EESC President

EESC President Röpke kicks off New Year meeting Newly-Appointed Commissioners

This week, EESC President Oliver Röpke conducted a series of bilateral meetings with Commissioners to address key topics on the EESC's agenda and establish strong working relationships with members of the newly-appointed College.

On Tuesday, January 14, President Röpke met with Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy. He congratulated her on her appointment and affirmed the EESC's readiness to collaborate in achieving the European Commission’s objectives for the 2024-2029 mandate. Discussions focused on the follow-up to the EESC’s participation in COP16, particularly the possibility of providing civil society contributions to the EU’s voluntary review of the Global Biodiversity Framework implementation, set to be presented at COP17.

President Röpke expressed appreciation for the inclusion of “water resilience” in the Commissioner’s title, recognizing it as a sign of the EU’s heightened commitment to this critical topic. He reiterated the EESC's dedication to advancing water resilience through its Call for an EU Blue Deal and stressed the necessity of making water a strategic political priority. On the topic of a competitive circular economy, President Röpke highlighted the success of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) and the upcoming stakeholder consultation in April, which will contribute to the Circular Economy Act and this year’s European Commission Green Week.

On Wednesday, January 15, President Röpke held a bilateral meeting with Executive Vice President Stéphane Séjourné, focusing on competitiveness, regulatory simplification, and public procurement. President Röpke reiterated the EESC’s commitment to fostering sustainable competitiveness that benefits European businesses and citizens. He discussed the EESC’s ongoing work related to the Letta and Draghi reports on the single market and its recommendations for enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

President Röpke also advocated for integrating social and sustainability criteria into tender procedures to maximize economic and social benefits. He welcomed EVP Séjourné’s plans to prioritize these areas in his initial 100 days in office.

Later that day, President Röpke met with Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. The meeting addressed the EESC’s extensive work on health policy, including calls for a European Action Plan on Rare Diseases to improve access to diagnosis and treatment.

The discussion also covered the EESC’s support for the forthcoming Critical Medicines Act, emphasizing the need to bolster EU production of critical medicines to enhance strategic autonomy and resilience. Additionally, President Röpke underlined the significance of an ambitious EU Bioeconomy Strategy and a Biotech Act, both expected to play a pivotal role in fostering innovation and sustainability in the health and biotechnology sectors.

These meetings underscored the EESC’s proactive role in shaping EU policies and its unwavering commitment to supporting and collaborating with the new Commissioners' College.

Work organisation

Contact

Oliver Röpke European Economic and Social Committee rue Belliard/Belliardstraat
99-101 1040 Brussels Belgium

Tel (secretariat): +32 (0)2 546 99 32
Email (secretariat)

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