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PRESS RELEASE No 082/2009 11 June 2009
Business "as usual" not an option for employment issues
A few days before the Heads of State and Government are to adopt conclusions about the way out of the labour market crisis, the EESC fine-tunes civil society's recommendations to save jobs.
In the opinion "Results of the Employment Summit" (SOC/434) adopted in plenary session on 11June, rapporteur Wolfgang Greif (Austria, Employees- Group) reiterates the Committee's priority to prevent mass lay-offs and further rises in unemployment which, as a recent OECD forecast predicts, might reach 12 % in 2010 throughout the Union. The numbers of unemployed are rising at an unprecedented speed. Services' and manufacturers' sectors are particularly hit by the crisis. Against this background, and having already contributed to the Employment Summit in Prague at the specific request of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, the EESC considers that additional measures are necessary.
The Committee stresses the need to use publicly subsidised active employment policy instruments and formulates the necessity to improve employability, encourage entrepreneurship and socially sustainable mobility. Structural reforms must continue in a way which is compatible with social concerns. Consumer and investor confidence needs to be restored by ensuring and encouraging private and public-sector demand. Income cuts must be avoided as far as possible and equality of opportunity must be promoted while targeting inequalities and ensuring greater security in the labour market. A temporarily flexible approach to the Stability Pact should allow for public investment and the expansion of the tax revenue base in the Member States. The Committee reiterates its appeal for an increase of supply by and facilitated access to European Funds.
"Enhanced social dialogue and strengthened wage agreements are needed", Greif said when presenting his opinion at the plenary session. "Social partners and other representatives of organised civil society have a key role to play in tackling the crisis. Decision-makers from business, social and political spheres are responsible for ensuring that a similar crisis does not happen again."
For more details, please contact:
Barbara Gessler at the EESC Press Office,
99 rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels
Tel.: +32 2 546 9396; Mobile: +32 475 75 32 02
Email: press@eesc.europa.eu
Website: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/
Press Releases:
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/index_en.asp (English)
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/index_fr.asp (French)
The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is an institutional consultative body established by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Its consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the Community decision-making process. The Committee has 344 members, who are appointed by the Council of Ministers.
Monday 13 July 2009
EEA Consultative Committee recommends setting up a Baltic Sea Civil Society Forum and promotes green jobs
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PRESS RELEASE No 078/2009 28 May 2009
EEA Consultative Committee recommends setting up a Baltic Sea Civil Society Forum and promotes green jobs
On 26 May 2009, the EEA Consultative Committee (EEA CC), meeting in Brussels, recommended setting up a consultative "Baltic Sea Civil Society Forum"; the objective is to ensure the involvement of civil society and social partner organisations, including Iceland and Norway, in the EU's Baltic Sea Strategy. The Consultative Committee also highlighted the devastating impact that climate change and the recent financial crisis have had on our economies and societies and underlined the importance of combating both crises simultaneously.
Two resolutions were adopted at the meeting. The first resolution highlights the vital role of civil society organisations and social partners in implementing the EU's Baltic Sea Strategy. The external relations dimension of the Strategy should be linked to cooperation within the EEA and the EU's Northern Dimension policy. Russia's active participation and commitment to Baltic Sea cooperation is also of crucial importance here. Implementation of the Strategy would require the establishment of a separate budget; otherwise the strategy would be no more than a political statement and would not achieve its aims.
The second resolution underlines the potential of green jobs in helping to complete both the environmental and social/employment agenda. However, this requires greater efforts to close existing skills gaps, to develop skills for future green jobs, and to train, retrain and educate people for the transition into green jobs.
Mr Matthias Brinkmann, European Commission, representing the President-in-Office of the EEA Joint Committee, and H.E. Stefán Haukur Johannesson, Ambassador of Iceland to the EU, representing the Icelandic Presidency of the EEA EFTA States, briefed the meeting on the state of play with the EEA Agreement and exchanged views with Committee members, Mr Per Sanderud, President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority, and Ms Stine Andresen, Director of the Financial Mechanism Office.
The EEA CC noted that in the coming days the Icelandic parliament will start procedures with a view to grant the Icelandic government a mandate to apply for EU membership. The aim of the Icelandic government was to submit a formal application to the Swedish EU Presidency in early July. The Committee appreciated greatly Icelandic Ambassador's openness and will closely monitor developments in Iceland.
In addition, the EEA CC discussed the global economic and financial crisis, with speeches by the following participants: Mr Anthony Whelan, Head of Private Office for Commissioner Neelie Kroes, DG Competition, EESC member Mr Thomas Delapina and Ms Cinzia Alcidi, Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
The resolutions referred to will be published on the following link:
http://eesc.europa.eu/sections/rex/europe/areaactivities/efta/index_en.asp?id=5077rexen
For more details, please contact:
Barbara Gessler at the EESC Press Office,
99 rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels
Tel.: +32 2 546 9396; Mobile: +32 475 75 32 02
Email: press@eesc.europa.eu
Website: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/
Press Releases:
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/index_en.asp (English)
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/index_fr.asp (French)
The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is an institutional consultative body established by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Its consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the Community decision-making process. The Committee has 344 members, who are appointed by the Council of Ministers.
PRESS RELEASE No 078/2009 28 May 2009
EEA Consultative Committee recommends setting up a Baltic Sea Civil Society Forum and promotes green jobs
On 26 May 2009, the EEA Consultative Committee (EEA CC), meeting in Brussels, recommended setting up a consultative "Baltic Sea Civil Society Forum"; the objective is to ensure the involvement of civil society and social partner organisations, including Iceland and Norway, in the EU's Baltic Sea Strategy. The Consultative Committee also highlighted the devastating impact that climate change and the recent financial crisis have had on our economies and societies and underlined the importance of combating both crises simultaneously.
Two resolutions were adopted at the meeting. The first resolution highlights the vital role of civil society organisations and social partners in implementing the EU's Baltic Sea Strategy. The external relations dimension of the Strategy should be linked to cooperation within the EEA and the EU's Northern Dimension policy. Russia's active participation and commitment to Baltic Sea cooperation is also of crucial importance here. Implementation of the Strategy would require the establishment of a separate budget; otherwise the strategy would be no more than a political statement and would not achieve its aims.
The second resolution underlines the potential of green jobs in helping to complete both the environmental and social/employment agenda. However, this requires greater efforts to close existing skills gaps, to develop skills for future green jobs, and to train, retrain and educate people for the transition into green jobs.
Mr Matthias Brinkmann, European Commission, representing the President-in-Office of the EEA Joint Committee, and H.E. Stefán Haukur Johannesson, Ambassador of Iceland to the EU, representing the Icelandic Presidency of the EEA EFTA States, briefed the meeting on the state of play with the EEA Agreement and exchanged views with Committee members, Mr Per Sanderud, President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority, and Ms Stine Andresen, Director of the Financial Mechanism Office.
The EEA CC noted that in the coming days the Icelandic parliament will start procedures with a view to grant the Icelandic government a mandate to apply for EU membership. The aim of the Icelandic government was to submit a formal application to the Swedish EU Presidency in early July. The Committee appreciated greatly Icelandic Ambassador's openness and will closely monitor developments in Iceland.
In addition, the EEA CC discussed the global economic and financial crisis, with speeches by the following participants: Mr Anthony Whelan, Head of Private Office for Commissioner Neelie Kroes, DG Competition, EESC member Mr Thomas Delapina and Ms Cinzia Alcidi, Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
The resolutions referred to will be published on the following link:
http://eesc.europa.eu/sections/rex/europe/areaactivities/efta/index_en.asp?id=5077rexen
For more details, please contact:
Barbara Gessler at the EESC Press Office,
99 rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels
Tel.: +32 2 546 9396; Mobile: +32 475 75 32 02
Email: press@eesc.europa.eu
Website: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/
Press Releases:
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/index_en.asp (English)
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/index_fr.asp (French)
The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is an institutional consultative body established by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Its consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the Community decision-making process. The Committee has 344 members, who are appointed by the Council of Ministers.
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