External Relations - Other continents | European Economic and Social Committee

External Relations - Other continents

The External relations – other continents theme covers issues relating to Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP countries), Asia, and Latin America.

ACP countries
Thanks to a long-standing commitment to ACP-EU relations, and a mandate given by the Cotonou Agreement, the EESC regularly meets the economic and social actors in ACP countries in order to submit joint recommendations to the political authorities on issues such as the EU-Africa Strategy, the EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements or the development cooperation.

Asia
In Asia, the European Economic and Social Committee maintains structured relations with India and China, by operating a civil society round tablewith India (since 2001) and China (since 2007). It has recently started to develop closer relations with organised civil society in Japan and has adopted opinions on the EU-Japan relationship and on the ASEAN region.

Latin America
The EESC maintains relations with the continent as well as individual countries and regions (Mercosur, Andean Community, Central America, Mexico, Brazil, Chilean civil society). It set up an EU-Brazil Civil Society Round Table in 2009. It works together with its Latin American civil society counterparts on issues such as social cohesion, regional integration and the Association Agreements being currently negotiated by the EU with several Latin American regions and countries.

All those issues are dealt within the Section for External Relations (REX).

RSS Feed

25 stories told by 25 active citizens
- 11 Feb 2013
  A commitment to make life better
  
  “In Germany we have lots of experience of the breakdown of the German Democratic Republic, and all the trouble that it brought. I tried to apply that experience to the process of enlargement, together with colleagues from the newer Member States.”
  He argues that promoting European unity and solidarity is particularly relevant to German citizens. “Germany caused a lot of problems and suffering in the rest of Europe during World War II,” he explains. “That is not forgotten. We still have an open commitment to fulﬁl.”
Blog - EESC go to Durban
- 9 Dec 2011
  Good-bye Durban (being optimistic)
  
  The Durban-negotiations may end up with concrete measures to fight climate change, or maybe Roadmaps for individual countries, or with improvements of the Climate Fund - or with just diplomatic talk and no concrete results. The final results will only be known when we are on the plane, going back.
Blogging from Doha
- 10 Dec 2012
  Thoughts after Doha 2012
  
  In this post, Ms Slavova gives us two perspectives of the outcome of the Climate Change Conference: the disappointment of environmental advocates, but also the significant steps achieved in Doha.
Staffan Nilsson's Comment (former EESC President 2010-2013)
- 12 Apr 2013
  Citizens' initiative- have you signed up to it?
  
  For the past year Europeans have been able to exercise a new EU right: the right to propose legislation on matters where the EU has competence to legislate, on condition that the initiative is backed by at least one million citizens from seven EU Member States. The challenges and the struggles which initiators face (the online signature collection system, data protection, language barriers and different national verification requirements) are symptomatic of the state of European integration. Some may disagree, but I think more integration makes for a more democratic EU. The further the EU moves towards integration, the easier it will be to get such transnational initiatives off the ground. The European citizens' initiative (ECI) is an ideal adjunct to – and indeed a consolidation of – the EU's system of representative governance. So have you signed up to any yet? Take a look at the list of all citizens' initiatives registered here.
The President's blog
- 13 Jun 2013
  Never use the expression "lost generation" in my presence!
  
  Never use the expression "lost generation" in my presence, when speaking about the young Europeans of today! It is up to us, the representatives of European and national institutions, to make visible all that Europe has achieved and what it can afford today.