The EESC agrees with the Commission approach which allows Member States to design their national boards either by setting up new institutions or adapting the mandate of existing bodies, provided they are independent and their aim is not to interfere with the wage setting process. In view of the need to duplicating existing work and bodies, the EESC asks the Commission to carry out a full mapping exercise. The EESC asks the Commission to present concrete proposals on how the following necessary requirements can be safeguarded if these boards are established: accountability, legitimacy and transparency; representation of balanced unbiased expertise; non-binding character of proposals of the board; inclusion of the dual role of wages, both as a cost factor and as the main determinant of domestic demand. The EESC already put forward specific proposals for deepening EMU before the latest Commission package proposals which should be implemented. The Committee also shares the Commission's – view that closer coordination of national economic policies is essential in order to remove existing imbalances and make it less likely that imbalances will occur in future. Competing national strategies are not needed, but rather a common European strategy. It is of crucial importance here to expand macroeconomic dialogue and introduce it for the euro area. At national level, the role of the social partners must be strengthened and systems of macroeconomic dialogue developed or consolidated. Contact: Alexander Alexandrov ) (Tel.: 00 32 2 546 9805 e-mail: – Euro area economic policy (2016) Rapporteur: Michael Ikrath (Employers AT) – Co-rapporteur: Anne Demelenne (Workers BE) – Reference: COM(2015) 692 final - EESC-2015-06712-00-00-AC-TRA Key points: The EESC welcomes the establishment of economic priority programmes to stimulate growth in euro area countries at the start of the European Semester. However, the Committee regrets that civil society and the social partners were not consulted on the design and national processes of the Semester.
The EESC agrees with the Commission approach which allows Member States to design their national boards either by setting up new institutions or adapting the mandate of existing bodies, provided they are independent and their aim is not to interfere with the wage setting process. In view of the need to duplicating existing work and bodies, the EESC asks the Commission to carry out a full mapping exercise. The EESC asks the Commission to present concrete proposals on how the following necessary requirements can be safeguarded if these boards are established: accountability, legitimacy and transparency; representation of balanced unbiased expertise; non-binding character of proposals of the board; inclusion of the dual role of wages, both as a cost factor and as the main determinant of domestic demand. The EESC already put forward specific proposals for deepening EMU before the latest Commission package – proposals which should be implemented. The Committee also shares the Commission's view that closer coordination of national economic policies is essential in order to remove existing imbalances and make it less likely that imbalances will occur in future. Competing national strategies are not needed, but rather a common European strategy. It is of crucial importance here to expand macroeconomic dialogue and introduce it for the euro area. At national level, the role of the social partners must be strengthened and systems of macroeconomic dialogue developed or consolidated. Contact: Alexander Alexandrov (Tel.: 00 32 2 546 9805 – e-mail: ) Euro area economic policy (2016) Rapporteur: Michael Ikrath (Employers – AT) Co-rapporteur: Anne Demelenne (Workers – BE) Reference: COM(2015) 692 final - EESC-2015-06712-00-00-AC-TRA Key points: The EESC welcomes the establishment of economic priority programmes to stimulate growth in euro area countries at the start of the European Semester. However, the Committee regrets that civil society and the social partners were not consulted on the design and national processes of the Semester.
eesc-2016-01263-00-01-tcd-tra-en.docx