European Commission releases 2017 Work Programme

Published on 03.11.2016

On October 25, the European Commission released its Work Programme for 2017 with a focus on the delivery of the 10 priorities outlined in the Political Guidelines, with priorities including completion of the Digital Single Market, Energy Union and the Circular Economy.

Every year, the Commission adopts a Work Programme setting out the list of actions it will take in the coming twelve months. The Work Programme informs the public and the co-legislators of our political commitments to present new initiatives, withdraw pending proposals and review existing EU legislation.

This year’s Work Programme proposes 21 key initiatives, as well as a further 18 REFIT proposals to improve the quality of existing EU legislation and ensure our rules are fit for purpose. To ensure a focus on delivery, the Commission Work Programme identifies 34 priority pending proposals made in the past two years.

Priorities

The Commission’s ten priorities include the following:

To boost jobs, growth and investment. The Commission will propose a Youth Initiative, an Action Plan on the implementation of the Circular Economy and a new Multi-annual financial framework;
To carry out a mid-term review of the Digital Single Market;
To implement the Energy Union Strategy with work on low-emission vehicles and mobility;
To build a deeper and fairer internal market by implementing the Single Market Strategy, Space Strategy for Europe and Capital Markets Union Action Plan and making proposals for Fairer taxation of companies;
To present ideas for the reform of the EU at 27 and the strengthening of the Economic and Monetary Union and we will propose a European Pillar of Social Rights;
To implement the Trade for All Strategy and pursue trade negotiations with our partners while strengthening our trade defence instruments;
To continue to pursue a Security Union to fight terrorism and will align the rules on the protection of personal data and privacy;
To deliver on the European Agenda on Migration;
To present a European Defence Action Plan including a European Defence Fund, and the Commission and the High Representative will adopt an EU Strategy for Syria and implement the EU Global Strategy and Africa-EU Partnership;
To adapt existing laws to the Treaty provisions on delegated and implementing acts and will assess the democratic legitimacy of existing procedures for adopting certain secondary EU acts. Finally, we will step up efforts to enforce EU law.

Impact on automotive industry

Of particular interest to the automotive industry will be Implementation of the Action Plan on Circular Economy, Implementation of the Digital Single Market Strategy, Implementation of the Energy Union Strategy: low-emission travel and mobility, Implementation of the Trade for All Strategy and the Data Protection Package.

New REFIT Actions

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – Implementing act on a standard format and frequency of reporting (Directive 2012/19/EU; Article 16(3); Q4/2017). Follow-up to a REFIT Platform Opinion.
Combined Transport – Revision of Directive 92/106/EEC on the establishment of common rules for certain types of combined transport of goods between Member States aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness and ensuring further promotion of intermodal transport in EU (incl. impact assessment; Q4/2017). This revision follows-up on an evaluation concluded in 2016.
Better functioning of the market for bus and coach transport – Revision of Regulation (EC) No 1073/2009 on common rules for access to the International market for coach and bus services and amending Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 in order to improve competition on domestic coach markets, ensure non-discriminatory access to terminals and other infrastructure (incl. impact assessment; Article 91 TFEU; Q4/2017). This revision follows-up on an evaluation concluded in 2016.
Access to the EU road haulage market – Revision of Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 and Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 in order to simplify, facilitate implementation and strengthen the level playing field (incl. impact assessment; Art. 91 TFEU; Q2/2017). This revision follows-up on an evaluation concluded in 2016.
Enhancement of the social legislation in road transport – Revision of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, Directive 2002/15/EC and Directive 2006/22/EC in order to ensure a genuine level playing field for the road transport industry and adequate working conditions (incl. impact assessment; Q2/2017).This revision follows-up on an evaluation concluded in 2016.
Leasing of Vehicles – Revision of Directive 2006/1/EC on the use of hired vehicles without drivers for the carriage of goods by road in order to optimise the allocation of resources, increase the flexibility in organising freight transport operations and hence companies productivity (incl. impact assessment; Art. 91 TFEU; Q2/2017). This revision follows-up on an evaluation concluded in 2016.

Priority pending proposals

Circular Economy Package:
- Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directives 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles, 2006/66/EC on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators, and 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment
- Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste
- Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste
- Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste
Vehicle approval and market surveillance – Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles

Legislative state of play

Fuel Quality Directive – Evaluation Expected to be finalised in Q1 2017
Heavy Duty Vehicles CO2 emissions monitoring system – Commission proposal Planned 2017
CO2 emissions from cars – Commission proposal Planned 2017
CO2 emissions from vans – Commission proposal Planned 2017
Combined Transport – Commission proposal Planned for 2017
Promotion of Clean and Energy-efficient Road Transport Vehicles – Commission proposal planned for Q4 2017