The member states of the European Union must strengthen stakeholder involvement in their efforts to reform national economies. Together with a new long-term EU strategy for sustainable development, improved stakeholder involvement could help create a more efficient and inclusive European semester that enjoys the support of society and is prepared to tackle the challenges facing the EU.
These are some of the main findings of a public hearing held by the European Semester Group of the European Economic and Social Committee, chaired by Gonçalo Lobo Xavier (ESG president), on 28 February. This hearing focused on the state and outlook of the European economy and analysed stakeholderinvolvement in the European semester process. Through the hearing, the Committee wished to facilitate an exchange between national and European stakeholders and gather ideas on how to improve the European semester.
Statement of the President of the Employers' Group
On 20 February 2019 the EESC adopted an opinion calling for an EU framework directive on minimum income. The Employers' Group fully shares the view of the EESC that fighting against poverty is a necessity. However, for us the instrument proposed in the opinion is not the correct one. For this reason, the Group tabled a counter-opinion, presenting its views on measures needed to reduce poverty. The counter opinion was supported by almost 40% of the EESC Members.
This agreement is a concrete step to make the lives of European working parents and carers easier, said Gaby Bischoff, President of the Workers Group at the EESC.
While wishing the Social Pillar a happy first birthday, the Workers' Group believes the best birthday present for the Pillar would be for the EU institutions to deliver on their commitments: we call on them to adopt strong proposals to improve working people's lives, before the European elections in May 2019.
The upcoming protest against the pension reform taking place in Zagreb on 20th October under the slogan Dozivi niirovinu! Itebe se tice!-calls the Croatian citizens to fight for a retirement age which cannot be from "work to cemetery". You are defending not only decent conditions of work, but a fundamental right for all workers, old and young.
The EESC held the fourth of its Going Local meetings on the live-in care sector in the EU, this time in Poland. The country provides much of the sector's workforce in western EU Member States, but has itself started to face a serious shortage of qualified carers in recent years
