EESC info

A few days ahead of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, the EESC adopted a resolution on ''Jointly tackling an existential threat: social partners and civil society for the implementation of ambitious climate action''. The message of European organised civil society was clear: we need the EU institutions and Member States to keep playing their leadership role and step-up their climate ambition, regardless of what other regions of the world do.

A clear majority of Europeans – 70 % – are alarmed by climate change, and almost three-quarters believe they need to do more personally to help the green transition, according to a Eurobarometer survey. The EESC, through its resolution and its 7-strong delegation in Sharm El-Sheikh, called on all stakeholders involved to act on citizens' concern and step up climate ambition in accordance with the latest scientific recommendations.

The EESC was represented by its members Peter Schmidt, Isabel Caño Aguilar, Sandra Parthie, Josep Puxeu Rocamora, Neža Repanšek and Lutz Ribbe, rapporteurs for the resolution, and by youth climate activist Sophia Wiegand.

''Climate change is one of the biggest challenges faced by humanity in this century. Its impact will not start with our children but already with ourselves, changing dramatically the way we live'', said Cillian Lohan, EESC vice-president for communication and climate activist. ''Of course, we know that the European Union is doing more than any other region, as the European Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package demonstrate. But as the home of European civil society, we need to press the European Commission and the EU Member States to maintain their leadership role and convince our global partners to follow Europe's example." (ks)

The EESC and the Commission have signed a new cooperation protocol which further consolidates and intensifies the political and legislative cooperation between the two organisations as well as their joint efforts to communicate about Europe. The protocol also strengthens the Committee's strategic function vis-à-vis the EU institutions and its role in promoting the values of European integration and participatory democracy.

The new protocol, which was signed on 27 October, gives the EESC a stronger role both in the implementation of the European Citizens' Initiative and within the European semester, a key economic and fiscal policy tool.

"A significant new feature in the protocol is the commitment to jointly identify five subjects for exploratory opinions each year, once the Commission has adopted its work programme. This is a very important point for us, enabling us to work in a more forward-looking way", commented EESC president Christa Schweng.  Exploratory opinions are drawn up at the request of the European Parliament, the European Commission or the Council of the EU on issues of great interest to civil society.

The Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, Maroš Šefčovič, said that "This revision of the Protocol will ensure that the ways we cooperate are more suited to the times we live in and the challenges we face. It also reiterates the important role the Committee p plays in the development of our policies, with the synergies between us contributing to the smooth functioning of the EU". (tk)

In the opinion Initiative against abusive litigation targeting journalists and rights defenders, the EESC gave its support to the Commission’s proposal to protect people from strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). This includes journalists and rights defenders who are important contributors to debates on thorny issues.

The EESC approved the opinion at its plenary in October, and proposed expanding the list of measures to help curtail SLAPPs. Opinion rapporteur Tomasz Andrzej Wróblewski said: “If we do not strengthen the system, freedom of speech will be threatened.”

Co-rapporteur Christian Moos said: “It is an urgent, pressing political issue. We need action to defend journalists and people who speak out against abuse of power, against corruption.”

SLAPPs are used by certain powerful individuals, lobby groups, corporations and state bodies to silence journalists and others who contribute to public debate, like social activists, human rights defenders, non-governmental organisations, whistleblowers in the broad sense, engaged citizens, and trade unions. These legal actions take advantage of gaps in judicial systems to put forward groundless criminal or civil lawsuits that prevent, restrict or penalise public participation by the targeted individuals or groups.

The EESC's proposals include introducing a preliminary ruling that would terminate proceedings found to be non-compliant, and consolidating proceedings in a specific jurisdiction at the request of the defendant. Other measures could also be considered, including setting a time limit or a means for fast tracking the procedure. Another suggestion is to exclude the possibility for a person other than the plaintiff to fund SLAPPs.

Reviewing national legislation would also help identify mechanisms that could serve to counter SLAPPs. A unified approach should be taken in both cross-border and national cases, and a review of national laws should be undertaken with a view to decriminalising defamation in the remaining Member States where it is still criminalised.

The EESC also suggests shortening the proposed time until the evaluation of the proposed SLAPP directive from five years to two years.

Finally, education and training are crucial. Legal professionals and participants in the public debate need to be trained to be able to react against SLAPPs and to be better able to defend freedom of expression. (ll)

The EESC is committed and determined when it comes to decarbonising the EU's energy system and calls on EU policy-makers to tackle the consequences of decades-long energy dependence.

With these words EESC president Christa Schweng opened a debate on the EU's energy transition and strategic autonomy at the plenary session on 26 October 2022. The EESC was hosting professor Leonardo Meeus from the European University Institute in Florence.

"We need to work on a green transition at a pace that businesses and societies are able to keep up with and with accompanying measures that allow for Europe's global competitiveness and innovation," said Ms Schweng. "The EU has the potential to reduce its dependence on imported energy by developing its local renewable energy capacity, but proper investment incentives must be ensured."

Professor Meeus referred to the EU electricity market reforms proposed by the European Commission, arguing that the electricity market we have built over the past 20 years can be part of our future, as long as we complement and combine it with new instruments to engage consumers and modernise networks.

The debate was linked to the adoption of the EESC opinion A strategic vision on energy transition to enable the EU's strategic autonomy, drafted by Thomas Kattnig, Lutz Ribbe and Tomasz Andrzej Wróblewski.

The opinion sets out the EESC's vision on the energy transition and its role in achieving the EU's strategic autonomy, focusing on speeding up decarbonisation, reducing dependence on energy imports, increasing buy-in from communities and businesses and supporting vulnerable households. (mp)

The EU and Member States need to implement measures to improve the lives of those who provide long-term care for relatives with disabilities or with chronic or degenerative diseases, the EESC said in the own-initiative opinion The role of family members caring for people with disabilities and older persons, adopted at its October plenary session.

The opinion's rapporteur, Pietro Vittorio Barbieri, said all measures should be taken jointly by policy-makers, employers (through social dialogue) and family caregivers and their representative organisations.

"The first step is recognising the value of their work and giving them a say in the assistance they provide. The second step is laying on housing services and support to prevent isolation, marginalisation and physical and mental overload. Clearly, if countries can guarantee that certain services will be provided, it will take some of the load off family members".

Such measures include providing family caregivers with adequate health services, including preventive healthcare, along with training on how to look after their own health. Housing support and home services (in line with health and nursing needs) and psychological support for the caregiver and the family unit are also needed.

The EESC also calls for Member States to consider alternative forms of remuneration, including financial aid, for those family carers who risk impoverishment when they are forced to give up paid employment or reduce their working hours. Employers should also be encouraged to provide flexible working arrangements and fringe benefits beyond the minimum required under national rules for employees who provide ongoing care for relatives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has probably worsened the situation for many family caregivers, but not enough up-to-date information is available on the scale of the issue, hampering efforts to address it. (ll)

To mark the European Parliament's Gender Equality Week, the EESC adopted two opinions making recommendations on promoting women's empowerment and supporting family caregivers. The Committee also supported the Parliament's initiative with a series of events linked to gender mainstreaming and intersectionality.

Opening the debate, EESC President Christa Schweng said: "The current gender employment gap is unacceptable and represents significant economic and social damage for the EU. We must put in place a more favourable environment for women entrepreneurs, break down barriers and stereotypes, and find more role models for young girls and women."

European Parliament Vice-President Evelyn Regner stressed the need for gender mainstreaming and binding measures: "Progress has been slower than in previous years. But where binding measures are in place, we are still able to make some headway. We need to change the culture to fight against bias, but we also need binding measures. And we need to work together – EP and EESC, women and men, young and old."

Ozlem Yildirim, rapporteur for the EESC opinion on Improving equality in the EU, called for "effective anti-discrimination policy at EU level, complete with truly dissuasive sanctions".

The co-rapporteur, Cristian Pîrvulescu, explained that "the opinion calls for the next generation of measures to promote equality in Europe to be developed, based on recognition of the principle of equality and of obligations to enforce it."

The Committee also adopted an opinion on the role of family members caring for people with disabilities and older persons. The rapporteur for the opinion, Pietro Vittorio Barbieri, explained that "European welfare is based on family caregivers, who are often left out of the system. The vast majority of these are women who are forced to choose between providing care or continuing to work. We urge European and national institutions to investigate this phenomenon for the sake of caregivers and those being cared for." (gb)

In an own-initiative opinion, the EESC highlights the many benefits of a green EU strategy for expanding plant protein and plant oil production and proposes an outline for that strategy. These benefits include reducing the EU’s dependence on imports and contributing to the development of rural areas.

The EESC’s practical recommendations for a proposed strategy are in line with the EU’s aim to achieve strategic supply autonomy, the EESC stressed in the opinion, which was approved during its plenary in October.

Opinion rapporteur Lutz Ribbe said: “The EU is highly dependent on feed imports, with 75% of its high-protein plants sourced from abroad. The promotion of EU production of protein crops is essential and will also have a positive impact on biodiversity and the entire environment, as well as helping farmers reduce their use of mineral fertilisers.”

The many benefits of expanding plant protein and oil cultivation in the EU and increasing the role of grasslands in feeding animals include increased crop rotation, self-sufficiency in tractor fuel and greater availability of plant solids after processing, as these have excellent protein feed potential for livestock.

Overall, an EU strategy should take the interests of rural communities into consideration and contribute to sustainable rural development in line with the EU’s long-term vision.

The EESC recommends that the European Commission take a close look at the Commission on the Future of Agriculture set up by the German federal government and consider whether this format might be appropriate for developing a European protein strategy. (ks)

A new EESC report suggests the EU should establish a fully-fledged multiannual strategic action plan to unlock the full potential of cultural diplomacy.

Even though culture as an instrument of the European Union's foreign policy has been on the agenda for the last 17 years, it has never been become a real priority. However, with war now back on the continent, culture needs more than ever to become a core strategic vehicle of the EU's foreign policy, stressed the EESC in the opinion.

"Culture could be a core asset in Europe's internal path, but also in the external image that the EU projects", said Luca Jahier, rapporteur for the opinion.

Mr Jahier particularly emphasises the importance of cultural heritage as a politically sensitive and highly complex subject, and hence a powerful and complementary diplomatic component of the EU's approach to peace, security and sustainable development.

A strong multiannual strategic action plan on cultural diplomacy should cover the protection, restoration and reconstruction of heritage in areas hit by natural disasters, crises and conflicts. It should also include a mapping of existing initiatives, leading to the creation of an EU platform for international cultural relations and a dedicated structure within the EU's External Action Service centred around an "EU Special Envoy for Cultural Relations".

The own-initiative opinion on the role of cultural diplomacy, adopted at the EESC's October plenary session, highlights the significance of the cultural dimension in the current geopolitical context, something fully in line with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. (mt)
 

In an own-initiative opinion adopted at the EESC October plenary session, the EESC called for mobility to be recognised as an individual right and as a public good that must be available to everyone.

The EESC opinion, put together by Kristina Krupavičienė and Dovilė Juodkaitė, underlines that sustainable mobility can make the EU's green recovery a reality: environment- and user-friendly public transport could be a real driver of the post-COVID-19 recovery.

"The pandemic has acted as a catalyst, showing that public transport is an essential service in the public interest, especially when providing access to jobs and services for frontline workers and vulnerable groups," said Ms Krupavičienė.

According to the EESC, the EU needs strategies to upgrade mobility and improve public transport, making it more attractive and accessible to members of the public, especially those on low incomes.

Public transport can play a key part in Europe's post-pandemic recovery: it can help address climate concerns and at the same time improve quality of life by enabling people to work, enjoy a social life and access culture. However, achieving sustainable mobility requires strong political commitment from all actors and at all levels.

"We call on the European Commission to set measurable and ambitious targets to promote a switch from private car use to collective transport and active mobility, and encourage the European Union and the Member States to contribute to the shift towards greener modes of transport by making them more generally attractive," said Ms Juodkaitė. (mp)

The EESC has urged the Commission and Member States to develop a plan to increase the EU's preparedness for emergencies. In particular, the plan should increase the EU’s sovereignty in energy generation, food and water production and the mining of raw materials.

With winter approaching and the cost of energy a concern for citizens, the EESC wants the EU to improve its resilience in order to cope with future crises.

An own-initiative opinion adopted at the October plenary session emphasised the EESC’s belief that continuous improvements to increase the resilience of energy systems to natural, political or other emergencies should be integrated into all energy policies.

This should encompass the whole production chain, including research and development, material processing, design, manufacturing, installation, start-up and maintenance of facilities within the EU single market. The autonomy would help to eliminate energy poverty and unemployment.

Opinion rapporteur Paul Rübig also called for support for citizens and consumers who want to invest in their own energy production and efficiency: "We need information campaigns, tax incentives and subsidies and we have to build new transport infrastructure throughout the internal market, but also outside the European Union".

Going beyond this, the EESC called for critical supplies of materials such as copper, lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements to be secured through new single market mining and recycling strategies. It recommended safeguarding sources of oil, coal, gas, uranium, water, food and animal feed and developing plans for rationing energy, food, water and sanitation facilities. (dm)

The EESC has recommended reinforcing Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) to boost the EU’s innovation capacity as part of the transition to a sustainable future. DIHs provide valuable infrastructure for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that might otherwise struggle to become greener and more digital.  

The EU is behind the US and Japan in terms of investment in research and development relative to GDP (2.32% in 2020, compared to 3.08% in the US and 3.2% in Japan).

The EESC believes that the EU should boost R&D investment to 3% of GDP and has set out several recommendations on how to best use Digital Innovation Hubs to this end in an own-initiative opinion approved at its plenary session in October.

Opinion rapporteur Giuseppe Guerini said: "The digital transition affects the whole of European society, not only the economy. There is a direct impact on achieving the climate goals of the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but above all, there is a social impact in many areas."

Speaking on the importance of DIHs, co-rapporteur Nicos Epistithiou added: "Digital Innovation Hubs function as one-stop shops that provide guidance to SMEs on the digital and green transitions. Trade unions, civilian society organisations, employers’ associations and public authorities need to work together within these hubs."

Digital Innovation Hubs are regional collaborations between different types of organisations. They serve as platforms for testing technological solutions prior to investment and can be used to exchange best practices and develop digital skills.

The DIH network in Europe is currently undergoing major restructuring but the EESC is concerned that there is a lack of clear vision on their future development. (ks)

In two newly adopted opinions, the EESC gives updated views on the Commission's Annual Sustainable Growth Survey 2022, which outlines the upcoming economic and employment policy priorities for the EU, as well as on the Recommendations on euro area economic policy for 2022. The EESC calls for a balanced approach that does not jeopardise the EU's social and environmental goals.

The EESC stresses that, with energy and food prices rising, a social safety net for the most vulnerable should be established; with inflation at an all-time high, the European Central Bank should analyse the side-effects of its monetary policy, for example on growth and employment, while regarding the increase in public debt, progress is needed on the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact.

"We call for a balanced policy approach, which must protect fairness and environmental objectives, particularly in times of crisis", comments Judith Vorbach, rapporteur for the additional opinion on the Annual Sustainable Growth Survey 2022. "This approach is the basis for the EU's past, present and future prosperity and competitiveness, and for greater convergence and resilience".

Juraj Sipko, rapporteur for the additional opinion on the Euro area economic policy 2022, adds: "We must work together to address the unprecedented systemic shocks that the world is currently facing. Delaying the adoption and implementation of measures may have far-reaching consequences, not only in terms of material loss, but also in terms of human life". (tk)

The enormous challenges posed for Europe by Russia's aggression were the subject of the EESC's annual seminar for civil society communicators, entitled "Geopolitical turmoil at Europe's door: the perspective of civil society", which took place in Zagreb, Croatia, on 24 and 25 October 2022.

The European Union should not only support Ukraine in its daily life during the war, but it should also think about Ukraine's long-term reconstruction and path to EU membership, it was stressed at the seminar, organised in partnership with Croatia's Economic and Social Council (GSV).

The seminar featured three panels: on EU enlargement, communication in times of crisis, and energy.

In her opening speech in Zagreb, EESC President Christa Schweng, said: "Let's try to imagine Ukraine in a couple of years. I know it is difficult to view matters positively against the backdrop of constant news from the field, with missiles continuing to hit Ukrainian cities every day, inflicting damage on the water network and causing power cuts. Our thinking and our work today must be led by how we want to see the future of Ukraine. I see it as a reconstructed, prosperous country based on European values and allowing its citizens to return to decent lives in their home country."  

"How did the West make a mistake about Vladimir Putin?" - Galia Ackerman, French-Russian writer, journalist, and historian, tackled this question in her keynote speech. In her opinion, Putin has been pursuing a hidden agenda since the beginning of his rule in Russia.

Nonetheless, some Westerners were not able to see Putin's goals, and some preferred not to. " KGB-trained Vladimir Putin has the mentality and the ethics of the KGB. And I agree that someone who is a product of the KGB could have the skills to deceive most of the world," said Ms Ackerman.

Speakers opening the event included Croatian Minister for Labour, Pension Systems, Family and Social Policy, Marin Piletić, head of the European Parliament Office in Croatia, Violeta Simeonova Staničić, Head of Media at the European Commission Representation Office in Croatia, Andrea Čović Vidović and Head of the Croatian Journalists' Association Hrvoje Zovko.

The three panel discussions were introduced by the president of the EESC's Civil Society Organisations' Group Seamus Boland, the president of the EESC's Workers' Group Oliver Röpke and member of the EESC's Employers' Group and president of the EESC Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) Aurel Laurențiu Plosceanu.

The panel that opened the seminar, entitled "In the shadow of war: Europe's new geopolitical context and consequences for the future of the EU", focused on the impact of Russia's actions on the Balkans and on lessons for Ukraine regarding EU enlargement.

The West's struggle in the "battle of narratives" against Putin's Russia was one of the themes of the panel discussion on "Communication in times of crisis". Panel members stressed Russia's strong hand in sowing its propaganda outside Europe and North America and pointed to a growing need for professional and "volunteer armies" to combat disinformation techniques in Europe.

Severe problems in the energy market, compounded by the war, were the subject of a panel debate on "The energy revolution between the war and climate objectives, challenges to the Green Deal". On the agenda were challenges for the green transition, lessons from dependence on Russia (which now also apply to China) and the pros and cons of nuclear energy.

The seminar was also supported by the Office of the European Parliament and the European Commission's Representation in Croatia.

To find out more about the seminar, its programme, speakers, videos and photo gallery, please visit: https://bit.ly/3iKZZls (ll)