Coiste Eacnamaíoch agus Sóisialta na hEorpa
Ón gcéad choinbhinsiún, mar atá, Coinbhinsiún Lomé, (1975) go dtí Comhaontú Cotonou (2000-2021), is le Comhpháirtíochtaí AE-ACC a rialaíodh an caidreamh idir an tAontas agus 79 dtír de Ghrúpa na Stát san Afraic, i Muir Chairib agus san Aigéan Ciúin (ACC), ar a dtugtar Eagraíocht na Stát san Afraic, i Muir Chairib agus san Aigéan Ciúin (ESACC) anois.
Le linn na tréimhse sin, throid CESE, i gcomhpháirt le sochaí shibhialta ACC, ar son aitheantas a thabhairt don ról ríthábhachtach atá ag oibreoirí neamhstáit sa phróiseas forbartha go dtí gur baineadh an méid sin amach le Comhaontú Cotonou, lenar tugadh sainordú do CESE gníomhaíochtaí agus comhairliúcháin a eagrú le “grúpaí sainleasa eacnamaíocha agus sóisialta ACC-AE ” d’fhonn tuairimí na sochaí sibhialta eagraithe a bhailiú agus guth a thabhairt di. Is é an aidhm atá leis ná malartuithe a chothú agus moltaí a dhéanamh maidir le saincheisteanna agus beartais a bhaineann le caidreamh ACC-AE agus cuirtear na moltaí sin faoi bhráid cheannairí AE agus ACC go hoifigiúil tráth níos faide anonn.
Go praiticiúil, cuirtear gníomhaíochtaí CESE a bhaineann le caidreamh AE-ESACCi gcrích, go príomha, faoi threoir Choiste Leantach cuimsitheach ACC-AE ar a bhfuil comhaltaí ó CESE agus toscairí a dhéanann ionadaíocht thar ceann ghrúpaí sainleasa eacnamaíocha agus sóisialta ACC.
Tá teagmháil rialta á cothú ag Coiste Leantach ACC-AE le hionadaithe na sochaí sibhialta sna tíortha ACC ar leibhéil éagsúla de thoradh na nithe seo a leanas:
Tá teagmháil rialta ag CESE le hionadaithe ó ghrúpaí sainleasa eacnamaíocha agus sóisialta an Aontais Afracaigh, faoi chuimsiú straitéis chomhpháirteach AE-na hAfraice. Go háirithe, reáchtálann CESE cruinnithe bliantúla leis an líonra de Gheallsealbhóirí Eacnamaíocha agus Sóisialta AE-na hAfraice.
Tá teagmháil rialta á cothú ag CESE le Tionól Parlaiminteach Comhpháirteach ACC-AE le roinnt mhaith blianta anuas trí thuarascáil ar a ghníomhaíochtaí a chur i láthair ag seisiúin an Tionóil Iomlánaigh.
Chomh maith leis sin, tá CESE i ndlúth-theagmháil le heagraíochtaí idirnáisiúnta, mar atá eagraíochtaí fostóirí, eagraíochtaí oibrithe, eagraíochtaí feirmeoirí, eagraíochtaí comharchumann agus eagraíochtaí tomhaltóirí. Ainmníonn na heagraíochtaí sin na hionadaithe ó thíortha ACC a gheobhaidh cuireadh chuig na cruinnithe arna reáchtáil ag CESE, lena n-áirítear Coiste Leantach ACC-AE.
The sixth meeting of the EU-Africa Economic and Social Stakeholders' Network took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 3 and 4 July 2019. A political declaration was adopted by the network to be addressed to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the African Union.
On the basis of the Cotonou agreement, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is mandated to organise consultation sessions and meetings of ACP-EU economic and social interest groups in order to voice these actors' views on the ACP-EU partnership and foster cooperation between civil society organisations.
Within this framework, the EESC organises regional seminars every year in one of the ACP regions.
This year, the EESC is organising a regional seminar in Windhoek (Namibia) on 8-9 November 2018.
The EU-Africa economic and social stakeholders' network will first deal with the up-coming EU-Africa Action Plan for the period 2018-2020. The annual meeting will specifically address migration and economic issues, focusing on the implications for young people. The youth focus is essential as young people clearly represent an increasingly important proportion of African populations. Moreover, youth unemployment in both Africa and Europe is a shared concern of economic and social actors. It is helping to feed migration flows, especially for young Africans who are facing a lack of prospects.
The Consultative Committee (CC) is one of the 5 institutions foreseen in the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement. The CC is composed of 40 (25 from the CARIFORM side and 15 from the EU side) standing representatives of organisations of the civil society representing employers' organisations, trade unions, other economic, social and non-governmental organisations, including development and environmental organisations; and the academic community.
The Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) has been the main framework for relations between the continents of Europe and Africa since 2007. Its goal is to develop a shared vision of the main global issues whilst simultaneously strengthening cooperation in a broad range of areas such as development, governance, human rights, trade, regional integration, food security and migration. To this end, meetings of EU-African economic and social stakeholders are held on a regular basis.
Under the auspices of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) organises meetings with ACP and EU economic and social interest groups. This role has been confirmed by the Cotonou Agreement, which mandates the EESC to organise consultation sessions and meetings of ACP and EU economic and social interest groups (Protocol 1).
Within this framework, the EESC organises general meetings in Brussels every three years, with delegates from the 78 ACP countries, together with representatives of the EU institutions, national economic and social councils, the secretariat of the ACP Group of States, EU and ACP states' diplomatic missions, NGOs and other interested parties. These general meetings are in addition to the regional seminars, which take place in the ACP regions once a year.
The social economy is prominent in everyday life and in the productive activity of large regions of the world and makes a decisive contribution to improving the living and working conditions of millions of people. However, the social economy is not specifically recognised as a sector in the EU development cooperation programmes.One of the principal aims of the opinion is that the external dimension of the EU’s programmes and initiatives should establish support measures specifically targeted at boosting businesses and organisations in the social economy.
The EESC organises regional seminars every year in an ACP region –this year, in Eastern Africa (Nairobi) on 4‑5 July 2016, with three main topics of discussion:
- Implementation of the SDGs - The Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Eastern African States. - The post-Cotonou agenda.
At the end of the seminar, a final declaration will be issued that will be forwarded to the partners of the Cotonou agreement.
Around 60 representatives of economic and social actors as well as political authorities and international organisations will attend the seminar.
The Consultative Committee (CC) is one of the 5 institutions foreseen in the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement. The CC is composed of 40 (25 from the CARIFORM side and 15 from the EU side) standing representatives of organisations of the civil society representing employers' organisations, trade unions, other economic, social and non-governmental organisations, including development and environmental organisations; and the academic community.
