EESC
Momentum for Social Europe
EU minimum wage legislation can help drive much-needed momentum for social policy reform, writes Oliver Röpke.
Don’t impose new tax reporting burden on EU businesses
The competitiveness of European businesses is at risk if EU introduces unilateral public country-by-country reporting, writes Krister Andersson.
The right to vote for all is a matter of human dignity
As the European Commission is about to unveil the EU's new Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the next decade, Krzysztof Pater writes about one of the areas where discrimination is still acutely felt – the right to vote, effectively denied to many persons with disabilities across Europe.
Time for a stronger and more sustainable Economic and Monetary Union
Despite continuous efforts by all decision-makers to reform and strengthen the Economic and Monetary Union, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) believes that its architecture still remains to be completed, writes Stefano Palmieri.
New chapter in EU-Africa relations can only succeed with support of civil society
Since the start of the new Commission, European leaders have switched gears to accelerate the advent of a new era of relations between the EU and Africa, writes Luca Jahier.
Another 100 years to wait for gender equality? We deserve better
At the current pace, it will take more than a century for women to become equal to men in Europe, despite the general progress made so far on gender equality on the European soil and the fact that throughout its history, the EU has been a global leader in advancing women's rights.
Dear President Macron, rEUnaissance is the way to go
Who can contradict President Emmanuel Macron's call for a European Renaissance? Europe has achieved so much in 60 years of peace, but we cannot take it for granted any longer and must do the utmost to preserve it, writes Luca Jahier.
Europe needs a new governance mechanism for sustainability
The European Union unveiled a strategy last week to become the world's first climate neutral economy by 2050, generating a positive momentum ahead of the COP24 in Katowice, writes Luca Jahier.
Secure a social Triple A by making the Social Pillar a reality
Nearly one billion people have escaped poverty worldwide since the first #EndPoverty Day, but too many others have been left behind, even in Europe, writes Luca Jahier.
Civil Protection needs more and targeted EU involvement
Climate change has been described as one of the biggest global threats of the 21st century. Dimitris Dimitriadis explains what the European Union needs to do to improve its civil protection capacities.
World Refugee Day, a reminder for EU leaders that reforming the migration system is urgent
Millions are fleeing war or persecution worldwide. As we commemorate their strength and courage on World Refugee Day, we try to be calm quoting the record high number of 68.5 million displaced people – 3 million higher than the total population of the UK – 25.4 million refugees, 40 million internally displaced and 3.1 million asylum seekers, writes Luca Jahier.
EU cultural diplomacy must be used as a peace-building and soft power tool
International cultural relations have an enormous and untapped potential within the current global context, in which freedom of expression, human rights and mutual cooperation are under threat, writes Luca Jahier.
Hands off Schengen!
Georges Dassis urges European citizens not to surrender the benefits of Schengen.
The EU’s core values are at stake in the migration crisis
Our governments’ failure to act on the migration crisis is destroying the European Union and undermining our core values. This is not the Europe we dreamed of, writes Madi Sharma.
Fighting poverty: From dependency to empowerment
To win the fight against poverty, make the poor your partners. This is the core message from leading contenders for the 2015 Civil Society prize organised by the European Economic and Social Committee, writes Gonçalo Lobo Xavier.
Chinese erosion of Tibetan identity should not be tolerated
Chinese development projects in the mountain region are wiping out the ethnic and cultural identity of the Tibetans, writes Madi Sharma.
Poverty in Europe is getting worse, not better
Member states have committed to lifting 20 million people out of poverty by 2020. But this has been hard to do in a time of economic recession, writes Georges Dassis.
A Europe of progress close to its people
Europe needs radical social reform, including a basic income, eurobonds and a financial transaction tax, argues Georges Dassis.