In 2011, the Commission proposed a Directive for an FTT for the whole of the EU but the required unanimous agreement of the Council could not be achieved. The Commission is now proposing to introduce the FTT by way of enhanced cooperation between eleven Member States. The FTT is intended to generate more tax revenue and increase stability in the financial markets.

Railway undertakings need a safety certification to be allowed to use railway infrastructure. Railway vehicles need to obtain an authorisation. The present processes for obtaining safety certifications and authorisation for railway vehicles are long and costly. The Commission intends to reduce the duration and cost of the certification and authorisation processes by less and more coherent national rules, by introducing an EU-wide uniform certification and by giving more powers to the European Railway Agency (ERA).

The Commission wants to stimulate cross-border e-commerce and, for this purpose, is considering regulating the parcel delivery market.

Public service contracts for passenger transport must, in principle, be awarded on the basis of  competitive tendering. Passenger transport by rail is currently excluded from this, so that Contracts can be awarded directly to a specific rail operator. This exemption is to be lifted in order to increase competitive pressure and improve the quality of services on the rail transport market.

The Commission formulates proposals for "modernising" national welfare systems. It calls, in particular, for an increase in "social investment".

The European Commission wants to reduce the amount of plastic waste and the resulting burden on the environment. It is considering promoting the recycling of plastic waste in preference to energy recovery and use of landfill. In addition, it is considering a general ban on using landfill for plastic waste. By way of requirements placed on product design, manufacturers are to be obliged to increase the reparability and re-usability of plastic products.

The European Commission wants to promote the penetration of the market by vehicles using alternative fuels by extending the network of both refuelling points for alternative fuels and electricity recharging points. For this purpose, the refuelling and electricity recharging infrastructure is to be standardised EU-wide and every Member States will be required to have a specific minimum number of electricity recharging points for electric vehicles by 2020.

The Regulation is to ensure complete traceability of transfers of funds in order to facilitate the "prevention, detection and investigation" of money laundering and terrorist financing. The Commission wants the Regulation to implement the recommendations of the Financial Action Transaction Force (FATF) of 2012. The FATF is an international body which develops measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

The four Presidents of the European Council, the Commission, the Eurogroup and the European Central Bank (ECB) have proposed measures to improve the stability of the Euro Zone.

The Commission formulates recommendations to the Member States and outlines some of its own measures intended to promote entrepreneurship in the EU.

The Commission explains how it wants to reform European company law and the legal framework for corporate governance.

In order to increase competition in the rail transport sector the European Commission proposes to open the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail and provide for a more strict separation between infrastructure managers and railway undertakings. For this, infrastructure managers and railway undertakings must be fundamentally legally distinct. Infrastructure managers that are part of a vertically integrated undertaking (VIU), when the proposed amendment comes into force, may, under strict conditions, be exempt from this requirement of institutional separation.

The Commission wants to combat tobacco consumption, particularly among young people, and for this purpose re-harmonise the rules on tobacco products.

The Commission is seeking to prevent banking crises, strengthen financial stability and ensure that taxpayers do not shoulder the burden of future banking crises by establishing a recovery and resolution regime for banks and investment firms. Part 1 of the CEP Policy Brief deals with recovery and resolution plans and with further crisis prevention measures.

The Commission is seeking to prevent banking crises, strengthen financial stability and ensure that taxpayers do not shoulder the burden of future banking crises by establishing a recovery and resolution regime for banks and investment firms.

Public and private projects “likely to have significant effects on the environment” must undergo an environmental impact assessment (EIA) prior to receiving consent. For the first time in over 25 years the Commission wants to revise Directive 2011/92/EU fundamentally in order to eliminate deficiencies and to adapt it to the modified political, legal and technical framework.

In its Communication, the European Commission evaluates EU policy for safeguarding water resources, identifies deficiencies and proposes possibilities for improvement. In particular, it calls for the metering of water consumption and water pricing based on the polluter pays principle. It also proposes that national authorities be obliged to use the best available techniques for industrial emissions permits as well as EU-wide uniform standards of consumption for water-related products.

The Commission wants the Member States to provide all young people between the ages of 15 and 24 with a guarantee that they will receive employment or training within four months of leaving school or losing a job.

The Commission extends the scope of the current directive by including direct selling of insurances. In the future, intermediaries have to disclose to clients the commission or any other remuneration they receive upon selling an insurance. Only those intermediaries abstaining from commissions can call themselves “independent”.

The Commission announces measures to advance the completion of the internal energy market. For instance, it wishes to implement the Third Energy Package also through infringement proceedings. Moreover, it wishes to prevent Member States from applying capacity mechanisms as this would distort competition in the internal energy market.