EESC European Economic and Social Committee
The European Union is not only a common market, it is an union of common values that shape the European identity. These values include the rights, freedoms and principles laid out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights: the "indivisible, universal values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity; [the Union] is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It places the individual at the heart of its activities, by establishing the citizenship of the Union ....
A delegation of the EESC permanent Study Group on Disability Rights, composed by Ioannis Vardakastanis (Group III), Bernard Noël (Group II) and Dare Stojan (Group I), visited Greece from 12-14 October, accompanied by the Director of the European Disability Forum, Catherine Naughton, and supported by Valeria Atzori from the Secretariat and Maria Kampouri from National Confederation of Disabled People in Greece (NCDP). The aim of the visit, which was organized with the help of NCDP Greece, was to evaluate the situation of refugees and other migrants with disabilities in the reception structures of Lesbos and Athens ...
The EESC has adopted an opinion on the rights of live-in care workers. It urges policy-makers to fully recognise their contribution to long-term care, to treat them in a similar way to other care providers and to regularise the status of undocumented workers. An ageing population and cuts in public-sector spending have created a shortfall in the ...
The European Economic and Social Committee Members are organising a series of debates with representatives of civil society on the European Pillar of Social Rights.
The national debates with organised civil society are taking place across Europe between September and October 2016. The debates aim to provide a platform to exchange and gather views on the most urgent social and economic challenges at national and European level, and how a European Pillar of Social Rights could contribute to addressing these.
According to Eurostat figures, in May 2016 there were 4,197 million unemployed young people (18.6%) in the EU-28. Although an improvement on the previous year (20.3%), the figure remains appalling and shows that the threat of a "lost generation", which has loomed large since the beginning of the economic and financial crisis, is still hanging dangerously over Europe. Despite this, businesses across the EU are struggling to find young people with the skills they need.
Improving the management of the EU's external border is no longer just an aim, it is an emergency, according to an EESC opinion adopted today. But this should not be done at the detriment of fundamental human rights, notably the right to asylum and the right to free movement in the EU.
New forms of employment contracts and relationships– including zero hour contracts, mini-jobs and work via online intermediaries – have proliferated since the financial crisis. While innovation and creativity must be encouraged, new forms of employment relationships have also increased uncertainty for many workers and this has led to an increasingly unequal labour market.
Labour mobility is a founding principle of the EU and one of the achievements most highly valued by European citizens. It must remain a cornerstone of Europe's internal market, says the EESC in its opinion adopted at the plenary session this week.
Labour mobility can help to bring employment opportunities and prosperity to European citizens and companies. It means better use of skills and knowledge, boosting innovation and growth, and creating more culturally diverse societies.
Since the peak of the migration flow in 2015, the European Union has had to focus on operational and urgent responses to immediate challenges. However, a solid long-term migration policy needs to be developed to manage and accompany migration, as stated in the European Agenda on Migration.
How are new forms of employment impacting workers? Is the total flexibility of workers and labour market desirable? Will the sharing economy be putting an end to Europe's social protection systems?
