Europe must scale up public investment to finance innovation, strategic infrastructure and the green and digital transitions, says the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in an opinion adopted in September. The EESC calls for more funding for the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and a stronger role for national promotional banks, with public finance focused on projects that markets cannot fund adequately.
The European Economic and Social Committee hosted a hearing on how to foster innovation and digitalisation in the construction sector. Experts and industry representatives discussed the main barriers to innovation, from outdated regulations and lack of funding to skills shortages, and explored how digital tools, new materials and smarter rules could help modernise the sector.
Europe’s response to terrorism and violent extremism must combine effective security measures with prevention, democratic resilience and the systematic involvement of civil society. This is the central message of an opinion adopted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which warns that security measures alone cannot address the complex and interconnected threats facing the EU.
The EESC argues that the Commission’s Cloud and AI development plan relies on funding that has not been secured, does not determine whether Europe can generate enough electricity to power new data centres and gives affected communities too little say
Public services should not primarily be regarded as a cost to public finances, but as a strategic investment in democracy, social cohesion, economic development and the functioning of the EU. This is the core message of an opinion adopted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on how the sector can adapt to new challenges in the EU.
European Economic and Social Committee President Séamus Boland visited China from 13 to 18 September to strengthen cooperation and dialogue with the Chinese government, civil society organisations, trade unions, academics and social partners in a series of meetings and events in Hangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing.
Lors de sa session plénière de septembre, le Comité économique et social européen (CESE) a adopté des avis clés sur le paquet «passagers ferroviaires» de la Commission européenne, attendu de longue date. Le Comité recommande de mettre l’accent sur la protection, la transparence et l’inclusion des passagers, en soutenant la mise en place d’un système de réservation numérique unique et de plateformes de mobilité multimodale.
With the UN's targets still off track for 2030, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is calling for faster action. In a Resolution on the EU's priorities for 71st session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW71), the Committee highlights persistent barriers to women's economic independence and leadership, widespread gender-based violence and the need for stronger cooperation between EU institutions, Member States, social partners and civil society.
The EU’s next long-term budget cannot be reduced to a battle over numbers. At a high-level EESC debate with MEP Siegfried Mureșan, the European Commission, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and leading researchers, one message was clear: if the EU wants to do more on security, competitiveness and climate resilience, it needs to equip itself with a stronger budget, and to do so without weakening cohesion and agriculture. Just as importantly, spending must work better, with the regions, the social partners and civil society involved from design to delivery.
