Less than 40 % of the irregular migrants ordered to leave the EU actually return to their home country or a third country. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has now launched an audit of the EU’s cooperation with third countries on the readmission of irregular migrants. The auditors will assess whether the suite of…
Year: 2020
Turkey Arrests Environmental Protestors
Sunday July 26 marked the first anniversary of a campaign against an ecological disaster in Turkey. It was marred by police violence and the arrests of activists. The Yeşil Sol Parti and environmental activists have been protesting for over a year against a highly polluting cyanide leaching gold mine in the Çanakkale region. …
Armenian Actions in Tovuz Border District Threaten European Energy Security and Geopolitical Stability
By Dr. Ceyhun Osmanli Protests by the Armenian Diaspora in Brussels last week turned violent, with a premeditated attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy. Similar incidents were orchestrated around the globe in what appears to have been a coordinated campaign of terror. In this opinion editorial, our guest correspondent Dr Ceyhun Osmanli warns of the dangers…
Time to change the way we do Business
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) points out that the COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to change the way we do business, without moving away from the long-term objectives of a green, sustainable and social Europe. We need to change the way we do business in Europe and the world, but the EU’s long-term goals…
Grants to relaunch international conferences and B2B events
Faced with the current crisis, the MICE industry has got its thinking cap on. From anticipating changes and the implementation of new technologies in their events, to choosing a location that is closer to home – there are many paths that lead to new, innovative solutions. To help the sector, the Brussels-Capital Region, European destination…
German Wirecard scandal
The European Parliament has called for tough examination of the Wirecard scandal and the failure of German supervisor BaFin. The Legal Affairs Committee and the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament have sent a joint letter to the EU Commission on Wirecard and European auditing rules. The letter was prepared by the…
Is the BLM movement being manipulated?
The Social Media Intelligence Unit (SMIU), a project of non-profit organisation Alliance4Europe, has published new research identifying intrusion into the global Black Lives Matter movement. The “Society Burning: Tactical Assessment” that organised actors are using social media to paint a picture of “Marxist subversion of the American dream” by the protest group in order to…
2021 Year of the Rail
Rail should play a prominent role in the EU’s future mobility and become the primary form of transport. For this reason, the EESC is pleased to support the European Commission in proposing to mark 2021 as the Year of Rail. In the opinion approved at the July plenary session and drafted by Alberto Mazzola, the Committee…
Civil Society Against COVID-19
The EESC will reward up to 29 solidarity initiatives undertaken in the EU and the United Kingdom to battle COVID-19 and cushion its devastating blows The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is launching a Civil Solidarity Prize, a one-off award with the specific theme of “Civil society against COVID-19”, which this year will be replacing its flagship…
UK-Turkey Trade deal
By Sam Lowe, and Luigi Scazzieri Turkey and the UK want to maintain a close relationship after the Brexit transition ends. But concluding a trade deal will not be easy, and relations could sour if tensions increase between Turkey and the EU or US. A UK-Turkey trade deal is “very close”, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu…