The Commission Work Programme for 2011

The Commission Work Programme (CWP) 2011 translates the President's political guidelines into action.

Overarching objectives for the Work Programme are:

• exiting the economic crisis and creating sustainable growth and jobs (Europe 2020 Strategy)
• enhancing the rights and security of European citizens
• strengthening Europe's role in the world.

The CWP 2011 gives a multiannual overview which helps stakeholders and other EU institutions plan their work with the Commission. Some strategic initiatives may be carried over from the previous year.

The Commission commits to deliver on strategic initiatives due to be adopted in 2011 and provides an indicative list of other important initiatives for 2011-14.

Each year the Commission updates the Work Programme with new annual strategic initiatives, and adapts the multiannual plan accordingly.

Major Commission initiatives must be accompanied by impact assessments. Commission departments prepare lists ("roadmaps") of planned impact assessment work.

The Commission sends monthly reports to the other institutions on progress with the Work Programme and an overview of the Commission initiatives remaining until the end of each year.

The Commission's Work Programme for 2011 (EN)

The Commission's Work Programme for 2011 (FR)

The Commission's Work Programme for 2011 (DE)

Annex (EN)

Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Health and Consumers

Internal Market and Services

Justice

Extracts:
2.2. Financial regulation: completing the reform

A comprehensive timeline for delivery of proposals to complete the EU's financial reform was presented in June 2010 (COM(2010) 301, 2.6.2010). Early in 2011, the Commission will table the remaining proposals to complete the financial sector reform. Most of the proposals to address the flaws exposed by the crisis are already agreed or on the table, with the recent agreements on the financial supervision package as a milestone. In the first half of 2011, the Commission will follow up with a further series of improvements to bank capital rules (CRD IV) to implement within the EU the outcome of international work in the Basel Committee on Banking Standards, changes to the Market in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) and the Market Abuse Directive to complete the move to more transparent and safer derivates markets, a proposal on Credit Rating Agencies, as well as legislation establishing a framework for bank crisis management and resolution to equip the relevant authorities with a consistent set of tools including resolution funds. A particular focus will be the protection of small investors and ordinary consumers: initiatives will include legislation on access to basic banking services, and action to promote responsible lending and borrowing practice on mortgages. These and other proposals will complete the Commission’s ambitious reform programme for the financial sector. A joint goal of the European institutions should be to have the full reform agreed by the end of 2011, thus putting in place an advanced system of financial regulation as one of the foundation stones for healthy, job-creating growth. Meanwhile, the EU will continue its efforts to promote a strong and coordinated global approach, notably through its active participation in the G20. The Commission will pursue its work on a fair contribution of the financial sector.

2.6. Tapping the potential of the Single Market for growth

The Commission will take a number of concrete steps including proposals for an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to facilitate the resolution of consumer problems in the EU and continuing the work on collective redress on the basis of the public consultation launched in 2010.

3. PURSUING THE CITIZENS' AGENDA : FREEDOM SECURITY AND JUSTICE

EU citizenship should be a tangible reality for EU citizens. Citizens’ rights are firmly anchored in EU law. However, gaps remain between the rules enshrined in the Treaty and the reality that citizens face in their daily lives – as private individuals, consumers, students or as political actors. The "Citizenship Report" (COM(2010) 603, 27.10.10) just adopted by the Commission highlights a set of issues where action would be warranted to give practical meaning to individual rights granted at EU level. These efforts go hand-in-hand with measures taken in implementing the Action Plan for the Stockholm Programme (2010-2014) with a view to delivering an area of freedom, security and justice11, using to the full the enhanced legal basis provided by the Treaty. As part of its efforts at strengthening citizens' rights in 2011, the Commission will propose a legal instrument on European Contract Law.

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Brussels, 27 October 2010

Commission adopts strategic priorities for 2011

2010 has shown the readiness and ability of the EU institutions to meet adversity with resilience, decisiveness and solidarity, to tackle the unprecedented challenges of the financial and economic crisis. The task now at hand is to ensure that recovery is sustained. The European Commission has adopted its work programme for 2011 which translates these objectives into concrete actions. The Work Programme reflects the Commission’s determination to lead Europe out of the crisis and towards a future of prosperity, security and social justice.

European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, said of the new work programme: “The European Union has proved equal to the challenges facing it but we are not yet out of the woods. Our policies need to reflect our ongoing commitment to creating sustainable growth and jobs based on the Europe 2020 Strategy and we need to concentrate on initiatives where the EU can bring a real value-added. The work programme adopted today will ensure that recovery is sustained into the new year and beyond. I note a great degree of convergence on the overall priorities for Europe. I hope that this will translate into early political results to the benefit of citizens.”

The priorities for 2011 fall under five main headings:

• Sustaining Europe's social market economy out of the crisis and beyond (examples include a legislative framework for bank crisis management, proposals to reinforce the protection of consumers of financial services and a regulation on credit rating agencies – aiming to complete the ambitious reform of our financial sector next year)
• Restoring growth for jobs (examples include new fiscal enforcement mechanisms, proposals to support the competitiveness of EU enterprises, especially SMEs, a European Energy Efficiency Plan, a Social Business initiative, legislative initiatives on posting of workers and working time to be elaborated in close dialogue with social partners, improvement of the frameworks for company taxation and VAT )
• Pursuing the citizens' agenda: Rights, Freedom and Justice (examples include strengthening of consumer rights, a Common Framework Reference for contract law, renewed Civil Protection Legislation, A Registered Travellers Programme and a new governance structure for OLAF, the EU's anti fraud office)
• Europe pulling its weight on the global stage (examples include supporting the new European External Action Service, projecting the 2020 growth objectives on the external scene and continuing to improve EU's development assistance to target those most in need)
• From input to impact: making the most of EU policies (examples include a proposal for the next Multi-annual Financial Framework, according a central importance to smart regulation and prolonging the Consultation period to 12 weeks)

Background

The President's State of the Union Address in early September 2010 initiated an open debate in which EU institutions could discuss the priorities of the Union for the year to come. The Commission Work Programme takes full account of these fruitful discussions and translates the Commission's vision into concrete actions for 2011. In so doing, it also reviews achievements of the 2010 Work Programme and highlights initiatives under consideration for the coming years.

As in 2010, the Commission work programme is accompanied by four annexes:

• a list of 40 strategic initiatives which the Commission commits to deliver in 2011 (Annex I)
• a list of more than 140 other possible initiatives under preparation until the end of the mandate (Annex II)
• a list of simplification proposals and withdrawals (Annexes III and IV)

The Commission will now work closely with the European Parliament and the Council, as well as stakeholders, including national parliaments to ensure a broad ownership on the overall approach as well as on individual initiatives.

The work programme can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/programmes/index_en.htm

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Brussels, 27 October 2010

European Commission sets out plans to strengthen the Single Market with measures to boost growth and enhance citizens’ rights

The European Union’s Single Market is the cornerstone of more than 60 years of European integration. Barriers that once stopped goods and services from freely flowing from Lisbon to Helsinki have been torn down. Companies now benefit from a market of 500 million consumers. Consumers travelling abroad have seen dramatic cuts in mobile phone charges. A single currency has made shopping and travelling abroad effortless. Workers now benefit from extensive rights. People can work, study and live anywhere in the EU’s 27 Member States. While Europeans can be proud of these achievements, businesses and citizens also know that hurdles still exist when they exercise their rights. The European Commission set out a series of concrete solutions in two reports published today to boost the single market. In the EU Citizenship Report, the Commission proposes measures to make peoples’ lives easier when they exercise their EU rights to get married, buy a house or register a car in another EU country. To boost growth, competitiveness and social progress, the Single Market Act calls for action to make the lives of all market participants – companies, consumers and workers – easier.

“Free movement is a cherished right in the European Union. Businesses and citizens have reaped huge rewards as the EU steadily broke down internal barriers to goods, services and people. I want to build on our achievements so that everyone – from tourists and students to workers and small business owners – can truly benefit from a European area of freedom, security and justice,” said Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. “My goal today is to make sure that we remove the remaining hurdles that people face when exercising their rights. Citizens should feel comfortable if they travel, study or settle abroad. Citizens must have the same rights no matter where they are."

Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier said: "Markets need to serve both the economy and our citizens. That is what defines our society. But right now, the EU Single Market is not delivering as well as it could: it needs to offer more. Citizens and businesses, big and small, need to find an interest for them in the Single Market. There is real urgency: Europe can't afford to leave this potential unexploited. That is why today the Single Market sets out 50 proposals to be put into place by 2012 to make the Single Market work better."

Making citizens’ lives easier

The first-ever EU Citizenship Report looks at everyday problems faced by citizens when they exercise their EU rights and extend aspects of their lives beyond national borders: when they travel, study, work, get married, buy a house or car in another EU country. The report includes 25 measures the Commission plans to take in the next three years to make life easier for European citizens:

• Tourists/ Expatriates: The Commission will update the rules protecting holiday makers from, for example, bankruptcy of their travel provider during their holiday (IP/09/1824). The Commission will also propose additional ways to strengthen the rights of passengers in all modes of transport and enforce the rights of air passengers (e.g. in case of long delays and cancellations).The Commission will further reinforce the right to consular protection for EU citizens whose home Member State is not represented in third countries, by strengthening the legal framework and increasing awareness among citizens and consular officials.
• Consumers: the Commission will help consumers get redress if they have problems with a trader, by facilitating the fast and inexpensive out-of-court resolution of disputes across borders, through the promotion of alternative dispute resolution and mediation.
• Couples: the Commission will propose legislation to make it easier for international couples to know which courts have jurisdiction and which country's law applies to their jointly owned house or bank accounts.
• Workers: the Commission is developing a new system of electronic exchange of information between national administrations so as to make it simpler and quicker for people working in another EU country to transfer their social security rights.
• Car owners: the Commission will propose legislation to simplify the paperwork and formalities for the registration of cars bought in another EU country and will address cases in which citizens are required to pay registration tax twice.

Renewing the “Europe for Citizen” Programme

The programme “Europe for Citizen,” which supports town-twinning and citizens' projects, will is currently under review. The Commission is launching a public consultation today to allow people to comment on the next stage of the programme’s activities. The consultation can be accessed in all 23 EU languages via the Commission’s public consultations' website.

A Single Market for growth

With 20 million enterprises providing 175 million jobs, businesses play an essential role in finding our way back to growth. The Single Market Act will simplify life for SMEs, which make up more than 99% of Europe's businesses. But Europe's wealth and growth does not only rest on the shoulders of Europe's businesses. A good social system, quality education, competitive jobs and salaries are equally important. The Single Market Act will further strengthen Europe's highly competitive social market economy and will put people at the heart of the Single Market: as consumers, taxpayers, workers, investors, entrepreneurs, patients or pensioners.

Key Priorities:

• For businesses: Capital for SMEs: Access to finance for SMEs is tough. Europe's smallest businesses are hardly visible to potential investors and the requirements for being listed on capital markets are complex. The Commission will make proposals to change this. The Commission will also reduce costs for SMEs by simplifying accounting rules and improving their access to public procurement contracts. The Commission will look at introducing a common tax base for businesses operating cross-border, leading to further cost savings.
• For businesses: Social Business and long term investment: Europe has enormous potential for developing social entrepreneurship. In recent years, many initiatives have been taken by individuals, foundations and companies to improve access to food, housing, health care, jobs and banking services for those in need. To foster more cross-border action, the Commission will propose European statutes for such organisations to serve and promote the social economy. The Commission will also encourage longer term investments, including ethical investments, exploring options for a specific labelling regime.
• For consumers: Online commerce: Young Europeans cannot understand why they cannot always buy their music on any website. Today, the online market is seriously under-performing. That is why the Commission will propose rules in 2011 aimed at ensuring that creators and artists can sell their work throughout Europe with a one-stop shop for authorisation allowing them to reap the rewards of their work. Full implementation of the Services Directive and updated rules for e-commerce will also make a difference.
• Workers: professional qualifications: 4600 professions are today regulated differently in member states. A thorough revision of the professional qualifications directive is therefore overdue. The Commission believes introduction of professional I.D. card or “cartes professionnelles” would reduce remaining red tape.

Making the Single Market work

Without effective enforcement, the Single Market would come to a grinding halt. EU Member States are responsible for the timely and correct implementation of European law into national law. In addition to the normal enforcement measures, the Commission will also engage in regular dialogue with Member States, such as the mutual evaluation of EU laws and alternative dispute mechanisms.

To take this discussion forward, the Commission is launching a European-wide debate with all interested stakeholders on the Single Market Act. In the future, the Commission will further strengthen its consultation and dialogue with civil society. In particular, the Commission will open up its expert groups to represent consumer organisations, trade unions, businesses, and local authorities.

Today's Citizenship Report is available at the Justice Directorate-General Newsroom:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/news/intro/news_intro_en.htm

Homepage of Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/reding/index_en.htm

Homepage of Michel Barnier, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/barnier/index_en.htm

More information on the Single Market Act is available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/smact/index_en.htm

MEMO/10/525

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Brussels, 27 October 2010

Single Market Act – Frequently Asked Question

1) What is the Single Market?

The Single Market of the European Union is the common area between the 27 EU countries where goods, services, capital and persons can circulate freely. The Single Market also ensures that European citizens are free to live, work, study and do business where they want in the EU.

The Single Market is the core of the cooperation between the 27 Member States of the European Union. Yet getting it up and running took many years.

It all started with the 1957 Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). This Treaty set out a timeline for the original six founding members (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands) to abolish customs barriers within the Community and establish a common customs tariff to be applied to goods from non-EEC countries. This objective was achieved on 1 July 1968.

However, customs duties are only one aspect of protectionist barriers to cross-border trade. In the 1970s, other trade barriers hampered the complete achievement of a common market. Technical norms, health and safety standards, national regulations on the right to practise certain professions and exchange controls all restricted the free movement of people, goods and capital.

In June 1985, the European Commission, under its then President, Jacques Delors, published an action programme seeking to abolish, within seven years, all physical, technical and tax-related barriers to free movement within the Community. The aim was to stimulate industrial and commercial expansion within a large, unified economic area.

By amending the original 1957 Treaty, the EEC gained the enabling instrument for the Single Market. The revised Treaty – the Single European Act - came into force in July 1987. Its provisions included:

• extending the powers of the Community in some policy areas (social policy, research, environment);
• gradually establishing the Single Market over a period up to the end of 1992, by means of a vast legislative programme involving the adoption of hundreds of directives and regulations;
• making more frequent use of majority voting in the Council of Ministers.

With these changes in place, 282 laws were passed between 1985 and 1992 to sweep away the technical, regulatory, legal and bureaucratic barriers that stifled free trade and free movement. The Single Market was finally put in place on 1 January 1993.

With these barriers removed and national markets opened, more firms can now compete against each other. This means lower prices – and wider choice – for the consumer. Firms selling in the Single Market now have unrestricted access to nearly 500 million consumers in the European Union.

Between 1992 and 2006, it is estimated the Single Market generated 2.75 million jobs and 2.15% of extra growth for the European economy – that is € 518 extra for every person in the EU in 2006 alone. Intra-European trade currently accounts for 17% and 28% of world trade in goods and services respectively. Phone calls in Europe cost a fraction of what they did 10 years ago, many air fares in Europe have fallen significantly and new routes have opened. Households and businesses are now able to choose who supplies them with electricity and gas.

2) Why are you proposing a Single Market Act?

The Single Market has been a valuable shield for the European Union to weather the financial and economic crisis. But the crisis is still hitting Europe very hard: much of the growth and many of the jobs that were created between 1992 and 2006 have been wiped out. Our production levels have been reset to 1990 levels. Almost 10% of our active population – 23 million people – is currently unemployed. Furthermore, globalising trade, technological advancements and the emergence of new global players make Europe's competitive edge even tougher to achieve.

Nevertheless, the Single Market still has many area of untapped or not fully exploited potential. Exploiting these could further boost our economy, to put the European Union's growth and competitiveness back on track. This is where the Single Market Act is to deliver: to further unlock the potential of the Single Market.

But the Single Market won't work properly if citizens and businesses don’t believe in the project and can't find an interest for them in the Single Market. The financial crisis has dented people's expectations and confidence in markets and sometimes in the Single Market itself. Answers are to be provided on social cohesion, employment and consumer protection. The Single Market Act responds to these concerns: putting people at the heart of the Single Market.

3) How is the Single Market Act to meet these challenges and restore confidence?

If we want to kick-start new growth that is both sustainable and fair, Europe needs to equip itself properly and act with strength and determination. A collective commitment at European level is required, with all players involved – European, national or regional, public or private, economic and social - making these goals their own. This is where the Single Market Act comes in.

The Single Market Act outlines 50 measures – that the Commission is proposing to re-launch the Single Market. Together they are aimed at achieving a highly competitive social market economy with sustainable economic growth based on renewed citizens and business confidence. However, this will only be the start of things.

For four months, the Single Market Act will be put up for debate throughout Europe – in Parliaments, regions, with civil society, trade unions, business federations etc. Are these 50 measures the right measures? Are there alternatives? Are there issues we have forgotten? Following a wide-ranging European public debate, the Commission will agree the final set of measures to focus on so that the 20th anniversary of the Single Market in 2012 can be celebrated with renewed dynamism.

4) What pre-work has been done already on the Single Market Act?

In September 2009, as part of his guidelines for the incoming European Commission, President Barroso identified the Single Market as a strategic priority to meet the goals for competitiveness and growth under the EU2020 strategy (see IP/10/225).

In October 2009, he tasked Mario Monti, professor at the Bocconi University and former Member of the Commission, to identify the challenges that a new policy initiative to re-launch the Single Market would face. In May 2010, Mr Monti proposed a comprehensive strategy with key policy recommendations. In Mr Monti’s view, it is important to safeguard the Single Market from the risk of economic nationalism, to extend it into new areas key for Europe's growth and to build an adequate degree of consensus around it¹.

Following an exchange of views with Mr Monti to re-launch the Single Market, the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumers Committee entrusted one of its Members, Mr Louis Grech (S&D) with the task of coming up with a Report on "Delivering a single market to consumers and citizens". In Mr Grech's view, the integration into the Single Market is not an irreversible process, and the continued existence of the Single Market should not be taken for granted².

The Single Market Act responds to these two reports, and incorporated many of their recommendations.

5) What are the main initiatives of the Single Market?

The Single Market Act initiatives address three broad categories and can be summarized as follows:

• Growth that is both sustainable and equitable is the foundation of the Single Market Act. Europe's 20 million enterprises providing 175 million jobs form our growth engine – particularly small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). But to get the engine to work at full speed, access to capital for SMEs must be improved to ensure they are given a fair chance to innovate and grow. An EU patent system that stimulates innovation by reducing the cost burden for individuals, researchers and businesses must be realised. Furthermore, red tape is to be cut by simplifying accounting and taxation rules and improving SMEs' access to public procurement contracts. Furthermore, the Commission will take further steps to make a Single Market for services is fully functioning: recent studies show for example that the full implementation of the Services Directive would gain Europe 60 to 140 billion euros, or 0.6 to 1.5% of GDP³.
• Incorporating a citizen dimension in the Single Market is a theme that runs through many of the proposals in the Single Market Act. This includes initiatives such as improving access to public services and public infrastructure and developing tools to ensure fundamental rights and freedoms that are fair and adequately met in all the Member States. Social concerns also extend to efforts such as minimising paperwork and addressing the needs of mobile professionals, who often face unnecessary hurdles in establishing themselves in another Member State.
• For citizens as consumers, their needs were taken into consideration in drafting many of the proposals. As part of the Digital Agenda for Europe, some of the proposals will work to empower consumers by eliminating barriers to cross-border online shopping and improving market surveillance for product safety. While others seek to address more financial matters like improving access to banking facilities and working towards more responsible and transparent lending practices.

• A better governance of the Single Market is also needed. The Single Market cannot be built in 'Brussels' alone: it is the responsibility of all parties concerned. Therefore, the Commission will open its experts groups to civil society, promote a partnership and dialogue with the Member States to mutually evaluate and share their efforts to write EU laws into national laws. The Commission also proposes to use new electronic tools to improve administrative cooperation and simplify procedures when people want to work or offer services cross-border.

6) Why are you launching a public debate on this?

The Commission does not want to prescribe a set of policies to the public. With the process of public debate on the Single Market Act, it seeks to renew the confidence of Europeans in the Single Market by involving them in the process from the start. Understanding that each and every European has a stake in the future of the Single Market will help to improve our growth prospects and address the challenges that lie ahead. It is also a collaborative effort involving all European institutions including the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Member States, who each have a part to play in seeing it through. The Economic and Social Council and the Committee of the Regions will play a crucial role in opening up the discussion to local and regional representatives, as well as stakeholders in associations and civil society organisations.

The purpose of the public debate itself is to generate a dialogue between citizens across Europe on the issues that matter to them over the coming months. The action programme, which will be made available in all languages, will be widely disseminated throughout the Member States. Multiple mediums will be in place for people to get involved. These include a website, hearings at the European Parliament, visits by Commissioners to the different Member states, and events organized by the Commission Representations in the Member States. Events already scheduled include the following:

• 9 November: Single Market Forum at the European Parliament
• 30 November: Single Market Act Conference at the Committee of the Regions
• 8 February 2011: Single Market Conference organised by the European Commission in Brussels

What are now the next steps?

In the debate that is to take place in the next four months, the Commission will invite the other European institutions to find a common agreement on the choice of priority actions and the possibility to implement them in an accelerated and coordinated way before the end of 2012.

Following this discussion, the Commission will propose to the other European institutions to seal their commitment to the final work programme of the Single Market Act that is to be adopted in the early spring of 2011.

More information is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/smact/

¹ : M. Monti A new Strategy for the Single Market: at the service of Europe's economy and society
See: http://ec.europa.eu/bepa/pdf/monti_report_final_10_05_2010_en.pdf - 9 May 2010

² : L. Grech Delivering a single market to consumers and citizens
See: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&reference=A7-0132/2010 - 3 May 2010

³ : "Expected economic benefits of the European Services Directive",
Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), November 2007.