, STRONGER AND MORE DEMOCRATIC UNION

(Draft Commission Work Programme to be launched and/or completed by the end of 2018)

Priority 1: A new boost for jobs, growth and investment  

1.  Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the 'EFSI 2.0' proposal and of the Omnibus proposal, notably the changes in the Common Provisions Regulation that simplify the use of European Structural and Investment Funds and facilitate their combination with the European Fund for Strategic Investments.
2. 2018 European Semester of economic policy coordination: delivering investment, sound public finances and structural reforms, while continuing to make use of the appropriate flexibility built into the Stability and Growth Pact and identified by the Commission since January 2015; integrating the new Social Scoreboard which accompanies the Commission Recommendation on the European Pillar of Social Rights.
3. Delivery of all aspects of the European Skills Agenda, notably through the implementation of 'upskilling pathways' at national level, with the support of the European Social Fund, and with a particular attention given to basic skills and the need for digital skills.
4. Circular Economy package to boost innovation, jobs and growth, including: a strategy on plastics working towards all plastic packaging on the EU market being recyclable by 2030; a proposal for a Regulation on Waste Water Reuse; a revision of the Drinking Water Directive; and a monitoring framework for the Circular Economy.

Priority 2: A connected Digital Single Market Initiatives

1. Cyber-Security package setting out concrete measures to respond to the changed cyber-threats landscape including: a proposal to strengthen the Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA); an implementation toolkit for the Network and Information Security Directive; a blueprint for effective response in case of cyber-attacks affecting several Member States; enhancing the Union's strategic autonomy by boosting research capacity and building effective cyber-defence, cyber-hygiene and the right skills both inside Europe and with partners worldwide, including NATO.
2. Data package unlocking the potential of the data economy by ensuring a free flow of non-personal data within Europe.
3. Initiative on online platforms to safeguard a fair, predictable, sustainable and trusted business environment in the online economy.
4. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of all 14 legislative proposals aimed at completing the Digital Single Market, including: the telecoms package; the copyright package; geoblocking; audio-visual and media frameworks; parcel delivery; e-Privacy Regulation; and EU rules on the protection of personal data when processed by EU Institutions and bodies.
5. Commission guidance to prepare citizens, business and public administrations for the direct application of the General Data Protection Regulation as of 25 May 2018, to be prepared in close consultation with the Article 29 Working Party/the new European Data Protection Board.
6. Revision of the Commission guidelines on market analysis and the assessment of significant market power in the electronic communications sector.
7. Initiative addressing the challenges which online platforms create for our democracies as regards the spreading of fake information.

Priority 3: A resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy  

1. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the Commission proposals to implement the Energy Union and Climate Change policy, including: the Clean Energy for all Europeans package; the Climate package; and the Europe on the Move package.
2. Mobility and Climate Change package, including legislative proposals on: clean vehicles; common rules for combined transport of goods; CO2 standards for cars and vans; fuel-efficiency and CO2 standards for lorries, buses and coaches; and an initiative to accelerate the delivery of the alternative fuels infrastructure.
3. Follow-up to the solidarity aspect of the Energy Union, including: a proposal on common rules for gas pipelines entering the European internal gas market; and swift implementation of the Projects of Common Interest necessary for the connection of the European energy markets.
4. On the basis of a strong Council mandate , engaging in negotiations with Russia on key principles for the operation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.  

Priority 4: A deeper and fairer Internal Market with a strengthened industrial base  

1. A renewed EU Industrial Policy Strategy to foster industrial competitiveness, innovation and technological leadership for fair and good-quality jobs in industry and to make use of the potential of digital technologies across all industrial sectors
2. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the services and the enforcement packages.
3. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposal for reinforced market surveillance for motor vehicles.
4. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposal on business insolvency, restructuring and second chance, to reduce the costs and complexity of business restructuring, to make sure that viable companies will be given a second chance and to increase legal certainty for cross-border investments in the EU.
5. EU Company Law package making the best of digital solutions and providing efficient rules for crossborder operations whilst respecting national social and labour law prerogatives.
6. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposals re-launching the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB).
7. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposal to improve the value added tax (VAT) environment for e-commerce businesses in the EU and the proposal allowing equal rules for taxing e-books, e-newspapers and their printed equivalents.
8. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposals requiring multinational companies to publish key tax information on a country-by-country basis, establishing new transparency rules for tax planning intermediaries and a common EU list of noncooperative tax jurisdictions on the basis of the scoreboard of indicators proposed by the Commission.
9. Fair Taxation package for the creation of a single EU value added tax area (VAT), including: proposals to modify the VAT Directive regarding the definitive VAT system for cross-border trade within the Single Market; a proposal for a Council Regulation on combating fraud in the field of value added tax within the Single Market; a proposal for a Council Directive on the common system of value added tax as regards small enterprises; and a proposal for a Council Directive on the rules governing the setting of VAT rates.
10. Proposal establishing rules at EU level allowing taxation of profits generated by multinationals through the digital economy.
11. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposals on the reform of the Posting of Workers Directive, establishing the principle of equal pay for equal work at the same place, and on the modernisation of the rules for the coordination of social security systems, ensuring amongst other things that, under the same circumstances, the same benefits are due for the same contributions paid.
12. Proposal to establish a European Labour Authority to strengthen cooperation between labour market authorities at all levels and better manage cross-border situations, as well as further initiatives in support of fair mobility, such as a European Social Security Number.
13. Proposal for a revision of the Written Statement Directive to improve the transparency and legal predictability of employment contracts and an initiative on access to social protection for atypical self-employed workers.
14. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposal on work-life balance.
15. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of all Capital Markets Union proposals, including: the Pan-European Pension Product; the amendments to the European Market Infrastructure Regulation; and the recommendation from the European Central Bank to amend Article 22 of the ESCB/ECB Statute.
16. Capital Markets Union package, including: the revision and reinforcement of the tasks, governance and financing of the EU Financial Supervisory Authorities; concrete steps towards a single European Capital Markets Supervisor and adjustments to the European Systemic Risk Board; a revised framework for investment firms; an Action Plan on sustainable finance with regulatory measures; an initiative on Financial Technology (FinTech); a European enabling framework for covered bonds; and amendments to the Alternative Investment Funds Managers Directive and to the Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) Directive.
17. Food package, including a proposal on EU food supply chain as follow-up to the review of the EU Common Agricultural Policy.
18. Joint Action Plan on national vaccination policies.

Priority 5: A deeper and fairer Economic and Monetary Union

1. Economic and Monetary Union package, including proposals for: the transformation of the European Stability Mechanism into a European Monetary Fund; the creation of a dedicated euro area budget line within the EU budget providing for (1) structural reform assistance building on the Commission’s structural reform support programme, (2) a stabilisation function, (3) a backstop for the Banking Union, and (4) a convergence 30 instrument to give pre-accession assistance to Member States with a derogation on their way towards adoption of the single currency; and the integration of the substance of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union into EU law, taking into account the appropriate flexibility built into the Stability and Growth Pact and identified by the Commission since January 2015.
2. Specifying, in the next recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area, a broadly neutral fiscal stance for the euro area, in support of the monetary policy of the European Central Bank as well as jobs, growth and investment in the euro area.
3. Swift adoption by the Council of the Commission proposal for progressively establishing unified representation of the euro area in the International Monetary Fund.
4. Proclamation by the EU Institutions of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as a deliverable of the Gothenburg Social Summit.
5. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of all components of the package on risk reduction in the banking sector and the proposal for a European Deposit Insurance Scheme.
6. Banking Union package, completing all aspects of the Banking Union, including: the finalisation of the backstop to the Single Resolution Fund; further measures to reduce the level of non-performing loans; and an enabling framework for the development of sovereign bond-backed securities to support further portfolio diversification in the banking sector.

Priority 6: Trade: A balanced and progressive trade policy to harness globalization

1. Trade package, including: a Communication on an upgraded, values-based, sustainable and transparent trade policy that helps harnessing globalisation and ensures a balanced approach on open and fair trade agreements; draft mandates for launching negotiations with Australia and New Zealand; a draft mandate for a new Multilateral Investment Court System; a European framework for the screening of foreign direct investment in the EU on grounds of public order and security.
2. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposals to modernise the EU trade defence instruments and amend its anti-dumping methodology, and the amended proposal concerning an International Procurement Instrument.
3. Finalising agreements with Japan, Singapore and Vietnam.
4. Pursuing negotiations with Mexico and Mercosur.

Priority 7: An area of Justice and Fundamental Rights based on mutual trust

1. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of proposals on anti-money laundering, the EU Entry/Exit System, the Schengen Information System (SIS II), the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).
2. Anti-Terrorism package, including: measures on countering radicalisation; measures to ensure the swift and proactive detection and removal of illegal content inciting hatred, violence and terrorism; actions to cut off access to the means used by terrorists to prepare and carry out attacks, such as dangerous substances or terrorist financing; guidance and support to Member States in protecting public areas; and guidance on data retention.
3. Delivering on the European Agenda on Security, including: legislative proposals to allow interoperability between EU information systems for security, border and migration management; and a proposal to improve cross-border access of law enforcement authorities to electronic evidence.
4. Framework for adequacy decisions, notably an adequacy decision on data flows with Japan.
5. New Deal for Consumers' package, aiming at facilitating coordination and effective action from national consumer authorities at EU level and reinforcing public enforcement action and better protection of consumer rights.
6. Interpretative guidance for the application of the Directive on unfair commercial practices and of the Regulation on the provision of food information to consumers, to prevent and address dual quality standards for consumer products.

Priority 8: Towards a new policy on migration

1. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the reformed Common European Asylum System based on both responsibility and solidarity and including proposals on: the reform of the Dublin system; the setting-up of a new Asylum Agency; the reform of Eurodac; the 32 review of the reception conditions, the asylum qualifications and the asylum procedure; as well as the EU Resettlement framework.
2. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the proposal on entry and residence of third country nationals for the purpose of highly skilled employment ('Blue Card proposal').
3. A new Migration Management package, including: the mid-term review of the European Agenda on Migration; targeted measures to promote a more effective approach to returns; the further promotion of legal pathways through the encouragement of new resettlement commitments; a reformed common visa policy; and the sustaining of EU solidarity towards those Member States confronted with exceptional migratory pressure.
4. A package for strengthening the Schengen free travel area, including a proposal to update the Schengen Borders Code, and ensuring the full integration of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area.
5. Swift operationalisation of the External Investment Plan and implementation of the Migration Partnership Framework with key third countries of origin and transit.

Priority 9: A stronger global actor

1. Swift adoption by the co-legislators of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme.
2. Follow-up of the European Defence Action Plan, in particular with focus on implementation of the European Defence Fund including the financial toolbox.
3. Draft mandate for the negotiations of a post-Cotonou framework.

 Priority 10: A Union of democratic change

1. Democracy package, including: a revision of the European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation to make it more accessible, user-friendly and easier for organisers and supporters to use; and a proposal to enhance the European dimension and transparency of European Political Parties and Foundations.
2. Continuing the roll-out of the European Solidarity Corps involving all relevant players and swift agreement by the co-legislators on the legislative proposal by the end of the year.
3. Swift agreement by the co-legislators on the proposed amendments to the Comitology Regulation.
4. Continuing the White Paper debate on the future of Europe all the way to the June 2019 elections (debates, Citizens’ Dialogues, interaction with national Parliaments, work with regions). 

Summary (61 Topics)

1. Priority 1: A new boost for jobs, growth and investment  (4)
2. Priority 2: A connected Digital Single Market Initiatives (7)
3. Priority 3: A resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy (4)
4. Priority 4: A deeper and fairer Internal Market with a strengthened industrial base (18)
5. Priority 5: A deeper and fairer Economic and Monetary Union (6)
6. Priority 6: Trade: A balanced and progressive trade policy to harness globalization (4)
7. Priority 7: An area of Justice and Fundamental Rights based on mutual trust (6)
8. Priority 8: Towards a new policy on migration (5)
9. Priority 9: A stronger global actor (3)
10. Priority 10: A Union of democratic change (4)