The European Union should grasp the opportunity of the new political mandate and financial period to improve its economic policy coordination and governance. The European Semester should become the most important element of economic policy coordination and a multi-level and multi-actor governance approach should be implemented, says the European Economic and Social Committee. It suggests that an EESC competence centre for exchange of information could be established to address implementation concerns in relation to a future EU strategy.
The European Semester should be based on the principles of partnership and multilevel governance modelled on the partnership agreements existing in cohesion policy, as this bottom-up approach will contribute to more clarity, legitimacy and ownership at implementing level. This was one of the main messages of a hearing held by the European Economic and Social Committee on 11 June.
Building up a more sustainable and resilient European economy and completing Economic and Monetary Union should be priorities for the next European Commission and European Parliament: these points emerged froma public hearing held by the European Economic and Social Committee on 12 April 2019.
A more democratic and participatory European Semester, in the context of the review of the EU economic governance framework
Conference
Rue Van Maerlant 2
1040 Brussels
Belgium
Brussels
Belgium
Enhancing the resilience and sustainability of the EU economy has become more important than ever in light of the challenges that the EU is currently facing: recovering from the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, softening the effects of the war in Ukraine on the EU economy, while tackling inflation, the energy crisis and implementing the digital and green transitions.
Reforming the European Semester for a resilient, sustainable and inclusive Europe - Tackling present and future challenges
Rue Belliard, 99
Brussels
Belgium
When NextGenerationEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) were set up, the EESC's European Semester Group (ESG) welcomed them and stressed the need to link these tools to the European semester's policy framework, the functioning of which would probably need to be overhauled as a result of the introduction of these new tools. Furthermore, the ESG continues to see these tools as an effective way of taking European integration one step forward, while at the same time pointing out means of overcoming the crises currently facing the European Union.
Building a resilient Europe - Civil society and the National Recovery and Resilience Plans
Conference
Brussels
Belgium
The Recovery and Resilience Facility is moving into its next phase, and the European Semester Group of the EESC is following the process. In this high-level conference we will discuss whether the national recovery and resilience plans will deliver as regards the aim of achieving fair, inclusive, competitive and sustainable growth and cohesion through the new growth strategy – the European Green Deal. Focus will be on the implementation of the national recovery and resilience plans, with particular attention on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the just transition towards a green, digital and sustainable European economy. The conclusions of this event will be forwarded to EU institutions and the "EU Recovery Summit" conference in Lisbon on 28 June 2021.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is organising a public hearing The European Semester and Cohesion policy – Towards a new European strategy post-2020 to be held on Tuesday, 11 June 2019, starting at 10.30 a.m, that will bring together policymakers, academics and organised civil society representatives, with a view to developing policy proposals which will help shape these stronger ties and improve sustainable growth. The results from the hearing will feed into both the ongoing EESC opinion on the same topic and future decisions by EU leaders in this field. With the Europe 2020 Strategy coming to an end, these proposals can contribute to the preparation of a new long-term European strategy, taking on board the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Right.
On 20 February 2024 in Brussels, the EESC organised a conference on the Housing Crisis in Europe. This publication sets out the participants' assessment of the current state of affairs and their recommendations on how to tackle the current housing crisis.
Recent economic shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have brought energy poverty to the forefront of social and political debate. While EU policies increasingly address energy poverty, gender considerations remain overlooked. This study addresses this gap and aims to increase the understanding of the gender-energy poverty nexus, analysing existing literature and EU and national policies.
