Comitetul Economic si Social European
The EESC is currently working on an opinion on the proposal on extending EFSI. In the framework of the elaboration of the opinion, the Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion (ECO) organised on 10 November 2016 from 10 a.m. a public hearing on The extension of the duration of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI 2.0).
The hallmark of a sustainable circular economy is a society that reduces its burden on nature by ensuring that resources remain in use for as long as possible. Once the maximum value has been extracted, resources can then be recovered and reused, remanufactured, or recycled to create new products.
In the context of the Slovak Presidency to the EU, the Employers' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee is organising a conference entitled "Sustainable Industry in the context of the Circular Economy". The event will take place on 13th September 2016 in Kosice, Slovakia. The participants of the discussion will elaborate on how the circular economy can support sustainable growth and the role of business in the transition to a more circular economy.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is currently drawing up an own initiative opinion on "Promoting innovative and high growth firms". In order to gain further insights the EESC is organising a public hearing on 7 July 2016 at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, with the objective to contribute to map Europe's challenges and opportunities in this area and to create an environment supportive of creating innovative and high growth firms. The hearing will help formulating recommendations for policy makers on measures and actions needed to address the situation.
In times of limited fiscal space it is ever more important to effectively use the EU budget to contribute to achieving the policy goals of the European Union, in particular as regards growth and job creation. We need to emphasise budgetary performance more strongly than in the past. For this to happen the nature and the scope of the expenditure is crucial. Moreover, better results can be assured by consequent application of a control framework and performance-based budgeting, using a comprehensive set of performance indicators.A performance-oriented culture is, however, not acquired in a single step, but through a process of development.
To drive forward this process the EESC is organising a public hearing on "A performance-based EU budget and its focus on real results: The key to sound financial management", was held at the EESC's premises on Wednesday, 29 June 2016, starting at 2.30 p.m
The European Energy Union (EEU) is one of the key priorities of the European Commission. Launched in early 2015, the EEU programme has already resulted in various initiatives. Specifically, the public hearing will – from a stakeholder and expert perspective – be examining whether the governance process underlying the Energy Union programme is inclusive enough and how a wider set of participants may improve governance quality.
The Energy Union has been identified as one of the ten key priorities of the current European Commission. This ambitious policy programme – with the aim of creating a European energy system that delivers secure, sustainable, competitive and affordable energy to Europe's citizens – has been launched in February 2015 and has already resulted in various policy initiatives.
Rewarding enterprises that can demonstrate higher ethical performance
The conference is around the merits and the applicability of a concept for a new sustainable economic model based on core values such as solidarity, human dignity, social justice, environmental sustainability, transparency and democratic participation. This "Economy for the Common Good" is thought to contribute to the transition towards a "European Ethical Market" which will foster social innovation, boost the employment rate and benefit the environment. This model is to be realised within the market economy, it is not opposed to the market economy.
The first European Microfinance Day "What if we could turn job seekers into job creators?", is organised on 19-20 October 2015 at the EESC's premises in Brussels in a n partnership of the EESC with the Microfinance Centre (MFC) and the European Microfinance Network (EMN). It aims to raise awareness of microfinance as a tool to fight social exclusion and unemployment in Europe. A multitude of workshops, debates, expositions, meetings, etc. will take place at local level all across the EU-28.
Position paper of the EESC Employers’ Group
The corona crisis is a huge human and societal tragedy for Europeans and for people throughout the world. Tackling its diverse impacts requires a series of measures, from coping with the emergency stage and proceeding via recovery and rebuilding towards long-term success and stability. Businesses that manage to recover well and succeed are key to the recovery of the EU economy as a whole.
The corona crisis is changing the global economy daily, with the results still being uncertain. The crisis has hit all sectors, from services to industries and agriculture. The most serious problems have been encountered by SMEs and micro-entrepreneurs who have had their businesses disappear and are in a very critical situation.
To limit the economic and social damage caused by this critical situation, a series of measures is needed, extending from coping with the emergency stage towards recovery and rebuilding.
