The decisions were taken by the hosts. The key indicator was the projection of an improved health situation in their host countries. Many factors were taken into consideration, including the local vaccination rollout, their plans for reopening the economy and the expected slow-down of the virus due to warmer temperatures. Our main priority is to deliver a safe EURO for everyone. Reducing the risk of an infection is our shared responsibility, so we've implemented some new rules.
Each ticket holder will be assigned a dedicated minute entry time slot to arrive at the stadium. You'll also need to wear a face mask at all times. Other measures may include temperature checks or COVID rapid tests, but every stadium is a little bit different. The Cybersecurity Strategy for the Digital Decade describes how the EU can harness and strengthen all its tools and resources to be technologically sovereign and step up its cooperation with partners around the world.
It calls for cybersecurity to be integrated into all digital investments planned during the — budget period, along with initiatives in three areas of EU action: promoting resilience, technological sovereignty and leadership; building operational capacity to prevent, deter and respond; and advancing a global and open cyberspace.
President von der Leyen has also announced a proposal for a Joint Cyber Unit to further coordinate cybersecurity operational capabilities across the EU. The European Digital Strategy also includes a review of the Regulation on Electronic Identification and Trust Services for Electronic Transactions , which concluded open public consultations in The strategy was accompanied by the review of the Directive on Security of Network and Information Systems , the first piece of EU-wide legislation on cybersecurity.
In July, the Council applied sanctions for the first time against six individuals and three entities over various cyberattacks.
The sanctions imposed included a travel ban and an asset freeze. In addition, EU persons and entities are forbidden from making funds available to those listed.
Data provide an essential resource for competitiveness, for job creation and for improving society in general. Access to the ever growing volume of data and the ability to use it are essential for innovation and economic growth. The European Strategy for Data aims to create a true European data space, a single market in which data can flow freely within the EU and across sectors.
Common European data spaces in various sectors, such as health, the environment and security, will ensure that more data become available for use in the economy and society , while keeping those companies and individuals who generate the data in control.
To achieve this, in November the EU proposed a regulatory framework for data governance , access and reuse between individual businesses, between businesses and government, and within administrations. Data are the fuel for new technologies, including artificial intelligence, which can improve our lives, for example through more accurate medical diagnosis, increasing the efficiency of farming and more efficient manufacturing. Artificial intelligence is developing fast, which is why the EU needs not only to maintain, but also to increase its level of investment.
As outlined in the White Paper on the subject, the EU will lead in developing artificial intelligence based on excellence and trust. The Commission supports a regulatory and investment approach with the aim of both promoting the uptake of artificial intelligence and addressing the risks associated with certain uses of this new technology.
To achieve these objectives, and based on the results of a public consultation , a legislative proposal and an updated plan to coordinate efforts with Member States will be presented in From helping to predict the evolution of the pandemic and find a treatment for COVID to better understanding neurological disorders or predicting and monitoring the effects of global warming, supercomputers play an important role in our lives. This was not enough. The aim is to attract more than 20 billion euro of total investment in AI per year in the EU over the next decade.
More than a quarter of all industrial and personal-service robots are produced in Europe. In September, the Commission published a recommendation calling on Member States to boost investment in very-high-capacity broadband-connectivity infrastructure, including 5G, which is the most fundamental building block of the digital transformation and an essential pillar of the recovery.
The recommendation invites Member States to develop a common approach, in the form of a toolbox of best practices, by the end of March In January, the EU endorsed the joint toolbox of measures agreed by Member States to address security risks related to the rollout of 5G.
According to a report published in December, most Member States are already well on track to implement the recommended measures. Coordinated work on securing 5G networks at the EU level will continue. One in five young people across the EU fails to reach a basic level of digital skills, and many low-income homes have no access to a computer. Investment and reforms in adapting education systems to support digital skills and educational and vocational training for all ages are also at the heart of recovery efforts.
The Commission encourages Member States to include such investments and reforms in their recovery and resilience plans. EU consumers and businesses are increasingly using digital financial services for many different purposes — even more so during the pandemic. This included a strategy on retail payments and legislative proposals on crypto-assets and digital operational resilience.
As a result, poverty, social exclusion and inequalities are likely to rise. The social impacts of the pandemic are being felt by millions of people in the EU. The European Union kept citizens at the heart of its decision-making in , and took action to ensure an inclusive and fair recovery for all, one that prioritises health and security.
Throughout the year, the EU launched many new initiatives spanning healthcare, social integration and the fight against threats to security. It is up to the Member States to define their own health policies, with the EU playing a supporting role in improving public health, tackling non-communicable diseases such as cancer and combating serious cross-border threats to health. An uncoordinated approach does not allow Member States to provide their citizens with the best level of protection and care in a crisis.
A stronger European Health Union would maximise efforts to counter the vulnerabilities in our health systems. In a first step towards the European Health Union, in November the European Commission presented proposals to help the EU prepare for and respond better to cross-border health threats. Declaring an EU-level emergency could, in the future, trigger closely coordinated response measures.
Better preparedness requires better data, well-planned resources and expertise, which is why the Commission proposed to give a bigger role to the EU health agencies: the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency. The Commission also envisages proposing to set up a dedicated agency to respond to biomedical emergencies: the Health Emergency Response Authority. A lack of access to data and limited capacity to respond adequately to large-scale outbreaks has been hampering the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control during this pandemic.
A stronger European Medicines Agency would be better placed to secure supplies of medicines, advise on emerging treatments and coordinate clinical trials during a health crisis. The strategy will allow the EU to cover its pharmaceutical needs, including in times of crisis, through robust supply chains. Also, as a key part of the European Health Union, it will help establish a future-proof and crisis-resilient EU pharmaceutical system, including by drawing lessons from the COVID pandemic.
In a healthy and thriving democracy, citizens can freely express their views, choose their political leaders and have a say about their future. For participation to be meaningful, citizens must also be able to form their own judgements.
They should be able to make electoral choices in a public sphere where a plurality of views can be expressed openly and where free media, academia and civil society can play their role in stimulating debate, free from malign interference, either domestic or foreign.
Recent years have shown that democracy in the EU is facing challenges ranging from rising extremism and election interference to the spread of manipulative information and threats against journalists.
Standing up to challenges to our democratic systems and the perceived distance between people and politicians, the action plan sets out measures to promote free and fair elections, strengthen media freedom and counter disinformation.
These measures will help address those areas in which our democratic systems and citizens are most vulnerable. More concretely, to help protect the integrity of elections and promote democratic participation, the action plan announces new legislative proposals to ensure greater transparency of political advertising and to revise the rules on the funding of European political parties. Through the European Cooperation Network on Elections , the Commission will also put in place a joint mechanism to counter threats to electoral processes.
In the area of media freedom and pluralism, the Commission will issue a recommendation on improving the online and physical safety of journalists, with a focus on new threats, in particular against women journalists, and will present an initiative to protect journalists and civil society against strategic lawsuits against public participation.
Other measures to promote media pluralism include setting up a Media Ownership Monitor, guidance on the transparency of media ownership, promoting transparent and fair allocation of state advertising, fostering media diversity and implementing a European approach on the prominence of audiovisual media services of general interest. The Commission will support cooperation between national media councils, independent media regulators, other media self-regulatory bodies and networks of journalists, along with initiatives to promote journalistic partnerships and standards.
Lastly, the Commission will step up its efforts to counter disinformation and foreign interference. Concretely, the Commission will steer the work to strengthen the existing Code of Practice on Disinformation. It will issue clear guidance to platforms on how to increase action against disinformation and will introduce a robust framework for monitoring and oversight. Throughout the action plan there is a strong emphasis on empowering citizens and civil society. This focuses on developing media literacy to help citizens of all ages to navigate the news environment, and on encouraging participation at the local, national and EU levels.
The European Digital Media Observatory was launched in June to support the work of independent fact checkers and academic researchers, while collaborating with media organisations and media-literacy experts.
The aim is for the observatory to become the European hub to fight online disinformation. In September, the Commission published its first annual report on the rule of law. It includes country-specific chapters for all Member States and assesses both positive and negative developments across the EU. It shows that while many Member States have high rule-of-law standards, important challenges remain. The report also takes into account the developments stemming from the emergency measures taken by Member States due to the coronavirus crisis.
The report covers four main pillars with a strong bearing on the rule of law: national justice systems; anti-corruption frameworks; media pluralism and freedom; and other institutional issues related to the checks and balances essential to a functioning democracy. The aim of the new Rule of Law Report is to extend the existing EU measures through a new preventive tool and to start a debate on rule-of-law culture across the EU.
In January , in the context of a pending case regarding the disciplinary regime for Polish judges, the Commission asked the Court of Justice to impose interim measures on Poland, ordering it to suspend the activity of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court in disciplinary proceedings against judges.
The decision was taken in view of the preliminary ruling of the Court of Justice on 19 November on the independence of this new Disciplinary Chamber, and the subsequent December ruling of the Polish Supreme Court that the Chamber does not meet the requirements of EU law on judicial independence, and is therefore not an independent court within the meaning of EU law. The continued activity of the Disciplinary Chamber in disciplinary proceedings against judges created a risk of irreparable damage to Polish judges and of undermining the independence of the Polish judiciary.
By sending a Letter of Formal Notice in April, the Commission launched infringement proceedings against Poland regarding the law on the judiciary of 20 December , which entered into force on 14 February The Commission considered that this law undermines the independence of Polish judges and is incompatible with the primacy of EU law. The new law prevents Polish courts from directly applying certain provisions of EU law protecting judicial independence, and from referring preliminary rulings on such questions to the Court of Justice.
The Commission analysed the reply of the Polish government to the Letter of Formal Notice, and since its concerns were not addressed, the Commission moved to the second step in the infringement procedure, sending a reasoned opinion to Poland on 30 October In addition, on 3 December , the Commission sent an additional Letter of Formal Notice to Poland as part of the infringement procedure regarding, inter alia, recent decisions of the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court concerning the lifting of immunity of judges in the context of criminal investigations.
In December, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agreed on a reinforced Transparency Register common to the three institutions. This will increase transparency and public scrutiny of how the EU institutions interact with representatives of interest groups. The Commission set out its proposals in January, and preparations continued during the year.
The conference will enable Europeans from all walks of life and all corners of the EU to voice their opinions and make proposals on the future of our continent.
It aims to engage with as many people in Europe as possible, especially young people and those who do not usually engage in European issues. Debates will take place at all levels: local, regional, national and EU. President von der Leyen has committed to following up on what is agreed. Restrictions on movement imposed in Member States for health reasons hindered the ability of organisers to hold campaign events for their initiatives and collect signatures on paper.
The new rules allow for the extension of the collection period for initiatives affected by the pandemic. The New Consumer Agenda adopted by the Commission in November sets out the actions that the EU will take in response to new challenges brought on by COVID and the digital and green transitions, including environmental and sustainability concerns, effective enforcement of consumer rights and protection of vulnerable consumers.
Putting these proposals into practice will mean closer cooperation between the EU and national authorities and improvements in the governance of EU consumer policy. In November, the Parliament and the Council adopted a directive that will create a new European system for collective redress, which will make it easier for organisations to defend the collective interests of consumers by bringing actions in courts or with the relevant authorities on behalf of consumers harmed by breaches of EU law.
Customs play a vital role in facilitating the smooth and safe flow of goods, while stopping unsafe or illegal products from entering the EU. Customs revenues also contribute to the EU budget. In September, the Commission unveiled a new Customs Union Action Plan , setting out a series of measures to make EU customs smarter, more innovative and more efficient. In October, the Commission presented the first concrete deliverable from the action plan.
The Single Window Environment for Customs will improve the interconnection between all authorities at the EU borders, and will allow businesses to complete border formalities through one single portal in a Member State.
It ensures that those in genuine need of protection will have the right to stay in the EU, while others will have to return in an effective and dignified manner. The new pact includes all the elements needed for a comprehensive EU approach to migration, including more effective asylum and return procedures, reinforced border management, strengthened legal migration pathways to the EU, the integration of migrants into society and stronger partnerships with non-EU countries.
It will also improve solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibility between the Member States, increase cooperation and coordination on search and rescue, and put in place a response system to address crisis situations and a permanent migration monitoring system. The proposed solidarity mechanism will ensure that all Member States receive the help they need when facing migratory pressure, or following search-and-rescue operations.
The pact also aims to enhance mutually beneficial partnerships with countries of origin and transit to help address shared challenges, such as supporting host communities, addressing the root causes of irregular migration, combating migrant smuggling, supporting border management and developing legal pathways.
It has also helped reinforce EU border management by building on the implementation of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation , including by readying the Border and Coast Guard standing corps for its first deployment on 1 January and by preparing the multiannual strategic policy cycle for European integrated border management.
The new pact introduces screening at the external borders of the EU and within the territory of the Member States, with identification, security and health checks for non-EU nationals who cross the external borders irregularly or request international protection.
To ensure strong external borders, it also provides for the implementation of new and improved IT systems and their interoperability to keep track of arrivals and asylum applicants and to improve security. Saving lives at sea remains a priority: the pact addresses the challenges of search and rescue in the Mediterranean, in particular managing people rescued at sea who disembark on EU territory.
At the first-ever Schengen Forum , convened on 30 November by the Commission, Members of the European Parliament and home affairs ministers met via videoconference to discuss how to tackle the challenges faced in the Schengen area. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum makes several proposals to ensure the protection of people in need, including the most vulnerable.
The first step will be the adoption of the Commission proposals on amending the Reception Conditions Directive , the Resettlement Framework Regulation and the Qualification Regulation. It also ensures that the best interests of child migrants are prioritised in the context of asylum, return and border procedures.
During , this was made a reality through the relocation of 2 unaccompanied children, families, vulnerable asylum seekers and recognised refugees from Greece to other EU Member States, with the support of the European Commission.
Following the fires that destroyed the Moria reception and identification centre in September, the Commission acted immediately. It financed the transfer of all of the unaccompanied minors from Moria to the mainland , while continuing to coordinate and finance voluntary relocations from Greece to 13 Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
In addition, the Commission, in full agreement with the Greek authorities, set up a dedicated task force to support migration management in Greece in a sustained way. Its first priority was to implement a joint pilot with the Greek authorities to build a new reception facility on Lesbos, which will help to ensure effective migration management. The pact stresses the need to complete the pending reform of the EU Blue Card Directive, to attract the highly skilled talent that EU economies need, and announces the adoption of a skills and talent package in The Commission also proposes to launch talent partnerships to support mobility and migration schemes with key non-EU countries.
The EU will facilitate and coordinate the partnerships by providing funding and support. Part of a healthy and fair system of migration management is ensuring that everyone who is legally in the EU can participate in and contribute to the well-being, prosperity and cohesion of European societies.
Such a system fosters social cohesion and economic dynamism, and sets positive examples of how the EU can manage the impacts of migration and diversity by building open and resilient societies. While integration policy is primarily the responsibility of the Member States, the Commission is stepping up its support for them with a new Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion for — Based on a broad consultation, it addresses integration and social inclusion in areas such as employment, education, health, housing, equality, culture and sport.
The number of visa applications processed increases every year, and this trend is likely to continue once the COVIDrelated global restrictions are lifted. The new rules on short-stay visas that became applicable in February make it easier for legitimate travellers to apply for a visa to come to the EU, while providing more tools to counter irregular migration.
In addition, the EU can now adapt the application of certain rules to how a non-EU country cooperates on the return and readmission of their nationals staying irregularly in the EU. The strategy sets out the tools and measures to be developed over the next 5 years to ensure security for all in both the physical and the digital environments. The scope of the strategy ranges from combating terrorism and organised crime to preventing and detecting hybrid threats, increasing the resilience of our critical infrastructure, promoting cybersecurity and fostering research and innovation.
The Commission stepped up the fight against organised crime and international criminals in by launching initiatives on several different fronts. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in reports of online child sexual abuse in all Member States, with indications that the problem has become even more serious because of the pandemic. It focuses on ensuring that the right legal framework is in place, strengthening the response of law enforcement and galvanising a coordinated response on prevention, investigation and assistance for victims that includes all relevant actors.
In September, the Commission also proposed interim legislation to ensure that providers of online communications services can continue to apply voluntary measures for the detection and reporting of child sexual abuse online and the removal of child-sexual-abuse material. The EU has been coordinating action to counter firearms trafficking for several years, but new threats demand new actions.
In July, the Commission adopted a new — EU Action Plan on Firearms Trafficking , focusing on reducing access to the firearms black market and improving law-enforcement capacity and international cooperation. The Commission aims to tackle the rise in drug trafficking and use of illicit drugs in Europe with the new EU Agenda and Action Plan on Drugs — It approaches the drugs problem at the national, EU and international levels, focusing on better security all aspects of trafficking , increased prevention, better access to treatment, and risk and harm reduction.
In June, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation Europol set up the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre to respond to the exponential increase in financial and economic crime and large-scale organised crime, and to requests from Member States for operational support.
In June, the Commission published guidelines to assist national authorities, businesses and online marketplaces in implementing the rules on chemicals that could be misused to manufacture homemade explosives explosives precursors. An online monitoring programme to keep track of the impact of these rules was also launched.
In September, the Commission published a report assessing the measures that Member States have taken to comply with the EU rules on combating terrorism. These rules are the main criminal-justice instrument at the EU level to counter terrorism.
It builds on work done in recent years and comprises measures supporting Member States in anticipating, preventing, protecting and responding to terrorist threats. This initiative aims to improve the support that Europol provides to Member States to combat terrorism and serious crime, and would further promote cooperation and information sharing. Negotiations ended on a regulation on preventing the dissemination of terrorist content online , which will swiftly remove terrorist propaganda while ensuring freedom of speech and increased transparency, in tandem with continued work under the EU Internet Forum , which fights the dissemination of terrorist propaganda online.
The Commission also provided more targeted support to Member States and first-line practitioners via the Radicalisation Awareness Network , in previously identified priority areas. People rely on key infrastructure, both physical and digital, such as airports, power plants, medical facilities and telecommunications networks, to provide many essential services. This infrastructure must be resilient in the face of all manner of risks, whether natural or human-made, accidental or malicious.
In December, the Commission proposed a new directive on the resilience of critical entities that underpin vital services in many sectors. There will be better supervision of how the rules are applied and better coordination between Member State authorities. The programmes pave the way for a fully fledged European Defence Fund , which, from , will help create an integrated defence industrial base across the EU. The coronavirus pandemic represents an unprecedented shock to the global and EU economies, with very severe economic and social consequences.
While the pandemic has hit the economies of all of the Member States, the scale of the impact and the strength of the recovery will vary significantly across regions. The unemployment rate in the EU as a whole is set to rise from 6. Poverty, social exclusion and inequalities are likely to rise, underlining the importance of an inclusive and fair recovery for all.
The challenges created by the pandemic in highlight once again the importance of economic-policy coordination in the EU. The European Semester provides a well-established framework for coordinating the economic and employment policies that will guide the EU and its Member States through the challenges of the recovery and the green and digital transitions.
In , the Commission also began integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into the European Semester as part of its strategy to focus on competitive sustainability and building an economy that works for people and the planet, in line with the European Green Deal.
In March, the Commission published a new Industrial Strategy for Europe that outlines how to create the right conditions to help industry stay globally competitive and lead the green and digital transitions. In parallel, the Commission worked on strengthening the role of industrial ecosystems by analysing their investment needs. To ensure that the EU can guarantee a level playing field in the Single Market, the Commission published a White Paper and consulted widely on the distorting effects of foreign subsidies and how to tackle them.
To address the remaining obstacles , the Commission proposed actions to better enforce existing Single Market rules, including setting up a Single Market Enforcement Task Force, which has played an important part in addressing pandemic-related restrictions.
New rules in place on the mutual recognition of goods will also make it faster and easier for companies to sell their products across Europe. To give just one example, Galileo, the navigation component of the EU Space Programme , strengthened its presence on the market in by reaching more than 1.
With Galileo, the positioning information provided by mobile devices is more accurate and reliable, particularly in urban areas. In parallel, negotiations on a financial framework partnership agreement between the Commission, the European Space Agency and the future EU Agency for the Space Programme also continued, to define how tasks will be attributed between the two agencies in line with the Space Regulation. The initiative aims at improving the efficiency of air traffic management and helping reduce delays and the environmental impact of flights, while maintaining a high level of safety and keeping the costs paid by airspace users under control.
The communication sets out the conditions to create a competitive, talent-driven and open European Research Area. The 14 proposed actions will help prioritise investments, improve access to excellence, train and attract the best talents, turn innovative ideas into new products and services and open up science.
In June , the Commission set up the European Innovation Council Fund to make direct equity and quasi-equity investments in the capital of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the first time that the Commission has made such direct equity investments in companies.
In June, the Commission, the European Investment Bank and Investitionsbank Berlin announced the first round of financing from the EU Malaria Fund , which aims to support affordable and innovative solutions to prevent and treat malaria.
The coronavirus crisis also affects lending, and our financial markets and the strength of the recovery depends on properly functioning capital markets and access to financing. In June, the Parliament approved the quick fix to the Capital Requirements Regulation to encourage banks to lend to companies and households, and in July the Commission announced measures to make it easier for capital markets to support EU businesses recovering from the crisis. To help further mitigate the impact of the pandemic on people and businesses, in July a best-practices list was created following two meetings organised by the Commission with consumer and business representatives, European banks, other lenders and the insurance sector.
The list sets out how these market actors can support citizens and businesses throughout the crisis. The discussions are part of a wider effort by the Commission to increase lending. In September, the Commission announced a new action plan to deliver on a Capital Markets Union that works for people and businesses. Many households and companies have come under severe financial pressure due to the pandemic.
Ensuring that citizens and businesses continue to access credit from their banks is therefore a top priority for the Commission. In late , the Commission proposed a Strategy on Non-performing Loans that, while ensuring borrowers are protected, can help prevent a rise in non-performing loans similar to the one after the last financial crisis.
The aim is to contribute to a swift and sustainable recovery of the economy once the pandemic passes, while preserving the stability of the European financial sector and the ability of banks to lend to the real economy.
With the adoption of the sustainable-finance Taxonomy Regulation in , the Capital Markets Union has become greener, and is helping the EU reach its climate goals by boosting private-sector investment in green and sustainable projects.
Fair taxation is essential to protect public revenues, create a level playing field and ensure social justice. In , the Commission launched its work to revamp the tax environment in Europe, to make it fairer and more growth friendly.
In July, it presented a new taxation package, including an Action Plan for Fair and Simple Taxation , to make taxation easier for honest taxpayers and to make life harder for tax cheats. Following a proposal by the Commission in July, in November the Member States agreed on new tax-transparency rules for digital platforms. As regards customs, in September the Commission adopted a new Customs Union Action Plan setting out a series of measures to make EU customs smarter, more innovative and more efficient.
In October, it adopted the initiative for an EU Single Window Environment for Customs , which is a future-looking digital solution for quicker and more efficient sharing of electronic data between different government authorities involved in goods clearance at the border. Competition policy ensures a level playing field that provides businesses with the incentive to invest, innovate and grow. It contributes to the competitiveness of the EU economy and of European companies, and protects the access of EU companies to high-quality inputs at attractive prices, ensuring that they remain competitive, at home and globally.
Sound EU competition rules enable pro-competitive cooperation, support the growth and development of strong companies, whether larger ones or small and medium-sized enterprises, and enable and support the greening of our economy. In , the Commission continued its enforcement action of State aid control, merger control and antitrust rules in all markets, including in the digital, pharmaceutical, basic industries and other markets.
Importantly, in the context of its economic response to COVID, in March the Commission adopted a State Aid Temporary Framework to enable Member States to use the full flexibility provided under EU State aid rules to support companies suffering the unprecedented consequences of the outbreak.
In the course of the year, the Commission took almost decisions approving national measures notified by 27 Member States and the United Kingdom in the context of the coronavirus outbreak.
Over the past few years, change has been happening at an ever more rapid pace, and the world has become increasingly digital and interconnected. In addition, to address more effectively the problems arising in digital markets prone to market failures, such as the gatekeeper power of certain digital platforms, on 15 December the Commission presented a Digital Markets Act and a Digital Services Act.
The economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic must be fair and inclusive, and at the same time must prepare citizens for the twin green and digital transitions. The EU will prioritise the social dimension of the economy, in particular by supporting Member States in fully implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights.
In , the European Commission launched initiatives for a strong social Europe, using the pillar as its foundation. Making sure that every worker in the EU has adequate minimum-wage protection that allows for a decent living is one of the principles of the pillar and a priority for President von der Leyen. This is why, in October, the Commission proposed to improve the adequacy and reach of minimum-wage protection in Europe.
The proposed directive aims to ensure that all workers in the EU are protected by an adequate minimum wage that allows a decent living wherever they work. It also promotes collective bargaining on wage setting in all Member States, and aims to reduce wage inequality and in-work poverty while respecting the diversity of national contexts and traditions. The green and digital transformations are changing the way we work, learn, take part in society and lead our everyday lives.
At the same time, the pandemic has had a profound impact on millions of people in the EU who have lost their job or experienced a significant loss of income.
Europe can only tackle these challenges and grasp opportunities if its people develop the right skills. Any of these would face a tough battle in EU circles and would entail a greater risk for the forces committed than with Operation Irini.
But Libya experts believe that if any such missions were deployed—and succeeded in protecting the civilian population—they would be more than welcomed by most Libyans. Italy has volunteered to participate, and recently, on April 22, Germany announced its intention to deploy men in support of Operation Irini.
All of this presents a strategic opportunity for the EU to take the initiative away from Russia and Turkey. If Europe were united, the United States might also follow. If so, Libya will become a frozen crisis largely controlled by Russia and Turkey, and Europe will once again be overshadowed. All of its own doing.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees. In an increasingly crowded, chaotic, and contested world and marketplace of ideas, the Carnegie Endowment offers decisionmakers global, independent, and strategic insight and innovative ideas that advance international peace.
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