On 21 and 22 March 2019, 102 students and 36 teachers from all 28 EU Member States and the five EU candidate countries (Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey) and from one Brussels-based European School, accompanied by three participants from previous YEYS events, met at the EESC in Brussels for Your Europe, Your Say! 2019.
As part of its Civil Society for rEUnaissance conference on 21 February, the EESC organised seven parallel thematic workshops, focusing on 7 issues which will be decisive for the future of Europe.
The panels, which gathered together some 230 people, saw EESC members and other participants discuss how to mobilise civil society in the run-up to the European elections. What Europe do we want to see emerge from the elections was the basic question running through the discussions.
The workshops focused on the following issues:
Why favourable conditions for European business are good for all citizens (Table 1)
How to strengthen EU as a global economic player (Table 2)
Overcoming inequalities: investing in a more sustainable Europe (Table 3)
A European Union Agenda on the future of work (Table 4)
European values and fundamental rights: a key for the European Union of tomorrow (Table 5)
Turning the next generation into European citizens through civic education (Table 6)
Peace and culture : tools for strengthening the European project (Table 7)
The questions sparked lively discussions among the many participating civil society organisations, which provided a wealth of input.
Overall, there was consensus that Europe needed to make a qualitative leap in communication to better bring home to ordinary citizens the real benefits the EU has meant for them and showcase its success stories.
At the same time, it also needed to take a critical look at some of its policies against a background of increasing poverty and inequalities, international competition and fear for the impact of massive digitalisation. A new, more sustainable economic model taking sustainable development goals as its compass was called for.
The need to develop a European cultural identity through education, to encourage Europeans to take ownership of their multiple identities and realise that they could be proud to be Europeans without betraying their local roots was prominent in discussions. The key role of European values in shaping identity and the need to hold on to these values now coming under threat was also a recurrent theme.
The Economic and Social Council (ESC) recommends that the Bulgarian government propose that the new European Labour Authority (ELA) be established in Bulgaria on the grounds that it will have a strong positive effect in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe most affected by negative phenomena on the cross-border labour market.
The Economic and Social Council (ESC) adopted a resolution on the promotion and use of small and medium-sized enterprises in the growth markets. The ESC Resolution addresses the Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 and (EU) 2017/1129 as regards the promotion of the use of SME growth markets COM/2018/331 final - 2018/0165 (COD).
The Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria (ESC) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) jointly organized a public discussion on the topic: "What Europe Do We Want?" which was attended also by representatives of Bulgarian young people. Representatives of the National Youth Forum, which brings together more than 50 organizations in the country and is a member of the European Youth Forum, the National Representation of the Student Councils, defending the interests of over 200 000 students and Sofia secondary school students participated actively in the debates.
"What Europe Do We Want?" was the topic of a public discussion organized by the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria (ESC) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Participants in the discussion with concern and expertise raised a number of challenges that organized civil society in Bulgaria recognized as fundamental and decisive for the future development of the EU.
The Economic and Social Council (ESC) awarded the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for special contribution to the development and support of Bulgarian organized civil society. This happened during a public discussion organized by both institutions on the topic: "What kind of Europe do we want?" This discussion, besides giving the floor to representatives of civil organizations, experts, young people and representatives of the government, also marked two anniversaries. The European Economicand Social Committee is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria marks its 15th anniversary. The two institutions work closely together and successfully express the positions of organized civil society both in Bulgaria and in Europe.
At its most recent Plenary Session the Economic and Social Council adopted two resolutions on the future of the EU. The main topics of the resolutions are the economic and social dimensions for a stronger and more solidary Europe. Ever since 2015, ESC has actively participated through its own acts and organized discussions in European debates on the future of the EU. With the latest adopted resolutions, ESC expressed the main positions of the Bulgarian organized civil society on the most recent issues to be resolved next May during the summit of European leaders in Romania. In both resolutions, ESC urges the EU to maintain its unity and develop as a strong and competitive alliance and as a fair and solidary community.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has appointed Mr Gianluca Brunetti, who is currently working as HR and Finance Director at the EESC, as its new Secretary General from 14th November 2018.
This study aims to outline the most significant features of the national economic and social councils of the Member States of the European Union in the light of the doctoral thesis defended by the author at the Catholic University of Murcia (Spain).
