Europaudvalget 2018-19 (1. samling)
KOM (2018) 0800 Bilag 1
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EUROPEAN
COMMISSION
Strasbourg, 23.10.2018
COM(2018) 800 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
Commission Work Programme 2019
Delivering what we promised and preparing for the future
EN
EN
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I.
Delivering what we promised and preparing for the future
The next months will be decisive for our European Union. Next May, Europeans will vote in
the elections to the European Parliament. As the President of the Commission highlighted in
his State of the Union Address on 12 September 2018, the decisions they make will reflect
their confidence in the ability of the European Union to deliver solutions to the challenges that
cannot be addressed by any of our Member States acting alone.
Challenges such as ensuring that Europe’s return to economic growth really benefits all which
means investing in the jobs of the future and making an opportunity out of the digital and low-
carbon transition. Challenges linked to migration, which even if far reduced from the crisis
years of 2015-2016, will be with us for some time and need sustainable European solutions.
Challenges to our democratic societies, our values and our security, which arise from terrorist
and cyber-attacks, and increasingly from disinformation campaigns too. Challenges arising
from an increasingly volatile global situation in which demographics, competition for
resources, and climate change which require a shared push to sustainability, while some are
questioning their commitment to the institutions and rules which have shaped the world order
for the good over the past 50 years.
More than ever, Europe needs to show that our Union is united, strong and democratic and
that only together can we deliver solutions to these challenges and so protect, empower and
defend our citizens.
In our annual Work Programmes since the start of the mandate, this Commission has focussed
on the biggest challenges where we believe European action can make a difference. With the
initiatives presented alongside the State of the Union address, we have now tabled all of the
legislative proposals needed to deliver positive change across the ten priorities of the
European Commission for 2014-2019. Together with the European Parliament and Council,
we have found agreement on nearly half of these and a further 20 percent is well advanced in
the legislative process. The priority now must be to turn the rest of the proposals, including all
the priority proposals identified in the Joint Declarations, into legislation, and then to
implement it effectively. The dialogue the Commission has had with the European Parliament
and the Council in the preparation of this Work Programme has confirmed that there is a
shared commitment to maintain and further step up the momentum. Now is the time to show
that together we can deliver.
To keep the focus on what is already on the table, in this year’s Work Programme, the
Commission is presenting only a limited number of new initiatives, which alongside those
presented with the State of the Union address, are essential to deliver fully on the 10
priorities. These initiatives address outstanding challenges that require collective and decisive
action: completing the work in the area of migration; reinforcing the Economic and Monetary
Union; addressing increasing tensions in the global trading system; tackling continued
challenges to the Rule of Law in some Member States; and finding an agreement with the
United Kingdom on its withdrawal from the Union. The Commission will also pay attention
to implementing the legislation that has been adopted and to evaluating the existing acquis to
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prepare for the future, and we propose the withdrawal or repeal of a series of obsolete
proposals and laws.
Finally, this Work Programme takes forward the Roadmap to Sibiu which found strong
support in the European Parliament and was taken up in the Leaders’ Agenda. The Sibiu
Summit will take place on Europe Day, 9 May 2019, six weeks after Brexit and two weeks
before the European elections. This will be a crucial moment for the EU of 27 to shape its
own future for 2025. With that in mind, it is important that a political agreement is reached on
the Commission’s proposal
for a simpler and flexible future budget framework ahead of
Sibiu. Beyond that, the Commission will over the next months make a series of forward-
looking contributions to prepare the Summit, so that EU Leaders can provide renewed
confidence in the future of our Union of 27.
II.
Full delivery of the 10 priorities of the Juncker Commission before the
European Parliament elections
A new boost for jobs, growth and investment
Europe’s economy is performing well. Growth reached a 10-year
peak in 2017. Employment
and investment have returned to pre-crisis levels and the state of public finances has
significantly improved. However, the economic, social and fiscal situation is still uneven
among Member States. As global economic weather conditions are changing, we must use the
current momentum to continue to promote policies that allow us to seize new economic
opportunities and which prepare the economy to withstand future challenges which will come
our way.
This means continuing to invest in the reforms needed to keep the Union on a stable and
sustainable growth path. The Commission’s modern, fair and balanced proposals for the next
Multiannual Financial Framework for the Union of 27 will underpin the delivery of the
common objectives for the Union for the next decade. They focus on the areas which EU
leaders in Bratislava and Rome agreed where the Union is best placed to deliver. They will
allow us to deal with major challenges such as youth unemployment, migration, security, the
technological and digital transformation as well as the transition to a more sustainable, low-
carbon economy. The Sibiu Summit should confirm political agreement on the future budget.
This would show that the Union of 27 is united, has a clear sense of direction, and is ready
and able to drive its own destiny and deliver for its citizens.
Public money has its place in stimulating the right sort of investment, but ultimately it is
businesses which create jobs and growth. We must therefore continue to leverage the
resources available. The Investment Plan for Europe, the Juncker Plan, has already generated
344 billion euro of additional investments, thus surpassing its original target of 315 billion
euro, and is expected to create 1.4 million jobs and increase EU Gross Domestic Product by
1,3% by 2020. The Juncker Plan has been reinforced and extended to mobilise an estimated
500 billion euro in additional investment by the end of 2020. The Commission will take stock
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of progress and identify further ways of boosting investment, including under the future
InvestEU programme.
We also need to agree on the remaining proposals to drive the transition towards a circular
economy that supports innovation, jobs and growth and promotes the sustainable use of our
scarce resources. Speedy agreement on the proposal on single-use plastics is necessary to
reduce the amount of harmful plastics entering our oceans and seas and to provide companies
with a strong incentive to look for sustainable and innovative alternatives. This will
incentivise European innovation and give European companies a technological lead over their
global competitors, thus boosting sustainable growth and jobs for the future.
A connected Digital Single Market
The Digital Single Market is already delivering benefits for Europeans: roaming charges have
ended, citizens can now access film, sport, music, video game and e-book subscriptions
wherever they are in the EU, and from December this year they will be able to shop online
without unjustified discrimination just because of where they happen to live.
Of the 30 legislative initiatives which the Commission has made for the Digital Single
Market, 18 have been adopted into law. It is now crucial to conclude the remaining proposals,
including on copyright, ePrivacy and contract law. It is important to quickly establish the
European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre together
with the Network of National Coordination Centres to help the EU retain and develop the
technological and industrial capacities on cybersecurity which are necessary to secure our
Digital Single Market.
We will continue work on the emerging challenge of Artificial Intelligence by enabling
coordinated action across the European Union and by following up on the various steps set
out earlier this year. The Commission and the High Representative will also present a new
Joint Action Plan to tackle the pervasive spread of online disinformation in Europe which
undermines Europeans’ trust in democratic processes and institutions as well as our
independent and free media. This is an issue which it is particularly important to address
ahead of next year’s elections to the European Parliament.
We will also produce a recommendation to establish a format for the exchange of European
Electronic Health Records. This will facilitate the exchange of patient data across borders. It
will benefit patients and healthcare providers and help to promote medical progress through
the digitalisation of health services. In the area of public health, we will also put forward a
comprehensive framework on endocrine disruptors.
A resilient Energy Union with a forward-looking climate change policy
The last four years have seen the EU investing in our own Energy Union to promote
sustainable, independent and secure supplies for citizens. We have led the global fight against
climate change and are the only large economy to legislate to cut greenhouse gas emissions by
at least 40% by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement.
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We need to continue the work to secure agreement by the co-legislators on the remaining
proposals in the Clean Energy for all Europeans package. To improve the functioning of the
EU internal energy market and enhance solidarity between Member States it is also essential
for the co-legislators to agree on common rules for gas pipelines entering the European gas
market and finalise the new legislation on the electricity markets. We also need agreement on
the Commission proposals under the ‘Europe on the Move’ Mobility packages to ensure
timely implementation of our agenda for safe, clean and connected mobility, and on the
Commission proposals on sustainable finance to mobilise the private capital necessary to
support the EU's climate and sustainable development agenda.
The timely adoption of these measures will ensure that the supporting tools and legal
framework of the EU’s 2030 climate policy are in place. Together, these climate and energy
policies will deliver total greenhouse gas emission reductions of around 45% by 2030,
surpassing the EU’s commitment under the Paris
Agreement to reduce emissions by at least
40% by 2030 compared to 1990. They will also put us on a trajectory to achieve projected
emission reductions of around 60% by 2050. This is, however, not sufficient for the EU to
contribute to the Paris Agreement’s
temperature goals. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change special report unequivocally confirms the negative impacts of climate
change, and against this background the Commission will propose an EU strategy for long-
term greenhouse gas reductions in the run-up to the Katowice Climate Change Conference in
December 2018. We will also report on the State of the Energy Union, as well as on the
progress made to promote European capacity as a leader in the batteries sector.
A deeper and fairer Internal Market with a strengthened industrial base
2018 marks the 25
th
anniversary of the Single Market. Accounting for a fifth of the world’s
economy, the Single Market is unique and is Europe’s strongest asset to generate economic
growth and to help European companies thrive, innovate and create jobs. Our collective
weight allows us to be the effective standard-setter and global reference point on issues such
as data protection, big data, artificial intelligence and automation, and so export our values
and shape the global economy.
We now need to deliver on our promise to make the most of the potential of the Single Market
in all its dimensions. Agreement is essential on pending proposals under the Goods and
Services Packages to ensure safe products and reinforce trust in the Single Market. We must
intensify efforts to agree on a common consolidated corporate tax base and on the proposals
for a fair and efficient taxation of the digital economy so that all companies, big and small,
pay their fair share of tax where their profits are earned. It is also time to reach agreement on
the fair and efficient Value Added Tax proposals, to simplify the system particularly for small
businesses, to make it fraud-proof and to modernise the system for setting reduced Value
Added Tax rates. Agreement should also be reached on the company law proposals to ensure
that the right of companies to move and grow across national borders is not abused by a few
to evade tax or to undermine workers’ rights. Agreement should also be reached urgently on
the legislative proposals for a New Deal for Consumers. This New Deal will modernise and
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simplify consumer legislation and introduce strengthened individual redress through
representative actions.
A fully functioning Capital Markets Union with deep and liquid markets is crucial for
financial stability, to support the Single Market, and to diversify sources of finance for
European business, including for smaller companies. It is high time to find agreement on the
proposals on the pan-European Personal Pension Product, the European Market Infrastructure
reform,
the improvement of the EU’s financial supervisory architecture and the proposal on
business insolvency, restructuring and second chance. Agreement should also be reached on
other Capital Markets Union proposals on crowdfunding, covered bonds, facilitating cross-
border distribution of investment funds, promoting SME listing on public markets, and more
proportionate and effective rules for investment firms. In light of the recent serious
revelations of money laundering in the financial sector, it is also vital to reach swift
agreement on the proposals to establish stronger anti-money laundering supervision to ensure
that rules are better supervised and enforced across the EU.
Beyond delivering results for business, the Single Market is also the guarantor of high social
standards and workers’ protection. One year ago, at the Gothenburg Social Summit, the
European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission
proclaimed the European Pillar of Social Rights. Within its field of competences, the
Commission has taken action to follow it up with concrete initiatives. Agreement is now
needed on the establishment of a European Labour Authority, and on the proposals to create a
better work-life balance and more transparent and predictable working conditions for
everyone, including people working in atypical contracts. We need to agree on the revision of
the rules on the coordination of Member States’ social security systems, on protecting
workers against chemicals which cause cancer, and on access to social protection. It is also
high time to finalise the European Accessibility Act, so that people with disabilities can more
effectively exercise their equal right to participate fully in society and the labour market.
Maintaining, enforcing and deepening the Single Market is a continuous task. We need to
address remaining gaps and improve how it functions. Agreement on pending legislative files
and proper implementation of regulation in Member States is therefore of utmost importance.
In view of
the Leaders’ discussion at the December European Council, the Commission will
table a Communication focusing on the elimination of remaining barriers and options for
action to ensure that Europe seizes the new opportunities of a changing global environment.
A deeper and fairer Economic and Monetary Union
On 1 January 2019, we will celebrate the 20
th
anniversary of the single currency. 340 million
Europeans use the euro every day throughout 19 Member States. The euro area represents
almost 85% of the Gross Domestic Product of the Union of 27. It has weathered the worst
financial crisis in our lifetime and has emerged stronger. It is now time to focus more clearly
on the strategic role that the euro should play on the global scene and to strengthen its
foundations. The completion of Capital Markets Union is particularly important in this
context.
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It is also crucial to deliver on the proposals which are part of the roadmap to deepen Europe’s
Economic and Monetary Union, including the budgetary instruments proposed under the next
Multiannual Financial Framework. This will equip the Economic and Monetary Union
–
notably the European Stabilisation Function and the Reform Support Programme
–
to ensure
greater macroeconomic resilience and to pursue structural reforms and strengthen
convergence. In June 2018, at the Euro Summit in which all Member States participated,
Leaders agreed to complete the Banking Union, including through creating a common
backstop to the Single Resolution Fund and progress towards the European Deposit Insurance
Scheme. They also agreed on strengthening the role and developing further the European
Stability Mechanism as a crisis management tool. This work needs to be taken forward as a
priority, whilst swift agreement is now required in particular on the proposals on risk
reduction in the banking sector as well as the package on the reduction of non-performing
loans. A resilient euro area requires resilient Member States and reinvigorated economic and
social convergence. With this objective in mind, the Commission will continue to strengthen
and focus the European Semester to support and guide Member States to achieve sustainable,
inclusive and long-term growth.
Trade: A balanced and progressive trade policy to harness globalisation
Our scale, common values and purpose mean that the European Union is unique in having
trade agreements with 69 countries around the world which account for 40% of global Gross
Domestic Product. But increasing tensions and the growing lack of predictability in the global
trade order mean that we need to continually reassert our commitment to preserving and
strengthening the rules-based international system. Swift conclusion of the EU-Japan
Economic Partnership Agreement, the biggest trade deal ever negotiated by the European
Union, will be a powerful signal of this commitment. We will also work to ensure the rapid
entry into force of the agreements with Singapore and Vietnam and to finalise those
negotiations for which an agreement in principle has been reached (Mexico) or that are
already at an advanced stage such as those with Chile and MERCOSUR. We must also make
as much progress as possible in other ongoing trade negotiations, including with Australia and
New Zealand.
The EU has every reason to be confident and assertive in our trade relations, but we will not
be naïve. It is important that the co-legislators agree swiftly on the proposal on the screening
of foreign direct investment, in order to monitor and prevent foreign take-overs that would be
detrimental to EU interests. It is also time for Member States to break the deadlock on the
proposal for an International Procurement Instrument so that we can prevent discrimination
against EU companies in the procurement markets of third countries, and to agree to the
reform of the dual use rules so that trade can never be misused as a cover for goods which can
be used to violate basic human rights.
An area of Justice and Fundamental Rights based on mutual trust
Safeguarding fundamental rights and security has been a top priority in the past four years. To
complete the work to deliver an effective Security Union it is now crucial to agree on the
proposals on cross border access of law enforcement authorities to electronic evidence, on
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marketing and use of explosive precursors, on improving the security features of identity
cards and on facilitating cross-border access to and use of financial data by law enforcement
authorities. We must also go further to deny terrorists the means to act by agreeing measures
on the prevention of the dissemination of terrorist content online and extending the mandate
of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to include the fight against cross-border
terrorism.
To ensure that European information systems for security, migration and border management
work together in a smarter and more efficient way, the proposal on interoperability of these
systems should be agreed swiftly, together with the upgrades of for example the European
Criminal Records Information System, Eurodac and the Visa Information System.
Revelations from
Dieselgate
to
Luxleaks,
from the
Panama papers
to the
Cambridge
Analytica
affair have shown that whistle-blowers play an important role in uncovering
unlawful activities that damage the public interest and the welfare of citizens. We therefore
need to agree on improved protection for whistle-blowers who report breaches of EU law.
We must also ensure that the EU can deliver help more effectively to those affected by natural
disasters by agreeing on the proposal on the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism
(rescEU).
Abiding by the rule of law, as one of the Union’s values, is essential for democracy and for
the respect for fundamental rights. It is also an essential guarantee for the functioning of the
European Union
–
as an internal market and an area where laws are applied uniformly and the
budget is spent properly, and in which Member States and their citizens can work together in
a spirit of mutual trust towards common objectives. The procedure set out in the Treaties to
determine whether there is a clear risk of a serious breach of values, and in particular the rule
of law, has been triggered as regards two Member States. There are also mounting concerns
about some other Member States. As a consequence there is a growing understanding that the
European Union and its Member States need to do more to uphold and enforce the rule of law.
In this context, the Commission intends to present an initiative with a view to further
strengthening the 2014 rule of law framework.
Towards a new policy on migration
Migratory pressures remain key concerns of European citizens, despite the fact that the crisis
has been overcome. Proper migration management will remain a challenge for many years to
come and requires a comprehensive response.
Irregular arrivals in the European Union have dropped by 95% from the peak in October
2015. However, this year has also shown the importance of vigilance on all routes with a
substantial fall on the Central Mediterranean route, but rises in the Eastern and in particular
the Western Mediterranean routes. Migratory routes and their drivers are constantly changing
and we need to prepare for the future. The top priority remains agreeing on a well-functioning
Common European Asylum System based on the principles of responsibility and solidarity.
Five of the seven initial proposals to reform the System have been provisionally or partly
agreed and the final steps towards adoption should now be taken, integrating the changes to
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strengthen the operational capabilities of the new European Asylum Agency proposed
alongside the State of the Union address. We need in parallel to focus efforts on agreeing the
remaining two proposals: the reform of the Dublin system and the Asylum Procedures
Regulation.
A credible migration policy means citizens must be assured that we effectively manage our
external borders and that we can both protect those in need and return those who are not.
Strengthening the coherence and effectiveness of our return policy and reducing incentives for
irregular migration is crucial and the Commission has presented the necessary proposals to do
so. In the same vein, we need to agree quickly on the reform of the return Directive and to
strengthen the capacity of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, by establishing a
standing corps of 10.000 EU border guards by 2020, strengthening its powers in the field of
returns, and allowing it to operate more widely in partner countries outside the EU.
At the same time, Europe must do more on legal migration. We need to be able to address
adequately labour market needs and skills shortages
in the future, while pursuing the EU’s
interests. It is therefore essential to agree on the revised EU Blue Card scheme, which will
make it easier and more attractive for highly skilled third-country nationals to come to work
in Europe and contribute to the performance of our economies.
By December 2018, the Commission will publish a Communication on Visa Reciprocity to
take stock of the state of play and the possible ways forward as regards the situation of non-
reciprocity with the United States in the area of visa policy.
A stronger global actor
When we stand together, Europe has all the weight we need to be a strong global actor,
working towards peace, sustainable development, security and stability, while supporting
democracy, defending human rights and promoting the rule of law.
To ensure that this is the case, and alongside efforts to reach an agreement on the proposed
financial programmes to
underpin Europe’s role as global actor, the Commission will
continue to call for swift follow-up to its initiative for more efficient decision-making in the
EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.
It will also continue to work on implementing the
EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy, notably as regards India, Latin America
and Central Asia.
The implementation of the proposed new Africa
–
Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment
and Jobs will be taken forward. To that end, the EU’s External
Investment Plan will be further
operationalised and implemented to deliver on its ambitious objective of leveraging up to 44
billion euro in sustainable investments by 2020.
Implementing our neighbourhood policy both in the East and in the South will remain a key
priority. With regard to the enlargement of the EU, the Commission will issue the yearly
reports on all the progress made in the relationship with all partners concerned. Moreover, the
Commission will assess and adopt an opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s
request to become
a candidate for membership.
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A Union of Democratic Change
In the last four years the Commission has sought to make the European Union more
democratic, for example by opening up policymaking to citizens’ inputs, by boosting
transparency of meetings between Commission decision-makers and interest representatives,
by publishing negotiating mandates for trade agreements, and by embedding Better
Regulation principles in policy design. Important revisions have been made to the rules for
funding of European political parties, which will increase the transparency of links between
European political parties and their member parties, improve democratic legitimacy with
funding better reflecting the electorate’s choices and strengthen enforcement
to prevent
abuses of public spending.
To protect our democratic values, we must guarantee that the upcoming elections take place in
a free and fair way, which is why it is urgent that the proposals to better protect our
democratic processes from manipulation by third countries or private interests are agreed
quickly. The proposal to allow European political parties to be sanctioned for breaching
personal data protection in order to deliberately influence the outcome of the European
elections should also be agreed as a matter of priority.
European Citizens’ Initiatives offer citizens a unique and innovative way to participate in
setting the agenda at EU level by directly asking the Commission to take action on a matter
that they care about. To make the instrument more user-friendly and to allow it to achieve its
full potential it is essential to reach swift agreement on the reform of the Regulation to make it
easier for citizens to launch and support new initiatives. We are also responding to citizens’
wishes expressed in public consultations, for example with the proposal to end the twice-
yearly time change.
From the beginning of its mandate, this Commission has underlined the need for a Union with
a stronger focus on things that matter and the need to improve the democratic legitimacy of
what the Union does. An essential aspect of this is ensuring respect for the principles of
subsidiarity and proportionality. The Commission is presenting alongside this Work
Programme a Communication setting out how we intend to strengthen the role of the
subsidiarity and proportionality principles in the EU’s policymaking, building on the rich
input received from the Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and “Doing Less More
Efficiently”. In line with the views
of the Task Force, this will be done as part of the wider
better regulation agenda including in the planned stocktaking. The Communication is
accompanied by the Annual Reports on relations between the European Commission and
national Parliaments and on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and
proportionality.
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III.
Offering all Europeans a strong perspective for the future
The Summit in Sibiu on 9 May 2019 will take place at a pivotal moment
–
six weeks after
Brexit and two weeks before the European Parliament elections. This will be the moment
when Leaders provide renewed confidence in the future of the new Union of 27. The
Commission will contribute to the process leading up to and beyond Sibiu with a number of
reports and communications with a 2025 perspective. It has presented, or will put forward,
initiatives aiming to:
Strengthen the international role of the euro, as part of global efforts to strengthen
Europe’s sovereignty;
Enhance the use of qualified majority voting and allow more efficient decision-making
in key fields of taxation and social policies, so that the EU Single Market legislation
can keep pace with economic and societal developments, as well as in several targeted
areas of our external relations to offer the right decision-making tools for our Common
Foreign and Security Policy;
Reflect on the road towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030 to follow up on the UN
Sustainable Development Goals, including the Paris agreement on Climate Change;
Pave the way for a new institutional framework for our energy and climate policy by
outlining options for enhanced qualified majority voting and possible reform of the
Euratom Treaty;
Further strengthen the 2014 rule of law framework;
Outline how to make the Union more united, stronger and more democratic in
communication terms.
Brexit and Preparedness
IV.
While significant efforts are being made to ensure the conclusion of an agreement on an
orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and a framework for the
future EU-UK relations, certain measures will be necessary to adapt the EU acquis in the
context of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom and irrespective of the outcome of the
negotiations. In addition to six legislative acts which are already on the table of the co-
legislators, the Commission will adopt two more Brexit-preparedness legislative proposals
that will address, respectively, the visa status of UK nationals after the withdrawal of the
United Kingdom and the adjustment of figures for primary and final energy consumption in
the energy efficiency legislation. The proposals will be tabled in November 2018 so that
sufficient time is left for the co-legislators to adopt them before the withdrawal date.
The Commission will also present before the end of 2018 a number of delegated and
implementing acts that are required in the context of Brexit-preparedness. It will continue to
monitor the situation closely as the negotiations evolve, and will propose further measures as
necessary, with due regard to the time necessary for the co-legislators to complete their work.
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V.
Better regulation and the implementation and enforcement of EU Law
From the start of the mandate, this Commission has invested heavily in Better Regulation
which is now part of our DNA. The OECD has recently ranked the Commission as a top
performer in good regulatory practices. To further consolidate this progress, we are carrying
out a stocktaking of our Better Regulation policy and will report in the spring on the results
and lessons to be learned. In the meantime, we will pay particular attention to using our Better
Regulation tools to look hard at our existing policies and ensure that they remain fit for
purpose and avoid unnecessary costs. Annex II of this Work Programme sets out the most
significant evaluations and Fitness Checks we will undertake, including those that follow up
on the Opinions of the REFIT Platform. The Platform continues its work and it is expected to
adopt further Opinions shortly, after which the Commission will provide a detailed
presentation of the follow-up to all past and new Opinions in the online REFIT Scoreboard, as
well as in the second Annual Burden Survey.
Any rule, no matter how carefully drafted and prepared, is only effective if it is implemented
properly in practice. This is why the Commission will continue to pay as much attention to
ensuring that laws are properly applied as we do to designing them in the first place. The key
to effective implementation of EU law is close cooperation and communication between the
Commission and the Member States. We will continue to engage in dialogue with Member
States to support them in implementing EU law. Significant efforts will be required in the
months ahead as concerns the process of transposing and implementing legislation that has
been recently adopted or will be soon. At the same time, the Commission will continue to
prioritise serious breaches of EU law that undermine the added value of EU rules, and will
take firm action where needed, as it has recently done in areas such as air quality.
VI.
Conclusion
The remaining months of this mandate will be crucial to show citizens that we have delivered
on our agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change. The Commission Work
Programme for 2019 outlines a clear and focused agenda to complete the work we committed
to do at the start of this mandate. The Commission will continue to work intensively with the
European Parliament and the Council to complete this agenda by adopting and implementing
all of the proposals the Commission has made. This common European effort is crucial if we
are to show to citizens that Europe can make a difference through focused and effective action
and tangible results. On 9 May in Sibiu we will also be able to show that the European Union
of 27 has a clear perspective for the future and has reinforced the foundations for a strong,
united and sovereign Europe.
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