This opinion aims to identify the barriers, key success factors and solutions for creating a truly innovative business climate to capture the solutions provided by new economic models.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Fostering an entrepreneurship and innovation friendly single market – promoting new business models to meet societal challenges and transitions (own-initiative opinion)
The EESC believes that the practical applications of blockchain technologies can significantly improve the performance of social economy organisations, benefiting them, their members and, above all, their end users. Besides, the EESC believes that real involvement of social economy and civil society organisations is imperative to ensure that the huge opportunities offered by the new technologies are geared towards delivering benefits, access, transparency and participation for all, and not just for a new "digital economy elite".
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Blockchain and distributed ledger technology as an ideal infrastructure for Social Economy (Own-initiative opinion)
The EESC welcomes the fact that principle 20 of the European Pillar of Social Rights reaffirms the right to access essential services/SGEIs. These are a vital component of social justice and are underpinned by the principle of equal treatment of users, prohibiting any kind of discrimination or exclusion whatsoever, and by the principle of universal access to services of a high level of affordability and quality.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: For a better implementation of the Social Pillar, promoting essential services (own-initiative opinion)
The opinion examines the possible introduction of a new concept into EU law: "low-profit". This concept would define all organisations that are likely to make a profit but that do not intend to distribute it to their owners or shareholders, as they have a different purpose.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Towards an appropriate European legal framework for social economy enterprises (own-initiative opinion)
The exploratory opinion will aim to show how to boost social economy enterprises. It will seek to identify the best ways to strengthen their role in addressing tomorrow's challenges, in particular in the social field.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Social economy enterprises' contribution to a more cohesive and democratic Europe (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
The opinion, requested by the Romanian Presidency, aims to look at possible ways through which people can acquire solid knowledge about the European Union, its foundations, procedures and actions, as well as its positive achievements and the concrete benefits it offers. This type of education would contribute towards building citizens' ownership over the European decision-making process and ensure that their vision, needs and priorities are adequately reflected in the European agenda at all levels.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Education about the European Union (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
Liberal democracy relies on civil liberties and a pluralistic civil society, but considerable political forces in today's Europe are challenging liberal democracy. The social, political and legal framework must allow for a pluralistic civil society. Strong social partners and civil society are needed to defend EU values. The EESC calls for the creation of a Democracy Semester, a European control mechanism, corrective economic measures for non-respect of fundamental EU values, the creation of a European statute for CSOs, or interinstitutional CSO authorisation and, tax incentives to support civil society. Burning social questions must be tackled, ensuring social sustainability and inclusive education.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: Resilient Democracy through a strong and diverse civil society (own-initiative opinion)
In each of the 27 EU countries, there are laws or organisational arrangements which exclude some voters with disabilities from participating in EP elections. If the best practices from across all countries were implemented, an ideal system would emerge in which every EU citizen with disabilities not only would have the full possibility to vote but also would be able to choose for themselves the most convenient way in which to vote.
Download — Information report: The real right of persons with disabilities to vote in European Parliament elections (Information report)
The objective of this proposal is to provide an update of EESC's positions related to the cohesion package presented by the Commission on May 2018. While the discussions in the Council and the Parliament are still ongoing, this opinion will reflect better the developments in view of a successful cohesion policy in the post-2020 period.
The Romanian presidency who has asked for this opinion proposes that the conclusions drawn in this opinion could stimulate the informal ministerial debate of the cohesion ministers to be held in April 2019.
Download — Opinia EKES-u: The future of cohesion policy (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
