Day of the Liberal Professions 2024: a strong case for an EU Blue Deal

On 7 May 2024, the EESC’s Liberal Professions Category held its 8th Day of the Liberal Professions. This year’s theme was Professional support for the EU Blue Deal. The aim of the conference was to seek solutions to the growing challenges related to water.

Water is a vital but increasingly scarce resource. As the global population grows, so does the demand for water. Almost two thirds of European citizens consider water quality and/or quantity in their country to be a serious problem. Climate change is set to further affect the availability, quality and quantity of water. Without action, water scarcity and poverty could concern ever larger parts of civil societies around the world, with far-reaching implications for food security, the environment, and human health, as well as economic, social, and political stability. The conference could therefore not have been more timely.

The event was opened by Klaus Thürriedl, President of the European Council of Engineers Chambers, who spoke about the contributions of the liberal professions to a water-smart society. Pietro Francesco De Lotto, President of the EESC's Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI), focused on emerging blue engineering technologies that could help mitigate the risks of water scarcity. These keynote speeches were followed by three panel discussions, focusing on the added value that liberal professions bring to the table. The liberal professions are continuously striving to make their contribution to the management of water threats across Europe, and can help in creating a water-fit framework for Europe.

The Day of the Liberal Professions 2024 brought together no fewer than 14 eminent speakers from eight Member States and different professions. Together, they made a strong case to put an EU Blue Deal in place and to mitigate the water-related challenges that Europe and the world will face in the years and decades to come.

Rudolf Kolbe, spokesperson of the EESC's Liberal Professions Category, underlined in his closing remarks what the panel discussions had made clear: the various professions can play a pivotal role in the implementation of an EU Blue Deal by offering innovative solutions across sectors and working together.

For more information, please check out the Press Release from Unión Profesional: Victoria Ortega, president of the Professional Union, participates in the eighth edition of the Liberal Professions Day, organized by the EESC