EPP Group in the European Parliament

Economy, jobs & the environment

Euro Currency: Stacks of 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro notes piled together [nid:30050]

Committee Economic and Monetary Affairs

Committee Employment and Social Affairs

A person holds a glass globe in front of their green t-shirt

Committee Environment, Climate and Food Safety

A woman in a flourescent vest and hard hat holds a model wind turbine

Committee Industry, Research and Energy

Committee Internal Market and Consumer Protection

A man in a hat looks at a departures board in a station

Committee Transport and Tourism

Subcommittee Tax Matters

Doctor holding out stethescope with focus on object

Committee Public Health

Couple in garden looking at residential house

Special committee Housing Crisis in the EU

Making a real difference to European’s everyday lives

Our Working Group on the Economy, Jobs, and the Environment deals with a wide range of issues that affect the daily lives of European citizens. We are committed to ensuring that European companies and the economy remain competitive, while also addressing important questions related to job creation, economic opportunities, research, and innovation. Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our focus has shifted to health, and we are working to ensure that Europe is better equipped to respond to current and future health challenges. We are also prioritising issues related to climate change, environmental protection, and air quality.

Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, we are paying particular attention to food safety and working on veterinary and other relevant legislation that protects against risks to human health, such as antimicrobial resistance. Our Working Group is also responsible for overseeing the Economic and Monetary Union, the regulation of crypto-assets, the Digital Single Market, and our support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), as well as the social pillar of the EU.

Looking to the future, we have identified several priorities that are critical to improving the lives of European citizens. These include diversifying energy sources, reducing dependence on China and India for medicine production, combating tax evasion and money laundering, increasing the budget for research and development in the upcoming Horizon Europe research and innovation framework program, and strengthening the industrial defence program in light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

We remain committed to making a real and positive difference in the everyday lives of Europeans.

Chair

Dolors MONTSERRAT

Chair - WG Economy and Environment

Our position

Making Europe more competitive

We firmly believe in the European Single Market as it is essential for improving Europe's competitiveness. Europe must complete the single market for services while pursuing the digital agenda to ensure it reaches its full potential as a global leader in the digital market.

At the same time, we support the de-carbonisation of Europe without causing de-industrialisation. Europe must enhance its industrial competitiveness while avoiding an excessive regulatory burden on businesses.

Europe also needs to rethink its energy supply. An affordable, sustainable, and secure energy supply is the key to Europe's future. To achieve this, we need a more comprehensive European energy policy. Investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and energy infrastructure, especially cross-border projects, should be accelerated to prevent future energy shocks to the EU economy, including investments from the EU Recovery Plan and RePowerEU.

Europe needs a monetary policy that maintains price stability, as it is a powerful tool to fight inflation.

Investing in the future

Europe must create a friendly environment for SMEs, providing the best financial and legal conditions for start-up businesses. Companies and small businesses need access to credit at similar and affordable interest rates, including through modern financial instruments such as venture capital, crowdfunding, and project bonds, as well as EU-level and national public procurement and funding.

We also call for an EU framework that allows companies to invest more in research and development. The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), for instance, should further focus on innovation, investment, jobs, and growth in Europe. Europe must act responsibly today to avoid overburdening future generations.

Supporting future generations

The European economy must be committed to the principle of the Social Market Economy, a model that combines social awareness with dynamic market principles, which, in the last decades, has ensured high living standards and social/health benefits to all European citizens in need. Jobs, growth, and business are the three pillars of the Social Market Economy.

The EU must promote preventive measures to support the health of EU citizens, particularly fostering healthy lifestyles. Effective joint EU efforts are needed to decrease the financial and social burdens of non-communicable diseases such as cancer.