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In an opinion adopted at its plenary session of 5 March 2019, ESC endorsed the European Commission's initiative for a new directive to help parents and carers balance professional and private life. The EC initiative for a new European directive on work-life balance of parents and carers aims to formulate new measures and policies to solve problems arising from unequal women's participation in the labour market, as well as its consequences, such as lower pensions for women, higher risk of poverty, lack of work-life balance.

As part of its Civil Society for rEUnaissance conference on 21 February, the EESC organised seven parallel thematic workshops, focusing on 7 issues which will be decisive for the future of Europe. The panels, which gathered together some 230 people, saw EESC members and other participants discuss how to mobilise civil society in the run-up to the European elections. What Europe do we want to see emerge from the elections was the basic question running through the discussions. The workshops focused on the following issues: Why favourable conditions for European business are good for all citizens (Table 1) How to strengthen EU as a global economic player (Table 2) Overcoming inequalities: investing in a more sustainable Europe (Table 3) A European Union Agenda on the future of work (Table 4) European values and fundamental rights: a key for the European Union of tomorrow (Table 5) Turning the next generation into European citizens through civic education (Table 6) Peace and culture : tools for strengthening the European project (Table 7) The questions sparked lively discussions among the many participating civil society organisations, which provided a wealth of input. Overall, there was consensus that Europe needed to make a qualitative leap in communication to better bring home to ordinary citizens the real benefits the EU has meant for them and showcase its success stories. At the same time, it also needed to take a critical look at some of its policies against a background of increasing poverty and inequalities, international competition and fear for the impact of massive digitalisation. A new, more sustainable economic model taking sustainable development goals as its compass was called for. The need to develop a European cultural identity through education, to encourage Europeans to take ownership of their multiple identities and realise that they could be proud to be Europeans without betraying their local roots was prominent in discussions. The key role of European values in shaping identity and the need to hold on to these values now coming under threat was also a recurrent theme.

The Economic and Social Council (ESC) adopted a resolution on the promotion and use of small and medium-sized enterprises in the growth markets. The ESC Resolution addresses the Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 and (EU) 2017/1129 as regards the promotion of the use of SME growth markets COM/2018/331 final - 2018/0165 (COD).

"What Europe Do We Want?" was the topic of a public discussion organized by the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria (ESC) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Participants in the discussion with concern and expertise raised a number of challenges that organized civil society in Bulgaria recognized as fundamental and decisive for the future development of the EU.