Events

For the 12^th time, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Montenegro held the Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC). The JCC is a civil society platform established between the EESC and Montenegrin civil society. It complements with a civil society point of view the EU institutional framework related to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Montenegro. This joint institution allows civil society organisations on both sides to monitor the country's accession negotiations. It is also a platform to discuss issues of common interest and to inform the public at large on the challenges ahead during the accession period.

This 12^th JCC was held in Brussels and tackled the following issues:

• The current state of play in EU-Montenegro relations and the accession process
• Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services
• Chapter 24 : Justice, freedom and security, with a special focus on migration
• Overview of the civil society in Montenegro

A joint declaration was adopted at the meeting. The joint declaration is distributed to all relevant EU institutions, as well as to the Montenegrin authorities.

The Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions aims at promoting greater understanding of the main issues affecting organised civil society in the Euromed region and at discussing the common challenges they face. The Summit brings together aound 120 participants from economic and social councils, or similar institutions, representatives of employers, trade unions, other economic and social interests groups and NGOs from countries which are members of the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM). This year, the exchange will focus on the following topics:

• Education and Training in the Euro-Mediterranean region
• Social Economy and entrepreneurship in the Euro Mediterranean region

The meeting will conclude with the adoption of recommendations that will be sent to the political authorities of the countries involved in the UFM Ministerial Summits and disseminated widely amongst civil society organisations in the region.

This year's event is co-organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Training Foundation  (ETF). The event is co-financed by the European Commission.

During the meeting, the EU Domestic Advisory Group (EU DAG) and civil society representatives from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador discussed implementation of the Trade and Sustainable Development Title of the Trade Agreement, with a particular focus on respect for international labour and environmental standards. They also discussed economic, social, environmental and human rights impacts resulting from the implementation of the Agreement. The participants reflected moreover on how the civil society from the EU, Colombia,  Peru and Ecuador can cooperate to promote sustainable development in the context of trade relations and prepare for the next joint meeting. The participants adopted a joint declaration summarising outcomes of their discussion and presented it to the Parties during the Open Session with civil society on 12 December.

On 6 and 7 December 2018, the third meeting of the EU-Chile Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), established by the EU-Chile Association Agreement was held in Santiago de Chile. The members discussed topics of interest for both parties, such as investment and cooperation, decent work and informal economy, the Sustainable Development Agenda and proposals to reinforce the role of the Joint Consultative Committee.  They adopted a Final Declaration on these four topics.

The JCC is made up of eighteen members, nine from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and nine from Chilean civil society organisations. It is co-chaired by Josep Puxeu Rocamora, EESC member, and Roberto Zúñiga Belauzarán, Director, National Confederation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (CONAPYME).

The Consultative Committee (CC) is one of the 5 institutions foreseen in the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement. The CC is composed of 40 (25 from the CARIFORUM side and 15 from the EU side) standing representatives of organisations of the civil society representing employers' organisations, trade unions, other economic, social and non-governmental organisations, including development and environmental organisations; and the academic community.

During the meeting, the composition of the presidency was confirmed. The Group discussed its mandate, and proposed topics ahead of the 2019 Civil Society Forum. Moreover, the EU DAG discussed with representatives of the EC matters related to the implementation of the EU-Korea FTA under three pillars of sustainable development.

The 10th meeting of the EU Advisory Group for the EU-Colombia, Peru and Ecuador Free Trade Agreement took place on 29 November 2018 in Brussels. Please click on the programme tab to consult the topics on the agenda.

With a view to gathering as much input as possible during the preparatory process for the proposed opinion from a wide range of experts, the hearing will include preliminary presentation on the governance, functioning and structure of the WTO with an exploration towards the strategic role that civil society can represent in a wider plurality of interests and a larger scope of collaboration.

Following the signature of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on 17 July this year, the EU-Japan Follow-up Committee organised a mission to Japan (Tokyo and Kobe) from 13 to 15 November, with the aim to continue to strengthen cooperation and ties between the EESC and its main partners in Japan and to prepare for the establishment of Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) and the Joint Dialogue with the civil society in the framework of the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter of the EU-Japan EPA.

A high-level conference took place in Tokyo on 13-14 November. With focus on the EPA, discussions covered the role of the civil society in monitoring the EU-Japan EPA as well as opportunities for trade, investment and cooperation following the signature of the agreement. A second part of the conference was dedicated to Technological change and its impact on the labour market. In Tokyo, the EU-Japan Follow-up Committee members also had bilateral meetings with the EESC's main partner organisations in Japan, and on 15 November in Kobe, a seminar took place on Technological change and its impact on the labour market, organised in cooperation with the University of Kobe.