EUROMED

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Relations between the EU and its southern neighbours constitute one of our priorities. Our work covers a wide variety of areas, such as the participation of civil society in political and civil dialogue, democratic transition, youth employment, sustainable development, mobility and immigration, trade, renewable energy and business development.

The EESC has been working on these issues since 1995. Following changes in the region in 2010, we have adjusted our objectives accordingly, aiming to:

  • Support civil society organisations in countries undergoing transition. Such support is targeted, in particular, at trade unions and employers’ organisations, as well as women’s, youth and farmers’ associations.
  • Maintain bilateral relations with national economic and social councils in the region, and work towards creating conditions for the inclusion of civil society in political dialogue in the southern partner countries.
  • Issue opinions and joint reports on the key policy challenges facing the region.
  • Hold regular meetings with European institutions and international organisations to discuss the policies concerning civil society across the region.
  • Organise an annual summit for economic and social councils and similar institutions, at which key policy recommendations on the region’s main challenges are put to policy-makers from national governments and the EU.
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COVID-19: The role of civil society in the reconstruction and resilience of the Euro-Mediterranean region

Opinion
Adopted on 24/01/2023
Reference: 
REX/537-EESC-2021
Rapporteur: 
Angelo PAGLIARA (Workers - GR II / Italy)
Plenary session: 
575 -
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 25, 2023

The Covid-19 pandemic is strongly affecting the Euro-Mediterranean region, creating new challenges and exacerbating pre-existing ones. The pandemic has highlighted fundamental weaknesses in institutions, economies and health systems. Civil society plays a key role in the reconstruction and resilience of the whole region.

EESC opinion: COVID-19: The role of civil society in the reconstruction and resilience of the Euro-Mediterranean region

Digitalisation and SMEs in the Mediterranean region (information report)

Opinion
Adopted on 11/12/2019
Reference: 
REX/519-EESC-2019
Rapporteur: 
Helena DE FELIPE LEHTONEN (Employers - GR I / Spain)

At the 2018 Euromed Summit, it was agreed that the next Information Report to be presented to the 2019 Summit of ESCs and Similar institutions will deal with the topic of the impact of digitalisation on SMEs in the Mediterranean area.

The integration of millions of young graduates into the job market each year constitutes a major challenge for the countries of the Southern Mediterranean. Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) play a decisive role in the fight against youth unemployment as they are important drivers of job creation and provide 80% of employment in the region.

Information report: Digitalisation and SMEs in the Mediterranean region (information report)

Education and vocational training in the Euromed region (Information report)

Opinion
Adopted on 20/03/2019
Reference: 
REX/506-EESC-2018
Rapporteur: 
Cinzia DEL RIO (Workers - GR II / Italy)

The EESC regularly produces information reports to be presented at the yearly Euromed Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar institutions. In 2018, based on feedback from the previous summit, the Euromed Follow-Up Committee decided to focus on the topic of education and vocational training (VET) in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Information report: Education and vocational training in the Euromed region (Information report)

Economic, social and cultural rights in the Euro-Mediterranean region (own-initiative opinion)

Opinion
Adopted on 18/10/2017
Reference: 
REX/490-EESC-2017-EESC-2017-02357-00-02-AC-TRA
Rapporteur: 
Helena DE FELIPE LEHTONEN (Employers - GR I / Spain)

The situation concerning economic, social and cultural rights is quite patchy in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Although some countries, in the wake of what has been called the Arab spring, drew up new constitutions enshrining some of these rights in legislation for the very first time, the rights have not always been respected. In certain other countries, these rights have been weakened since 2011.The aim of this information report would be to give an overview of the current situation as regards economic, social and cultural rights in the Euro-Mediterranean region, as well as pinpointing new avenues for work in the future. This report would be submitted at the Euromed Summit of Economic and Social Councils and would enable us to work together with our counterparts from the Mediterranean countries.

EESC opinion: Economic, social and cultural rights in the Euro-Mediterranean region (own-initiative opinion)

Cooperation with third countries in promoting regular migration into the EU (Information report)

Opinion
Adopted on 19/10/2016
Reference: 
REX/460-EESC-2016
Rapporteur: 
Dimitris DIMITRIADIS (Employers - GR I / Greece)
Co-rapporteur: 
Jean-Marc ROIRANT (France)

This report follows the conclusion of the 2015 Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions on cooperation with third countries in promoting regular migration to the EU and will be presented at the 2016 Euromed Summit. Cooperation with countries of origin and international bodies to increase transit possibilities for regular migrants to the EU is the most effective way of combating the illicit trafficking of people and meeting the need for workers in EU countries. The aim of the information report is to define the pillars that can facilitate cooperation on regular migration and ascertain what experience has been gained from labour migration agreements with countries of origin and from the ways in which the Member States manage recruitment abroad.

Information report: Cooperation with third countries in promoting regular migration into the EU (Information report)

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