European Economic and Social Committee

The cooperation we have had in the EU is a success! You may think it is crazy and naïve to say so in times of crisis, turmoil, unemployment and insecurity across Europe. Still I want to say it today, on Europe Day, as we must dare to see things in perspective.

We all worry about the millions of young skilled people in Europe, ready to enter the labour market, looking for a job. And they often begin their working life, if at all, in precarious, low-paid part-time employment.
From the beginning of my term of office, I have consistently said: yes, Europe is affected by a very serious financial, budgetary, social and political crisis. And, no, I don't think the "crisis" should become some kind of mantra or a structural statement of fact. I want us to focus our attention on solutions; there are solutions! Even on a bike…

To our normal awareness, a room filled with people is just a crowd. But arrange those people in the right way, with the right processes, and they can generate wisdom. I believe in the collective wisdom of European citizens emerging from the new democratic participatory practice – the European Citizens' Initiative.

With the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) which came into force on 1 April, the EU is exploring uncharted territory. We have article 11.4 provision, regulations set and into force from 1 April, national systems for collective signatures almost ready to go, guides have been published, a series of conferences and seminars having scrutinized all the political facets and mechanics of this unique European participatory democracy tool. I have been closely following the public debate on the ECI so far.

Recently I've been asked a lot of questions about the way we at the EESC respond to the EU's economic and social crisis in general, and specifically how we deal with the EU democratic deficit - something which is increasingly questioned. Yes, the EU is at cross-roads and may need to re-position itself. "We are Europe" could be a national campaign slogan for instance.

Discussions between farmers, agro-industry players, environmental groups and consumers in the twenty-seven Member States are far from easy. Fair enough – debate and bargaining for the common good is at the heart of the European integration process. We need to make sure that a robust budget for the CAP is maintained. Otherwise, is it possible that the market price will pay for all farmers' supply? Unfortunately it is not so. And we need to make sure that there are neither losers nor winners, but fair, balanced and pragmatic redistribution of financial resources among Member States, bearing in mind the agricultural diversity across the EU and that the CAP budget is an investment for the future. It is important that farmers, whether from old or new Member States, should not be hurt.

“What is a sustainable lifestyle? It should give us warm shelter, feed us in a healthy way, and allow for work and social life, without too much transport,” said one speaker at the EESC conference in February to prepare for the Rio+20 summit on global sustainable development. I am firmly convinced that the challenging times we are facing are an opportunity to promote sustainable consumption. Fundamentally transforming the foundations of the economy is the biggest contribution we can make towards building a sustainable future, where the consumer must play an active role.

I'm surprised how easily some leaders in Europe touch on the right to free movement, one of the few tangible benefits of the EU citizens from EU membership and integration. I agree we need to act responsibly within Schengen and to control external borders, however I don't agree with ultimatums of Member States threatening they withdraw from Schengen unless this or that happens, or with transforming Europe into a fortress.

There is no denying that some of the procedures and mechanisms that come from Brussels are technocratic and out of touch with reality. But it does seem that the most important strategy we have come up with to tackle our gravest ever crisis is indeed a good one, and this gives me cause for optimism.

We hosted Nicolai Wammen representing the new Danish Presidency in our plenary session last week, just after Martin Schulz was elected as the new president of the European Parliament. Together they give quite a complementary picture and programme for the EU: we need to keep alive a political vision of a European Union which is democratic, modern and a source of human progress; and we need to nourish it in the short term with a bold, responsible and pragmatic policy programme. We cannot let the crisis take our citizens’ dreams and aspirations away from them. We look ahead and aim to make our children’s lives better than ours in a future Europe, just like our parents wanted, and managed, to do.

The "zero draft" summarising key issues forming the basis of the Rio+20 final agreement is a good starting point for subsequent negotiations. But it still falls far short of the hopes and ambitions of organised civil society in Europe for what could and should be achieved by the Rio process. We look to the Council, the Commission and the Parliament to be equally resolute in pressing the case for a stronger and more purposeful programme to be created at Rio, and to give our European negotiators a powerful mandate to settle for nothing less.