European Economic and Social Committee
The conference was originally planned for 12 March 2020 and postponed several times as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organisers are currently trying to reschedule the event. (Read more...)
The European Commission (EC) has pledged to make the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) the compass of Europe’s recovery and the EU's best tool to ensure Europe’s future is socially just and no one is left behind.
Europe Day on 9 May commemorates the date of the Schuman Declaration, which was the starting point for today’s European Union. It is a chance to reflect on what solidarity has built and what we hope to achieve in the future.
It is also a chance to make EU citizens feel even more strongly that they are part of something bigger, as expressed in the Europe Day interinstitutional theme of "togetherness".
The Commission proposed in March 2021 new pay transparency measures, such as pay information for job seekers, a right to know the pay levels for workers doing the same work, as well as gender pay gap reporting obligations for big companies. The proposal aims to strengthen the tools for workers to claim their rights and facilitate access to justice. Employers will not be allowed to ask job seekers for their pay history and they will have to provide pay related anonymised data upon employee request. Employees will also have the right to compensation for discrimination in pay.
The pandemic transformation is causing a significant shift in the global balance of power. The EU must act as soon as possible to boost Europe's economic resilience in the COVID-19 context and build its open strategic autonomy. This includes, among other elements, strengthening the international role of the euro, increasing the resilience of European financial market infrastructures, and improving the enforcement of EU sanctions.
The new Roma framework presents seven areas of focus for the next 10 years: fighting antigypsyism and discrimination; reducing poverty and social exclusion; promoting Roma participation; access to quality education; access to quality and sustainable employment; improving Roma health and equal access to housing. It provides targets to be attained by 2030 and recommendations for their attainment.
The hearing aims to look at the proposals and plans outlined in the new Roma framework in more detail. It will also include a discussion with civil society organisations, giving them the opportunity to voice their views and expectations thereon.
To improve the implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights it is necessary to empower civil society organisations, rights defenders and justice practitioners, and strengthen people’s awareness of their rights under the Charter. CSOs and social partners are operating at grassroots levels and can help spread awareness and foster implementation. Moreover, the social partners have a special role in contributing to the implementation and defence of socio-economic fundamental rights.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will hold a major online conference on Energy poverty at the crossroads of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal on 20 April 2021 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Thematic Study Group on Services of General Interest of the TEN Section co-organises with the Project Consortium Co-creation of Service Innovation in Europe (CoSIE) a Webinar on Co-creation of Services of General Interest: the Role of Citizens and their Organizations on 15 April at 2.30 p.m.
In order to prepare its opinion on the Commission's proposal "Europe's Beating Cancer Plan", the EESC is organising a public hearing on 13 April 2021 am.
The aim of the event is to gather input from other EU Institutions, civil society and health professionals. We will debate the following questions:
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current proposal?
What kind of activities do different actors carry out with respect to beating cancer, and are there any best practices to be shared?
