Euroopan talous- ja sosiaalikomitea
As European trade unions battle with falling membership, the EU proposes to set a minimum threshold for the percentage of work contracts that have to be concluded by collective bargaining. Welcomed by the unions, the proposal has, however, been met with criticism by employers.
The Commission's initiatives on a European child guarantee and an EU Strategy on the rights of the child call on European and national policy-makers to work toward the common good of all children growing up in the EU. Ambitious and bold in their approach to ensuring a life free from any discrimination for each and every child, both initiatives have won the EESC's approval.
Rapidly developed to cushion the severe effects the pandemic was expected to have on businesses and workers, SURE has helped Member States to protect employment and keep EU economies afloat. With an evaluation of the scheme underway, there is an ongoing debate as to whether SURE should be here to stay as an ad hoc system of protection to help prevent job losses and provide income support during future serious crises
According to the EESC, the Commission's Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights is both timely and necessary to thwart the threat of inequalities deepening across Europe in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hails the new EU Disability Rights Strategy as a step forward in implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The Strategy has taken on board many of the suggestions proposed by the EESC, the European disability movement and civil society. The proposals include full harmonisation of the new agenda and strengthened EU-level supervision of its application. The EESC is, however, concerned about the watering down of the binding measures and hard law implementing the Strategy.
Health, education and economic measures imposed by EU Member States during the COVID crisis have largely failed to protect Roma communities by not taking into account their extreme poverty and by not giving them priority in public health and vaccination strategies
Presenting our new EESC web section!
The findings from the FRRL Group's country visits are now available in an easily searchable database format. More content to follow soon!
Statement by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
The EESC condemns in the strongest terms the attempt by Hungarian lawmakers to assimilate homosexuality with paedophilia in amendments that represent a new wave of legislative stigmatisation of LGBTIQ persons in the country.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomes the Commission's initiative on binding pay transparency, but considers that the proposed Directive should be strengthened in various areas and that further measures need to be taken to address the root causes of the gender pay gap.
With cancer set to become the leading cause of death in the EU, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is certainly timely. The EESC welcomes this plan which is a milestone in the fight against cancer and its social, financial and psychological impact on EU citizens. However, unresolved forms of regional and social inequality mean that there is still room for improvement.
