Europski gospodarski i socijalni odbor
The European Commission's proposal for a comprehensive European care strategy that should guarantee to all Europeans the possibility of receiving high quality healthcare and care service throughout their lifetime has been met with approval by the EESC
The technical limit value for asbestos exposure should ultimately be set at a lower level than the Commission is currently proposing in a recent Directive regulating the protection of workers from dangers of occupational asbestos exposure, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) said in an opinion adopted at its plenary session in December.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the Commission's proposal for a Directive on asset recovery and confiscation as an important step towards combatting money laundering and terrorist financing in the EU. Despite a general improvement in some of the Member States, the percentage of criminal assets that are frozen or confiscated remains extremely low across the EU.
With both external and internal threats to Europe's liberal democracy on the rise, it is becoming more and more important to protect media pluralism and independence
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 European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a debate on how to improve access to finance for women entrepreneurs, as part of Committee's gender equality initiative following up on the Parliament's Gender Equality Week Initiative. Women are underserved when it comes to financing, or not at all provided for. Participants agreed that empowering these women is vital to enhance business productivity and economic growth. Moreover, women in leadership are more conscious of – and deliver on – climate objectives and encourage diversity.
At its December plenary, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discussed the issues affecting young people in the labour market in the context of the 2022 European Year of Youth and the 2023 European Year of Skills. The Committee advocates for a long-term strategy for youth engagement and recommends that the concept of European Years go beyond mere promotional activities and contribute towards clear plans. The needs of refugees and our Ukrainian neighbours must also be a priority of the European Year of Skills.
The European Economic and Social Committee held a plenary debate on the role of finance and public recovery policies in promoting gender equality and the economic empowerment of women in the EU. The discussion was linked to the adoption of two opinions: one on a gender-based approach to budgeting and investing and the other on how Member States can improve the way in which the direct and indirect measures proposed in their Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) affect gender equality.
Europe's care sector will be barely capable of responding to the growing care demands of its ageing population. It is in dire need of major investments and a shift in policy-making, which should ensure that care workers are properly paid, have regulated working hours and receive adequate support. To achieve this, EU action will not be enough, and political will at national level will be crucial, an EESC hearing said.
After nine months of war in Ukraine, the EU institutions and the Member States are still striving to overcome the challenges of the migration crisis caused by Ukrainians fleeing the war on a massive scale. Civil society organisations (CSOs), NGOs and national stakeholders are also seeking practices to ensure the protection and integration of Ukrainian refugees, paying special attention to children and people with disabilities, with winter and war fatigue making these efforts harder.
