This years' meeting of the EESC's Western Balkans Follow-up Committee outside of Brussels will be held on 24-25 September 2018 in Tirana, Albania. A meeting with social partners on the state of social dialogue in Albania on 24 September and a hearing with the civil society organisations (CSOs) on Youth Policy and Youth Participation in the Albanian society on 25 September.
Our Western Balkans Follow-up Committee members will listen to the views on the role of civil society in Albania, and later convey these messages to the Government of Albania and to the political authorities of the EU. These meetings in Albania are a step towards the 7th Western Balkans Civil Society Forum to be held in 2019.
During the 9th meeting of the Domestic Advisory Group for the EU-Colombia, Peru and Ecuador FTA the members discussed the Rules of Procedure and the work programme of the new mandate. DG TRADE provided the members with the latest information on the FTA.
During the meeting, the members of the Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) of the EU composed of representatives of employers' organisations, trade unions and various interest group, elected their Chair and Vice-Chairs. They discussed the mandate of the EU DAG, working methods, reporting procedures and cooperation with other civil society organisations, as well as exchange views on its rules of procedure.
For the 11th time, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Montenegro held the Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) in Podgorica, Montenegro.
This meeting tackled following issues:
Assessment of the state of play in Montenegro accession negotiations to the EU
Chapter 19 of the accession negotiations – Social policy and employment, with a special focus on the European Pillar of Social Rights
Chapter 2 of the accession negotiations – Free movement of workers
Overview of the Civil Society situation in Montenegro
The EU-Africa economic and social stakeholders' network will first deal with the up-coming EU-Africa Action Plan for the period 2018-2020. The annual meeting will specifically address migration and economic issues, focusing on the implications for young people. The youth focus is essential as young people clearly represent an increasingly important proportion of African populations. Moreover, youth unemployment in both Africa and Europe is a shared concern of economic and social actors. It is helping to feed migration flows, especially for young Africans who are facing a lack of prospects.
During the meeting, the members of the Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) of the EU composed of representatives of employers' organisations, trade unions and various interest group discussed the mandate of the EU DAG, working methods, reporting procedures and cooperation with other civil society organisations, as well as exchanged views on its rules of procedure. Additionally, the members of the EU DAG exchanged views with representatives of the European Commission on matters related to the implementation of the trade and sustainable development title of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA).
During the meeting, the Chair of the EU DAG under the new mandate was elected. The Group also discussed its mandate, working methods, reporting procedures and cooperation with other civil society organisations, as well as exchanged views on its rules of procedure and assess possible amendments . 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 4th meeting of the EU Domestic Advisory Group under the EU-Ukraine DCFTA took place on 27 June 2018 in Brussels. Please click on the programme tab to consult the topics on the agenda.
During the 8th meeting of the Domestic Advisory Group for the EU-Colombia, Peru and Ecuador FTA the new President and Vice-Chairs were elected under the new mandate. Members participated in debriefing on past activities and exchanged views on a possible work programme for the new mandate. DG TRADE provided the members with the latest information on the FTA.
