In the framework of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties, the European Economic and Social Committee held a high-level conference in Rome on 13 March 2017, entitled Sixty years of the European community — Let's shape the future. The EESC decided to focus on the important milestones achieved by the European project and, above all, explored three issues crucial to overcome the current crisis and guarantee a better future for Europe: tackling growing social inequalities, getting back on track for economic growth and providing an effective response, consistent with the principles of the European Union, to the challenge of migration.
As representatives of civil society, we have elaborated a certain number of essential measures for a fresh start and we are committed to focus on the transmission of our ideas and proposals to Europe’s political leaders. In the coming months, the discussions of this conference will provide input to the Committee's work on the White Paper on the future of the EU.