In January 2022, the EESC adopted an opinion addressing the European Commission's recommendations on euro-area economic policy for 2022, taking account of the current circumstances.

Rapporteur Juraj Sipko commented: "One of the main challenges for the euro zone economy is how to deal with the accumulation of high levels of public debt, the high level of inflation and how to continue the transformation process towards a green and digital economy, while also focusing on social stability".

The EESC is of the opinion that the EU's Stability and Growth Pact is no longer suited to these conditions. The banking union project must advance faster and the Capital Markets Union needs to be completed. The EESC is also concerned about deepening social instability and calls for new, more appropriate indicators for inequality and poverty. (tk)