Ad hoc groups & Sub-committees - Related Opinions

The biggest challenge now facing Europe's economy is how to sustain the recovery that is now underway. This is the main message of the 2014 Annual Growth Survey (AGS). Its adoption kicks off the fourth European Semester of economic policy coordination in an environment where growth is beginning to return and Member States are making progress on correcting the imbalances that developed before the crisis.

The 2013 Annual Growth Survey (AGS), which launches the European semester, sets out what the Commission believes should be the overall budgetary, economic and social priorities for the this year. Given the importance of the involvement of the organised civil society and the social partners in setting priorities for action at the national and EU level, the EESC issues its opinion as a contribution to the debates ahead of the Spring European Council.

"The opinion is therefore based on the realisation that the handicap beleaguering Europe now is not so much delays in building its internal market as the need to establish a strong economic, industrial and technological identity in the context of globalisation. The EESC believes that discussion therefore needs to consider all the costs of non-Europe resulting from the failure to complete European integration.

The approach advocated in the opinion seeks to reduce costs, optimise expenditure, maximise opportunities and provide an appropriate response for meeting current challenges and finding a positive way out of the crisis which will benefit everyone.
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The EESC opinion focuses on several issues in relation with the Europe 2020 Strategy: the reinforcement of governance, the improvement of communication and of its concrete implementation by the Member States. Issued in a particularly difficult context, when the Union is experiencing the worst economic, social and political crisis in its history, the opinion stresses the need to move from emergency measures to long term growth reforms. It considers that the overarching Europe 2020 Strategy is more important than ever since it offers a comprehensive agenda for reforms aiming to secure sustainable growth and making the Union more resilient in future. The EESC also reiterates that organised civil society and social partners' participation in the carrying out of reforms is determinant for their success and can encourage national administrations and the EU in delivering concrete results.