Document 6558573

ISSN 1725-1923
European Economic and Social Committee
EESC info
European Economic and Social Committee
a bridge between Europe and organised civil society
October 2014 | EN
EDITORIAL
Dear readers,
“
The EESC civil
society prize is an
opportunity to showcase
best practice among
NGOs throughout
the EU so that other
organisations can
emulate that work.
The EESC civil society prize is
an opportunity to showcase best
practice among NGOs throughout
the EU so that other organisations
can emulate that work. This year,
we chose to focus on the integration of Roma because we wanted
to highlight the valuable work that
is being done to accept and integrate Roma into society in the EU
Member States.
I am delighted to say that,
although the theme is more
focused than in the past, we
actually had a record number of
applications – more than 80 altogether – and the quality of activity
was extremely high. The areas of
housing, education and training
were very prominent and it was
good to see those projects in particular where the Roma themselves
were involved in the work within the organisations.
Immigration needs courageous
and inclusive European solutions
The EESC adopted its opinion on “European immigration policies” at its plenary
session on 10 September. The opinion
was drawn up at the request of the Italian presidency. “Immigration is a complex
issue, including border security and asylum policy and therefore our proposals
are diverse and manifold,” explained
Giuseppe Iuliano (Italy, Workers’ Group),
the rapporteur for this opinion.
Mobility needs partnerships
”
The three winning applicants certainly deserve a mention. They are ETP
Slovakia, IQ Roma servis and the Reverend Archimandrite Athinagoras
Loukataris, and a video presenting the successful projects will be shown
during the award ceremony at the October plenary session.
the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), it urges the Commission
to be more ambitious in eliminating the
range of interpretation possibilities currently open to Member States. “We have
to do this job properly and develop an
inclusive asylum system which ensures
proportionate burden-sharing among
Member States, replacing the Dublin
Convention,” said Mr Iuliano. The EESC
wants the European Asylum Support
Office (EASO) to play a greater role
with regard to assessment, analysis
and advice, enabling it to provide permanent technical and operational support to Member States.
Giuseppe Iuliano, rapporteur
on “European immigration policies”
Mobility has to be managed at
European level
The EESC encourages a Global Approach
to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) and
the conclusion of balanced and legally
binding mobility partnerships. In view
of the ageing labour market, Europe
will very likely soon need immigration. Therefore the current fragmented
and diffuse legal framework has to be
reviewed; barriers and discrimination
in the labour market have to be eliminated. The EESC calls for a Common
European Immigration Code and
a Handbook of Common European
Guidelines. It also supports the idea
of a permanent European platform
for work-related migration, offering
Taking the opportunity to thank all the applicants, I also want to thank
all those EESC members who proposed these organisations or individuals and who support the work that they do. I also want to thank the
Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship (SOC) for their
excellent support and the four assessors for their valuable contribution
to the selection process.
The flows of asylum seekers and potential immigrants cannot be tackled by
a few individual Member States on their
own, especially as countries in the Mediterranean are now reaching the limits of
their capacity. While the EESC welcomes
I’d like to finish with a special message to the three winners. As the Roma
proverb states, “sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear
gets you.” In this case, congratulations, you got the bear!
Education is the key for integration
DIARY DATES
12 November 2014/
EESC, Brussels:
Conference: A new Industrial Policy
for Europe
27-28 November 2014/
Milan:
Civil Society Seminar
10-11 December 2014 /
EESC, Brussels:
EESC plenary session
IN THIS ISSUE
2
3
4
Social dialogue at the heart
of European governance
Social enterprise –
A different business model?
Civil society has to be
the main player in making
Europe’s energy greener
One joint border,
one joint responsibility
Currently only a few Member States
have the responsibility of securing the
EU’s border. In times of turmoil around
the Mediterranean, for countries like
Italy, Greece and Malta this is becoming nearly unbearable. Domenico Manzione, Italian secretary of state, who
attended the 501st plenary session at
the invitation of the EESC president,
Henri Malosse, appreciated the “global
approach” of the EESC’s paper. He said
that “based on this we can develop better and smart solutions. This is not only
for the sake of the Mediterranean countries but for the sake of the whole EU
and, most importantly, it will help the
desperately poor migrants.” With its
programme “Mare nostrum”, Italy has
already saved the lives of 120,000 refugees crossing the Mediterranean. Sadly,
however, another 1,900 perished at sea.
The EESC calls for a strengthening of the
role of the External Borders Agency,
FRONTEX, in terms of both power and
capacity. FRONTEX has to become a real
border control body, thus supporting
the EU Member States. The opinion
was adopted by 161 votes to 6, with
6 abstentions. (sma)
●
Interview with Dr Helena Dalli, Maltese Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumers and Civil Liberties
“
EESC info: Why are you
visiting the EESC?
Jane Morrice
EESC vice-president
its own services for exploring the best
options for setting up such a body.
Helena Dalli: I am here to show my appreciation for the EESC and to discuss the challenges in the Mediterranean region. The
idea of the EESC is brilliant. Those are the
people who make their research on the
ground. They know the “real” problems,
they practise the necessary social dialogue
in this institution including all the groups
of our society and therefore their opinions
are so valuable. Even me, as a politician in
Malta, I am studying different EESC opinions for my own political considerations
and policy implementation.
I expect that the EU acts in
the spirit of the union: helping
each other and not leaving
a few countries with the whole
burden. The EU has to find
a strategy which includes all
countries; we have to share
responsibility and find together
the best solutions.
Helena Dalli, Maltese Minister for Social
Dialogue, Consumers and Civil Liberties
What do you expect from the
EU with regard to immigration
policy?
a few countries with the whole burden. The
EU has to find a strategy which includes all
countries; we have to share responsibility
and find together the best solutions.
I expect that the EU acts in the spirit of the
union: helping each other and not leaving
Integration of immigrants –
what is Malta doing?
ww
www.eesc.europa.eu
”
Providing work and education is the
best way for a successful integration.
Malta also offers concrete assistance
with regard to the legal framework of
our state. People have to know about
both their rights and their duties.
Again – education is the key for integration. (sma/hb)
●
The future of organic
production in Europe
Social dialogue at the heart
of European governance
In an opinion adopted by the plenary assembly, Georgios Dassis lays the foundations of
potential economic recovery in Europe, underpinned by the social partners. He believes that
this change can be launched in the next five
years: it is a matter of political will.
A committed European, the president of the
Workers’ Group has witnessed the European
venture from its first major social and political
steps, its subsequent developments, to the dark
time of the 2008 crisis. This experience, bolstered
by the deliberations and work of the members of
the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and
Citizenship, is brought to the fore in an opinion
entitled Structure and organisation of social
dialogue in the context of a genuine economic and monetary union (EMU). The message is clear: in order to exit the crisis, we need to
take economic and political integration further,
provided it is based on a new form of European
governance, underpinned by social dialogue.
“The young people of my generation started
work at the age of 12: after primary school, if
not earlier. At the time, Greeks worked much
more than the official 48 hours a week,” he
explains. “Happily, times have changed and
labour law in Europe has taken a number
of major steps forward, such as framework
agreements on part-time work and fixedterm contracts.”
However, the machinery has jammed.
“Framework agreements have been
replaced by autonomous agreements subject to the good will of national authorities –
and now the Member States are dragging
their feet. The last agreement, on working
at home, was signed nearly 15 years ago and
is still not applied in many countries. Worse
still, rather than an improvement, we are
seeing a general decline in the number of
collective agreements as we have pointed
out in this opinion. We therefore call on
the European Commission to propose the
introduction of a binding instrument for the
application of these agreements at national
level,” explains the head of the Workers’
Group.
Georgios Dassis, President of the Workers’ Group
The opinion, the fruit of real European social
dialogue, calls for economic recovery based on
enhanced participation and autonomy for the
social partners, underscores the importance of
tripartite consultation and links stronger social
dialogue with economic and monetary union.
It will be an inspiration for the Commission
over the next five years.
“There have already been positive signs from
the Commission. I expect great things from
Mr Juncker and am prepared to believe him
when he says that he will take a personal interest in social dialogue,” says Georgios Dassis.
“My interest now is putting it into practice.
We will support him in any initiative which
could make the EU fairer and more respectful
of workers’ rights and give people renewed
hope in the European venture.”
●
EU Member States must join forces to combat undeclared
work, which puts both workers and businesses at risk
In its new opinion the EESC insisted on the
need for the launch of an ambitious platform
which should have the power to recommend
new or simplified EU and national legislation.
The opinion was adopted at the September plenary session by 172 votes to 88, with 22 abstentions. Undeclared work has risen with the crisis
in Europe and according to some estimates
is worth EUR 2.1 trillion (source: The Shadow
Economy in Europe 2013).
Teresa Bellanova, Italian State Secretary for Labour
and Social Policy with EESC President Henri Malosse
at the plenary session
At the plenary session which saw the adoption of
the opinion, the Italian state secretary for labour
and social policy, Ms Teresa Bellanova, stressed
the many implications that undeclared work
could have for a national economy, hindering
job creation, impeding growth and impacting
“We need to create a positive environment
for workers and businesses, so there is less
of a temptation to turn to the black market”, said Mr Stefano Palmieri (Italy, Workers’
Group), EESC rapporteur. “Undeclared work
undermines the European ideals of justice
and solidarity, as well as undistorted market
competition, so we need to put an end to
it. The creation of the European platform
comes at the right time but we need to give
it the necessary means of action.”
A range of instruments could indeed be put
in place to fight undeclared work in Europe,
such as tax incentives, inspections and fines
for unfair business practices, as well as smart
regulations that can create a stable legal
framework. Sharing information could also
be very useful when it comes to preventing and discouraging moonlighting: the
“
Undeclared work
undermines the European ideals
of justice and solidarity, as well as
undistorted market competition,
so we need to put an end to it.
The creation of the European
platform comes at the right
time but we need to give it the
necessary means of action.
”
platform would ideally play an intermediary
role to facilitate this exchange.
“For the platform to be steered in the right
direction, we will need constant dialogue
between all the players involved: from the
social partners at EU level and from sectors
with high levels of undeclared work, from
SME organisations and the social economy”,
underlined Ms Ana Bontea (Romania, Employers’ Group), EESC co-rapporteur.
The EESC called on the new Commission to
involve the two sides of industry and civil society
organisations with the relevant expertise in the
platform. They would bring the necessary added
value, know-how and transparency. (sg) ●
Organic farming – a relief for the environment…
Organic farming is a production system which is based on
natural resources, strictly limiting the use of chemical and
synthetic inputs and prohibiting the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Several studies show that:
● biodiversity is much greater on organic farms (30% more
species than on non-organic farms);
● Soil is much richer with improved aeration and drainage;
● Water quality in the surrounding areas is higher (no use
of pesticides or synthetic mineral fertilisers);
● Nitrate leaching per hectare is 57% lower, and last but
not least;
● Organic farming fosters the creation of “green” jobs.
…but the transition requires time and support
Europe is diverse, and within the EU there is a lot of diversity
with regard to climate, soil, tradition, history, etc. between
the Member States. This has to be considered before implementing a new regulation, and this was one of the concerns
that experts from the eastern European Member States
expressed in particular.
While the EESC welcomes the Commission’s legislative proposal
to foster organic farming and supports its goal of fully converting
mixed farms into organic farms, it calls for this to be done with
the necessary pragmatism and a sense of proportion. Small-scale
farmers, who are particularly encouraged to turn to organic farming, could be completely sidelined as they simply cannot afford
to bear the costs of such a rapid transition. The main concern was
that the sector could come under pressure, with serious agronomic problems as a result and ultimately no “organic” solutions.
Realistic targets to be set
Other concerns were related to the 2021 target of using
100% organic seed, which could reduce the variety of products because 100% organic seeds would not be available for
all plants, especially vegetables. Challenges such as a lack
of organic animals (also no database), organic protein feed,
costs or bureaucratic burdens are barriers to meeting the 2017
objective of converting mixed farms into organic producers.
>>> page 3
European agriculture worries
shared during the EESC plenary
The long wait is almost over – after careful consideration the jury has chosen the
three winners of the 2014 Civil Society Prize Competition
On 10 September 2014 during
the EESC plenary session, Frank van
Oorschot (Netherlands, Employers’
Group) drew attention to the critical situation currently facing the
European agricultural industry. The
economic difficulties stem from
the financial crisis and sanctions
imposed by Russia. The hardest hit
are workers, farmers and the logistics sector, Mr Van Oorschot said,
presenting the EESC president, Henri
Malosse, with a selection of fresh
European farm produce.
The winners, who come from Slovakia, the Czech Republic
and Greece, will travel to Brussels on 16 October for the Grand
Finale of the competition to discover their ranking and receive
their prize from the president of the EESC, Henri Malosse.
In the EESC president’s words “part of
the way forward in Europe involves
re-launching production – which also
means relying heavily on European
farmers. Support for the EU agricultural sector should not be limited
to words of kindness and proposals
2
on the more vulnerable workers as well as
small enterprises. She stated that eliminating the shadow economy is a condition sine
qua non for Europe to get out of the crisis –
a top priority for the Italian presidency of the
EU. During the plenary debate, EESC members underlined the importance of EU-wide
action against undeclared work and bogus
self-employment.
The EESC organised a hearing on “The future of organic
production in Europe” on 15 September at its headquarters
in Brussels. It invited experts from the Commission, European
farmers’ associations, certification bodies, NGOs and national
organisations to create a deeper understanding of this topic,
which is important both economically and ecologically.
Franck van Oorschot, EESC member
with EESC President Henri Malosse
of support, but mean actual understanding of the challenges it faces,
and concrete measures to help tackle
them.” (mm)
●
The Civil Society Prize jury, composed of the EESC president,
the two vice-presidents, the presidents of the three groups and
the secretary-general, had the difficult task of choosing three
winners from a wide range of excellent projects. The Centre for
Sustainable Development from Slovakia, the Reverend Archimandrite Athinagoras Loukataris from Greece and IQ Roma servis
from the Czech Republic will share the total prize of EUR 30,000.
The actual ranking of the winners will be disclosed at the EESC
plenary session in Brussels on 16 October.
The EESC received 81 applications from across the European
Union. Four external expert assessors shortlisted eight entries.
The shortlist included the Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG)
from Spain, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, the European
Grassroots Antiracist Movement from France, the Autonomous
Centre (ACT) from Croatia and the Drop-In Centre Hirundo at the
Helsinki Deaconess Institute from Finland. (clj)
●
Social enterprise – A different business model?
“Social enterprise is a business model and a way
to create growth by increasing the number of
entrepreneurs and a different kind of business
in the economy,” said Jonathan Bland, managing director of Social Business International Ltd,
who spoke at the hearing.
Ariane Rodert, EESC member
As part of its social enterprise project, the
EESC organised a public hearing on “The EU
policy agenda for social enterprise: what next?”
on 3 September 2014.
The hearing gathered stakeholders from the
European institutions and civil society to discuss this issue, with a view to submitting policy
recommendations to the next Commission and
Parliament.
Eight months after the Strasbourg event, the
EESC is assessing the state of play for social
enterprise growth and development across
Europe, in terms of the legal framework,
economic conditions, public and private support programmes and awareness, in order to
identify new priorities for the next EU policy
agenda. Social enterprise is a key element of
the European social model and fundamental
to the success of the EU2020 strategy. By
supporting and promoting social enterprise,
Europe strengthens its growth and competitiveness potential and its capacity to create
social value.
“This hearing was the last step before our final
report,” said Ariane Rodert (Sweden, Various
Interests Group), who is coordinating the
social enterprise project. The EESC has for the
last eight months gathered input from social
enterprise players at local, regional, national
and European level. Their input is the key to
ensuring that EU policy fully unleashes the
potential of social economy enterprises across
the EU.”
The EESC supports the Commission’s launch
of a policy framework and action plan to promote social enterprise in Europe. The EESC has
drafted several opinions on social enterprise
policy, stressing the importance of full support
for social enterprise development at both EU
and Member State level.
Mr Heinz Becker, MEP, explained the importance of communicating at local level: “Our
primary target is not the national level but
the regional and local level because the social
economy lives in the regions, but at the same
time we need the active cooperation of the EU
Member States.”
The Committee has set up a Social Enterprise
Project working group composed of nine members interested in the social entrepreneurship
agenda. Their work is based on the concluding
document from the Strasbourg event in January, the “Strasbourg Declaration,” and aims to
identify specific and tangible measures for the
next EU institutional agenda for social enterprise
in Europe. (hb)
●
SOON IN THE EESC
Civil Society Media Seminar 2014
A New Industrial Policy for Europe
For the eighth time in a row, the European Economic and Social Committee will be organising its Civil Society Media Seminar. This will be hosted from
27 to 28 November by the city of Milan at the Grand Hall of Conferences of
the Province of Milan. The seminar is organised in cooperation with the European Broadcasting Union. Our target groups are EESC members, the press and
communication officers from Member States’ civil society organisations and
EU institutions.
Conference organised jointly by the European Policy Centre and the
European Economic and Social Committee
© nanD_Phanuwat
This year’s seminar will be conducted under the headline “European media
and informed citizenship – EU and ME(dia) – do European viewers
get enough?” More concretely, its remit will be to foster debate about news
reporting on the European Union and to draw lessons for the future.
The seminar will seek to explore ways of improving EU cooperation with the
media, helping to give the news a broader European perspective, being aware
of propaganda issues and generating public
involvement in the European debate. It will
consider whether social media are an appropriate means of bringing the EU closer to the
people and the last panel will look back at the
2014 European elections to check what can be
done better in the future. (sma)
●
A new European Commission is about to take up office with an ambitious
policy agenda for the next five years. It is now time for the EU to turn the
rhetoric about an industrial renaissance into reality by putting in place
a coherent and bold strategy that will restore Europe’s competitiveness
and boost its economy.
This conference will be held on 12 November 2014 at the EESC building in
Brussels and will bring together high-level EU representatives, Ministers
from a range of Member States, and representatives from industry and the
policy world. A series of panel debates will focus on the main challenges
and opportunities for European industries and the strategic options the
EU should consider, with speakers from a range of bodies including the
EESC, the OECD, the Vanguard Initiative and the French Centre National
de la Recherche Scientifique.
More information: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.events-andactivities-new-ind-policy (at)
●
PLENARY SESSION
IN A NUTSHELL
Green Paper on Mobile Health
The EESC welcomes the Green Paper on Mobile
Health in view of the contribution that mHealth
can make to European healthcare systems, which
are facing increasing challenges as a result of
demographic change and the need to address
the treatment of chronic diseases. In this opinion (TEN/551), the Committee argues that priority
must be given to improving healthcare, not cutting costs. To be successful, mHealth will require
the participation of healthcare professionals, dialogue with patients’ organisations, the promotion
of mutual trust between patients and professionals along with incentives and training plans for
the latter. Dialogue also needs to be established
with industry in this field.
●
Voting: 180 in favour, 1 against, 1 abstention.
EU Maritime Security Strategy
In this opinion (REX/402), the EESC welcomes
the demonstration of the EU’s political will to
put maritime security at the top of its political
agenda. The Committee fully endorses the comprehensive, cross-sector, integrated approach
which builds on existing resources combining the
dual use (military/civilian) of infrastructure. The
proposed approach is cost effective and will create more jobs in line with the Europe 2020 growth
strategy, as well as new synergies between EU
institutions and other stakeholders (coastguards,
navies), while at the same time making the maritime profession more attractive for seafarers. ●
Voting: 142 in favour, 1 against, 3 abstentions.
EU Strategy for the Adriatic
and Ionian region
The European Union Strategy for the Adriatic and
Ionian region (EUSAIR) will help to promote and
support the region’s economic competitiveness
and social cohesion.
The EESC believes that strong political backing
for the EUSAIR is vital for maintaining effective
integration between the Europe 2020 strategy,
European enlargement policy and the regional
development strategies. The Committee suggests that EUSAIR’s social dimension should be
integrated and strengthened through the promotion of social investment and the necessary
modernisation of social protection systems. ●
Voting: 163 in favour, 5 against, 4 abstentions.
Continued from page 2 —
The future of organic production
in Europe
Imported products have to be of
the same standard as domestic
products
In line with the EESC’s position, some representatives of agricultural associations and
experts called for stricter controls for products from non-EU countries to ensure that
they comply with EU requirements. Import
controls can be strengthened by moving
from equivalence to compliance in relation
to the recognition of control bodies in non-EU
countries.
High quality standards justify
higher prices
Raising quality standards for organic production and introducing stricter rules for
manual production will increase consumer
confidence and also justify the price difference between organic and conventional
products. A smart marketing strategy from
the Commission showing the high quality
standards of European organic farming will
support demand. (sma)
●
GOING LOCAL
Single-member private limited
liability companies
EESC Vice president discusses the importance of the Arctic and the Sami
people during her visit to Sweden and Finland
EESC vice-president, Jane Morrice, visited Sweden and Finland from 21 to 25 September as part
of the EESC’s new Going Local initiative. The trip
started in Umeå, Sweden, EU Capital of Culture
2014. Accompanied by Swedish members Paul
Lidehäll, Inger Persson and Staffan Nilsson, the
VP met the city’s mayor, Marie-Louise Rönnmark,
and visited Umeå University for a discussion with
students about the importance of strengthening
EU efforts in the Arctic and the role of civil society
in this process. All participants recognised the significance of the Arctic as the home of the Sami, the
only indigenous people living within EU borders.
contribute to that awareness raising, the EESC
will hold an exhibition of Sami cultural traditions
in Brussels in February 2015.
The second leg of the trip was to Finland where
Ms Morrice was accompanied by Finnish members
Filip Hamro-Drotz, Pirkko Raunemaa and Thomas
Palmgren. Highlights of the visit included the Arctic
Centre and the University of Lapland in Rovaniemi,
the Sami Museum and Nature Centre SIIDA, the
Sami Education Institute and the Sami Parliament
in Inari. In their meetings, the delegation emphasised the importance of improving public awareness about Arctic issues, and the need to respect
the traditional way of life of the Sami people. To
In the Finnish capital, Jane Morrice accompanied
by Finnish members Timo Vuori and Ulla Sirkeinen
met members of the Finnish Chamber of Commerce and the Confederation of Finnish Industries.
Jane Morrice expressed the EESC’s commitment
to promoting women’s participation in business
and cutting down overregulation at European
level. (sg)
●
”The aim of this visit was to listen and learn about
the issues affecting the Arctic and the Sami people
and to let these communities know what the EU
can do for them”, said Jane Morrice. ”Too many
people see Brussels as foreign, faceless and too
far away. We want to change that perception. The
EU is on your doorstep and we, in the EESC, want
to help make it work for you in the best interests
of all”.
Although the EESC welcomes the Commission’s
efforts to support SMEs in the area of company
law, it sees a considerable range of necessary
amendments before the EESC could endorse the
proposal.
For instance, the EESC recommends that:
● a substantial minimum share capital appropriate to the company’s purpose be required,
in the form of a “credibility threshold” for
SUPs (Societas Unius Personae – singlemember companies), in order to protect the
interests of creditors, consumers, employees
and the general public and to avoid any risk
to business;
● an SUP should not be registered in a place
where it carries out no business activities
whatsoever (letter boxes);
● Member States should be free to provide for
online registration on a voluntary basis with
a preliminary identity check.
This opinion was adopted after intensive, and
sometimes controversial, discussions.
●
Voting: 127 in favour, 50 against, 15 abstentions.
3
small entrepreneurs to access finance
models at favourable conditions, and
providing the required infrastructure
and easy access to the grids.
● Different conditions require
different solutions
© Kajano
The EESC is currently drafting
a study on “Changing the future of
energy: civil society as a main player in
energy generation.” The EESC newsletter has already reported on it. The EESC
organised a conference in Brussels on
17 September, discussing the study
findings with EU civil society organisations as well as representatives
from the six Member States (Bulgaria,
France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland
and the United Kingdom) where the
study was conducted. The final report
will incorporate the results of this
debate and will be presented in the
plenary later this year.
While participants agreed that places
like Germany or the Scandinavian
countries can be role models for
renewable energy. Stephane Buffetaut (France, Employers’ Group), president of the TEN section, emphasised
that not everything can be copied, as
“different geographical conditions
also need a variety of approaches.
However, it is important to provide
a stable legislative framework which
investors can rely on.”
Renewables – creating jobs
and new sources of income
similar projects. But first, certain preconditions have to be laid down:
Lutz Ribbe (Germany, Various Interests
Group) told the story of a small German town where a cooperative was
formed to finance the new roof of
their football stadium. The cooperative decided to build the roof out of
solar panels and repaid the investment
with the energy produced. Renewable
energy requires creativity and public
acceptance. This example and other
best practices should be highlighted
in order to encourage other communities, households and farmers to build
● Member States have to
create the right conditions
for renewables
● Climate and political
challenges require a rethink
With diversification and the increased
use of renewable energy, production
has shifted from large centralised
power plants to small decentralised
units. For smaller units it is more difficult to invest, and Member States
have to provide the necessary political framework to encourage such
installations, for instance, enabling
The turmoil in the Middle East and
Ukraine, as well as climate changes
in Europe and elsewhere with their
accompanying floods and drought,
will finally force us to work globally
on the development of renewable
energy sources, not least to save our
planet for our children and grandchildren. (sma)
●
R EU Ready?
A fun and interactive game by the EESC
The European Economic and Social
Committee (EESC): how does it work?
Do you know how the policies that
affect your life are made?
What if some of the EU’s complicated
procedures were turned into a game –
fun to play but challenging as well?
Well, the EESC has done just that: created a brand new game which lets you
act out the role of a Committee member in Brussels. You can campaign for
your own policies, influence other colleagues, answer questions and learn
more about the EU and the EESC’s
place in it.
The EESC’s aim in producing this
educational game for the first time is
two-fold: firstly, to make itself known
to young people, and secondly, to
help them understand the role of
civil society in the
EU decision-making
process.
The game is based
on the principle
of “learning while
playing” informing
young people about
the EESC opinion
route (from the
drafting stage until
adoption and transmission to the other
institutions) and at
the same time informing them about
the EESC’s structure and functioning.
IN SHORT
EU Trade Policy – the Cyprus Perspective
and Future Challenges
On 4 September 2014, Manthos
Mavrommatis (Cyprus, Employers’
Group), took part in a discussion on
EU trade policy with EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, and the
Cypriot minister for energy, commerce, industry and tourism, Yiorgos
Lakkotrypis. The meeting explored
EU trade policy in general, the Cyprus
perspective and future challenges.
The EU has succeeded in expanding
trade between its members but also
plays an active part in promoting the
expansion of global trade at the WTO.
The more recent approach to free
trade extends its focus beyond tariff
reductions. Trade agreements now
go much further to address competition, investment policies, consumer
protection and many more issues.
As Mr Mavrommatis points out:
“Cyprus has everything to gain
from the EU’s ongoing efforts to
open, negotiate and conclude major
free trade agreements, which are
regarded as the most important
challenge for EU trade policy in the
near future. It is a small country that
depends on trade, most of which
is either with the EU or generated
through EU trading partners taking
advantage of its expertise as a transit
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(fgr)
●
point for exports. Its economy is dominated by SMEs whose size and international experience far exceeds their
counterparts’ in other small European
economies. Its geographical position,
weather and business climate not
only lend themselves to the movement of goods, but also to the movement of people, financial transactions
and investments, which all benefit
from a seamless, tariff-free environment.” (lj)
●
The EESC partners with the International Labour
Organisation to promote Social Economy
You have to gain the support of at
least 75% of Committee members so
that your issue can be adopted as EESC
policy and then used to influence other
institutions. First you choose which of
the Committee’s three groups you
would like to join, followed by the
topic you want to campaign on, and
then you influence other members by
correctly answering questions about
the EU and the EESC.
Between the different levels there is
an information screen that gives you
an interesting fact about the topic you
have chosen.
Manthos Mavrommatis, EESC member
Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna,
EESC member
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) organised the fourth
Academy on Social and Solidarity
Economy from 28 July to 1 August
in Campinas (Brazil), which brought
together practitioners and policymakers from all around the world.
The EESC was one of the partners of
this initiative and was represented by
Miguel Angel Cabra de Luna (Spain,
Various Interests Group), Social
Economy Category spokesperson.
The focus of the conference was on
how social economy enterprises can
contribute to inclusive and sustainable development in the context of
the Sustainable Development Goals
Agenda post-2015. Mr Cabra de Luna
took part in the round tables on the
opening and closing days, where he
gave details of the EESC’s work on
the social economy and sustainable
development, including the recent
opinions on the Social Economy in
Latin America (REX/325) and the
Involvement of the private sector in
the post 2015 development framework (REX/386). (ism)
●
EESC info in 23 languages:
es: http
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/eescinfo/index_en.asp
Inmaculada Sandoval Mora (ism)
Leszek Jarosz (lj)
Milen Minchev (mm)
Siana Glouharova (sg)
Silvia M. Aumair (sma)
EESC info is published nine times a year during EESC plenary
l
sessions.
Béatrice Ouin – EESC members’ representative
on the Editorial Committee (FR, Workers’ Group)
Peter Lindvald-Nielsen (editor-in-chief)
Henry Borzi
Editor:
Address:
URL: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.eesc-info
European Economic and Social Committee
Jacques Delors Building, 99 Rue Belliard,
B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel. (+32 2) 546.94.76
Fax (+32 2) 546.97.64
Email: eescinfo@eesc.europa.eu
Internet: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/
EESC info is not an official record of the EESC’s proceedings; for this, please refer to the Official
Journal of the European Union or to the Committee’s other publications.
Editorial Committee:
Agata Berdys (ab)
Contributors to this issue:
Alice Tétu (at)
Caroline Alibert Deprez (cad)
Chloé Lahousse-Juarez (clh)
Fabiola Giraldo Restrepo (fgr)
Henry Borzi (hb)
Printed versions of EESC info in German, English and French are available free-of-charge from the
European Economic and Social Committee Press Office.
EESC info is also available in 23 languages in PDF format on the Committee’s web site:
Reproduction permitted if EESC info is mentioned as the source and a copy is sent to the editor.
Print run: 12 310 copies.
Next issue: December 2014
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October 2014 /8
QE-AA-14-008-EN-C
Civil society has to be the main player
in making Europe’s energy greener