Coiste Eacnamaíoch agus Sóisialta na hEorpa
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The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has slammed the EU for its inadequate support and insufficient funding for civil society organisations working in the area of fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy. With civil society encountering ever more difficulties, the EESC announced that it would monitor the situation of democracy and human rights defenders more closely, both in the EU and in enlargement countries
Despite being recognised as a constitutional principle of the EU, participatory democracy in Europe is still largely unstructured, with no formal institutional agreements that would allow citizens and civil society organisations to directly contribute to the development of EU policies
With populism and authoritarianism on the rise across Europe, civil society organisations face growing hostility. Battling with financial constraints, smear campaigns, political attacks and legal and administrative obstacles, they urgently need reinforced support on all fronts to be able to play their key role of making our societies more open, more accountable and just.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls on the EU and Member States to work on better communicating fundamental rights and the rule of law towards the general population. In its opinion, the EESC suggests focusing on fairness and justice and giving a voice to those who experience human rights and human rights violations first hand.
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.
On the occasion of the European Parliament (EP) Gender Equality Week, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) debated the way to improve women's participation in the labour market with EP Vice-President Evelyn Regner.
On 26 September, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a conference on the latest European Commission's Rule of Law Report.
"The rule of law: why should we care?" was the thought-provoking question put to participants in a hearing jointly organised by the EESC Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group and the International Bar Association (IBA) on 6 July 2022 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
On 25 May, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a hearing on the subject of "Improving equality in the EU" in preparation for an EESC opinion. It discussed intersectionality, discrimination and hierarchy of grounds, while emphasizing the importance of easier access to justice.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) strongly supports the European Commission in its initiative to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech in an opinion adopted in its May plenary, and encourages the Council take on this important proposal.
