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Liaison Group with European civil society organizations and networks

June 2022

Editorial

Dear Readers,

In this edition I would like to mention two main topics to which the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has been dedicating much attention and work lately. One of them is the devastating war that is still going on in Ukraineand its consequences. The other one is the follow up to the Conference on the Future of Europe, which implies a possible new role for the EESC and an occasion for further cooperation with the civil society organisations represented in the Liaison Group.

Beyond the fact that they both make the headlines, I see a link between the two: the decisive role of civil society organizations (CSOs) and citizens. In Ukraine, they are the greatest strength of the country and force our admiration. In the European Union, CSOs and citizens discussed the most important issues for EU's future during the Conference and issued proposals that now deserve an honest follow-up.

The Committee has been very vocal in condemning the war since its very first day. Our Members and their civil society organisations across Europe have been standing on the frontline and assisting millions of Ukrainians – mostly women and children – who had to flee their homeland and seek refuge in the EU. At our plenary of 15 – 16 June, we had the honour to listen to emotional testimonies from NGOs representatives - Marta Barandiy, chair of the "Promote Ukraine" NGO and Mariya Korolchuk, representative from CORE and Funky Citizens NGO. The EESC has also adopted a second resolution on "Ukraine – from relief to reconstruction – proposals by European civil society", asking for the country's unconditional candidate status to the EU, a week ahead of the relevant EU Council Summit. Focused on the future, the resolution confirmed the engagement of the European civil society to work hand in hand with Ukraine and for Ukraine, on the reconstruction of the country.

The future of our Union also lies at heart of the discussions related to the follow-up to be given to the Conference on the Future of Europe. The Committee was active in the Conference's instances and also increased the reach out to people across the EU, through more than 75 events that gathered more than 7600 participants. I consider that the process of the Conference was successful, as far as it allowed CSOs and citizens to have a say and formulate recommendations, which were the basis for the 49 proposals of the Conference.

Two of the related measures foresee to build on existing structures such as the European Economic and Social Committee, to enhance the institutional role of the EESC and empower it as a facilitator and guarantor of participatory democracy activities. The EESC will live up to this call and is now discussing on the best way to support structured dialogue with civil society organisations or possible future citizens’ panels. Such new activities would be a great occasion to step up the cooperation with the European civil society organisations and networks that are part of the Liaison Group, and I am looking forward to further discussing on this in the next meeting of the Liaison group.

Christa Schweng

President of the EESC

Co-chair of the Liaison Group

News from the CSO members of the Liaison Group

CEV: #BEV2030 Webinars: INEAR webinar, 22 June 2022

Join the next INEAR (Inclusion, Equality and Rights in Volunteering) webinar on 22 June 2022 where we will discuss the topic of Appreciation of Contribution and how we can best ensure the benefits of volunteering are felt at all levels of society. More details about speakers and registration can be found here. Find the report from the INEAR seminar that was held on 7 March 2022 here and the report of the first INEAR webinar on Independent and Inclusive Engagement, held on 31 March 2022, here.

EEB: Webinar: Ready to heat, 28 June 2022

A key enabler of both our climate objectives and the REPowerEU targets, this last decade has seen the sector making major innovative leaps in sustainable heating and cooling technologies. Focusing on policy making, particularly for the Fit for 55 package, this webinar will focus on the enabling technologies that can better integrate heat pumps into the grid. Join this webinar to hear from our keynote speaker Ciaran Cuffe MEP (Greens/EFA, rapporteur for EPBD). Find out more and register here.

CEV: Save the Date! CEV Autumn Volunteering Congress, 3-4 October 2022

On 3 and 4 October in Gdansk (Poland) we will hold the CEV general assembly, study visit for CEV members and partners and members of the European Volunteering Capital Candidates' Community (EVCCC), EV Capital 2024 candidates' presentations and an INEAR seminar. Stay tuned for more here.

CAE: Call for proposals for "CULTUROPOLIS: International Days on Cultural Rights" in November

CULTUROPOLIS: International Days on Cultural Rights invites you to reflect on and discuss cultural rights. How do we define cultural rights? What kind of mechanisms do we need to guarantee them for all? Join us on 16-19 November 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. Culture Action Europe's annual Beyond the Obvious conference joins CULTUROPOLIS this year! We have now opened calls for projects and papers to present at the conference. Apply by 15 July. The City Council of Barcelona and Culture Action Europe are jointly organising the sessions, with the collaboration of UCLG – United Cities and Local Governments. The CULTUROPOLIS programme will include discussion panels, the presentation of good practices, an academic congress and an artistic programme.

EEB: Why we ate doughnuts with EU decision makers and called for a DG Doughnut

What does a fair and sustainable economy taste like? Civil society and policy makers joined a doughnut (economics) tasting session to call for a more well-rounded EU economy that respects people and nature. The successful street event resulted in an attractive video that urges people to explore our dedicated Doughnut Economy for the EU website with political demands, articles and more.

EEB: Policy Brief on Energy security, sustainability and sufficiency in Europe and beyond

The policy brief discusses the current geopolitical context of energy, and then goes on to analyse five energy-related issues, from energy demand to energy measuring, the expansion of renewables, mining and social justice. It makes several recommendations, including promoting more ambitious targets for energy saving. Read more here.

ACE: Statement on Affordable & Quality Housing

"The way we inhabit our planet has been elevated to the highest political level with the New European Bauhaus, which invites us collectively to reimagine our living spaces to make them more sustainable, inclusive and beautiful. It is time for immediate action. The way we design and build our housing must be rethought showing respect for nature, adopting a holistic approach that seeks to recover architectural, urban and landscape quality, for individual and community wellbeing. This paradigm shift requires a rethink of the regulatory framework at all governance levels and an increased momentum in the exchange and uptake of best practices in urban and rural areas." (Ruth Schagemann, ACE President). Read the full statement here.

Past events

EEB: Annual Conference – Boosting the Deal for a Greener Europe in Turbulent Times, 17 June 2022

The annual conference of EEB (European Environmental Bureau) was an opportunity to review the European Green Deal as it reaches the midway point and to highlight where it has succeeded in making positive changes, where results have been mixed and where it has simply disappointed. The aim of the event and the discussion was to get the European Green Deal we urgently need. Please find more information here.

EASPD: Webinar "Social Entrepreneurship: What Makes It Tick?", 14 June 2022

Social entrepreneurship is an essential tool in the development of Europe's economy and welfare systems. In its best form, it promotes social inclusion, creates jobs and ensures sustainability. The EASPD, along with Member of European Parliament Radan Kanev, hosted a webinar on 14 June to explore what makes the social economy tick, and what is needed to enable social economy organisations to grow and have a well-rounded impact. Read more here.

CEV: Webinar on crisis volunteering, Gdansk EVCapital 2022, 7 June 2022

On 7 June 2022, the EVCapital 2022 and CEV presented a webinar to explore the role of municipalities and volunteers in crisis volunteering in relation to the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Find more information here.

LLLP: Learning from the lab 2022, 30-31 May 2022

This article provides an overview of some of the main takeaways from our recent Lifelong Learning Lab which took place in Nice, France. The lab aimed to brainstorm how to implement the policy aspiration 'lifelong learning entitlements for all' across the EU.

EFIL: Inclusive Learning Mobility: schools and non-formal educational organisations together, 24–25 May 2022

International cooperation between general secondary schools is now a real opportunity thanks to Erasmus+! This conference allowed participants to learn and share ideas on how to enhance cooperation between schools and non-formal education organisations, with a view to implementing inclusive and quality individual pupil mobility projects. More information here.

News from the EESC

EESC kicks off Civil Society Prize 2022 focusing on two themes: Youth and Ukraine

Creating a better future for young people and helping Ukrainian war victims are the two themes of this year's EESC Civil Society Prize. The EESC is now accepting applications for its Civil Society Prize 2022 which will reward innovative and creative projects and initiatives in two categories: empowering young people and helping Ukrainian civilians affected by the terrible events in their war-torn country. A total of EUR 60 000 will be awarded to a maximum of six winners, with three winners per category. The award ceremony will take place during the EESC plenary session in Brussels on 14-15 December 2022. The deadline for entries is 10 a.m. (Brussels time) on 31 July 2022. Read more here.

Public hearing: Transport accessibility for persons with disabilities, 23 June 2022

The aim of the event is to reflect on which steps the EU could take to make progress on this topic, in particular by identifying the existing barriers and obstacles and good practices and to offer a space for debate to organisations representing persons with disabilities and other stakeholders. Your participation and input are most welcome! Read more here.

The work of the future: ensuring lifelong learning and training of employees, 29 June 2022

On 29 June 2022, the EESC's Labour Market Observatory (LMO) will hold a remote public hearing on "The work of the future: ensuring lifelong learning and training of employees", concluding the LMO study on the topic. The hearing will look at the financing of lifelong learning, the issue of equal access to lifelong learning, the validation of competences and skills linked to labour mobility across the EU, and the question of lifelong learning in the public sector. Invited speakers include representatives of the European institutions, of the social partners, as well as other civil society organisations. Read more here.

Volunteers – citizens building the future of Europe (Gdańsk), 7 July 2022

In Europe, one in five people over the age of 16 is involved in a voluntary activity. Often supported by civil society organisations, volunteers play a key role in shaping our societies and responding to societal challenges. During crisis situations, as demonstrated by the reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the war in Ukraine, volunteers are often at the forefront of the emergency response and provide essential services to those in need. Furthermore, volunteering is an example of active participation in shaping our societies, a key component of democratic life. Read more here.

Remote public hearing: Communicating fundamental rights and the rule of law, 18 July 2022

Over the last years, the EU founding values have been increasingly challenged, making the consensus on which they are based seem more fragile than ever. While the EU has addressed these threats by becoming more active in defence of democracy, fundamental rights, the rule of law, discourses have also risen portraying such action as political battles based on unclear or relative criteria. Participants in the hearing will discuss how to address this phenomenon, and more generally how to better communicate fundamental rights and the rule of law to the whole population. Read more here.

Past EESC events

Webinar: Bauhaus at the service of citizens, 10 June

The webinar on "Bauhaus at the service of citizens" aimed at inserting the values of services of general interest in relation with social and health services, assistance for the elderly, etc. into the Bauhaus project approach. This does not only concern the building, but also the destination of this building and its insertion in the living environment of European citizens: health services or services for the elderly will not be the same, and in the same buildings. Read more here.

Virtual public hearing: The EU Youth Test, 8 June

The EESC organised a virtual public hearing which will feed into its own-initiative opinion on “The EU Youth Test”. This opinion will look at how youth engagement can be fostered to bring a youth perspective into policy-making at all levels. The aim of the hearing was to find out more about the experience of Member States already implementing the Youth Test and to look at youth participation in the context of Europe's future. Read more here.

Annual ESG Conference 2022: Reforming the European Semester for a resilient, sustainable and inclusive Europe, 3 June

When NextGenerationEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) were set up, the EESC's European Semester Group (ESG) welcomed them and stressed the need to link these tools to the European semester's policy framework, the functioning of which would probably need to be overhauled as a result of the introduction of these new tools. Furthermore, the ESG continues to see these tools as an effective way of taking European integration one step forward, while at the same time pointing out means of overcoming the crises currently facing the European Union. Read more here.

ECI Day: "The European Citizens' Initiative 10 years on, ready for the future?", 2 June

At the EESC's ECI Day on 2 June, participants reflected on the European citizens' initiative (ECI) tool as a source of inspiration and a strong example of the ability of Europe's institutions to adapt and involve EU citizens in policy-making. Another key element of discussions were the lessons to be drawn from the first 10 years of its existence. Key findings show that civil society organisations are key to the success of an ECI, while support of local and national NGOs is crucial. Improvements to online collection in the Commission´s central system are desirable. Finally, the discussion on youth participation put the spotlight on the need to respect young people and treat them as equals in participatory processes. Check out the conclusions and recordings of the sessions here!

EESC Plenary Session, 15-16 June 2022

The plenary session in June took place in a hybrid form.

The following debates took place:

Debate on Digital rights and principles, related to the EESC opinions INT/976-988 and INT/978, with Professor Andrea RENDA, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Global Governance, Regulation, Innovation and the Digital Economy at the Centre for European Policy Studies
Debate on The results and the follow-up of the Conference on the Future of Europe, with Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography
Debate on The situation in Ukraine and the adoption of the EESC resolution Ukraine – from relief to reconstruction – proposals by European civil society, with H. E. Ambassador Vsevolod CHENTSOV, Head of the Ukrainian Mission to the European Union, Marta BARANDIY, representing Promote Ukraine, and Mariya KOROLCHUK, representing the Community Organised Relief Effort (CORE) and Funky Citizens

Amongst others, the following resolutions and opinions were adopted:

Resolution on "Ukraine – from relief to reconstruction – proposals by European civil society"
Evaluation report "EaSI ex-post evaluation – including the final evaluation of Progress Microfinance facility" (SOC/714)
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development / Ukraine (NAT/872)
The European furniture industry – Its recovery towards an innovative, green and circular economy (CCMI/187)
Digital Decade Principles (INT/976)
Digital rights and principles (exploratory opinion) (INT/988)
Data act (INT/978)
Instrumentalisation of migrants (REX/554)

The EESC opinions adopted can be consulted here.

Civil dialogue in the EU

European Citizens' Initiative (ECI)

New initiative registered by the European Commission: 'Good Clothes, Fair Pay'

On 1 June, the Commission registered a European citizens' initiative entitled 'Good Clothes, Fair Pay' . The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to introduce legislation requiring that brands and retailers in the garment sector conduct specific due diligence in their supply chain to ensure workers are paid living wages. #GoodClothesFairPay.

Young Italians test the European Citizens Initiative as a tool to mobilise for the climate

A blog post on the European Citizens' Initiative Forum outlines that on 30 April 2022, 55 young people met in Rome to learn from each other’s experience in climate activism and explore how the European Citizens’ Initiative could be an efficient tool to help prevent climate change. The event was a part of the #TheGreenTrack campaign, launched in 2022 by the European Commission to amplify youth voices and youth participation in relation to environmental issues, and organised by Young European Ambassadors. Read more here.