Today the European Commission announces measures aiming to step up the integration of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), without changes to the treaties.
Shortly after the beginning of his mandate as EESC President, Georges Dassis met with the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans. Mr Dassis presented the EESC's recommendations for the Commission's 2016 annual Work Programme. Among others, these included accelerated economic integration and convergence, strengthening democracy in the EU, reinforcing the European social model, and establishing a new migration policy.
"Appropriate finance facilities for businesses are a key prerequisite for economic growth". The 1st European Microfinance Day (EMD) on 19 and 20 Oct 2015 was co-organised by the EESC to raise awareness of microfinance as a tool to fight social exclusion and unemployment in Europe. In the presence of Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, the President of the EESC´s ECO Section for Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion, Mr Joost van Iersel, underlined the importance in the EU of strengthening competitiveness, sustainable development and social inclusion.
On 15 October 2015, the ECO Section of the EESC organised a workshop under the title "Partnership – the key to successful urban development" in the course of the Open Days 2015. The workshop, chaired by Joost van Iersel, president of the ECO Section, looked at the cases of Glasgow and Vilnius. Although the two cities have a very different socio-economic background, their major projects clearly demonstrate their commitment to an innovative and sustainable urban development based on broad partnership. The objective of the workshop was to identify the various stakeholders and their roles, as well as how dialogue between them works and how it could be improved in order to contribute to better urban development.
The Employers' Group welcomes the Commission's new trade strategy presented today by Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström. "The European Commission listened closely to key concerns raised by Civil Society and the strategy represents a positive agenda for business" – stated Jonathan Peel, Member of the Employers' Group and the EESC rapporteur on the review of the EU Trade Policy.
Efficient market infrastructure and intermediaries enhance the capital flow from investors to European investment projects
In a speech delivered at the "Annual Investor Relations Awards" in Sofia on 25 September, Ms Milena Angelova, co-rapporteur for the EESC opinion on a Capital Markets Union, recommended decisive and swift actions to be taken, in particular in terms of developing a secondary market, developing a mechanism to make traded SMEs more attractive for investors, and the introduction of credit ratings for SMEs according to a standardised transparent methodology. Furthermore, Ms Angelova emphasized the need for more 'tailor-made' investment products as these should better match companies' needs, and that efforts should also focus on finding ways to decrease the relatively high clearing and settlement costs when trading across borders.
