Hybrid event - European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Rue Van Maerlant/Van Maerlantstraat 2, 1040 Brussels
Belgium
On Thursday, 16 January 2025, from 09:30 – 12:15 (CET), the European Economic and Social Committee will host an event organised by Pro(to)topia and the Club of Rome focusing on metrics for sustainable prosperity in the European Union.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), as the institutional partner of civil society, proudly returns with the second edition of Civil Society Week!
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), as the institutional partner of civil society, proudly returns with the second edition of Civil Society Week!
By Stefano Mallia, EESC Employers' Group President
"Unlocking Competitiveness for Shared Prosperity" is the core objective of our Group's newly adopted priorities.
In the face of current global challenges, prioritising competitiveness and creating a business-friendly environment must be at the forefront of the political agenda, supported by concrete policy actions.
In a business-friendly EU, competitiveness is based on excellence and sound competition instead of subsidies or protectionism, and businesses have competitive access to all necessary production resources.A business-friendly EU also means having a regulation that is conducive to business and productivity, where the administrative burden is minimised, and wherethe Single Market is fully functioning. In addition, solid trust between enterprises and policymakers is key to attracting investment, just as it is necessary to safeguard the interests of EU businesses in relation to international competitors.
This is why we are calling for 10 sets of business-friendly policy actions as top priorities:
Radical reform of the regulatory approach
Productive Innovation Systems focusing on investment and innovation
High Technological Capacity in defence, security and the green transition and support for technology start-ups
Strong Industrial Base
Integrated Financial Markets by developing the Capital Markets Union and the Banking Union
Adequate Access to Labour
Effective Energy and Transport Systems
Equal Trading Conditions
Business-oriented Green Transition
Efficient Public Finances
These actions are urgent if we want to harness the positive impact of competitive businesses on a robust economy and a globally influential EU.
The Letta and Draghi's reports were a wake-up call: either the EU restores its competitiveness, or it may face difficult trade-offs on welfare, environmental standards and core freedoms.
For this year's Your Europe, Your Say (YEYS), the EESC has received hundreds of applications from secondary schools across the EU, the candidate countries and the UK.
For this year's Your Europe, Your Say (YEYS), the EESC has received hundreds of applications from secondary schools across the EU, the candidate countries and the UK.
The YEYS organisers carefully examined and assessed all the applications, selecting 36 secondary schools which will take part in YEYS 2025 on 13 and 14 March!
YEYS, which is the EESC's flagship annual youth event, will this year bring together nearly 100 students and 37 teachers. To be held under the title "Giving Youth a Voice" and taking place over 1.5 days, YEYS will focus on the role young people can play in shaping a resilient future. It aims to empower them to take part in civic action and actively contribute to participatory democracy, both in their communities and beyond.
As the EESC prepares to welcome all the YEYS participants, EESC members will visit the selected schools in early 2025 to meet and exchange with them ahead of the main event.
The opening and closing sessions on 14 March 2025 will be live streamed. The link to watch will be published on the EESC website, on the YEYS 2025 official webpage Your Europe, Your Say! 2025 | EESC, where you can also find more information and updates about the event.
Directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, this critically-acclaimed animated film is a co-production between Latvia, France and Belgium. It has garnered global recognition, winning the Golden Globe Award for the Best Animated Feature and top prizes at festivals such as the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the European Film Awards.
Follow the journey of Cat, a solitary survivor of a post-apocalyptic flood, as he navigates a new reality and learns to collaborate with fellow animals on a lifeboat.
The event is part of the EESC's ongoing film screening series, organised in partnership with the European Parliament's LUX Audience Award, with the goal of promoting cultural diversity and sparking dialogue on pressing social issues.
