In the Declaration from the EU-Western Balkans Summit held on 6 October 2021 in Brdo, Slovenia, leaders from the EU and the Western Balkans launched a dedicated Agenda for the Western Balkans on Innovation, Research, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport - a comprehensive, long-term cooperation strategy that aims to "promote scientific excellence as well as reform of the region’s education systems, create further opportunities for the youth, and help prevent brain drain". ...
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Youth Policy in the Western Balkans, as part of the Innovation Agenda for the Western Balkans
Semiconductors are at the heart of strong geopolitical interests, giving countries the conditions to be able to act (militarily, economically and industrially) and to foster digital and ecological transitions. They are essential for strategic and industrial autonomy.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Chips Joint Undertaking
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
In 2021, the Belarusian regime led by Alyaksandr Lukashenka actively attracted migrants from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other countries, encouraging and even forcing them to cross the UE borders. This resulted in a particular pressure on Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, and was done in retaliation against the sanctions adopted by the EU in response to the regime rigging the national elections in 2020 and violently repressing civil society in 2021.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Instrumentalisation of migrants
The current F-gas Regulation 517/2014 intends to reduce the EU’s F-gas emissions by two-thirds by 2030 compared with 2014 levels. At EU level, F-gases currently account for 2.5 % of total greenhouse gas emissions. In line with the Climate Law, the new F-gas proposal will contribute to reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and making Europe climate-neutral by 2050.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Revision of the F-gas regulation
This initiative wants to call on the European Commission to provide more integrated strategies for specific economic sectors, coordinating the various policies fields to an ongoing transition of our European economy. To this end, we have chosen the furniture sector to exemplify challenges and opportunities regarding the sector's recovery and green transition to a sustainable and circular economy (bio-economy), its technological transformation, mainly driven by the digitalisation of industrial processes, and the sector's overall target of managing the climate change.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: The European furniture industry – Its recovery towards an innovative, green and circular economy
The EESC welcomes the Data Act Regulation and highlights the need to implement it without any discrimination against people who have difficulty accessing the internet or data. The EESC considers it important to guarantee respect of safety and ethical standards, multiple and sufficient conditions for data functionality, cybersecurity procedures and the proper storage of data on EU territory, on the assumption that individuals should be in control of the data they generate in accordance with the objectives of strategic autonomy and technological independence.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: Data act
The EESC considers that engaging in dialogue with civil society and social partners constitutes an effective way for policy-makers to understand the varying needs of people belonging to different social groups. There can be no room for repression of social dialogue and civil society dialogue in the EU. Consultation processes should also be easy to find and to access. The EESC points at thepotential for civil society to assist policy-makers in essential tasks such as monitoring, but that this should be accompanied with funding and technical support to enable CSOs to build capacity.
Download — Stellungnahme des Ausschusses: The role of Civil Society Organisations as guardians of the common good in the post-pandemic recovery and reconstruction of EU societies and economies
