highlights that respecting and enforcing fundamental rights and the rule of law are crucial for mutual trust between Member States. For investment and trade within the internal market to function properly, all economic operators must follow the law and trust that public authorities will do the same. This respect for the rule of law is essential for economic activity and makes a location more appealing to businesses. Protectionist measures that favour domestic companies over those from other EU countries violate the principle of equal treatment;
calls for the addition of a fifth pillar to the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report to better reflect the economic aspects of the rule of law;
recommends improving existing tools for addressing internal market infringements and using more EU pilot procedures. It stresses that a strong and independent judiciary, well-resourced public services, and bodies for monitoring and reporting legal breaches are essential for ensuring effective legal protection and upholding the rule of law.
CEDAW Shadow Report of the Austrian Disability Council 2025
The submission at hand is mostly based on documents from the Austrian Disability Council, the umbrella organization of over 85 Member Associations representing approximately 1.4 million persons with disabilities in Austria.
This shadow report is the result of a civil society coalition led by the Austrian Disability Council with contributions from Change for the Youth, LEFÖ IBF (the intervention center for trafficked women) and NINLIL (Empowerment and counselling for women with disabilities).
ICCPR Shadow Report of the Austrian Disability Council 2024
The submission at hand is mostly based on documents from the Austrian Disability Council, the umbrella organization of over 85 Member Associations representing approximately 1.4 million persons with disabilities in Austria. These documents were elaborated in participatory formats with persons with disabilities and their organizations. In addition, experts from various fields including persons with disabilities contributed to the civil society report providing their expertise.
On 5 December 2024, the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee held a regular meeting which was attended by some relevant stakeholders and guest speakers, who provided timely updates on the different, ongoing, institutional activities. Representatives of the AU ECOSOCC joined this meeting for a presentation of their mandate and functioning as well as to discuss further the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the EESC in Accra, in July 2024.
On 13 June 2024, the EESC hosted a High-Level Roundtable with major EU civil society actors on a civil society engagement mechanism in the framework of the EU-AU partnership to brainstorm on possible ways forward that would ensure that the stakeholder engagement mechanism under the Samoa Agreement is inclusive and representative, giving a strong voice to civil society within the Partnership policies and projects.
In the framework of civil society participation in the new OACPS-EU partnership agreement, the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee held, on 7 March 2024, a meeting for a timely debate on its future as well as to discuss and agree on the Work Programme for 2024.
