News

  • EESC calls for a reference framework to safeguard soil health and fertility, an important element of our livelihood. Maintaining or improving the health of Europe's soils is one of the most important challenges in preserving our livelihood. We need to be aware of the quality of our soil in order to react in time. As a first step towards better and sustainable management of the EU's soil, the EESC proposes a joint EU reference framework with a view to lay down uniform terminology and harmonised criteria for good soil status. Landowners and users have a special role in providing ecosystem services in relation to European soil, and they need the EU's support. A modernised Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) should therefore contain a special focus on the health and fertility of farmland and soil. Moreover, Member States should be encouraged to adopt appropriate soil protection measures under the second pillar of the CAP.

  • At one among remarkably few such events, the EESC provided an occasion for civil society organisations to share their views on the agreement in principle for an Economic Partnership between the EU and Japan, reached in July 2017.

  • In March 2017, the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) launched a joint European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP). The platform’s 24-member coordination group has now been chosen and the list of participants published.

  • Toll revenues from the trans-European road network should be reinvested into transport infrastructures and be clearly earmarked, with charges from road use going to cover the costs of developing, operating and maintaining road infrastructure, while charges linked to external costs should be used to mitigate the negative effects of road transport including alternative modes. This was the key message of an EESC opinion on the Commission's proposed overhaul of the so-called Eurovignette directive, adopted at the EESC's October plenary.

  • The EU is ready for a digital revolution and for reaping its benefits – this was one of the conclusions of the conference on the Advantages of a Digital Society, which took place on 25 October 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia. The participants discussed various aspects of e-society and the Digital Single Market. Cyber security, societal trust, the free flow of data, the further development of infrastructure and getting rid of barriers hindering the Digital Single Market were just a few of the issues raised.

  • For the EESC, European added value must be at the centre of economic decision-making within the debate on the future of Europe

    "EU governance needs a common sense of purpose that goes beyond technical approaches and measures. It is primarily a matter of political will and a shared vision of Europe's future." That is how Joost van Iersel, president of the ECO section in the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), summarises the EESC's position on the future of the European economy.

  •  mobility

    The EU aims to ensure clean, competitive and connected mobility integrating all means of transport by 2025. In an opinion drafted by the TEN section and adopted at the EESC October plenary session, the Committee urges the Commission to further improve the regulatory framework in order to establish an efficient Single European Transport Area.

  • LMO 10.10.2017

    Active ageing, investing in education and developing the right skills among main solutions for future-proof Europe

    Despite a record high number of people in employment and continued economic growth in the EU, young Europeans today face less stable career prospects, less social security and worse living standards than older generations. This makes intergenerational fairness one of the top political priorities, a conference held at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) revealed.

  • tax international relations

    Taxation policy should be more prominent in European development policy, says the EESC

    In recent years there has been considerable interest in the international tax system. Questions have been raised about the fairness of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) between developed and developing countries and the impact they have on tax revenues in developing countries. Rather than being able to mobilise much-needed domestic resources for sustainable development, developing countries seem to lose their resources due, to some extent at least, to outgoing capital flows. At OECD level, the EU's Member States have participated in international collaboration on tax reform aimed at curbing aggressive tax avoidance and "treaty shopping" by companies. An ongoing debate centres around the question of whether the UN may be a more appropriate forum for addressing these issues, as developing countries are invited to take their place at the negotiating table from the outset.

  • Financing of civil society

    The EU institution should promote a positive image of civil society organisations, preserve their independence and ensure they are properly funded, the EESC says