18/05/2022 19/05/2022
- The EESC discusses the priorities of the Czech EU presidency and the right energy mix for Europe's future
- EESC calls for consistent and tough sanctions on employers of illegally staying migrants
- Antisemitism is a test of the European idea
- EESC's Consultative Commission on Industrial Change to celebrate its 20th anniversary
17/05/2022
Responding to the state-sponsored instrumentalisation of migrants at the EU's external borders, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference on this topic, highlighting the momentum of the Europeanisation of migration policy. So far, authoritarian leaders have instrumentalised humanitarian suffering to blackmail Europe, as they are aware of the gap on migration policy on the continent. Nowadays, the geopolitical atmosphere calls for a common, holistic and cohesive migration policy that cannot be further delayed.
16/05/2022
One year on, 7 plenaries and 12 Citizens' Panels later, we can draw a line and state that a positive step has been taken for participatory democracy. The Conference on the Future of Europe has empowered ordinary Europeans, along with policy-makers, to deliver 300 practical recommendations aimed at shaping our future for the better. ...
06/05/2022
This month, we celebrate Europe Day to mark the anniversary of the historic Schuman declaration of 9 May 1950, widely regarded as the first real step towards European integration.
06/05/2022
At a hearing organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), experts agreed that digital system data must be subject to democratic control to respect confidentiality and avoid possible misuse. They highlighted that the digital transformation, especially in view of the EU's population ageing, must be inclusive and allow access to basic services for everybody.
05/05/2022
The EESC president
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The members of the European Economic and Social Committee condemn the unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Government and express their solidarity with the Ukrainian people, calling for firm actions at both EU and national level in a spirit of unity at this dramatic time.
Ten years ago, the first Regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entered into application, launching a new era in the history of citizens’ participation. The 2022 edition of ECI Day will mark a special anniversary of this unique cross-border instrument.
Upcoming events
20/05/2022
23/05/2022 24/05/2022
Opinions in the spotlight
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CCMI/186-EESC-2021European Union statistics clearly show the enormous amounts of packaging materials currently used for the safety, hygiene, transportation, conservation, presentation and application of all kinds of goods – be they for industrial purposes, construction work, communication systems or individual consumption. Most of them are of carbonic or metallic origin, which are limited resources. A largely predominant part of the waste of these packaging materials can, and mostly do, have a negative environmental impact and may seriously endanger human health as well as animal and plant well-being.
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ECO/579-EESC-2022The Communication on 8th Report presents the main changes in territorial disparities over the past decade and how policies have affected these disparities. It highlights the potential of the green and digital transitions as new drivers of EU growth, but argues that without appropriate policy action new economic, social and territorial disparities may appear.
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ECO/561-EESC-2021-03929Reference:
NAT/846-EESC-2021Reference:
SOC/696-EESC-2021The EESC considers that engaging in dialogue with civil society and social partners constitutes an effective way for policy-makers to understand the varying needs of people belonging to different social groups. There can be no room for repression of social dialogue and civil society dialogue in the EU. Consultation processes should also be easy to find and to access.
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REX/547-EESC-2022COVID-19 has shown how interconnected the world is. As part of global recovery, the EU wants to redesign how we connect the world to build forward better. The European model is about investing in both hard and soft infrastructure, in sustainable investments in digital, climate and energy, transport, health, education and research, as well as in an enabling environment guaranteeing a level-playing field.
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SOC/710-EESC-2022The EESC highly appreciates the first activation of the Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The current activation of the Directive could well be used to develop solidarity mechanisms among the Member States. It strongly supports an urgent need for effective, genuine, humane – and humanitarian – common European regulations on migration, asylum and security cooperation in an open, but equally secure Schengen area, in full accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
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SOC/712-EESC-2022Through this Opinion, the EESC supports the proposal by the European Commission to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech. It considers that the criteria set out in Article 83(1) of the TFEU for such an extension (significant developments in the area, a cross-border dimension, the need to act on a common basis) are met.
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TEN/766-EESC-2021Reference:
TEN/778-EESC-2022
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