Europees Economisch en Sociaal Comité
Democratie, mensenrechten, economische en politieke vrijheid zijn gemeenschappelijke waarden van de EU, de VS en Canada, die ook overlappende belangen hebben op het gebied van buitenlands beleid en veiligheid. De VS en Canada behoren tot de voornaamste handelspartners van de EU en zijn ook partners bij het vormgeven van de internationale rechtsorde. De betrekkingen tussen de EU en de VS zijn onder een nieuw gesternte komen te staan, met steeds grotere uitdagingen. We zijn van mening dat de betrokkenheid van het maatschappelijk middenveld bij deze betrekkingen ervoor zorgt dat de trans-Atlantische betrekkingen aan de verwachtingen van de burgers voldoen en effectief bijdragen aan het vormgeven van een samenwerking die voor beide partijen voordelig is.
De Brede Economische en Handelsovereenkomst (CETA) tussen de EU en Canada en de overeenkomst inzake een strategisch partnerschap werden ondertekend op 30 oktober 2016. We zien uit naar constante betrokkenheid van het maatschappelijk middenveld bij de tenuitvoerlegging van deze overeenkomsten. Momenteel zijn de onderhandelingen over een Trans-Atlantisch Partnerschap voor handel en investeringen (TTIP) tussen de EU en de VS tot stilstand gekomen. De TTIP-onderhandelingen hebben echter bijgedragen aan de versterking van de banden tussen de maatschappelijke middenvelden van de EU en de VS en heeft hen geholpen hun standpunten te bepalen over de vraag hoe de toekomstige handelsbetrekkingen tussen de EU en de VS eruit zouden moeten zien. Hetgeen tot nu toe is bereikt mag niet verloren gaan. Ons follow-upcomité Trans-Atlantische betrekkingen werd in september 2014 opgericht met als opdracht toe te zien op de trans-Atlantische betrekkingen met het maatschappelijk middenveld en te zorgen voor een regelmatige dialoog en overleg over kwesties die verband houden met de betrekkingen met de VS en Canada.
The role of trade as a generator of growth and jobs is undeniable, but public perception of the further liberalisation of trade is getting worse and citizens' concerns must be addressed far more effectively than before. This was one of the conclusions of the conference on "Strengthening European Growth and Competitiveness: Proactive Trade Agenda – NOW!" that took place in Helsinki on 26 October.
The role of trade as a generator of growth and jobs is undeniable, but public perception of the further liberalisation of trade is getting worse and citizens' concerns must be addressed far more effectively than before. This was one of the conclusions of the conference on "Strengthening European Growth and Competitiveness: Proactive Trade Agenda – NOW!" that took place in Helsinki on 26 October. Jacek Krawczyk, President of the EESC Employers' Group, added: It is our responsibility to advocate for trade; we cannot take it for granted that people understand what the benefits ...
With discussions for TTIP now at a critical point, the EESC has published a new opinion, ‘The position of the EESC on specific key issues of the TTIP negotiations’. The own-initiative opinion assesses some key issues of the negotiations and identifies the main considerations for European civil society. This new ...
At its July plenary, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) argued that the new Trade and Technology Council (TTC) can become an innovative tool for both the EU and USA to work together towards a safer and more prosperous world, based on the principles of sustainable development and democratic values.
The Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) under the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) met again for the first time in person since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on 24 April 2023. The meeting was held in a great spirit and with renewed enthusiasm for cooperation between the joint DAGs. During the meeting Members took stock of the work of the respective DAGs since the 2022 joint online meeting, and identified opportunities for fruitful cooperation on joint priorities. The Joint statement was adopted on 20 June.
The meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) External Relations Section on Transatlantic relations will take place on 17 November 2021 from 10h30- 17h00. It will be presided and moderated by the President of the External Relations Section, Mr. Dimitris Dimitriadis.
The EESC Employers' Group is organising a seminar on "Strengthening European Growth and Competitiveness: Proactive Trade Agenda – NOW!" taking place on 26 October in Helsinki and jointly organized with the Confederation of Finnish Industries and the International Chamber of Commerce, ICC Finland.
Trade and Investment are hugely important for the EU: 1 in 7 EU jobs depend on exports. The EU cannot risk falling behind in the global race to build a wide and ambitious network of free trade agreements. The signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement (involving 12 countries and 40% of world GDP) is a timely reminder of this. This seminar, which will be attended by many of our Members together with Finnish employers and entrepreneurs, politicians and academics aims to examine how to best contribute positively to the debate as trade agreements (TTIP - TISA - CETA - EU-JAPAN) increasingly become a top political issue.
In the light of the ongoing EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is drafting an own-initiative opinion on "The position of the EESC on specific key issues of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations". In this framework, the EESC is organising a public hearing, to be held at the Committee premises on 30 June 2016, beginning at 9 a.m.
The External Relations Section (REX) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is responsible for dialogue between European civil society organisations and their homologues from the countries with which the European Union has formal relations (e.g. under the form of a Free Trade Agreement). Through this dialogue, made possible by a series of bilateral bodies, and through specialized opinions and information reports, the Committee is able to concretely contribute to EU foreign policy.
In my capacity as President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), I extend my sincere congratulations to Mr. Joe Biden for his election as the 46th President of the United States of America, as well as to Ms. Kamala Harris as Vice-President.
