Dear readers,
This will be my last editorial as EESC Vice-President responsible for Communication.
The last two and a half years have been full of challenges, joy, responsibility and a number of concerns.
It is not up to me to take stock of this term of office in charge of Communication at the Committee. Rather, I should like to take the opportunity to say a few words of gratitude to everyone.
I take work at the Committee very seriously. Being a member of this European Union advisory body provides a real opportunity to make a positive contribution to the European process and venture.
Today, as was the case 60 years ago, the role of the EESC is a necessary one. Today, as was the case 60 years ago, Europe provides the path to peace and growth, and civil society organisations must continue to play an active part in this unique project.
In my capacity as EESC member, I understand that I - like all the members - have an extra responsibility here.
Of course, the responsibility of representing my industrial confederation, the Confederation of Portuguese Business, which was the body that recommended me for this EU advisory body, is an honour, and I am most proud to be doing so. However, I feel I must mention my personal sense of responsibility as a citizen of Europe. This sense of responsibility pushes me every day to become a better worker, better member, better citizen and a better person. It has without doubt become greatly heightened since I have taken part in the EESC's work and has been further strengthened since I have headed up Communication at our Committee over the last two and a half years.
Therefore I have placed a major focus on creating the best conditions so that all members can communicate and raise the profile of their work at the EESC and assume their responsibilities of representing civil society in all the Member States.
As I said, there have been many challenges and many things to be pleased about. However, there have also been many matters about which to be concerned. Europe has been called into question a great deal over the last few years. There has been mounting concern over each election and some of the results have been perplexing.
But instead of being just perplexed, we must listen to the messages being sent out. Since we are witnessing extremist movements throughout Europe, we must not remain outside the debate. And because we strongly believe in the European project, we have to assume that everything, but everything that we can do, may have an impact on what we want for the future of Europe.
It is for this reason that I am going to reiterate the point: more than communicating with people about the EESC as an institution, it has been our concern to communicate to people the EESC's work as a pillar of the European construction process. This work is carried out by our members, with help from all the EESC's staff, whom I should like here to salute and thank for their incredible support during this term of office. The Committee's members, like myself, have to accept their role in building Europe - precisely because it is our responsibility to do so!
And they should not be prevented from doing this by a lack of communication tools.
A thank you to everyone for a fantastic terms of office. I will still be here and will always be available to take on my responsibilities in contributing to a Europe of peace, growth, responsibility, strengthened by the role that the EESC and civil society organisations play in this. Let us not lose any time here!
Gonçalo Lobo Xavier
EESC Vice-President responsible for Communication
Dear readers,
This will be my last editorial as EESC Vice-President responsible for Communication.
The last two and a half years have been full of challenges, joy, responsibility and a number of concerns.
It is not up to me to take stock of this term of office in charge of Communication at the Committee. Rather, I should like to take the opportunity to say a few words of gratitude to everyone.
I take work at the Committee very seriously. Being a member of this European Union advisory body provides a real opportunity to make a positive contribution to the European process and venture.
Eleonora Di Nicolantonio (editor-in-chief)
Daniela Marangoni (dm)
Chrysanthi Kokkini (ck)
Daniela Marangoni (dm)
Daniele Vitali (dv)
Indre Anskaityte (ia)
Isabelle Henin (ih)
Jasmin Kloetzing (jk)
Katerina Serifi (ks)
Laura Lui (ll)
Leszek Jarosz (lj)
Marco Pezzani (mp)
Margarida Reis (mr)
Margarita Gavanas (mg)
Maria Bofill (mb)
Siana Glouharova (sg)
Silvia M. Aumair (sma)
Agata Berdys (ab)
Katerina Serifi (ks)
European Economic and Social Committee
Jacques Delors Building,
99 Rue Belliard,
B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel. (+32 2) 546.94.76
Email: eescinfo@eesc.europa.eu
EESC info is published nine times a year during EESC plenary sessions. EESC info is available in 23 languages
EESC info is not an official record of the EESC’s proceedings; for this, please refer to the Official Journal of the European Union or to the Committee’s other publications.
Reproduction permitted if EESC info is mentioned as the source and a link is sent to the editor.
Next issue: April 2018