Europees Economisch en Sociaal Comité
With the war in Ukraine bringing the topic of the EU's energy supply back to the fore, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) says that coordinated measures to tackle the current energy price crisis are needed but they must not undermine climate policy efforts. On top of its emergency response aimed at avoiding severe social consequences, the bloc must closely monitor the energy market and step up investment in renewables.
In an opinion adopted at its plenary session on 23 February, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the communication of the European Commission (EC) on this year's Annual Sustainable Growth Survey, outlining the priorities and guiding principles for the 2022 European Semester cycle. The Committee applauded the unprecedented actions of solidarity taken by the EU in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. The impact on economic activity, however, has been significant, and the level of uncertainty in Europe continues to rise.
The EU needs to reassess the priorities of its industrial policy in light of the pandemic and the conflict on Europe's eastern border: this is what emerged from a conference hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 4 March 2022.
EESC President Christa Schweng on Twitter: "On #InternationalWomensDay, I wish to pay tribute to all women and stand up for #GenderEquality. United we must shape a peaceful future in which ️women have as many opportunities to flourish as ️men. #IWD2022.
The EESC opinion on the "Reinforcing democracy and integrity of elections package", adopted at the February plenary session, comes in at a very timely moment, with populist voices and anti-democratic rhetoric gaining ground in Europe. Manipulative information, interference and fake news disseminated by "bots" and "trolls" could generate a "casus belli" pretext, as we have witnessed all too recently. The EESC welcomes the aims of the European election package and makes recommendations to further secure transparent, accessible and honest political activities and an active role of civil society.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) says that the greening of river and seaport activities should consider the impact on the health and quality of life of local residents and workers. To this end, port and transport stakeholders should work together with local and regional authorities to rethink the links between cities, ports and transport means.
Although it has great potential, HERA - the EU's new body for fighting future health emergencies across borders – falls short on transparency and ambition. With few checks and balances in place for its work, there are doubts as to whether HERA will be able to fulfil its public health mission, rather than giving a predominant role to the pharmaceutical industry
The rules of Solvency II, the 2009 EU regulatory framework for insurance firms, have proved their worth but need to be adapted to new circumstances. In an opinion adopted at its plenary session on 23 February, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the initiative of the European Commission (EC) to revamp Solvency II. The Committee stresses the considerable interest of civil society in ensuring the stability of the financial sector, and therefore calls for sound capital requirements and risk preparedness in the insurance sector.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) supports the European Commission's concept of a New European Bauhaus: a holistic approach to building a greener and fairer future for Europe together, based on a new lifestyle that combines sustainability, beauty and inclusiveness.
Opening the annual conference of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EESC President Christa Schweng stressed that this new context, with the prospect of energy prices shooting up, made the case for speeding up the transition to a circular economy and EU strategic autonomy even more compelling.
