Are you ready for our annual YEYS! event, where students from all over Europe have their say on their active citizenship in a participatory democracy?If yes, join us!
Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS!) will run its 14th edition this year, returning to in-person format after three years. It is called "Youth Democracy Dialogues", and will take place between 23 and 24 March 2023.
On the occasion of the European Parliament (EP) Gender Equality Week, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) debated the way to improve women's participation in the labour market with EP Vice-President Evelyn Regner.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Commission unveiled an updated Protocol on Cooperation. The document further consolidates and intensifies the political and legislative cooperation between the two organisations, as well as their joint efforts to communicate about Europe.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) debated its strategic vision on energy, highlighting the actions needed to reform the EU's energy market. It also stressed the need to guarantee security of supply and affordable prices for both consumers and industry.
European organised civil society and citizens have shown unprecedented solidarity with Ukrainian refugees, throwing open their homes, helping these refugees enter the labour market and quickly integrating Ukrainian children into European schools. The EU should now learn from this success story to help all refugees and migrants, the 2022 Forum said.
On 17 October the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference on the geopolitics of energy strategies in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Jointly organised with the Italian National Council for Economics and Labour (CNEL) in Rome, the conference underlined the potential of the EU's Southern Neighbourhood countries as producers of green hydrogen, especially now in light of the war in Ukraine. The area can become a key player in the energy sector to the benefit of all involved stakeholders.
On 7 October, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference on homelessness and ways of eradicating it by 2030 through the principle of 'housing first' and a plethora of different support measures for people without permanent homes. Jointly organised with the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), the conference brought together European institutions, civil society representatives and experts, as well as people who had directly experienced homelessness.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference on the prospects for the European economy in times of crisis. The event gathered high-level policy-makers, civil society representatives and economic researchers to see how the EU can tackle new dilemmas posed by low-growth prospects and record-high levels of inflation. All agreed that the war in Ukraine has only aggravated trends that have been going on for years. The main takeaways of the event were that fiscal policies need to be revised, that supporting productive investment amidst difficulties is key, and that vulnerable businesses and households need more public support.
On 26 September, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference on the latest European Commission's Rule of Law Report. The event brought together civil society representatives and EU institutions to discuss key developments in the field of the rule of law in Europe and ways to ensure that the recommendations made in the EC's Report result in tangible improvements in Member States. It was also the opportunity to present the report synthetising the outcomes of the country visits carried out by the Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group in 2020-2021.
