Europe

The European Commission organised the first Civil Society Forum of the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) on 4 October 2022.

Participation was opened to Civil Society Organisations representing employers organisations, workers representatives, NGOs and academics. 

The Scope of the Civil Society Forum of the EU-UK TCA is part 2 of the agreement covering areas of Trade, Transport and Fisheries. The agenda for this first meeting of the CSF included Trade in goods, sustainability, Energy cooperation and level playing field.

The EU Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs), set up under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to advise on the implementation of the agreement, held their first meeting on 3 October 2022, in Brussels. 

The meeting started with a presentation round of all participants, followed by an overview of all DAG activities carried out so far and of the current situation, including the main issues and concerns in terms of actual scope of the TCA and of DAG monitoring, as well as how the institutional interaction with their respective governmental counterparts has been developed.

Finally, after some fruitful discussion, the DAGs have also drafted and adopted a Joint Statement, ahead of the First Civil Society Forum that took place the day after.

The 5th meeting of the EU DAG set up under the EU-UK TCA was dedicated to the assessment of the first year of DAG work -including the recent EU-UK Civil Society Forum, to an update on the Trade Specialised Committees and to a structured discussion of selected issues and recommendations with a DG TRADE representativ

Representatives of the European and Ukrainian Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs), set up under the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, will hold their sixth joint meeting on 26 January 2023. The objective of the meeting will be to prepare a set of recommendations for the EU-Ukraine Trade and Sustainable Development Sub-Committee and the Civil Society Forum, which will take place in March 2023.

The 13th meeting of the EU Domestic Advisory Group under the EU-Ukraine DCFTA will take place via a videoconference on 17 january 2023. Please click on the programme tab to consult the topics on the agenda.

The 10th meeting of the EU-Georgia Civil Society Platform (CSP) will be convened on 16 December 2022. During the meeting, a debate will focus on assessing the implementation of the 12 priorities identified by the EU and the state of play of the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement/DCFTA. The Platform will also discuss the implementation of the Chapter 16 on Education, training and youth. 

A joint declaration, prepared by both sides, will be discussed and adopted.

The upcoming meeting of the Section for External Relations, which will take place on 20 December 2022, will be dedicated to EU-UK relations.

The EU-UK Follow-up Committee, a working body of the European Economic and Social Committee, was set up in March 2021, primarily to maintain and strengthen relations between UK and EU civil society organisations, and to monitor implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

In support of its mandate, a Delegation of the EU-UK Follow-up Committee carried out a fact-finding mission to the four parts of the United Kingdom in October 2022, with the aim of assessing implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, including the state of play of citizens' rights and of the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland. The other main purpose of the mission was to assess the prospects for improving links between civil society organisations in the UK and the EU. To this end, the Delegation engaged with representatives of employer associations, trade unions, and third-sector civil society organisations from across the UK, as well as with representatives of public authorities.

Based on these meetings with various stakeholders, the EU-UK Follow-up Committee drew up an information report on the implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement to feed into the political dialogue between the EU and UK, as well as to promote a joint reflection on their future relationship.

At this meeting, the Information Report will be discussed and adopted, providing a timely and relevant opportunity to an exchange of views on post‑Brexit issues, including those arising from the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement and the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The 12th meeting of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform will take place on 1 December 2022. During the meeting, a debate will be held on the enhancement of Ukraine's integration into the EU, as well as the needs and challenges for Ukraine today and in the post-war reconstruction, with special focus on energy, social aspects and critical infrastructure. A joint declaration, prepared by both sides, will be discussed and adopted.

Representatives of the European and Georgian Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs), set up under the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Georgia, will hold their seventh joint meeting on 29 November 2022 in Brussels.

The objective of the meeting will be to prepare a set of recommendations for the EU-Georgia Trade and Sustainable Development Sub-Committee and the Civil Society Forum, which will take place in December 2022.

The 10th meeting of the EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform took place in Chisinau, Moldova, on 10 November 2022. During the meeting, a debate focused on assessing the progresses of Moldova in the implementation of the European Commission recommendations regarding its accession to the EU, as well as the state of play of the implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement.

The Platform also discussed the 2022 developments in the anti-corruption field, the impact of regional and global crises on the social-economic situation in Moldova, and participation of the Trade Unions and Employers' Associations in EU-funded projects.

A joint declaration, prepared by both sides, was discussed and adopted.