The European Commission, as the initiator of EU legislation, published the 2011 annual work programme on Wednesday 27th October, 2010. The priorities for 2011 can be grouped under five main headings:

• Sustaining Europe's Social Market Economy out of the crisis and beyond (including a legislative framework for bank crisis management, proposals to reinforce the protection of consumers of financial services and a regulation on credit rating agencies – to complete the reforms of the financial sectors);
• Restoring Growth for Jobs (including new economic governance mechanisms, proposals to support the competitiveness of EU enterprises, especially SMEs, a European Energy Efficiency Plan, a Social Business initiative, legislative initiative on working time, proposals for company taxation and VAT);
• Pursuing the Citizens' Agenda: Rights, Freedom and Justice (including strengthening of consumer rights, a Common Framework Reference for contract law, renewed Civil Protection Legislation);
• Europe Pulling its Weight on the Global Stage (including supporting the new European External Action Service and continuing to improve EU's development assistance to target those most in need);
• From Input to Impact: Making the Most of EU Policies (including a proposal for the next Multi-annual Financial Framework).

The EC work programme sets out various legislative and non-legislative initiatives, a number of which will have an impact on the future work of environmental professionals, that ENEP should take account of from an early stage. The work programme has been published in the wake of the EU 2020 strategy being agreed with its five headline targets, a digital Europe strategy, the fifth report on economic and social cohesion and the Single Market Act. The work programme includes a number of high profile actions in 2011 including a road map to resource efficiency, low carbon roadmap, follow up on biodiversity and climate change as well as well as changes to the water framework directive and an initiative to evaluate and improve effective implementation of environmental legislation. 2011 will launch the legislative process for the 2014-2020 Multi Annual Financing Framework (MFF) as a strategic initiative. The proposals will follow the Budget review paper issued by the European Commission in October 2010.

This briefing highlights a selection of the key strategic, other initiatives and post 2012 priorities for the European Commission that ENEP will no doubt be keen on engaging with during 2011.

An overview of 40 strategic initiatives is given in the full article.