ISSN 1977-091X

Official Journal

of the European Union

C 440

English edition

Information and Notices

Volume 61
6 December 2018

Contents

page

I   Resolutions, recommendations and opinions

OPINIONS

European Economic and Social Committee

537th EESC plenary session, 19.9.2018-20.9.2018

2018/C 440/01

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Artificial intelligence: anticipating its impact on work to ensure a fair transition’ (own-initiative opinion)

1

2018/C 440/02

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Trust, privacy and security for consumers and businesses in the internet of Things (IoT)’ (own-initiative opinion)

8

2018/C 440/03

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Indicators better suited to evaluate the SDGs — the civil society contribution’ (own-initiative opinion)

14

2018/C 440/04

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The contribution of Europe’s rural areas to the 2018 Year of Cultural Heritage ensuring sustainability and urban/rural cohesion’ (own-initiative opinion)

22

2018/C 440/05

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The impact of subsidiarity and gold plating on the economy and employment’ (exploratory opinion requested by the Austrian Presidency)

28

2018/C 440/06

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Digital gender gap’ (Exploratory opinion requested by the European Parliament)

37

2018/C 440/07

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Bioeconomy — contributing to achieving the EU’s climate and energy goals and the UN’s sustainable development goals’ (exploratory opinion)

45

III   Preparatory acts

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

537th EESC plenary session, 19.9.2018-20.9.2018

2018/C 440/08

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Artificial Intelligence for Europe’(COM(2018) 237 final)

51

2018/C 440/09

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on enabling the digital transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market; empowering citizens and building a healthier society’(COM(2018) 233 final)

57

2018/C 440/10

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on (a) ‘Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers, and repealing Directive 2009/22/EC’(COM(2018) 184 final — 2018/0089 (COD)) and on (b) ‘Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC of 5 April 1993, Directive 98/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards better enforcement and modernisation of EU consumer protection rules’(COM(2018) 185 final — 2018/0090 (COD))

66

2018/C 440/11

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — A renewed European Agenda for Research and Innovation — Europe’s chance to shape its future’(The European Commission’s contribution to the Informal EU Leaders’ meeting on innovation in Sofia on 16 May 2018) (COM(2018) 306 final)

73

2018/C 440/12

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 and (EU) No 2017/1129 as regards the promotion of the use of SME growth markets’(COM(2018) 331 final — 2018/0165 (COD))

79

2018/C 440/13

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2009/103/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 16 September 2009 relating to insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles, and the enforcement of the obligation to ensure against such liability’(COM(2018) 336 final — 2018/0168 (COD))

85

2018/C 440/14

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on type-approval requirements for motor vehicles and their trailers, and systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, as regards their general safety and the protection of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users, amending Regulation (EU) 2018/… and repealing Regulations (EC) No 78/2009, (EC) No 79/2009 and (EC) No 661/2009’(COM(2018) 286 final — 2018/0145 COD)

90

2018/C 440/15

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council complementing EU type-approval legislation with regard to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union’(COM(2018) 397 final — 2018/0220 (COD))

95

2018/C 440/16

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 469/2009 concerning the supplementary protection certificate for medicinal products’(COM(2018) 317 final — 2018/0161 (COD))

100

2018/C 440/17

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending and correcting Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 on the approval and market surveillance of agricultural and forestry vehicles’(COM(2018) 289 final — 2018/0142 (COD))

104

2018/C 440/18

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A Modern Budget for a Union that Protects, Empowers and Defends. The Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027’(COM(2018) 321 final) — ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027’(COM(2018) 322 final/2 — 2018/0166 (APP)) — ‘Proposal for a Council Decision on the system of Own Resources of the European Union’(COM(2018) 325 final — 2018/0135 (CNS)) — ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation on the methods and procedure for making available the Own Resources based on the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base, on the European Union Emissions Trading System and on Plastic packaging waste that is not recycled, and on the measures to meet cash requirements’(COM(2018) 326 final — 2018/0131 (NLE)) — ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation laying down implementing measures for the system of Own Resources of the European Union’(COM(2018) 327 final — 2018/0132 (APP)) — ‘Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 1553/89 on the definitive uniform arrangements for the collection of own resources accruing from value added tax’(COM(2018) 328 final — 2018/0133 (NLE))

106

2018/C 440/19

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments’(COM(2018) 374 final — 2018/0199 (COD))

116

2018/C 440/20

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context’(COM(2018) 373 final — 2018/0198 (COD))

124

2018/C 440/21

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Labour Authority’(COM(2018) 131 final — 2018/0064 (COD))

128

2018/C 440/22

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed’(COM(2018) 132 final)

135

2018/C 440/23

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council adapting the common visa policy to new challenges’(COM(2018) 251 final) and ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code)’(COM(2018) 252 final — 2018/0061 (COD))

142

2018/C 440/24

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2004/37/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work’(COM(2018) 171 final — 2018/0081 (COD))

145

2018/C 440/25

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Council Recommendation on strengthened cooperation against vaccine preventable diseases’(COM(2018) 244 final — SWD(2018) 149 final)

150

2018/C 440/26

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 767/2008, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Regulation (EU) 2018/… (Interoperability Regulation) and Decision 2004/512/EC and repealing Council Decision 2008/633/JHA’(COM(2018) 302 final)

154

2018/C 440/27

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain amending Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (on general food law), Directive 2001/18/EC (on the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs), Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (on GM food and feed), Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 (on feed additives), Regulation (EC) No 2065/2003 (on smoke flavourings), Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 (on food contact materials), Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008 (on the common authorisation procedure for food additives, food enzymes and food flavourings), Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 (on plant protection products) and Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 (on novel foods)’(COM(2018) 179 final — 2018/0088 (COD))

158

2018/C 440/28

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the food supply chain’(COM(2018) 173 final)

165

2018/C 440/29

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a multiannual plan for fish stocks in the Western Waters and adjacent waters, and for fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 establishing a multiannual plan for the Baltic Sea, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007 and (EC) No 1300/2008’(COM(2018) 149 final — 2018/0074 (COD))

171

2018/C 440/30

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a multiannual recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish and amending Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006 and (EU) No 2017/2107’(COM(2018) 229 final — 2018/0109 (COD))

174

2018/C 440/31

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services’(COM(2018) 238 final — 2018/0112 (COD))

177

2018/C 440/32

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Tackling online disinformation: a European Approach’(COM(2018) 236 final)

183

2018/C 440/33

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Connecting Europe Facility and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1316/2013 and (EU) No 283/2014’(COM(2018) 438 final — 2018/0228 (COD))

191

2018/C 440/34

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an exchange, assistance and training programme for the protection of the euro against counterfeiting for the period 2021-2027 (the “Pericles IV programme”)’(COM(2018) 369 final — 2018/0194 (CNS))

199