European Green Deal

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On 11 December 2019, the European Commission launched the European Green Deal reinforcing the EU’s commitment to tackling climate and environmental-related challenges that is this generation’s defining task. The objective of the European Green Deal is to transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, ensuring:

  • no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050;
  • economic growth decoupled from resource use;
  • no person and no place left behind.

To deliver the European Green Deal, the EU is carrying out a comprehensive package of initiatives, including policy and legislative proposals and the development and modernisation of financing instruments.

The EESC has been calling for a "Green and Social Deal", stressing the close link between the Green Deal and social justice. It is essential to hear the voice of all stakeholders in order to foster the sustainable and competitive companies of tomorrow in a healthy environment.

The European Green Deal placed a strong emphasis on investment and the financing of the green and sustainable transition. The Green Deal is Europe’s lifeline out of the COVID-19 pandemic. One third of the 1.8 trillion euro investments from the NextGenerationEU Recovery Plan, and the EU’s seven-year budget finances the European Green Deal. This boost in funding opportunities aims to turn the crisis into a transformational opportunity for the future of Europe.

The EESC plays a crucial role in monitoring the implementation of the European Green Deal initiatives and actions. The EESC prepares opinions and organises activities (see side menu on the left of this page) to ensure the EU institutions take into account the views of organised civil society and the Green Deal initiatives are coherent with the economic, social and civic circumstances on the ground.

Due to the transversal and all-encompassing nature, the European Green Deal is covered by all EESC Sections and CCMI.

Displaying 81 - 90 of 152

  • Compatibility of EU trade policy with the European Green Deal (own-initiative opinion)

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 20/02/2020
    Reference
    NAT/791-EESC-2020-EESC-2020-01349
    Rapporteur
    John BRYAN
    (Ireland

    This opinion deals with three of four megatrends at the heart of the new Commission priorities: climate change, biodiversity loss and globalisation. While the European Green Deal will result in higher environmental standards with, for instance, stricter climate change targets, it is important that all Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are not undermining these improvements by contributing to deforestation or biodiversity loss in other countries. As one of the world's largest importer of energy, agricultural goods and raw materials, the EU has contributed to deforestation and biodiversity loss in other countries.

    Download — EESC opinion: Compatibility of EU trade policy with the European Green Deal (own-initiative opinion)
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  • Towards an EU strategy on sustainable consumption (own-initiative opinion)

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 20/02/2020
    Reference
    NAT/789-EESC-2020
    Rapporteur
    Peter SCHMIDT
    Workers - GR II
    Germany
    Download — EESC opinion: Towards an EU strategy on sustainable consumption (own-initiative opinion)
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  • Towards structured youth engagement on climate and sustainability in the EU decision-making process (own-initiative opinion)

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 20/02/2020
    Reference
    NAT/788-EESC-2020
    Rapporteur
    Cillian LOHAN
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Ireland

    This opinion will look into the possibilities to engage with young people in a formal way at institutional level and provide the building blocks for a new structured approach to youth engagement at EU level.

    Download — EESC opinion: Towards structured youth engagement on climate and sustainability in the EU decision-making process (own-initiative opinion)
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  • "From farm to fork": a sustainable food strategy

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 18/02/2020
    Reference
    NAT/787-EESC-2020-994
    Referral
    COM(2020) 381 final
    COM(2020) 381 final
    Rapporteur
    Peter SCHMIDT
    Workers - GR II
    Germany
    Co-rapporteur
    Jarmila DUBRAVSKÁ
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Czech Republic
    Download — EESC opinion: "From farm to fork": a sustainable food strategy
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  • Between a trans-European super grid and local energy islands – the right mix of decentralised solutions and centralised structures for an economically, socially and ecologically sustainable energy transition

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 20/02/2020
    Reference
    TEN/706-EESC-2020
    Rapporteur
    Lutz RIBBE
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Germany
    Co-rapporteur
    Thomas KATTNIG
    Workers - GR II
    Austria
    Download — EESC opinion: Between a trans-European super grid and local energy islands – the right mix of decentralised solutions and centralised structures for an economically, socially and ecologically sustainable energy transition
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  • Universal access to housing that is decent, sustainable and affordable over the long term

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 20/02/2020
    Reference
    TEN/707-EESC-2020
    Rapporteur
    Raymond HENCKS
    (Luxembourg
    Co-rapporteur
    András EDELÉNYI
    Employers - GR I
    Hungary

    The health, economic and social crisis of COVID-19 has intensified the severity of the affordable housing crisis that Member States have been facing for years, particularly for homeless people, overcrowded households, residents of working class neighbourhoods and seasonal workers and immigrants – victims of housing conditions that have directly affected the infection rate in society. Although housing policy remains the competence of the Member States, the shortage of decent and affordable housing in the European Union requires a European action plan on housing that includes a comprehensive set of measures, which are easy for people to understand, to help Member States, regions and cities in Europe to sustainably boost the supply of social and affordable housing and effectively combat homelessness.

    Download — EESC opinion: Universal access to housing that is decent, sustainable and affordable over the long term
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  • Contribution of civil society to the Green Agenda and sustainable development of the Western Balkans as part of the EU accession process (own-initiative opinion)

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 20/02/2020
    Reference
    REX/528-EESC-2020
    Rapporteur
    Dragica MARTINOVIĆ DŽAMONJA
    Employers - GR I
    Croatia
    Co-rapporteur
    Pierre Jean COULON
    Workers - GR II
    France

    On 5 February 2020, the European Commission published its Communication Enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans, proposing a new methodology for candidate countries of the Western Balkans with the objective to render the accession process more coherent, respond to concerns of certain Member States expressed in October 2019 and enable the enlargement process to continue.

    Download — EESC opinion: Contribution of civil society to the Green Agenda and sustainable development of the Western Balkans as part of the EU accession process (own-initiative opinion)
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  • Decent minimum wages across Europe

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 21/01/2020
    Reference
    SOC/632-EESC-2020
    Rapporteur
    Stefano MALLIA
    Employers - GR I
    Malta

    This exploratory opinion was requested by the European Parliament with a view to a forthcoming Commission initiative on fair minimum wages. The question of Decent minimum wages across Europe is a complex and sensitive issue. It is important that any EU action is based on accurate analysis and understanding of the situation and sensitivities in the Member States and fully respects the social partners' role and autonomy, as well as the different industrial relations models.

    Download — EESC opinion: Decent minimum wages across Europe
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  • 2030 biodiversity strategy

    Adopted on 18/09/2020 - Bureau decision date: 21/01/2020
    Reference
    NAT/786-EESC-2020-00896
    Referral
    COM(2020) 380 final
    COM(2020) 380 final
    Rapporteur
    Antonello PEZZINI
    (Italy
    Co-rapporteur
    Lutz RIBBE
    Civil Society Organisations - GR III
    Germany
    • FAO: Highlights of FAO’s upcoming work on biodiversity
    Download — EESC opinion: 2030 biodiversity strategy
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  • Fostering competitiveness, innovation, growth and job creation by advancing in global regulatory cooperation, by supporting a renewed multilateral trading scheme and by reducing market-distorting subsidies (own-initiative opinion)

    Adopted on 15/07/2020 - Bureau decision date: 20/02/2020
    Reference
    CCMI/175-EESC-2020
    Rapporteur
    Georgi STOEV
    Employers - GR I
    Bulgaria
    Co-rapporteur
    Thomas STUDENT
    (Germany

    Disruptions like coronavirus (COVID-19) threaten to bring the world economy and social life to a standstill. Its impacts include recessions in the USA, the EU, Japan and other regions of the world, extremely slow growth in China and huge losses in terms of output. Governments have to offset economic damage with fiscal and monetary policies and cope with the expected changes of the economic paradigm. The EESC stresses the need for efficient business models and trade defence mechanisms, in particular with regard to Asia, and notes that 36 million jobs in the EU depend on the EU's exporting potential, and that the share of EU employment supported by sales of goods and services to the rest of the world in relation to total employment increased from 10.1% in 2000 to 15.3% in 2017. The fiscal, economic and social response to the crisis is necessary for preventing its negative impact on these and other sectors.

    Download — EESC opinion: Fostering competitiveness, innovation, growth and job creation by advancing in global regulatory cooperation, by supporting a renewed multilateral trading scheme and by reducing market-distorting subsidies (own-initiative opinion)
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Displaying 81 - 90 of 152