The European Commission Work Programme 2017

This Work Programme sets out the key initiatives that the European Commission is commiting to delivering by the end of 2017. These proposals are "the most visible way in which our work will contribute to the process of renewal ahead of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome in March 2017. And we (- the European Commission) will be cooperating with the European Parliament and Council to make sure that these and the other key proposals we have made in the past years are adopted swiftly, so they can make a tangible impact on the ground".

On the basis of the Work Programme, the Commission, European Parliament and Council will now work on a Joint Declaration on commonly agreed objectives and priorities for 2017, to swiftly turn proposals into action and bring concrete results for citizens.

DELIVERING ON THE 10 PRIORITIES: in a nutshell.

1. A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment: The Commission will continue to work to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. The circular economy offers great innovative, growth and jobs potential. The Commission will take forward the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan by improving the economics, quality and uptake of plastic recycling and reuse in the EU and reducing plastic leakage into the environment. 

2. A Connected Digital Single Market:  As announced in last year's Work Programme we will deliver the remaining proposals in the next few months, such as the Value Added Tax (VAT) REFIT package covering proposals on ecommerce, e-publications and e-books and initiatives on advancing the data economy including addressing unjustified barriers to the free flow of data within Europe. 

3. A Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy.  The implementation of the Paris Agreement and of the international agreement on emissions from aircraft (International Civil Aviation Organisation) is a priority here. As already announced, the EU Commission will continue to deliver on the Energy Union Strategy and present, by the end of this year, a comprehensive package aimed at managing the modernisation of the economy by placing energy efficiency first, pursuing the ambition to become world number one in renewable energies and providing a fair deal to consumers. This will encompass legislative action on energy efficiency, renewable energy including bioenergy sustainability, the design of the electricity market and the governance rules for the Energy Union.  All the Energy Union related legislative proposals presented by the Commission in 2015 and 2016 need to be addressed as a priority by the Parliament and Council. These include the EU emissions trading system and related rules on effort-sharing, and landuse and forestry (LULUCF) 

4. A Deeper and Fairer Internal Market with a Strengthened Industrial Base: A Europe that makes a strong contribution to jobs and growth and stands up for its industry. The Commission will therefore bring forward measures to implement the VAT Action Plan, to simplify VAT for smaller companies and set the foundations for a modern, more efficient, business-friendly and fraud-proof definitive VAT regime across Europe, taking account of the opinions of the REFIT Platform. 

5. A Deeper and Fairer Economic and Monetary Union. The completion of Banking Union and in that context, finding an agreement on the proposal for a common European Deposit Insurance Scheme, remains a priority.

6. Trade: Trade means jobs – for every 1 billion Euros we get in exports, 14,000 extra jobs are created across the EU. And more than 30 million jobs, 1 in 7 of all jobs in the EU, now depend on exports to the rest of the world. That is why the EU remains committed to an open, rules-based trading system. Building on the Union's successful network of free trade agreements, the Commission will continue negotiations with the US, Japan, Mercosur, Mexico, Tunisia and ASEAN countries. It will seek new mandates to open negotiations with Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and Chile. The Commission will continue work in the WTO, including plurilateral agreements, as well as for a swift ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada

7. An Area of Justice and Fundamental Rights Based on Mutual TrustA Europe that defends and preserves our values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

8. Towards a New Policy on Migration. A Europe that protects our borders and delivers on a responsible migration policy.

9. A Stronger Global Actor. Through the Global Strategy and the revised European Neighbourhood Policy, the EU will continue to deploy all instruments at its disposal to support its partners in economic and political stabilisation, reforms and resilience building.

10. A Union of Democratic Change. Better regulation, accountability and transparency continue to be the core business model of the Commission and all EU institutions need to apply these principles in a consistent and committed manner.  

The EU Commission Work Program for the 2017 is available here:

EN: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/pdf/cwp_2017_en.pdf

FR:http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/pdf/cwp_2017_fr.pdf

DE: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/pdf/cwp_2017_de.pdf

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