News

  • Tax justice

    The reporting mechanism will contribute to more tax justice and fair competition in the EU

    The European Commission must set out more precise hallmarks for the proposed reporting obligations on cross-border tax arrangements and transactions in order to prevent subjective interpretation by taxpayers and tax authorities which could lead to over-reporting and administrative burdens, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) urges in its recently adopted opinion on disincentives to tax avoidance or evasion.

  • The Bulgarian, Romanian and Austrian presidencies of the Council of the EU should work with SME representative organisations on specific SME policies and programmes for 2014-2020

  • While protectionism is not an option for Europe, neither can the EU allow its internal market to be flooded by products that fly in the face of its social and environmental standards and jeopardise its industry, warned the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in a report adopted last week on a comprehensive industrial policy for the EU.

  • The EESC advocates a fiscal stimulus focusing on public investment, while also prioritising structural reforms to enhance productivity and support the creation of quality jobs

    The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) disagrees with the European Commission's proposal for an overall broadly neutral fiscal stance in 2018, advocating a moderate positive fiscal stance of around 0.5% of GDP instead.

  • The President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Georges Dassis, and the President of the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council, Patrick Bernasconi, met in Brussels on 17 January to present an initial assessment of the enhanced cooperation between the institutions they head and to explore possibilities for further joint activities in the future.  

  • "The Presidency's success does not reflect the size of the country – it is driven by the political will to push for policies that are crucial for the future of Europe", said the EESC's president Georges Dassis in his welcome speech to the Bulgarian Deputy Minister for Labour and Social Policy, Zornitsa Roussinova, at the EESC's plenary session in January.

  • Participating as keynote speaker in a high-level colloquium, organised by EESC President Dassis on "The position of Greece within the future of Europe", Greece’s Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs George Katrougkalos engaged in a lively exchange with Greek EESC members and the Presidents of the Greek civil society organisations represented at the Greek ESC, Athens, 21/12/17.

  • New incentives aim to foster a fairer division of childcare and other caring duties between men and women, which should help reduce the persistent gender employment gap

    Measures proposed by the European Commission to help families achieve a better work-life balance and tackle the unequal distribution of care responsibilities between men and women represent a step in the right direction, said the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) at its plenary session in December.

  • Freedom of expression and the media remains a serious concern in Montenegro. The last meeting of the EU-Montenegro Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) took place in Brussels on 19 December. The JCC's members discussed the current state of play and the work ahead in Montenegro's accession negotiations to the EU and adopted a final declaration. ...

  • Digitisation has brought about significant changes in the labour market and workers engaged in new forms of employment are often excluded from accessing social security. In an opinion adopted at the December plenary session, the EESC urges Member States to regulate new forms of work and guarantee access to pensions, health and unemployment systems to these "new workers".