The EESC’s annual gathering of civil society communicators, the Connecting EU seminar, will take place in Sofia on 6 and 7 July. This year’s edition will ask how Europe can uphold its core values as economic priorities shift, democratic trust weakens and civic spaces come under pressure – and what civil society can do to defend them.
The EESC’s annual gathering of civil society communicators, the Connecting EU seminar, will take place in Sofia on 6 and 7 July. This year’s edition will ask how Europe can uphold its core values as economic priorities shift, democratic trust weakens and civic spaces come under pressure – and what civil society can do to defend them.
Entitled ‘In defence of European values: The power of civil society’, the seminar will include two panels and an interactive programme with two breakout sessions and a workshop.
• Europe’s new economic compass: Balancing competitiveness, social rights and sustainability
As the old global order frays, Europe is doubling down on security, defence and competitiveness, while adjusting its social and environmental ambitions. Can Europe build an economic model that delivers both competitiveness and social fairness? How can the EU secure long-term growth, strengthen its global position and protect what makes Europe distinctive: quality jobs, a resilient social model and democratic stability?
• Europe’s democratic compass: Can trust and resilience be restored?
Democracy is taking hits from all sides: civil society is being squeezed, confidence in institutions and independent media is eroding and populist narratives, often boosted by foreign influences, are making it harder for citizens to know whom to trust. Can tools like the EU Democracy Shield fight back fast enough against disinformation and malign influence to restore trust in Europe’s democratic model? Or does the EU have to rethink its social contract to remind people that democracy is not a given, but must be actively defended?
• AI as a friend, not a foe
Two breakout sessions will look at how AI can help communicators spot fake news, sharpen their message and work faster. The event will wrap up with a LinkedIn crash course for professional communicators on how to sharpen their voices, build visibility and reach the right audiences.
The keynote speech will be delivered by Dave Keating, European affairs journalist and author of the book The Owned Continent.
The event will take place at the Sofia University ‘St. Kliment Ohridski’ and is organised in partnership with the Bulgarian Economic and Social Council and with the support of the European Parliament Liaison Office and the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria.
The seminar is part of the ‘Connecting EU’ series, now in its 18th year. Every year, this event brings together civil society press and communication professionals, EESC members, EU representatives, partner organisations, journalists and researchers to network and discuss key issues affecting Europe. (ll)
Actively engaging farmers, fishers, and forest owners' organisations in the CBD negotiations
Location
Online
Belgium
This partnership event hosted by the EESC together with the European Bureau for Conservation and Development aims to explore how farmers, fishers, and forest owners’ organisations (at the EU and international level) can better coordinate, strengthen their engagement, and contribute more effectively to the CBD process ahead of COP17.
This brochure presents the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The EESC is not like other EU bodies. It is a unique forum for consultation, dialogue and consensus between representatives from all the different sectors of "organised civil society", including employers, trade unions and groups such as professional and community associations, youth organisations, women's groups, consumers, environmental campaigners and many more.
The EESC will celebrate the cultural heritage of Cyprus with the exhibition Cypriot Nama: Commandaria, launching at 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday 17 June, in Foyer 6 (JDE building, Rue Belliard 99), and coinciding with the end of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The EESC will celebrate the cultural heritage of Cyprus with the exhibition Cypriot Nama: Commandaria, launching at 6.30 p.m. onWednesday 17 June, in Foyer 6 (JDE building, Rue Belliard 99), and coinciding with the end of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The exhibition, organised in collaboration with the Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus, with the support of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU, will shine a light on ‘Commandaria’, the historic Cypriot sweet wine.
Commandaria, named ‘the world’s oldest wine’, is far from a simple beverage; the wine was hailed as ‘the most precious gift granted by the Gods to mankind’ by the Greek philosopher Plato and as ‘the wine of kings and the king of wines’ by Richard the Lionheart.
Officially included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO in 2025, it has a symbolic place in the rich cultural tapestry of Cyprus and remains a point of pride for the Cypriot people.
The exhibition’s official opening will be followed by a musical performance by the Michalis Kouloumis Quintet, which will present a unique artistic programme of melodies inspired by the distinctive musical style and traditions of Cyprus.
The exhibition will be open to visitors and runs until Tuesday 30 June.
