The European Union is living through dynamic, crucial moments. It needs the coordinated efforts and synergy of all institutions, all stakeholders, all European citizens to find the right strategy to successfully face all the challenges and perform as a strong world actor.
The European Economic and Social Committee has an important role to play in this process as a unique platform that gathers and conveys the views of employers, employees and civil society organisations on all important aspects of how to deliver better in achieving our common European project.
It is the responsibility of the EESC presidency to navigate the Committee and to choose the best course of action for each mandate, to launch common political priorities and define the best way of realising them.
It was a great honour and a pleasure to serve together with my esteemed colleagues for the last two-and-a-half years and to endeavour together with them to achieve this. Our joint efforts were based on the firm belief that each and every EESC member has unique competence, experience and knowledge and serves as a link with businesses and citizens across Europe, while being an immediate link with his or her domestic constituency.
Therefore, we strove for all the EESC members to have the best environment, conditions and support to unleash their potential and creativity, so that their contributions are tapped in the best way and are combined in professional, representative and balanced opinions. Our efforts were targeted at much greater visibility, more structured follow-up and promotion of our work across Europe – to the European and Member State institutions, decision-makers and partner organisations.
I am proud and grateful that we achieved much together, by joining our forces as a well-functioning and coherent team, committed to providing equal opportunities and conditions for each EESC member to contribute to the common success of our Committee in fulfilling its mission. And I wish all the best luck to the incoming presidential team during the new mandate!