Det Europæiske Økonomiske og Sociale Udvalg
At the October plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) pointed to the importance of clearly identifying responsibilities in the NRRPs' implementation and to the need for a new emergency economic policy mix, which includes sufficient government spending.
The EU budgetary rules applicable in the Member States must be modified to make sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery possible. Pragmatic solutions need to be found. The focus must be on strengthening public investments for the green and digital transitions.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is contributing to the ongoing public debate with an event on the debt-equity bias; it assesses core elements such as the effects of this bias, its economic and social costs and ways of reducing it.
The recent leak of the Pandora Papers has brought the issue of fighting money laundering back to the fore. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discussed this issue at a recent conference, in which the participants assessed the European Commission's new legislative package establishing a new ad hoc EU anti-money-laundering authority.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) fully supports the Commission's recent measures aimed at setting standards for the definition of "sustainable economic activities", but points out that some elements may prove a complex and costly challenge, particularly for SMEs, and questions whether the current version of the Delegated Regulation is fit for purpose.
The hearing organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) highlighted the need for a reform of the EU budgetary rules applicable in the Member States in order to ensure a sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery and to secure the public investments required for the green and digital transition.
A hearing organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discussed opportunities and challenges in the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans in the various Member States, revealing that civil society is still far from being effectively involved in the process. There were calls for improved consultations in the upcoming implementing phase, following the shortcomings at the drafting stage.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) says that effective funding and solid risk management are essential when raising funds on capital markets, highlighting that the Commission has to manage the borrowing strategy directly and recommending an advisory board where civil society organisations are also represented.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for ambitious economic objectives to be set to strengthen the euro. This has become even more important given the pace of change in the global economy and the EU's current position in terms of innovation, competitiveness and fostering an investment-friendly regulatory environment.
The involvement of organised civil society is far from satisfactory in a majority of EU countries, warned the European Economic and Social Committee at the annual conference of its European Semester Group, which took place remotely on 31 May. This event was organised right before the publication of the European Semester Spring Package by the Commission, on the 2 June 2021.
