Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2025)45 - Commission work programme 2025 Moving forward together: A Bolder, Simpler, Faster Union - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2025)45 - Commission work programme 2025 Moving forward together: A Bolder, Simpler, Faster Union. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2025)45  |
| date | 11-02-2025 |
Contents
- Strasbourg, 11.2.2025
- 1.Towards a strong and united Europe
- 2.Simplifying rules and effective implementation
- 3.Delivering on our plan for European strength and unity
- 3.2.A new era for European Defence and Security
- 3.3.Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model
- 3.4.Sustaining our quality of life: farming, food security, water and nature
- 3.5.Protecting our democracy, upholding our values
- 3.6.A global Europe: Leveraging our power and partnerships
- 3.7.Delivering together and preparing our Union for the future
- 4.Review of proposals pending agreement by the European Parliament and the Council
- 5.Conclusion
COM(2025) 45 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
Commission work programme 2025
Moving forward together: A Bolder, Simpler, Faster Union
‘Our era’s greatest challenges – from security to climate change to competitiveness - can only be solved through joint action. Against this backdrop, I believe Europe must choose its best option: Union.’ - President Ursula von der Leyen, 18 July 2024.
In a time of great instability and great expectations for Europeans, the choices our Union will make this year will likely shape Europe for decades to come. This reflects both the instabilities and insecurities facing Europe, which many voters expressed in record numbers at last June’s European Parliament elections. It demonstrates the scale of the generational challenges facing us. But it also is indicative of how a bolder, simpler and faster Union – that uses its size, power and values – can make a real difference in people’s lives. Both to support them today and to prepare a more secure, more prosperous and a healthier future for the generations to follow.
This work programme comes against a backdrop shaped by a range of interrelated challenges. The competitiveness of the European economy needs to be reinforced in the face of increased economic competition and threat to the rules-based order. With European businesses today facing challenges such as unfair competition, high energy costs, labour and skills shortages and obstacles to accessing capital, and to achieving Europe's long-term goal to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, we need to remove structural brakes on the EU’s competitiveness. Businesses and citizens are also asking for rules that are simpler to follow and action which enables change to happen faster.
Geopolitical instability and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have significantly reshaped Europe’s security landscape. Illegal migration continues to be an issue that raises concerns, with people needing to trust that their governments and institutions to effectively manage the situation, while acknowledging the need to address skills shortages also through labour migration. Climate change is having a clear and increasingly severe impact on the daily lives of citizens and businesses across Europe, as highlighted by the numerous extreme weather events our continent has suffered from in recent years. Our societies need to be strengthened and our quality of life continuously sustained – from our food and energy security to our natural environment. The core values on which our Union is founded, including our democracy, are under attack, with clear evidence of campaigns of foreign interference.
All of this reaffirms the fact that Europe’s challenges are too great to tackle individually. Our opportunities too big to grasp alone. Only a strong and united Union can ensure that Europe continues to deliver at home and projects its influence and interests in the world. This unity safeguards our European values, fostering democracy, solidarity and equality, and ensuring a socially fair continent where no one is left behind.
This is the driving force of this first Commission work programme for the new College. Framed by the Political Guidelines and the mission letters sent by President Ursula von der Leyen to each Member of the College, it outlines the main initiatives the Commission will take in the first year of its mandate. It focuses on bold action to bolster our security, prosperity and democracy and to respond to the issues that matter the most to Europeans. It reflects the need – expressed by citizens and business alike – to make Europe faster and simpler in the way that we act and interact and ensure our proposals have the quickest possible impact to support people and strengthen our social market economy.
The need to boost investment in our priorities will cut across the work of the College and the proposal for a new long-term budget will frame how this can be achieved. We will take steps to prepare for a larger Union and boost efforts to support candidate countries throughout the merits-based process towards their accession. The conflict and turmoil of the world of today have also increased awareness that a larger Union is a stronger Union, making our continent more secure, our market more competitive and further anchoring European democracy.
The EU has long been a hub of industry and innovation, with a distinctive social market economy. To help boost competitiveness, prosperity and resilience in the EU, a vision and tools for an implementation and simplification agenda is laid out in a Communication accompanying this work programme. By forging strong partnerships with businesses and stakeholders, we will examine the design and application of our legislation to streamline regulations and implement policies more effectively. It will first and foremost benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This work programme presents a first set of Omnibus proposals that simplify various pieces of legislation, alongside a record number of initiatives with a strong simplification dimension. They will contribute to achieving the goal of reducing administrative burdens by at least 25%, and at least 35% for SMEs. It also includes an annual plan of evaluations and fitness checks to ensure continuity of the simplification and burden reduction exercise.
The Omnibus proposals, adopted in subsequent steps, will tackle priority sectors signalled by stakeholders and referred to in the Draghi report. They will concentrate efforts to ensure coherence, build momentum and thereby maximise simplification by addressing the consequences of interactions of different pieces of legislation. Notably, the Commission will propose streamlining and simplification of sustainability reporting, sustainability due diligence and taxonomy, and create a new category of small mid-caps with adapted requirements. Other measures will facilitate the implementation of the InvestEU programme and the European Fund for strategic investments, including by simplifying reporting and boosting investment.
We will accelerate our path to a digital regulatory environment, and will propose to remove inefficient requirements for paper formats in product legislation and build synergies and consistency for data protection and cybersecurity rules. Simplification measures concerning the Common Agriculture Policy and other policy areas affecting farmers will further address sources of complexity and excessive administrative burden for national administrations and farmers. Further simplification proposals will be explored, including a possible omnibus in the area of defence to help reach the investment goals that will be set out in the White Paper and to allow innovative companies to flourish.
On top of the Omnibus proposals, other initiatives are dedicated to simplifying legislation in order to streamline permit granting, authorisations and reporting requirements and make investment easier in Europe. This includes, for example, the Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator act that will support energy intensive industries
The Annual plan for evaluations and fitness checks will allow us to take a critical look at the potential to simplify, consolidate and codify the EU acquis and find opportunities to cut costs as part of our stress-testing. The evaluation of programmes and funds under the multiannual financial framework will also offer an opportunity to assess how to reduce burdens linked to the EU’s financial programmes.
In addition to simplification, effective implementation of EU laws and policies is crucial to ensure they work properly. The Commission will cooperate with the European Parliament, the Council, Member States’ authorities at all levels and stakeholders to address gold plating, simplify rules and implement policies more effectively. This will require all institutions to take strong ownership of an ambitious implementation and simplification agenda.
To foster a sense of common ownership by all institutions towards the better implementation of rules and policies, each Commissioner will present an annual progress report on enforcement and implementation to their respective European Parliament committee and Council formation.
Engagement with stakeholders and practitioners will be a cornerstone of the Commission’s approach towards successful implementation of EU rules. Regular implementation dialogues between Commissioners and stakeholders will provide opportunities to assess progress, identify areas needing attention and gather feedback on what is working and what is not.
Where preventative measures and cooperation with Member States are insufficient to avoid a breach of EU law, the Commission will continue to be steadfast in launching infringement procedures. With over 1 500 ongoing infringement cases, this work remains crucial to ensure the uniform application and enforcement of EU law across all Member States.
3.1.A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness
Europe has long been a centre of industry, innovation and entrepreneurship, boasting world-class researchers and universities, thriving small businesses and a stable legal framework. However, the global race to achieve climate neutrality and take the lead in developing technologies that will shape the global economy for decades to come presents significant challenges. Structural issues continue to impede Europe’s competitiveness, as businesses face a volatile global environment characterised by unfair competition, fragile supply chains, rising energy costs, labour and skills shortages and limited access to capital. To help combat this, the Competitiveness Compass will steer our efforts throughout the mandate to enhance Europe’s competitiveness, a top priority for this Commission.
The European single market will be a central part of our future competitiveness. One of the EU’s greatest achievements, the single market fuels economic growth and makes day-to-day life easier for European businesses and consumers. With the Single Market Strategy, we will present a new horizontal strategy for a modernised single market. It will set a clear path towards further facilitating the cross-border provision of services and goods. The strategy will also look at the full implementation of existing rules and at the elimination of barriers to boost the potential of competitive EU businesses. A strong single market also requires fair and effective labour mobility across the Union. At the same time, the early and gradual integration of candidate countries into parts of the single market will enhance European value chains and facilitate the convergence process.
We will focus particularly on new and growing businesses to address issues affecting EU start-ups and scale-ups, including around access to finance and infrastructure, entering new markets, obtaining data and attracting the necessary talent. This work will prepare the ground for an Innovation Act the Commission will propose later in the mandate. In order to support innovative companies to invest and operate in the single market without facing 27 distinct legal regimes, the Commission will work towards a 28th legal regime to simplify applicable rules and reduce the cost of failure, including any relevant aspects of corporate law, insolvency, labour and tax law.
At the heart of our collaborative plan for decarbonisation, sustainability and competitiveness is the Clean Industrial Deal. This initiative will outline our urgent, short-term strategies to support and create optimal conditions for industry to regain competitiveness while decarbonising. It will help Europe achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, while improving access to affordable energy, creating lead markets and boosting demand and supply of circular materials, products and services, as well as strengthening economic security. Alongside this, we will propose an action plan to make energy more affordable for Europe to power the Clean Industrial Deal. We will also develop a new State aid Framework to accelerate the roll-out of renewable energy, strengthen industrial decarbonisation and ensure sufficient manufacturing capacities for clean tech. And we will bolster clean energy investment, including by unlocking private capital.
This effort will be connected to a comprehensive set of measures on energy integration, addressing Europe’s need for an upgraded and digitalised grid infrastructure, with a particular focus on the electricity grid. It will explore methods to decarbonise Europe’s heating and cooling systems and integrate citizens and communities as key participants in the energy transition. We will also adopt a roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports to further reduce our dependencies and entirely phase out all Russian energy imports. The Commission will also put forward the 2025 Nuclear Illustrative Programme and will table a strategic plan for the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to support the acceleration of SMRs.
Part of the Clean Industrial Deal will also be to make key industries in Europe more circular and sustainable, while facilitating administration and reducing compliance costs to boost competitiveness. A chemicals industry package will boost the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry and provide a simpler regime for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals and clarity on ‘forever chemicals’. The targeted revision of the EU’s rules on chemicals (REACH) will contribute to simplifying rules for the chemicals industry without compromising on safety and environmental protection.
To facilitate much-needed access to investment and funding opportunities, the Savings and Investment Union will provide a major blueprint for measures to create a true internal market for capital, helping financial institutions to achieve scale and become more competitive on the global market, while at the same time making an important contribution to meeting the EU’s unprecedented funding needs. It will include a review of the Securitisation Framework, designed to stimulate private funding and further boost competitiveness. In addition, with the Competitiveness Coordination Tool, complementing the European Semester, we will align reforms and investments, both private and public, at national and EU level to better deliver on our policy priorities.
The Clean Industrial Deal will also go hand in hand with a proposed 90% emission-reduction target for 2040 to be enshrined in our European Climate Law. Ahead of the COP30 meeting in Belem, Brazil in November 2025, we will set out our global climate and energy vision.
The Commission will look to use European life sciences to drive innovation in biotechnology, pool resources, break regulatory barriers, tap into the full potential of data and artificial intelligence (AI), and boost deployment. Building on this know-how, a thriving bioeconomy will be key in maintaining EU industrial leadership and making our industries resilient for the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The Bioeconomy Strategy will promote the more circular and sustainable production, use and consumption of biological resources for food, materials, energy and services.
The backbone of a thriving economy and strong industry will be a well-functioning, future-proof, sustainable transport system that allows products to be shipped seamlessly across transport modes and borders. The Commission will come forward with a Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, a strategic framework for supporting sustainable transport fuels production and distribution. It will include measures to support the accelerated roll-out of recharging and refuelling infrastructure and dedicated green trade and investment partnerships with third countries on renewable and low-carbon transport fuels.
The most important precondition for a thriving digital economy is reliable, high-capacity digital infrastructure. Therefore, the Digital Networks Act will create opportunities for cross-border network operation and service provision, enhance industry competitiveness and improve spectrum coordination.
Along with improved access to data, supported by a Cloud and AI Development Act, we will also work to make the most of the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. This will be the aim of an AI Continent Action Plan covering AI Factories boosting competitive AI ecosystems in Europe as well as the Apply AI strategy. With the EU Quantum Strategy, followed by a Quantum Act, we will maintain a leading global position in this critical sector, safeguard strategic assets, interests, autonomy and security, and avoid a situation of strategic dependency on non-EU sources. The strategy will contribute to building our own capacities to research and develop quantum technologies, and produce devices and systems based on them.
With the European Business Wallet, we will simplify business-to-business and business-to-government exchanges for businesses. In addition to facilitating secure data exchange, the business wallet would unlock new business opportunities for trust service providers.
Space operations are crucial to our connected economy, including innovative services like environmental and climate monitoring. To establish an EU framework regulating the conduct of European space operators and providing a stable, predictable, and competitive business environment, we will come forward with a Space Act. It will also address the growing issue of space debris and the environmental impact of space activities. We will also take steps to better reap the benefits of the space economy.
Recent geopolitical events underline once more that European security must be protected, to guarantee peace, stability and the prosperity of our economies and society. Strengthening Europe’s crisis preparedness and defence readiness is therefore a matter of urgency with the EU and its Member States facing multi-dimensional, complex and cross-border threats and crises. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine poses an existential threat to European security and our support for Ukraine must continue unabated. Europe must have the means to defend and protect itself and to deter potential adversaries – we cannot take the risk of being unprepared or over-reliant on others. We have to build a true EU Defence Union with a competitive defence industry. Europe needs to invest more, invest better, invest together and invest European. We will work in close cooperation with NATO and other close partners and boost investment to strengthen our defence industrial base and dual-use infrastructure. Together with the High Representative, we will table a White Paper on the Future of European Defence, to launch a broad consultation on establishing a Union framework for defence investment needs and critical defence capabilities as well as funding options.
From security and economic stability to climate, technology and public health, we can no longer simply react to crises as they happen. We must empower Europe to better anticipate, prevent and prepare for crises. As new global threats and insecurities emerge, often of a hybrid nature, the Preparedness Union Strategy will serve as the foundation for a stronger, better prepared and more resilient Union, building on the special report of Sauli Niinistö. It will be complemented by efforts to support medical countermeasures against public health threats and an EU Stockpiling Strategy, both aiming at improving our preparedness and response to cross-border threats. With the Critical Medicines Act, we will reduce dependencies for critical medicines and ingredients, where there are only a few supplying manufacturers or countries.
To address the ever more complex and cross-border security threats facing Europe, the new European Internal Security Strategy will present a comprehensive set of actions to be able to anticipate threats, as well as strengthen the EU’s resilience and capabilities to prevent and respond to new and existing crimes and threats. The Firearms Trafficking Directive will provide common criminal law standards on illicit firearms trafficking, while the new rules on drug precursors will reduce their availability for illicit drug manufacturing and make control measures more efficient. To face changing threats, the Commission will make further proposals to better protect and strengthen the resilience of physical and digital infrastructure. By building on our action plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers, we will contribute to the capacity to prevent cybersecurity incidents in this extremely sensitive area. We will also act to better protect our undersea infrastructure, notably telecommunications cables, which are an essential part of our critical digital infrastructure and are increasingly subject to hybrid threats.
Beyond its role in fostering mobility, the EU's visa policy also holds significant geopolitical leverage. We will therefore work to further the EU’s interests in our visa policy in an increasingly complex global environment.
We will intensify efforts to implement the Pact on Migration and Asylum. This requires coordinated and effective action to ensure an approach that is firm and fair, ensuring the security of EU borders and faster asylum and return procedures, while addressing the root causes of migration and guaranteeing the protection of fundamental rights. This will also require close and continued cooperation via comprehensive partnerships with eastern and southern neighbours to help prevent illegal migration. Connected to this, our first five-year European Migration and Asylum Strategy will set out a strategic and forward-looking framework for continued work under the Pact, building on the comprehensive national migration and asylum strategies of EU Member States. At the same time, we need to fight smuggling networks, thereby also preventing further loss of life. And we need stronger and more effective return procedures for people with no legal right to stay in the EU, complementing work with our third country partners to strengthen readmission. To complement the Pact, we will present a new common approach on returns, with a new legislative framework to accelerate and simplify the return process, alongside work with third country partners to strengthen readmission. This new approach will also use the potential of digitalisation to the full.
Europe's unique and highly treasured social model constitutes both a societal cornerstone and a competitive edge. However, recent crises have challenged it by impacting the cost of living, housing and inequalities. This is further exacerbated by the rapid technological shifts, demographic change and sectoral transitions now under way. A key focus of this Commission will therefore be to strengthen social fairness. By safeguarding our social model and ensuring fairness in a transforming economy, we can drive prosperity, seizing the opportunities offered by the green and digital transitions.
Since 2017, the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights have guided efforts to tackle shared challenges in employment, skills and social issues. These principles were transformed into tangible actions through a dedicated action plan with headline 2030 targets. Prioritising continued implementation is crucial, and we will intensify efforts through a new action plan on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
To ensure a just clean, digital and social transition, and as committed at the Val Duchesse Social Partners Summit and the Tripartite Declaration for a Thriving European Social Dialogue, we will conclude together with European trade unions and employers a new Pact for Social Dialogue. At the same time, we will continue to consult social partners on all issues that are of relevance to them. This Commission is also committed to further strengthening youth participation and ensuring that youth perspectives are integrated into policymaking. Through a series of Youth Policy Dialogues, alongside other initiatives, insights from young people will feed into the shaping of EU policies.
To make the most of Europe’s cultural and creative industries – which are amongst the most dynamic and competitive sectors in our economy – we will develop a framework to harness the multiple dimensions of our culture and cultural heritage.
In a transforming world, we must ensure that all workers have the education and training they need. The Union of Skills will tackle skills and labour gaps, ensuring that our businesses have access to the skilled workforce necessary to propel their productivity and competitiveness. It will also ensure that our education and training systems have the right tools to prepare Europeans of all generations for a fast-changing future, through high quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning. At the same time, we will work to ensure quality jobs with decent working conditions, high standards for health and safety and collective bargaining.
Consumers play a key role in our social market economy, contributing to sustainable growth and a more competitive single market. Recent groundbreaking legislation such as the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act has had a positive impact on consumer protection. However, we need to continue our work addressing shortcomings, protecting vulnerable consumers and ensuring enforcement. The next Consumer Agenda 2025-2030 will include a new action plan on consumers in the single market ensuring a balanced approach that protects consumers without overburdening companies with red tape.
Europe needs a secure and affordable supply of quality local food, which is produced in a socially and environmentally sustainable way, offers farmers a fair and sufficient income, ensures the long-term competitiveness of European farming and respects and protects our natural environment.
Building on the outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, a Vision for Agriculture and Food will ensure a stable framework for farmers and outline a roadmap for key strategic proposals. The vision will also provide a long-term perspective for business operators, including farmers, fishers, SMEs and other food chain actors.
Oceans and seas play an important role for Europe’s prosperity, sustainability and security, including in their unique ability to regulate the climate as the planet’s largest carbon sink. Action to preserve our oceans is vital, both today and for future generations. The Ocean Pact will create a single reference framework for all ocean-related policies and set a comprehensive approach to the ocean in all its dimensions.
Sustainable water management is one of the biggest challenges we face in relation to the impact of climate change. Floods and droughts are becoming the norm, as shown by the tragic events that have affected Europe in recent years. On water resilience, we will take a source-to-sea approach and consider the widely different challenges in our regions and in sectors to ensure that sources of water are properly managed, scarcity and pollution are addressed, and to increase the competitiveness of our water industry.
Democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights are the foundations on which the European Union is based. Yet, they cannot be taken for granted in today’s fragmented and polarised world. It is our shared responsibility to continuously defend, protect and nurture our core values. This is why the Commission will deepen and intensify its work to face the challenges to our democratic system, upholding the rule of law in all Member States and building an inclusive society allowing everyone to reach their full potential. In this respect, the Commission will continue its engagement with Member States on the rule of law and further develop the annual rule of law monitoring report to include single market aspects.
Democracies in the European Union and around the world are under attack from rising extremism, threats against journalists, election interference, the spread of information manipulation and various forms of hybrid threats. This is further exacerbated by digitalisation allowing for misinformation to be spread with unprecedented speed. The Democracy Shield will seek to tackle the evolving nature of threats to our democracy and electoral processes. Civil society organisations play an important role in protecting our democratic systems and institutions and this Commission will step up its engagement to support, protect and empower civil society.
Europe has made historic progress on gender equality, from pay transparency and gender balance on company boards to work-life balance, and adequate minimum wages. But more needs to be done. A Roadmap for Women’s Rights ahead of International Women’s Day 2025 will set out, in rights and principles, our continued commitment.
Discrimination based on gender, disability, sexual orientation or race has no place in our society, but for many people in Europe it is a daily reality. We will mainstream equality across policies, and present new strategies on LGBTIQ and anti-racism.
In a global context, where the rules-based international order is increasingly under pressure, the EU needs to be more assertive in pursuing its strategic interests. This includes defending our trade and economic openness, which is crucial for European prosperity, as well as providing a comprehensive EU offer in the digital environment. Our foremost priority will be to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes and to work for its freedom in the face of Russia’s war of aggression. This will notably happen by staying the course towards a stable and secure future for Ukraine as part of an enlarged Union.
The future of the Middle East and North Africa region is currently being rewritten. The EU must contribute to this process, and remains committed to a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution. We will continue our work to this effect. The EU must also reinforce its cooperation with Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and in the Red Sea, and build on the progress already achieved through the EU-Gulf Strategic Partnership. We must build a new partnership with Syria and revisit the strategy on Iran.
The Pact for the Mediterranean will aim to boost the cooperation in the region and foster mutually beneficial partnerships for both shores of the Mediterranean. In doing so, it will be people-centred and focus on sustainable investment, economic stability, job creation, energy, sustainable resource management, connectivity, security and migration and mobility, based on shared interests and common values.
In a similar fashion, a new strategic approach to the Black Sea region is needed to enhance stability and resilience.
As a key partner in Asia, we will work with India towards a new Strategic EU-India agenda. Following the College’s visit to India at the beginning of its mandate, this new agenda will provide a comprehensive approach to pinpoint areas of common strategic interest and the initiatives that will help to secure those interests, in line with joint priorities.
By bringing Global Gateway from start-up to scale-up through mobilising private finance for sustainable investment in partner countries, we aim to boost our strategic investment capacity in partner countries, in particular by identifying specific policy measures that can be deployed at EU level to address the barriers to sustainable finance in low- and middle-income countries. In addition, we will assess in the broader political context how best to tackle fragility of countries and contexts, within the current budgetary availabilities through aligning policies and mobilising all relevant existing instruments.
Over the last five years the Union has embarked on an ambitious transformation while overcoming generational crises ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the ensuing economic impacts. The EU has enacted groundbreaking legislation to progress in the twin transitions and boost our resilience. It is now essential to prioritise implementation and ensure that the Union is fit for the future, both financially and institutionally, built on a strengthened relationship with the EU institutions.
The Commission will present a new EU Long Term Budget (Multiannual Financial Framework). It will be better aligned with EU priorities and objectives, targeted to where EU action is most needed in a flexible way. It will be simpler in the way it works and more impactful and will make better use of our budget to leverage further national, private and institutional financing.
Some 21 years after the largest wave of enlargement and with the vision of enhancing our Union through a merit-based accession process, we must ensure we are ready for a larger Union. Thanks to the lessons learned from previous enlargements, the EU is now better prepared to ensure that it is a catalyst for progress; that the EU deepens as it widens. The pre-enlargement policy reviews will further assess the consequences and impacts of enlargement on all EU policies, identify policy gaps, specify measures to turn challenges into opportunities and explore options to improve EU governance and capacity to act rapidly, guaranteeing that our policies can continue delivering effectively in a larger Union.
This Commission will strengthen its relationship with the Parliament and the Council, ensuring transparency, accountability and improved communication and information flows. All Commissioners will be present in the European Parliament, will engage with Member States and will participate in the relevant Council formations. Working together with the Parliament, we will swiftly revise our Framework Agreement, while enhancing cooperation on Resolutions adopted by the Parliament calling for legislative proposals based on Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and will duly justify the use of Article 122 of that Treaty in exceptional and emergency circumstances.
The Commission carefully examined all proposals that were pending adoption by the European Parliament and the Council at the start of its mandate and made an assessment whether they should be maintained, amended or withdrawn in the light of the policy priorities set for the new mandate and their prospects of being adopted in the near future. While doing so, the Commission carefully considered the views expressed by the European Parliament and the Council.
Following this assessment, the Commission intends to withdraw 37 proposals pending agreement, which are listed in annex IV, including an explanation of the reasons for withdrawal. This allows for the European Parliament and the Council to communicate their views, before the Commission makes a decision on whether to proceed with the intended withdrawals.
The remaining pending proposals are listed in Annex III.
The start of this Commission’s mandate is a time of great global upheaval. But it is also a time of great opportunity, to mould the Europe of tomorrow. This work programme kicks off the planned action to deliver on the ambitious policy objectives and priorities we have set for the mandate. It puts forward key strategies, action plans and legislative initiatives that will form the building blocks for the further work during this term to respond to our ambition to build a strong, secure and prosperous Europe.
The initiatives we will put forward, together with the required determination and unity, will help us tackle the challenges we face. Our Union has repeatedly shown what it can achieve when it acts together. This Commission will work closely with EU institutions, national and regional governments, the private sector, social partners, citizens and civil society. By joining forces, we will reinforce our Union and ensure that it acts where it has added value and delivers on the aspirations of European citizens, businesses and stakeholders.