
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the EU house of organised civil society, represented by its Diversity Europe Group, met at Queen's University in Belfast on 15 February 2019 to take stock of the Brexit process and focus on its consequences for the Northern Ireland peace process.
Debate with Mr Phil HOGAN, EU Agriculture & Rural Development Commissioner. 21 February 2019: “Civil Society for rEUnaissance”.Event divided into two main parts: a morning session, including speeches and testimonies from high-level guests, and an afternoon session of topic-based workshops. More about Civil Society rEUnaissance here.
The role of people in the energy transition was at the heart of the agenda of the February meeting of the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), where energy experts showcased their experience of working for citizens.
CCMI hearing discussed "Economic, technological and social changes in advanced health services for elderly people"
The EESC calls for a budget increase and special promotion under Horizon 2020
The creative sector in Europe has great potential, but it needs more support to fully develop and become a serious competitive player on the world market. Other branches, including the textile, tourism, automotive, construction, and health industries would also benefit from an ambitious cultural and creative sector. The EESC therefore calls for an increase in the budget and specific financial support under Horizon 2020.
An effective solution for taxation of businesses in the digitalised economy should be found at the global level, to prevent further unilateral action and to ensure sustainable growth, investment, tax certainty and fairness, international tax experts and civil society representatives stated at a hearing held by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 29 January.
Let's mobilise #EUcivilsociety in the run-up to the European elections!
From 23 to 26 May 2019, people in the EU vote for the next European Parliament. Find out more about how to get involved and how the EESC is working towards this important electoral event.
The EESC supports the Commission's steps to ensure basic international HVG freight transport connectivity on a temporary basis between the Union and the United Kingdom.
The EESC welcomes the fact that the proposal for a regulation under examination grants UK road haulage operators the right, until 31/12/2019, to move freely within Union territory, in compliance with the common EU rules on access to the international haulage market, and provided that Union carriers can also move freely on UK territory under fair, equal and non-discriminatory conditions of competition.
The EESC underlined repeatedly that international aviation can only assume its role as an enabler for economic growth sustainably, if highest levels of safety are maintained. Prerequisites for safety are uniform standards which are implemented by all stakeholders and monitored by empowered agencies. Brexit may jeopardise such standards and uniform application in Europe in the field of aviation safety, because the pertinent EU regulations could no longer apply to UK aviation stakeholders as of March 2019.
In an – increasingly probable – "no Withdrawal Agreement" scenario, the legislation of the EU, in particular Regulation 1008/2008, would cease to apply for air services between the UK and the EU. This creates legal uncertainty, jeopardises planning stability and endangers continued connectivity for services between the UK and the EU. The EESC supports the thrust of the proposed Regulation as a contingency measure to secure basic air connectivity.
Digitalisation offers a wealth of new possibilities allowing people to make choices for a better life in an unprecedented way. On the other hand, the more digitalisation dominates our life, the more we can also be manipulated. The EESC calls for transparent rules to be developed, adapted and applied to these rapidly evolving technologies. Good persuasive technology should involve training, not manipulation, and comply with the principle of people's free choice, to guarantee human autonomy.
The own-initiative opinion aims to analyse the link between current food systems and diet-related diseases; identify policies, tools and instruments that are needed to foster healthier diets both on the supply and demand side, for example sustainable dietary guidelines, sustainable food labelling schemes, education modules in school curricula, information campaigns, specific agricultural schemes (such as the EU school food scheme), food product reformulation, etc.; highlight examples of good practices at national and local level - including civil society