Ευρωπαϊκή Οικονομική και Κοινωνική Επιτροπή
The adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 represents a turning point in the way the international community has decided to tackle global issues by bringing together economic, environmental and social dimensions in an integrated manner. The economy should be an enabler for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is therefore time to reflect upon a possible transition to a new economic model, which allows both people and planet to thrive and prosper.
The NAT Section will hold a debate on "Circular Economy Strategies and Roadmaps: Cooperation and Inclusion" at its meeting of 23rd May.
The European Economic and Social Committee will in 2019 issue an opinion from the perspectives of organised civil society on the New EU Forest Strategy: for forests and the forest sector
in the light of the Commission's progress report. This public hearing will host representatives of concerned organisations within the EU and outside to share views from anywhere in the spectrum of organised civil society.
The European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee will host the 2019 European Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference on March 6 and 7 in Brussels.
Day 1, to be hosted by the Europan Commission, will explore the action plan as a successful framework for the transition, while discussing policies to capitalise on the current global momentum. It will also widen the discussion to consider the circular economy as an enabler to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Day 2 will be hosted by the EESC and is being prepared jointly with the Coordination Group members of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. This day will feature eight different participatory workshops, whose purpose is to share successes and identify new challenges.
On 28 February 2019, the EESC will hold a public meeting to gather the views of civil society on how the updated Bioeconomy Strategy can be put in to practice.
The aim of the long-term strategy is to confirm Europe's commitment to lead in global climate action and to present a vision that can lead to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through a socially-fair transition in a cost-efficient manner. It underlines the opportunities that this transformation offers to European citizens and its economy, whilst identifying challenges ahead.
On 27 February, the NAT Section will debate the EU Reflection Paper and the way forward with representatives from the EU institutions and civil society stakeholders, with a view of providing input to the preparation of the EESC opinion on this topic.
On 12 February, the Sustainable Development Observatory will hold a debate on the EU Reflection Paper on Sustainable Europe by 2030. It will then look at several national strategies and processes involving civil society actors.
The purpose of this event will be to propose ways to guarantee the appropriate funding needed to achieve the transition to a zero-carbon economy and a sustainable Europe by 2050.
This side event addresses two urgent questions. First, how do non-state and subnational climate actions perform? Second, how can such actions be strengthened in order to implement the Paris Agreement, and achieve higher ambition?
