On 7 March, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will award its 14th Civil Society Prize, dedicated to mental health, to five non-profit projects: two from Finland and one each from Italy, Ireland and Slovakia.
In this opinion, the EESC is calling for a European flagship initiative for health, based on the principles of universality, quality, accessibility, solidarity and inclusivity. The strategic pillars of this roadmap are outlined, and a more institutionalised involvement of civil society in defining, evaluating and monitoring health priorities is asked.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is giving its flagship Civil Society Prize to non-profit projects supporting the mental well-being of Europeans
Young people's mental health is being increasingly compromised by the excessive use of social media, concerns about climate change and a sense of powerlessness. This is a "political" issue for the EU because it can often be linked to the labour market and housing situation facing young people
In order to improve the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime in the EU, the EESC recommends that Member States provide their customs administrations and police forces with adequate human and technical resources, decent pay, working conditions and continued training. The opinion highlights that trade unions representing police and customs officials should be involved to better identify human resources and equipment needs. The EESC advocates better cross-border law enforcement coordination between police and customs authorities, and better cooperation between law enforcement and judicial authorities as well as fiscal authorities in order to combat organised crime as effectively as possible. The opinion also underlines that combating the abuse of drugs necessitates a differentiated, whole-of-society approach, remarking that drug use should be tackled more by means of preventive and accompanying measures and less through repression.
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Download — EGSZB-vélemény: Roadmap on anti-drug trafficking
EESC, VMA Building, Room VMA 22, Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1000
Brussels
Belgium
The EESC will hold a hybrid hearing in Brussels on 9 November 2023 from 2:30 to 5:30 pm on "Young people and mental health"
In the event, we will discuss some of the factors affecting mental health of young generations, namely addiction to social media climate anxiety and other social determinants like working conditions. The objective will be to propose possible actions to protect mental health of young people and improve their wellbeing.
