Every year, the Commission adopts its annual work programme setting out the list of the most important actions it will take in the year ahead. The work programme informs the public and the other institutions of its political commitments to present new initiatives, withdraw pending proposals and review existing EU legislation.
The 2023 Commission work programme for next year has been formally adopted by the EU executive and presented during the European Parliament plenary session on 18th October 2022. The program of the last full year of its mandate includes 51 flagship initiatives grouped under 43 policy objectives or packages., most of which directly or indirectly follow-up on a proposal of the Conference on the Future of Europe, as well as regulatory simplification initiatives (REFIT), and past initiatives to be withdrawn spreading across six headline ambitions:
1 - The European Green Deal;
2 - A Europe fit for the Digital Age;
3 - An economy that works for people;
4 - A stronger Europe in the world;
5 - Promoting our European way of life;
6 - A new push for European democracy.
The Communication includes, amongst others, the revision of food and waste and textiles aspects of the EU waste framework Directive (legislative proposal) to be presented in the second quarter of 2023, along with the initiative on protecting, sustainably managing and restoring EU soils (legislative proposal) to be proposed in the second quarter of 2023 as well, both of them falling under the first priority of the CWP. The Legislative framework for sustainable food systems is also listed for the third quarter of next year. Additionally, under priority (2) , European critical raw materials act (legislative and non-legislative proposal) is expected to be presented in the first quarter of 2023.
The policy work listed in the Communication reflects the challenging situation that the EU is currently facing. There is the need for a collective effort and an acceleration in the transformation towards a more sustainable and resilient Europe, departing from the business-as-usual approach when tackling the numerous crises and fostering investments and reforms through NextGenerationEU and REPowerEU plans.
The presentation of the programme by Vice-President Šefčovič at the European Parliament Plenary can be found here.
The complete work program can be assessed here.