Other major issues will be discussed throughout 2021. Among them is the digitization of the European economy, one of the two big priorities announced by Ursula von der Leyen when she took office. In this regard, the Union is expected to work on a European identification system to allow everyone to control their online identity and personal data and to open access to cross-border digital services.
The Portuguese presidency of the European Union has already declared its ambition to deepen social Europe by organizing a summit in Porto in May 2021. During this meeting, the Twenty-Seven will be invited to agree on building on the European Pillar of Social Rights and to debate the idea of a European minimum wage.
Finally, 2021 will also be the “European Year of Rail”, a mode of transport compatible with the Union’s carbon emission reduction goals. As part of its Green Deal, the European Commission aims to electrify or use hydrogen in the railway sector.
The European executive is expected to more broadly propose new environmental standards for different means of transport. By June, it should, among other things, revise the CO2 emission standards for cars.
