Russian Invasion of Ukraine Exacerbates World Food Prices

Photo by Simon Goetz on Unsplash

Photo by Simon Goetz on Unsplash The global food price crisis has only been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.  It is actually due to more structural and systemic problems in the commodities market, creating hunger and threatening people’s livelihoods, points out the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in its own initiative opinion, adopted at the December plenary. Fuelled…

European Commission’s Work Programme 2023

European Commission. Work Programme 2023

The European Commission should place greater focus on the long-term development of an EU able to better withstand geopolitical upheavals, counter their negative economic and social impacts and ensure that sustainable development guides its policies, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has said in a resolution on the EU’s priorities for 2023. The resolution…

EESC Supports EU’s Global Gateway

EU Global Gateway

The EU’s Global Gateway initiative is the right step forward in improving connectivity with non-EU partners and like-minded developing countries.  In its relevant opinion, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) underlines that civil society representatives must be included on the board that will be set up to coordinate Global Gateway investments. It also stresses…

Promoting the Circular Economy

Matteo Borsani

In an opinion proposed by the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) and adopted at May’s plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) recommends that the European Commission and national governments, in consultation with all stakeholders inside the packaging industry, take the necessary steps throughout each product’s life cycle to increase the industry’s sustainability. Most…

EESC Support for REPowerEU Initiative

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)  has thrown its support behind the Commission’s “REPowerEU” initiative, stressing that energy security must be accompanied by urgent measures to protect vulnerable users, accelerate decarbonisation and diversify energy sources. Steps should also be taken to reduce demand for Russian gas which has brought about a significant increase in energy…

EESC Calls For Strengthening Schengen

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) says that with the threat of war at its doorstep, the Schengen area should be further strengthened through better police and judicial cooperation, with its internal borders kept open The war in Ukraine, which has caused an unprecedented flow of refugees to seek shelter in the EU, points to…

EESC marks #EuropeDay2022

Europe Day 2022

This year the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will be joining forces once again with the other European institutions to mark the anniversary on 9th May of the Schuman Declaration, where the EU all began, in spite of recent tragic events writes Cillian Lohan.  The war in Ukraine has literally transformed the European agenda,…

Taxation to Finance Recovery

Krister Andersson

Taxation is a major tool for financing the recovery, as well as the digital and green transition. But the old national and international rules are no longer fit for some of the new business models used today.  In an opinion adopted during its March plenary, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the European…

Controlling Hate Crime and Hate Speech

Hate Crime and Hate Speech

The growth of hatred, expressed both online and offline across Europe, confirms the need to address hate speech and hate crime at EU level, an EESC hearing was told. On 30 March, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a public hearing to discuss the European Commission’s proposal to broaden the list of EU crimes…

EU Industrial Strategy

Greening EU Industrial Strategy

The EU needs to reassess the priorities of its industrial policy in light of the pandemic and the conflict on Europe’s eastern border: this is what emerged from a conference hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The Conference, titled “A sustainable future for European industry”, was organized in cooperation with the European…