Press releases

  • Reference number
    3/2023

    On Tuesday 24 January, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held an exchange of views with Guillaume Lafortune, Vice-President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN), on the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The debate revealed that the EU is failing to meet the objectives of the UN's 2030 Agenda. Yet, there is hope. The EU has the opportunity to take the lead, including through financial support. The EESC plays an important role in monitoring progress.

  • Reference number
    2/2023

    The January plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) featured a debate during which the Swedish Minister for EU Affairs, Jessika Roswall, presented the priorities of the new presidency of the Council of the European Union.

  • Reference number
    01/2023

    At the European Economic and Social Committee plenary session on Wednesday, EESC members discussed the EU's response to geopolitical challenges with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. The presidents of both institutions agreed that competitiveness, together with more strategic autonomy, is crucial in the current challenging times.

  • Reference number
    69/2022

    At its December plenary, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discussed the issues affecting young people in the labour market in the context of the 2022 European Year of Youth and the 2023 European Year of Skills. The Committee advocates for a long-term strategy for youth engagement and recommends that the concept of European Years go beyond mere promotional activities and contribute towards clear plans. The needs of refugees and our Ukrainian neighbours must also be a priority of the European Year of Skills.

  • Reference number
    68/2022

    La Fundación Secretariado Gitano ha sido galardonada con el primer premio por su proyecto sobre juventud, mientras que la iniciativa de la ONG rumana SUS INIMA fue el proyecto más votado de los que prestan apoyo a la población ucraniana, que sufre la brutal invasión rusa de su país. Entre los ganadores también se encuentra la Fundación Villavecchia, que se ha hecho con el segundo premio por su proyecto de ayuda a niños ucranianos enfermos de cáncer.

  • Reference number
    67/2022

    The European Economic and Social Committee held a plenary debate on the role of finance and public recovery policies in promoting gender equality and the economic empowerment of women in the EU. The discussion was linked to the adoption of two opinions: one on a gender-based approach to budgeting and investing and the other on how Member States can improve the way in which the direct and indirect measures proposed in their Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) affect gender equality.

  • Reference number
    66/2022

    En el pleno de diciembre del Comité Económico y Social Europeo (CESE) se celebró un debate sobre la reconstrucción y la resiliencia de la región euromediterránea tras la pandemia de COVID-19.

  • Reference number
    65/2022

    The EESC Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group held a public hearing on protecting women's sexual and reproductive health and rights. Participants in the debate called for free health services, access to contraception, more inclusive policies, and reproductive and sexual education. This debate was organised in collaboration with the EESC Equality Group as part of a series of EESC events following up on the European Parliament's Gender Equality Week initiative.

  • Reference number
    64/2022

    Las fundaciones Secretariado Gitano y Villavecchia, dos organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro españolas, han sido preseleccionadas para el Premio Sociedad Civil 2022 del CESE, que este año se otorga en dos categorías: el empoderamiento de la juventud y la ayuda a las víctimas de la guerra de Ucrania. La Fundación Secretariado Gitano ha sido seleccionada como finalista para la categoría sobre juventud junto con otros dos proyectos: uno de Italia y otro de Portugal. Por su parte, la Fundación Villavecchia compite por el premio de la categoría relativa a Ucrania junto con otros dos proyectos: uno de Polonia y otro de Rumanía.

  • Reference number
    63/2022

    The enormous challenges posed for Europe by Russia's aggression were the subject of the EESC's annual seminar for civil society communicators, entitled Geopolitical turmoil at Europe's door: the perspective of civil society, which took place in Zagreb, Croatia, on 24 and 25 October 2022.