European Economic
and Social Committee
EESC RENEWAL: Michael McLoughlin, new Co-Chair of the EESC's EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform
EU Member State responsible for her nomination as EESC member:
Ireland
Nomination as representative of:
Educational background and professional experience:
I have been working in the NGO sector in Ireland most of my adult life and was a youth activist before this. I am currently Head of Advocacy with Youth Work Ireland. I have previously worked for Ireland's Institute of International and European Affairs. I have also been Chairperson of the Irish National Agency for the ERASMUS+ Programme in Ireland, as well as a board member of the Children’s Rights Alliance and Ireland's National Youth Council. I have been an election observer with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe( OSCE) and carried out a number of projects in the youth sector with various international partners.
At the EESC, I have worked on youth issues with our ad hoc group and have been a long time member of the EU-China Roundtable and other bodies of the EESC's Section for External Relations (REX). I have also worked on a number of migration files and have been rapporteur on a variety of topics such as the EU Youth Strategy, ERASMUS+, EU Solidarity Corps, The Youth Guarantee, Common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) and The EEAS Youth in External Action Plan.
Motivation for the Presidency:
I have a long-standing interest and involvement in international relations and EU External Affairs and have worked on different areas with the Committee. I returned to education receiving a Masters in International Relations at the time of the first Russian invasion of the Donbass and Crimea. I spent time in Ukraine in 2019 with the OSCE and have viewed the EU’S relations there as a critical element of our very future and the values we hold.
I have been a member of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (CSP) for a number of years and see it as a critical part of the EESC’s contribution to defending Ukraine and its civic society.
Priorities and mission:
I want to ensure that our Committee does its utmost in all our work to support Ukraine and Ukrainian Civic Society in its self-defence against the illegal and aggressive invasion by Russia. These are not normal times for the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (CSP), which should soon become a Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) as part of the accession process. There will be a lot of formal business in this area on the accession negotiations and the relevant chapters where we will need to work together.
However, we will need to go beyond the formal agenda of the CSP/JCC. There is a desire amongst EESC members to do more across all our work. We need to keep highlighting the impact of the war and the ongoing war crimes being committed. This should involve all organs of the Committee. We need to have impactful plenary sessions which profile the needs of Ukraine in its self-defence and the role of civic society. EESC sections can contribute by focusing on the impact of their policy area and its place in the negotiations and beyond. Our EESC's programme of events and cultural activities can have a major impact on building awareness and support for Ukrainian civic society.
Further information: Michael McLoughlin (Ireland)
Member, EESC Civil Society Organisations' Group
Head of advocacy and communications, Youth Work Ireland