European Economic and Social Committee
This public hearing will discuss the current state of multilateral trade negotiations on agriculture. After the Nairobi agreement of export competition, some progress could be made on the areas of market access (tariffs and quotas) and, to some extent, on domestic support.
On 17th May 2016, a delegation of EESC Members of the "Transport, energy, infrastructures and information society" section went on mission to the Aegean islands (EL), with the objective to learn about the islands' production of energy.
The UN CRPD and its Optional Protocol were adopted by the EU in 2010. They are the first international human rights convention ever to be signed and ratified by the EU.The EU has to periodically submit to the UN CPRD Committee a report detailing the measures taken to implement the convention. The first report was submitted in 2014, and in 2015 the UN Committee responded with a series of recommendations (“concluding observations” - COs) on how the EU can, within its remit, promote and safeguard the rights of people with disabilities in Europe.
The EESC is currently drafting an own-initiative opinion focussing on the implications of the CO's for future EU disability policy. The objective of the hearing is to offer a forum for debate and gather contributions from relevant stakeholders.
The conclusions of the hearing will feed directly into the work of the drafting group which will hold its second meeting in the afternoon of the same day.
The outcome of COP21 clearly recognised the efforts of all non-party stakeholders, including civil society to address and respond to climate change. The EESC has advocated for civil society and citizens at global, national and subnational levels to be fully involved in the development, review and, above all, implementation of the COP21 Agreement. This opinion will be an opportunity to address the issue of climate governance in the context of implementation of the Paris Agreement and to identify the mechanisms and measures for civil society to be involved.
The first and inaugural meeting of the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform (CSP) was held on 10 May 2016 at the EESC. The CSP complements the political bodies existing within the framework of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, and it allows civil society organisations from both sides to monitor the implementation process and prepare recommendations to the relevant authorities both in the Republic of Moldova as well as in the European Union.
The CSP is made up of nine members from both Parties, representing the EESC and large European civil society networks, on the one side, and civil society organisations from Moldova, on the other side.
The first and inaugural meeting of the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform (CSP) will be held on 10 May 2016 at the EESC. The CSP complements the political bodies existing within the framework of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, and it allows civil society organisations from both sides to monitor the implementation process and prepare recommendations to the relevant authorities both in the Republic of Moldova as well as in the European Union.
The CSP is made up of nine members from both Parties, representing the EESC and large European civil society networks, on the one side, and civil society organisations from Moldova, on the other side.
On 4th May 2016, a delegation of EESC Members of the "Transport, energy, infrastructures and information society" section is on mission to the island of Samsø (Denmark), with the objective to evaluate the islands' smart projects developed in the area of energy autonomy.
On 29 April 2016, the EESC's TEN Section project delegation conducted a study visit in La Rochelle to discover some of the inspirational smart city initiatives that have been implemented so far.
The delegation had the opportunity to make a technical visit to find out, inter alia, about the Atlantech project.
516th Plenary Session, with a debate on the Energy Union initiative on 28 April at 10.30 a.m., with Maroš Šefčovič, vice-president of the European Commission, responsible for the Energy Union
The organisation and provision of long-term care (LTC) is a challenge many Member States are facing. The sector is low paid, highly feminised and employs often undocumented migrant workers. It suffers from workforce imbalances and skills shortages. Situations of undeclared work and poor working conditions affect mainly "live-in" care workers. Proactive measures to encourage the creation of quality, well-paid jobs in the sector with decent working conditions are needed to ensure an adequate labour supply for the LTC sector. The public hearing - which will contribute to the opinion on the subject - will elaborate on the human and social rights of "live-in" care workers in the context of labour supply and mobility issues. It will explore these issues in the interplay of labour and migration policies.
