EESC info

Frans Timmermans, first Vice-President of the European Commission, spoke on the rule of law and a sustainable Europe at the EESC's December plenary.

"We need to strive for a new future for Europe – or, as we call it, a rEUnaissance. In order to earn the support of our citizens, it is crucial that we focus on opportunities rather than risks," said EESC president Luca Jahier at the outset of the debate.

In his speech, Mr Timmermans noted that the rule of law was the European Union's very foundation and warned against setbacks. "We can see autocratic tendencies where democracy is turning against the rule of law, and governments use the majority obtained in recent elections to undermine the independence of the judiciary", Mr Timmerman said. He condemned the law that had recently been passed in Hungary without consulting trade unions, whereby workers could be asked to work up to 400 hours overtime a year. He also expressed deep concern over Poland's attempt to forbid its lawyers from seeking guidance from the European Court of Justice in cases of doubt.

Involvement of civil society in the transition to a sustainable Europe

With regard to sustainability, Mr Timmermans thanked the Committee for its significant role in the multi-stakeholder platform, which could be held up as a model for civil society's future involvement, for instance in platforms on the energy transition, plastics, taxation, social protection, inequalities – wherever there was a need to step up dialogue. "We have reached a consensus and achieved success; however, we still have work to do," Mr Timmermans concluded.

Taxation and the social pillar – the main instruments for social sustainability

The next Commission will need to set out a precise programme ensuring that big companies pay their taxes in the places where they make their profits, and it must urge Member States to work on the social pillar.

"We need to include social sustainability", Mr Timmermans emphasised. "Unfortunately, with growing inequality, too many people are following a backward-looking path, but while the past is a good teacher it cannot be the destination for the future," he said, and ended with a quote from Jean Jaurès: "It is by flowing to the sea that a river stays true to its source." (sma)

On 13 December 2018, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an own-initiative opinion on the costs of non-immigration and non-integration. It focuses on the impact of immigration and of migrants' integration on daily life in EU society.

"Let's change the EU narrative on migration by putting forward real arguments," says Pavel Trantina, rapporteur for the opinion. He maintains that myths can best be debunked by using fact-based knowledge.

According to the opinion, a non-immigration scenario in Europe would result in a decline in agricultural production, the collapse of industries, tension in the job markets, an unsustainable pension and healthcare system, depopulation in rural areas and the undermining of social cohesion.

Migration cannot work well if migrants are not properly integrated in the host society. In its opinion, the EESC identifies the following risks and costs in the event of a "migrant non-integration" scenario: non-validation of migrants' qualifications and surge in undeclared work; lack of equality and adequate access to services; spatial segregation that could ultimately culminate in ghettoisation; increase in crime rates; rise of racism, xenophobia and support for extreme ideologies (in both migrant communities and the host society).

The EESC argues that "investment in migrant integration is the best insurance policy against potential future costs, problems and tensions".

"It is necessary to infuse social debate with reasons and data to counteract the fake news and stereotypes about migration", adds José Antonio Moreno Díaz, co-rapporteur for the opinion. "Let’s show EU societies what immigrants are adding now and are expected to add in the near future to our societies. This is a collective and common task where all civil society sectors must be involved."

Against the background of the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Marrakesh, Morocco, the EESC's call on Member States to restore to migration its importance and meaning is becoming even more pertinent. Extremist forces should not be allowed to turn migration into a problem: migration is a resource, and it is up to Member States to use it accordingly. (ddl)

Twelve speakers, including journalists and academics, from 12 EU countries discussed their views on how best to reassert Europe's values at the EESC's 12 Civil Society Media Seminar, held in Athens on 22-23 November.

The EESC president, Luca Jahier, reminded participants of the importance of Europe's values for ordinary people – employers and employees, young and old, unemployed and people with special needs, migrants and other minorities. "What is clear to me is that Europe's values must prevail against illiberalism and any erosive factors, since it is because of our values that we have made Europe a better place". For his presidency, Mr Jahier has chosen the slogan "rEUnaissance", because "we need to place our faith in Europe - there is no better solution than working together for a sustainable and prosperous Europe," he concluded.

The EESC vice-president for communication, Isabel Cano, who hosted the event, referred to Europe's values which are enshrined in the Treaties, stating: "The Union's aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples. But we need to ask ourselves whether we have taken these obligations seriously enough. Are we doing enough for social and European cohesion? Are we doing enough to promote equality, ensure that our young people have real prospects for the future and make people's daily lives easier? Is the solidarity between Member States strong enough? Since most of these questions cannot be answered with a clear yes, we also need to ask ourselves whether we are always aware and mindful of these values in our political deliberations and decisions.

Mr Katrougkalos, Greek Foreign Minister for European Affairs, referred to migrants who had become the modern scapegoats for demagogues looking to distract attention from the real problems facing European society today, namely austerity policies and increasing inequality which make the rich richer and the poor poorer. "The highest tax rate in the 1960s for incomes of EUR 1 million was 60%, whereas now it is 30%. This is a blow to the welfare state's ability to maintain its social structures," said Mr Katrougkalos.

A report on the main findings will be published in the next few weeks and made available on the EESC's website. (sma)

The EU is the crucial player in coordinating and financing national and regional efforts to fight climate change. It supports bottom-up climate action globally but there is much more that can be done in Europe. In an opinion entitled Facilitating access to climate finance for non-state actors, drafted by Cillian Lohan, the EESC identifies the different problems that various groups are facing in getting finance for their climate action projects, and offers possible solutions.

The fight against climate change certainly cannot be won if one hand is providing climate finance, while the other is still promoting climate-damaging activities such as subsidies for fossil-based energy sources. It is crucial to screen all public as well as private investments for climate impact.

As a first step, the EESC is proposing a Climate Finance Forum, bringing together key stakeholders who can identify barriers, work out solutions and point to the most efficient mechanisms for improving the distribution of finance for small scale bottom-up projects.  "We must ensure climate financing is understood as a means of making low carbon solutions affordable and accessible to ordinary citizens," explains Mr Lohan.

"Most importantly, we need to ensure that climate finance is used to give citizens choices and options - so that ordinary people can reap the benefits of a low carbon society, and not be forced to pay the costs of the transition" stresses Mr Lohan. The EESC reiterates its call for at least 40% of EU expenditure to contribute to climate objectives and a phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies. (sma)

At the December plenary session, the Committee adopted several opinions on nuclear energy, put together by the TEN section.

• Throwing our support behind new Euratom research and training programme

The 2021-2025 Euratom research and training programme is hugely important, says the EESC, and the budget allocated in the Commission proposal, EUR 2.4 billion, is proportionate to its objectives and should be maintained regardless of Brexit. Investing in education and training is a central factor in attracting young people to research and technology careers.

"We need to be very careful if the time comes for the UK not to be part of the Euratom programme any longer," said Giulia Barbucci, author of the opinion. "We have to pay attention in particular to research already in progress, shared infrastructure and the social impact on staff. Working conditions are a priority, both on British soil and elsewhere."

• Backing the ITER project for unlimited sustainable energy in Europe

Clean energy is a top priority and fusion technologies could provide a long-term solution. The EESC emphasises the great potential of nuclear fusion for achieving clean energy and believes that the Commission should link the ITER project more closely to the European fusion research organised by the EUROfusion consortium.

The EESC supports the Commission's proposal on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and recognises that the high long-term investments needed to develop a fusion power plant entail industrial risk. Nevertheless, the rapporteur Ulrich Samm pointed out that "if successful, it would bring about such a disruptive innovation that it would significantly change the existing energy supply. Fusion represents an abundant and virtually inexhaustible fuel. ITER would function as an unlimited source of energy in Europe."

• Endorsing the Commission's proposal on dismantling nuclear plants while calling for closer monitoring

The EESC fully supports the Commission's proposal on decommissioning nuclear facilities and managing radioactive waste. However, the Committee recommends adopting a more sustainable approach and closer monitoring of activities in sensitive areas such as the protection of workers from radiation. Involvement of civil society in the monitoring process is central. The social and economic consequences should also be assessed.

The author of the opinion, Rudy De Leeuw, stated that "Closing power plants is not the end of the nuclear energy cycle. The long-term disposal of nuclear waste is a key challenge for the EU. Nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste disposal should be carried out on the basis of a sustainable energy mix approach, in accordance with the Paris Agreement." (mp)

Poor, fragmented and uneven implementation of EU environmental legislation in the Member States is undermining people's trust in its effectiveness. Ensuring that proper implementation must become a priority for the EU and the Member States.

In its report Implementation of EU environmental legislation: air quality, water and waste, prepared for the European Parliament, the EESC provides recommendations for overcoming shortcomings on the ground as well as gaps in legislation that may lead to implementation issues.

The EESC considers that the Commission should not only propose legislation, but also facilitate and support its application, as well as address the reasons for non-compliance with the rules, such as opportunism or lack of political will. "Soft measures alone cannot be the sole strategy for improving environmental compliance," emphasised the rapporteur, Arnaud Schwartz. "Stronger enforcement mechanisms are also necessary".

Furthermore, the EU must systematically ensure that imported products also comply with its social and environmental legislation. "Only if the EU itself keeps high standards and demands the same from its trading partners will it increase and continue to foster the trust of its citizens, be they producers or consumers," Mr Schwartz concluded.

Mr Schwartz will present the report at a meeting of the European Parliament committee on environment, public health and food safety on 22 January 2019. (sma)

The EESC welcomes the Commission's proposal to amend the European System of Financial Supervision with the objective of more effectively tackling money laundering and terrorist financing in the EU banking and financial sector, but calls for more comprehensive measures.

These issues are, in the Committee's view, becoming increasingly dangerous in terms of the stability, safety and reputation of the institutions and the sector as a whole. Additional measures are therefore of the utmost importance.

"The latest series of banking scandals has shown that previous improvements in the legislative framework did not strengthen the regime enough to meet the rapid technological change and financial innovations that provide new tools for perpetrators to exploit the system for criminal ends. We therefore welcome the Commission's agility in response to this issue", said Petr Zahradník, rapporteur for the opinion on the subject.

The proposed step-by-step approach for the implementation of new measures would be preferable, but the Commission proposal does not go far enough and several aspects must be clarified, like the scope of the European Banking Authority's (EBA) mandate. More comprehensive measures would be needed to address the problem effectively.

The EESC also stresses that coordination between supervisory bodies should not only be strengthened and procedures streamlined but operations should also be coordinated with other relevant parties.

Petr Zahradník said: "This problem is increasingly important in relation to third countries. We urge the Commission to present a more detailed outline of the new relationships between the EBA and other EU supervisory authorities, as well as national and, especially, third countries' supervisory authorities."

Lastly, internal and external communication need to be more effective. Improving external communication could have a preventive effect. (jk)

Although industry 4.0 is still a relatively new concept, many experts are already announcing a fifth industrial revolution that will bring about a new paradigm of cooperation and interaction between humans and machines. This is one of the main conclusions of the conference on industry 5.0 organised by the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) of the European Economic and Social Committee on 22 November.

According to Francisco Jaime Quesado, a specialist in innovation and competition, the key word will be "coopetition", a mix of competition and cooperation between humans and robots that will be the hallmark of this new era. In the same vein, Martin Ciupa, chief intelligence officer at Mindmaze, stated that mankind will have to find a new role for itself: "It will be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be negative: robots for robotic jobs, humans for human jobs".

Other speakers also mentioned the social and ethical risks of this new industrial revolution, but the general consensus was that industry 5.0 is a good opportunity, as long as ethical issues are taken into consideration. Ian Cronin, project lead at the World Economic Forum, insisted on the role played by governments in the evaluation of the social impact and stated that "Europe is instrumental in giving industry 5.0 a human touch".

Lucie Studničná, President of the CCMI, closed the conference by calling for a new social contract in order to tackle the risk of increased inequalities: "There will be winners and losers, but we have to make sure that we get everyone on board to reduce the negative impact". (dgf)

Romania is taking up the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2019, when a number of key issues are on the EU agenda: the debate on the Future of Europe, which will culminate in the Sibiu Summit, the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Brexit and – last but by no means least – the 2019 European elections.

In addition, Romanian experts will have to finalise negotiations on dozens of legislative files that are currently being discussed by the European Parliament and the Council, in order to polish off all pending matters before the current mandate comes to an end. This will all have to be done in record time, as Parliament will enter into recess on 18 April.

The motto of the Romanian presidency is ''Cohesion, a common European value''.

The priorities of the Romanian Presidency, which were decided on after a broad public consultation, will be as follows:

• A Europe of convergence: growth, cohesion, competitiveness and connectivity
• A safer Europe
• Europe, a stronger global actor
• A Europe of common values.

The EESC will be contributing to the presidency's work and debates through a number of opinions. The presidency is particularly interested in civil society's views and input on the following topics:

• The future of the EU: delivering benefits to Europeans and upholding European values
• The contribution of social economy enterprises to a more cohesive and democratic Europe
• Tapping the potential of European philanthropy
• The benefits of educating people on the European Union
• The future of cohesion policy
• How macro-regions and transnational clusters help promote economic convergence and competitiveness

These topics confirm that Romania intends to place people at the heart of its presidency and, as a bridge between the EU institutions and civil society, the EESC certainly welcomes this move. (ad)

By the EESC's Employers' Group

Europe loses EUR 370 billion a year due to the gender employment gap. What's more, it is statistically proven that companies with more gender-diverse management boards produce better results. So, why might it take another 217 years to close the economic gender gap at global level, as estimated by the World Economic Forum? On 17 December, high-level speakers from the worlds of business, politics and NGOs came together with members of the Employers' Group to discuss how to leverage the immense potential that women could bring to the European economy.

Two panels explored what was needed to empower women in business and politics in Europe, and came to the following conclusions:

• Role models are needed, to show women how they can succeed in leading positions, as well as in traditionally male-oriented sectors.
• "Gender lens investing" is an investment approach aimed at creating a financial return while promoting gender equality. Supporting this form of investment can be a way of empowering women in business. In addition, the role of female investors should be fostered.
• More transparency and more data on gender equality is needed. The Equileap Gender Equality Global Report and the European Women on Boards – Ethics & Boards European Gender Diversity Index (GDI) are helping to tackle this problem.
• Currently, few women are participating in fund projects. Creating an investment fund for women or focusing existing funds on the inclusion of women could help.
• There is a strong need for networking and sharing best practices. However, for current EU initiatives it is at times complicated to achieve this at local level.

Violeta Jelic, who chaired the conference, summarised the meeting by pointing out that the large number and diversity of findings showed that there is still a lot to be discussed. However, the aim was clear – harnessing the disruptive force of women to build a stronger European economy. As Rick Zednik, keynote speaker of the event, stated: "Gender lenses have prevented us from reaching our full potential for too long – being blind to gender means being blind to opportunities". (lj)

By the EESC's Workers Group

International Migrants Day on 18 December provides an opportunity to present new reflections, based on the understanding of migration as a normal factor in any human society.

According to a recent ILO report, there are 164 million migrant workers in the world, about 87% of whom belong to the most productive age group. This suggests that some countries of origin are losing the most productive part of their labour force.

The Workers' Group shares the ILO's reflection that international labour migration is a political priority: global action is required to respond in the interests of the countries of origin, the destination countries, and particularly those of the migrant workers themselves. It therefore welcomes the recent signing of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

The Workers' Group expresses its concern about the growing hostility towards migrants. Civil society actors who have often been first in filling the gaps left by governments by providing support and facilitating the integration of migrants, now face mounting interference in a growing number of Member States.

The Workers' Group is worried about the electoral rise of far-right political forces. They frame a discourse of hate for migrants, based on often demagogic, racist and xenophobic language.

We call on EU and national policy-makers to address the real concerns of citizens by tackling inequality with policies that lead to quality jobs, decent wages and more social justice. We must be ready to prevent the dissemination of hate speech during the upcoming national and European elections by confronting such views through dialogue based on our fundamental values.

During the December plenary, the EESC adopted a very relevant opinion on The cost of non-immigration which stresses that without migration there would be no economic and social growth, which would have a negative impact on Member States' economies. (José Antonio Moreno Díaz is author of the present article and co-rapporteur of the opinion). (mg)

By the EESC's Diversity Europe Group

The EESC’s Diversity Europe Group recently met with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Eurostat to acquire the solid facts and information necessary to explain the benefits of EU membership to national and regional organisations as well as to European citizens. By ensuring that both citizens and our democratic institutions get access to reliable and high-quality information, it is possible to inform policy, anticipate future societal challenges and innovate.

The session held at the EIB mainly concentrated on:

• the EIB Investment Plan for Europe and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)
• key principles and objectives of the InvestEU Programme (2021-2027)
• EIB activities outside the EU, including in Africa
• discussions with Eurostat representatives, notably regarding their work on Big Data and quality of life ("Beyond GDP") indicators.

Keynote presentations were delivered, amongst others, by Werner Hoyer, President of the EIB, and Wilhelm Molterer, managing director of its EFSI team, by Eva Rømer of the Multiannual Financial Framework team, EIB expert Yohann Chaigneau and Eurostat director Barredo Capelot.

The discussions highlighted the potential for future constructive cooperation between both the EIB and Eurostat and the Diversity Europe Group. (cl)

Thirty-three schools from across Europe will come to Brussels next March to debate their views, hopes and expectations regarding the forthcoming European elections. They will come up with three proposals encapsulating their generation's topmost priorities. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will make sure their proposals reach the law-makers.

16- to 18-year old students from secondary schools all over Europe will come to Brussels on 21 and 22 March to share their views and ideas about the 2019 European elections and work together on #YEYSturns10: Vote for the future! One school from each of the 28 EU Member States and five candidate countries (Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey) will be involved. A record 1 038 applications were received for this 10th anniversary.

The students will debate the following specific questions:

• What in your view should be done to increase voter participation in the EP elections?
• How can we strengthen representative democracy in the future?
• What kind of political engagement exists beyond the European elections, and how would you take part in it?
   

During the YEYS plenary, the young people will vote on three proposals for the European Parliament to take on board in its campaign for the European elections.

Through this initiative, the EESC aims to ensure that the views, experiences and ideas of the younger generation are taken on board in EU policy making. (ks)

The EESC's 2018 cultural programme ended with a photo exhibition entitled Together for Inclusion showcasing 10 award-winning images of people with disabilities shown in a positive perspective as active agents in their lives.

The exhibition, which was opened by EESC president Luca Jahier on 18 December, included the ten winning images from the 2017 European Disability and Development Week photo contest run by the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC).

The contest aims to change attitudinal barriers towards persons with disabilities and to highlight the challenges they face from a positive perspective, following a human rights-based approach.

The exhibition opening featured a live performance by Cycloceza, a Belgium-based company of disabled dancers dancing in wheelchairs.

The event was held in cooperation with the International Disability and Development Consortium. (ck)