Jean-Claude Juncker presents the Commission roadmap for the future of Europe in the European Parliament plenary | Patrick Seeger/EPA
European Commission unveils its plans for 2018
2018 is the last full year for the Juncker Commission to propose reforms before Brexit and the European election.
The European Commission on Tuesday unveiled its plans for 2018, including the creation of a eurozone finance minister, tackling the spread of fake news and changes to the EU’s long-term budget.
There are 26 new initiatives in the 2018 work program, many of which had already been revealed, including by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his State of the Union speech in September. The work program has the title “An agenda for a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe.”
“We have already put on the table 80 percent of the proposals we promised when this Commission took office [in November 2014]. The priority must now be on turning proposals into law, and law into practice,” Juncker said in a statement.
On the list are a “comprehensive proposal for the future Multi-annual Financial Framework [the EU’s long-term budget] beyond 2020,” as well as new ways of taxing tech giants and helping member countries boost vaccination coverage.
Other proposals include “addressing online platform challenges as regards the spreading of fake information,” and new legislation on the EU food supply chain to tackle different quality standards across the bloc.
In December, the Commission will present several economic reforms, including a eurozone finance minister and a separate budget for the single currency area.
The Commission also listed 66 pending proposals and ongoing legislative negotiations it would like agreement on before December 2018. These include revision of the Posted Workers Directive, copyrights reforms, new climate targets for 2030 and screening of foreign direct investments.
Eighteen ongoing legislative proposals should be withdrawn or repealed, the Commission said, as negotiations are either stuck or are out-of-date.
As Juncker pointed out in his State of the Union speech, 2018 will be the last year in which his Commission will propose new legislation. In 2019, the European election will be held and a new Commission could be in place by November. It’s also the year in which the U.K. will leave the bloc.