The European Commission has given a positive assessment of Poland’s recovery and resilience plan, an important step towards the EU disbursing €23.9 billion in grants and €11.5 billion in loans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). This financing will support the implementation of the crucial investment and reform measures outlined in Poland’s recovery and…
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…
The European Commission is proposing to add the violation of EU restrictive measures to the list of EU crimes. The Commission is also proposing new reinforced rules on asset recovery and confiscation, which will also contribute to the implementation of EU restrictive measures. While the Russian aggression on Ukraine is ongoing, it is paramount that…
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…
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…
The international community has pledged close to €6.4 billion for 2022 and beyond during a conference on Syria organised by the European Union. The funding will help people in Syria and the neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees. Out of this amount, over €4.8 billion were pledged by the EU, with over €3.1 billion coming from…
The Conference Plenary has concluded its work, with MEPs expressing their approval of the outcome and announcing that Parliament intends to kick-start EU reforms. Parliament’s delegation decided to support the Plenary’s draft proposals. MEPs highlighted the important role that Parliament played in the run-up to this moment, for example by guaranteeing that citizens’ input would…
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…
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…
The European Commission has released a report of the public consultation in the context of the revision of the animal welfare legislation. “These results serve as additional confirmation of what EU citizens have been repeatedly calling out loud. We sincerely hope this clear demonstration of compelling public interest will serve as driver of ambition for the…
