The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) announces that applications for the fourth edition of the EU Organic Awards open today, 11 February 2025. The application period runs until 27 April 2025, and interested parties can access the clear and friendly user application form on the EESC's official website starting today.
On Tuesday 28 January, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe, in partnership with the Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN), hosted an interactive dialogue between civil society representatives and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker TÜRK. The discussions highlighted concerns over shrinking civic space, disinformation, threats to democracy, the need for stronger protections for human rights defenders, migration policies, international justice and corporate accountability.
A new report on Europe’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlights a significant slowdown, raising concerns about the EU’s ability to meet the 2030 targets. The Europe Sustainable Development Report 2025 (ESDR), published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), finds that the pace of SDG progress between 2020 and 2023 was more than twice as slow as in the previous period.
The legitimate interests of the EU in the European Arctic will best be defended together through an EU Arctic strategy that strengthens civil society participation in all relevant decisions. Close cooperation with Greenland is also vital for sustainable investment in the Arctic in order to ensure the regions' prosperity and resilience.
The EU needs a sharper focus on competition policy to strengthen its global competitiveness, boost productivity and ensure the single market remains a pillar of economic strength, according to the EESC.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has called for changes to the European Union’s State aid rules in order to recognise and better accommodate the needs of social economy entities, which play a critical role in tackling societal challenges.
The euro area is facing pressing challenges: low labour productivity, weakening competitiveness, and slowing economic momentum compared to global peers like the United States. To reverse this trend, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is calling for an urgent and coordinated strategy. In a new opinion, the Committee outlines a plan to drive growth by deepening the internal market, cutting regulatory red tape, and ensuring fiscal sustainability. At the same time, policies must address transformative trends like artificial intelligence (AI) and the pressures of an ageing population.
In January's plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), leading voices from policymaking, academia, and civil society convened to discuss the urgent need for a fair and inclusive approach to climate and biodiversity action. As the EU accelerates its push toward climate neutrality, the EESC has issued a clarion call for a coordinated and inclusive transition.
In its opinion issued in January, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discusses the future of the electricity market and advocates a combined model of state measures and market mechanisms: government regulation where necessary and private entrepreneurship where possible.
