EESC info

The EESC has called on the European Commission and Member States to develop a new European Strategy for Older Persons, which would move away from the current perception of older people as a burden and cost to society. Instead, the strategy would tap into their social, economic and intellectual potential, which is often neglected.

In the absence of a comprehensive policy on older persons and ageing, this would be the first EU strategy to protect the rights of older people and ensure their full participation in society and the economy.

The EESC's calls were presented in an opinion adopted at its July plenary session, at which a debate was held with the Commission's Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica, and the president of the AGE Platform Europe, Dr Heidrun Mollenkopf. The opinion had been requested by the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU.

The strategy would help eradicate ageist views that add to discrimination against older people, which - together with gender discrimination - continues to top the list of the most common forms of discrimination in the EU, despite the fact that Europe is ageing rapidly. Eurostat estimates that by 2050, the number of people in the EU aged 75-84 will grow by 56.1%, while the number of people aged 65-74 will increase by 16.6%.

"The EESC is making a clear and unequivocal call to the Commission to draw up a European Strategy for Older People before the end of its current mandate. I believe this represents a starting point that will be far-reaching in its effects for European social and demographic policy", said the rapporteur of the opinion, Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna.

Commission Vice-President Dubravka Šuica said: "Older people are neither an expense nor a burden. They are an asset. We cannot look at demographic change in isolation. We need to observe how it interacts with megatrends like the green and digital transitions".

"Older people should not be viewed as welfare recipients, but as citizens with the same rights to a full, discrimination-free life as people of all ages. These rights must be guaranteed in all areas of life", stated Dr Mollenkopf.

Furthermore, older people possess a significant share of the wealth in many countries, with notable purchasing power. The silver economy, driven by older consumers, is projected to undergo substantial growth and is estimated to reach EUR 5.7 trillion by 2025. To address this potential, the EU needs effective strategies that take into consideration regional dynamics and the opportunities afforded by this economy. (ll)

Adopting a human rights approach to water management, boosting investment, introducing consumption label, and price restructuring are among the key recommendations set out in six EESC opinions on water adopted at its July plenary. They make up the first wave of EESC proposals for a comprehensive EU water policy under its Blue Deal initiative.

In response to the pressing challenges in this area, the European Economic and Social Committee is leading the way with a comprehensive set of recommendations for a sustainable water policy for Europe. Its Blue Deal initiative calls for a unified approach across Europe to eradicating water poverty and ensuring access to safe and affordable water and sanitation as a human right.

To achieve these goals, the EESC highlights the importance of developing resilient water infrastructure and distribution networks. This begins with conducting assessments of the current state of water infrastructure and availability in each Member State to identify investment needs and ensure efficient water management.

The series of EESC recommendations on the economics of an EU Blue Deal include implementing pricing strategies that discourage wasteful water consumption and proposing new means of financing water policies. The Committee aims to position the EU as a global leader in water-efficient technologies. It proposes embedding water in all EU industrial policies to reduce water consumption, promote reuse and recycling, and address water pollution. As for agriculture, the EESC suggests a similar approach ensuring that the water dimension is fully incorporated within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) framework.

Recognising the power of consumers in driving change, the EESC also wants to promote the use of water-efficient appliances by introducing water consumption labels and circular water consumption practices, empowering individuals to contribute to the solution.
These proposals will be consolidated in a set of key principles and actions to be presented to the European institutions at the Call for an EU Blue Deal conference on 26 October 2023. The EESC's objective is for water to be one of the top priorities of the next European Commission. (gb)

The EESC has called for a reform of health systems across the EU in a bid to ensure a comprehensive approach to mental health, amid a spike in mental health and behavioural disorders among Europeans, particularly Europe's younger population.

In an opinion requested by the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU, adopted at its plenary session in July, the EESC stated that mental health care should focus on timely prevention, early detection and community-based care.

"We urgently need to reform health systems across the EU to ensure that they deliver integrated and planned long-term interventions and care, not only to cure but also to prevent medical conditions, using multidisciplinary teams, instead of being organised around episodic models of care," said the rapporteur for the opinion, Milena Angelova.

"We need to change our mental health care systems. We need more specialists and more support for the people who need [the care],"said the co-rapporteur for the opinion, Ivan Kokalov.
Young people, children, women and disadvantaged groups, but also people exposed to prolonged stress, are at particular risk of developing a mental disorder.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has further deteriorated, with some 20% of Europeans experiencing mental health needs, ranging from severe to moderate. This has, among other things, also affected working life and income. Current estimates show that mental health and behavioural disorders cost the EU some 4% of its GDP annually.
Mental health disorders are also taking a severe human toll and are responsible for roughly 4% of deaths in Europe every year; they are the second-most prevalent cause of death among young people.

The EESC commends the European Commission on its recent Comprehensive Plan on Mental Health, and urges that this plan be swiftly transposed into a properly funded EU Mental Health Strategy. The strategy should have a timeframe, define clear responsibilities and include measurable progress indicators.

In the EESC's view, mental health systems should be rights-based and person-centered, prioritising the empowerment and active participation of individuals in their own recovery.
The EESC strongly recommends that the European Commission declare 2024 as the European Year of Mental Health. This would send out a powerful signal and encourage the forging of a strong alliance to improve and promote mental health throughout the EU.

The EESC welcomed representatives from candidate countries' civil society organisations at its July plenary session, announcing the initiative to appoint "Honorary Enlargement Members" and invite them to participate in daily consultative work at the Committee

As a first concrete step towards that goal, the EESC held a debate at its July plenary session on the importance of civil society in the EU enlargement process. EESC President Oliver Röpke has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) to advance the structured engagement of civil society and youth in promoting peace and prosperity in South East Europe.

The Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, commended the EESC's "Honorary Enlargement Members" initiative as a way of keeping enlargement policy high on the EU's agenda. 

The Prime Minister of Moldova, Dorin Recean, pointed out that this new initiative from the EESC was timely and would strengthen cooperation with civil society in Moldova. 

Majlinda Bregu, Secretary-General of the RCC, said, "We in the RCC cannot imagine coordinating regional efforts on the challenging Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (WB) without our Civil Society Organisations' (CSOs) Consultative Forum, nor coordinating efforts towards a regional market without our chambers of commerce [having a] strong voice". 

Bosko Savkovic, from the Union of Employers of Serbia, praised Serbian civil society for speaking up, fighting foreign disinformation and reminding Serbians of the prospect of EU membership. 

Oleksandr Yavorskyi, from the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, said: "Ukraine made the choice to start its journey to become a member of the EU long before the war started. Ukraine's social partners and civil society now need the right training to help them in the EU accession process".

Anisa Subashi, Vice President of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania, underlined the role of trade unions in strengthening social dialogue, especially at a time when the Albanian government was making efforts to shrink civic space. 

Both Dajana Cvjetkovic, Centre for Promotion of Civil Society, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Daliborka Uljarevic, Executive Director, Centre for Civic Education in Montenegro, supported the role of civil society in the enlargement process. "We are the backbones of our society and the aspirations of our citizens. We are the closest allies of the EU institutions and this initiative will further deepen our cooperation", said Ms. Uljarevic. (mt)

The blueprint for a net-zero industry lacks vision on how to ensure Europe's industry stays competitive and attracts investment.

The EESC believes that the Green Deal Industrial Plan (GDIP) and the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) are good overall, but they should be more specific as to what actions will be taken to improve locational factors, boost the competitiveness of Europe's economies and set the EU apart from its systemic rivals.

"We are very critical of the fact that it has taken something like the Inflation Reduction Act in the US to spur the EU into action," says Sandra Parthie, rapporteur of the EESC opinion on the GDIP and the NZIA. "We would have liked this to come earlier. We would have liked the EU to react more forcefully and with more conviction, to show our companies and societies that we really want Europe to remain relevant as an industrial location, with good jobs and good salaries for workers."

European industry has become less competitive than that of its main rivals in recent decades. Per capita GDP in the EU has dropped from around 70% of per capita GDP in the US in the 2000s to under 66%. US and EU shares of the world's gross investment declined from 29% to 20% and from 23% to 15% respectively between 1999 and 2020. 

To reverse this downward trend, the EESC recommends carrying out an audit to identify how the EU can control and improve its value chains and avoid excessive dependencies. It also suggests submitting all draft EU legislation to a competitiveness check.

One problem the EESC points to as demanding bolder action is red tape and processing time. Take public funding: decisions to grant projects financial support and access to funding take too long. The EESC argues that, if we want to prevent investors from taking their business elsewhere, we need measures to ensure timely and accessible funding for both operating costs and capital expenditure, covering all types of businesses, big and small. 

Permitting is another point where the GDIP is not up to scratch: it singles out a number of net-zero technologies which should get fast-track permitting and more financial support for projects, leaving other sectors to face more difficulties.

In the EESC's view, the GDIP and the NZIA focus too narrowly on promoting green technologies and picking "winners". Instead, they should encourage a diverse industry with a wide range of sectors.  
Europe is home to a lot of energy-intensive heavy and primary industries that need decarbonising and that are not included in the GDIP. 

Easing EU State aid rules is another potential trap, as it could widen the gap between richer Member States and poorer ones which do not have the fiscal space to invest in the green transition and support their champion industries and households. This is why there should be a serious debate on a European Sovereignty Fund to provide additional EU-level financing for the transition. 

European Commission figures show that there is significant job creation potential in net-zero technology, with 180 000 workers needed in fuel cell hydrogen manufacturing, 66 000 in photovoltaic solar manufacturing and 800 000 in battery production. 

The GDIP supports the development of green skills, but the EESC maintains that it should support the development of the whole range of skills needed in industry. It should also speed up and standardise work permits for qualified workers coming from outside the European Union. (dm)
 

In an opinion adopted at its July plenary, the EESC urges the EU to take a comprehensive approach to raw materials policies. It proposes expanding the critical materials lists, ensuring fair energy prices, simplifying permitting, prioritising recycling, and promoting capacity-building in EU raw materials policies.

China currently dominates the global supply of critical raw materials, with Europe producing less than 5% of the world's mineral raw materials. With demand for global raw materials projected to double by 2060, action is imperative.

To address these challenges, the EESC recommends expanding the list of critical raw materials to include those vital for green and sustainable technologies, enabling targeted policies and investments. It also advocates fair energy prices, financial support, simplified permitting procedures, and partnerships with other countries to enhance resource security and drive the EU's green transition.

The EESC rapporteur for the opinion, Maurizio Mensi, emphasised the need to prioritise the recovery and reuse of raw materials in waste legislation as a way to reduce reliance on primary sources and stimulate economic growth. However, the Committee warns about the importance of balancing resource security with environmental considerations to align with the EU's sustainability goals.

EESC co-rapporteur Michal Pintér argued for EU-wide capacity-building in extractive industries. The opinion calls for a focus on developing human capital in extractive industries, and reskilling and upskilling the current workforce in order to foster a robust raw materials sector.

By collectively addressing these aspects, the EU can successfully transition towards a green economy, laying the foundations for a resilient, sustainable and globally competitive raw materials sector. (gb)

The EESC welcomes the European Commission's strategy on the energy transition in the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector, in an opinion requested by the Spanish Presidency and adopted at the July plenary. Recognising the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable, renewable and commercially viable energy alternatives, the EESC stresses the significance of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

The EESC emphasises that the fishing industry plays a vital role in mitigating the effects of climate change. Fishers provide one of the healthiest animal proteins with a minimal carbon footprint, with emissions from the sector projected to account for a small fraction of the world total in 2023, underscoring the industry's relatively low environmental impact. Nevertheless, the EESC urges for continued efforts to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions further.

"The decarbonisation of the fishing sector requires a comprehensive approach, financial incentives and embracing zero-emission energy sources", said rapporteur of the opinion, Javier Garat Pérez. "We have to balance realism and ambition. We need an appropriate and realistic decarbonisation timetable that considers technological, logistical, and legislative developments. The cost of the transition should not burden employers and workers in the maritime sectors or leave anyone behind. Balancing the goals of decarbonisation with economic viability is crucial for a successful energy transition".

The EESC recognises the challenges posed in the development and global availability of alternative and innovative green technologies. The EESC suggests hybridisation as an intermediate solution, while also exploring options beyond fossil fuels. In addition, it notes that any energy source change will require new vessels to be designed in a completely new way, with higher on-board capacity (gross tonnage) to accommodate new machinery. The EESC therefore calls on the European Commission to review the definition of "fishing capacity" in order to be able to implement new technologies related to the energy transition. (ks)

Rules should set obligations for influencers, but also for video-sharing platforms and social media networks

Influencer advertising and marketing has been one of the fastest-growing industries of the last decade. Perceived by consumers as closer, more authentic and more trustable than traditional advertising or celebrity endorsement, influencers are attracting more and more brand investment.

However, unlike traditional advertising, which is subject to very strict rules, influencer advertising can fall through the cracks of ad disclosure. The commercial nature of influencer posts is not always identifiable as such, with ads featuring alongside similarly styled, but independent, editorial content. 

This lack of transparency is dangerous for consumers in general and for minors in particular. Exposing this vulnerable group to covert advertising could potentially harm their physical, psychological, social and emotional development. 

Should the EU do something about this? "In fact, the EU already has some mechanisms in place to deal with influencers, which are covered by legislation on both advertisers and sellers/traders. However, we think it would be desirable to have a comprehensive approach, given the rapid rise of this phenomenon," says Bernardo Hernández Bataller, rapporteur for an EESC report on this issue.

The Committee suggests that the EU should set specific obligations for both the administrators of the video-sharing platforms and social media networks on which influencers operate, and for content creators/influencers themselves. 

Influencers should:

• include a prominent label upfront to highlight that a post is a marketing communication;
• comply with sector-specific rules designed to protect the health and safety of consumers and users, especially minors and other vulnerable groups;
• be liable if they fail to make it sufficiently clear when they are being paid to endorse or promote a product or service.

Platform administrators and social media networks should:

• also be liable for content published by the content creators and influencers they host; 
• have an obligation to take down illegal content and report illegal activity;
• ask all content creators/influencers operating outside the EU to clearly indicate who is legally liable for their activity within the EU and to have professional insurance to cover harm caused by illegal activities.

In order to protect minors, platforms and social network administrators, together with influencers, should ensure that: 

• it is technically possible to prevent under-age users from viewing sensitive content, which in any case must be marked as "prohibited for children under 18", require age verification and allow the use of parental control;
• influencer posts targeting minors include the words "advertising", "commercial communication" or "sponsored by"; and that modified images are marked as "touched-up image" and products of artificial intelligence as "virtual image".

This EESC opinion has been drawn up for the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU, which is considering whether a specific regulation should be adopted and has asked the European Economic and Social Committee for its views on this matter. (dm)
 

Inflation in the European Union is at its highest since the euro was introduced. Currently, 96.5 million Europeans are at risk of poverty and social exclusion: these people are the most affected by the broad increase in prices of goods and services, rising energy costs and loss of purchasing power.

These are just some of the alarming figures revealed in the EESC opinion drafted by Felipe Medina Martín and adopted at the July plenary session.

The impact of the energy crisis on the European economy is serious. The high prices for energy, raw materials, services and industrial goods have resulted in high inflation and weakened economic growth and have put strong pressure on public finances and businesses, undermining external economic competitiveness.

To reverse this trend, the EESC points out that households and key sectors (agri-food, transport, retail, etc.) should benefit from plans to reduce the impact of high energy prices, and calls on the European institutions to establish control mechanisms. Future policies should be tailored, targeted and transition-proof, and support families with lower incomes and greater difficulties in particular.

Some national price control measures have turned out to be the most suitable measure to soften the effects of high prices of basic products on families' budgets. For example, the "Iberian exception" on the electricity market price system has allowed Spain and Portugal to cap the price of gas in electricity production plants and thus drastically reduce bills. The temporary reduction of VAT on electricity prices, food and fuel adopted in some Member States is another example. (mp)

In the wake of recent banking crises in the US and the Credit Suisse case, the EESC has reviewed the Commission's proposal to reform the Bank Crisis Management and Deposit Insurance framework (CMDI). Among other measures, the Committee calls for protecting the interests of smaller and local banks, depositors and taxpayers, and coordinating the CMDI package with the future reform of the State aid Regulation.

It was the Spanish government that asked the EESC to look into the matter and provide policy recommendations to the co-legislators and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Commission's proposal to reform the CMDI aims to tackle remaining risks in the European banking sector, advancing further in the completion of the Banking Union and strengthening the EU single market in the interest of depositors and taxpayers.

"The EESC acknowledges the importance of speed, flexibility and cooperation in responding to bank crises while protecting depositors and taxpayers", commented EESC rapporteur Giuseppe Guerini. "The Commission's proposal is a step towards the completion of the Banking Union, which is crucial for achieving full consolidation of the EU financial system and reducing market fragmentation".

In its opinion, the EESC insists that harmonising deposit protection and evaluating resolution and insolvency alternatives are crucial for protecting the interests of depositors and preserving the diverse European banking ecosystem. (tk)
 

In 1957, the Economic and Social Committee was established and given consultative powers in order to bring, through its opinions and a wide variety of other activities, the perspective and concerns of organised civil society to the European decision-making bodies, and through this bring the EU closer to its citizens.

The following year the Economic and Social Committee held its first plenary session. Read more about the 65th anniversary here: www.eesc.europa.eu/65. (ck)

What did we get up to last year? You can find out in our 2022 activity report: A year in review. What were the highlights and most important topics of last year?

2022 was marked by dramatic events. On 24 February 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked war against Ukraine. Following this aggression, the EESC has been supporting Ukrainian civil society through a number of opinions, conferences and resolutions. We opened our premises to Ukrainian civil society organisations active in Brussels, providing them with a safe place to continue working and keep Ukrainian civil society alive. Our Civil Society Prize rewarded initiatives helping civilians suffering as a result of the war.

In response to the rise in energy prices, the EESC proposed a comprehensive approach to the energy transition, built on the need for a new energy model and an energy-independent EU. And while the EU is still fighting the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, investments in the green and digital transformations are more essential now than ever. The Committee has thus also been supporting the implementation and enforcement of the national recovery and resilience plans.

If you are curious to find out more, download the brochure:
https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/our-work/publications-other-work/publications/2022-year-review.