Opening Speech at the 2nd day by EESC Secretary General Luis Planas Puchades

This year's topic was inspired by the current European Year for Development. Yesterday in his opening speech President Dassis referred to the importance of this topic for Europe and globally and also for the European Economic and Social Committee, who launched the very idea of a European Year for Development.

Yesterday we discussed the communication campaign of the European Year for Development 2015 and also looked at the role of civil society and media in development communication.

Sustainability is another important issue for Europeans and therefore also for the European Economic and Social Committee. In addition to addressing this issue in various opinions – from "planned obsolescence" to "Civil Society involvement in the implementation of the Post-2015 agenda", the EESC is dealing with several aspects of the sustainability chapter.

I would like to take this opportunity to call on all of us – especially today at the eve of COP21 - to take responsibility for the goals our heads of State and governments have agreed on.

Recent conferences at the EESC – on the Sustainability Goals, on COP21, but also on TTIP showed that civil society wants sustainability to be mainstreamed into all our policies.

Civil Society is ready for a change. And in many regions of Europe it is not only talking about sustainability, but already implementing concrete initiatives and projects.

Still – we have to do more. And today's panel will be another opportunity to help spread the idea.

Read the full speech by clicking on the related document below.