Newsletter Liaison Group

Click here to see this message in your browser

Cliquez ici pour accèder à la version française de la lettre d'information

Liaison Group with European civil society organizations and networks February 2024

1. Editorial

2. News from the CSO Members of the Liaison Group

3. Past events

4. European Elections

5. News from the EESC

6. Past events

7. EESC Plenary Session

8. Civil dialogue in the EU and European Citizens' Initiatives

9. Link to our members' newsletters

Editorial

Dear friends, members and colleagues,

2024 is a record year for elections worldwide. While populists and extremists are dividing our societies, and stirring up anti-European sentiment with a steadfast gaze on the vote on Europe’s future in June, and while, across the EU, citizens are taking to the streets to defend democracy, the EESC is launching its first Civil Society Week.

Europe has gone through difficult times and still faces challenges with most pressing concerns being the rising cost of living and inflation, the wars on our doorstep, migration, the climate emergency, and the shrinking civic space. But no one can deny that Europe is also a story of success and a long period of peace, economic prosperity, social progress, and democracy. And in order to preserve our democratic life and to ensure that our core European values are protected, the Committee calls us to Rise Up for Democracy!.

Almost twenty civil society organisation members of the Liaison Group are responding to this call, co-organising with EESC members fourteen sessions over the 4 days. And they are not alone. We will join forces with colleagues dedicated to promoting participatory democracy through the European Citizens’ Initiative, and those seeking to inspire young people and first-time voters to exercise their democratic right to vote and engage in civic life. We will explore the various threats facing democracy, and how to strengthen the assets of Europe's democratic life and values.

Our agenda is rich and diverse, covering among others, disinformation and polarisation, civil dialogue, youth engagement and volunteering, social inclusion, civil society in candidate countries, digital transformation and the wellbeing economy. Together, we will explore paths towards a more inclusive and resilient democracy in Europe. And we will channel what civil society expects from Europe's upcoming mandate and take these expectations to our future leaders.

This conference could not come at a more timely moment. I warmly invite you to join us from 4-7 March at the EESC and to rise up for democracy together. Check out the #CivSocWeek webpage, scroll through the programme, watch the teaser video and remind to register here by 27 February. I hope to see many of you at the EESC in the beginning of March.

Brikena Xhomaqi

Co-chair of the Liaison Group

Director LLLP

News from the CSO members of the Liaison Group

EPA: Two webinars on 15 and 16 February 2024

In the framework of the ELNE – Educational Leadership Network Europe's webinar week from 12 to 16 February, the EPA (European Parents' Association) will hold 2 webinars: On Thursday, 15 February – International Digital Learning Day – we'll talk with experts about Media Education and present our HERMMES – Holistic Education, Resilience and Media Maturity in Educational Settings project – from 16:15 to 17:30 CET. On Friday, 16 February, the presentation of our Empowering of Schoolboards project will conclude the Educational Leadership Week, focusing on collegial leadership involving all stakeholders in education, from 16:15 to 17:30 CET. More information about the whole week can be found here, as well as the links for registration.

EASPD: Gender-based violence, safety in the workplace and more to come from EASPD in four events on 20 and 22 February 2024

In 2024 EASPD aims to build on its work to promote the delivery of quality support to persons with disabilities and increased social inclusion. We're hosting four events on the topics of gender-based violence, safety in the workplace, the use of virtual reality for vocational training and building skills through interaction with therapy animals. Read more here.

UIPI: One-stop-shops and integrated renovation solutions supporting EU-wide deep building transformation, EESC, 22 February 2024

Join us for a dynamic full-day, in-person partnership event at the EESC bringing together esteemed EU representatives, participants from EU Horizon 2020 and LIFE projects and diverse stakeholder groups rooted in Brussels, from construction and financing to local authorities and property owners' associations. The event will feature compelling keynotes shaping the future today, inspiring success stories from digital and physical renovation hubs across various Member States and panel discussions with key stakeholders from sectors vital for the widespread adoption of integrated home renovation solutions on a grand scale. The focus will be on emerging trends within renovation one-stop-shops, technical solutions, innovative business models and financing strategies. Navigate the entire customer journey and value chain, unlocking the secrets to scalable integrated home renovation solutions. For information and registration click here.

ECAS State of the Union Citizens' Rights 2024 Conference, 19 March 2024

The State of the Union Citizens' Rights Conference is ECAS's annual flagship event. It aims to take stock of recent developments in the European citizenship domain and to provide a forum for discussion for civil society, decision-makers and academics on ways to improve the implementation of EU Rights and to innovate EU citizenship. Register here.

EASPD: Guaranteeing Choice and Control: Transforming Mental Health and Psychosocial Disability Support, Bratislava/Slovakia, 20-21 May 2024

The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) invites you to join us for our International Conference: 'Guaranteeing Choice and Control: Transforming Mental Health and Psychosocial Disability Support'. Hosted in Bratislava, Slovakia on 20th-21st May 2024, the conference will address the critical issues which stem from a mental health system that is rooted in a medicalised paradigm and will explore how we can move towards the provision of person-centred, community and recovery-based mental health services rooted in human rights principles. Register here.

LLLP launches its Annual Theme 2024: 21st century challenges for the teaching profession; a call for system change

The Lifelong Learning Platform will dedicate this year to the educators and the teaching profession, addressing its perception and its challenges through topics like well-being, skills and competences, funding and the relationship with learners and other stakeholders. Read it here!

CEV: Call for EVCapital 2026

The call for candidates to the EVCapital 2026 Competition is now open with a deadline of 3rd June 2024. Click here for the call and application form, and here to discover more about the European Volunteering Capital Candidates Community (EVCCC).

European Elections

ECF: European Civic Forum launches EU election campaign

On 6-9 June, voters across the EU will head to the polls to vote for their new MEPs. The last 5 years have been difficult, and some try to capitalise on this to divide us. The European Civic Forum wants to send a clear message: there is another way - a Europe of Democracy, Solidarity and Rights for all! Let's vote for it this June! Find out more about our campaign!

SOLIDAR has officially launched its Campaign for the upcoming European Elections

Ahead of the 2024 European Elections, SOLIDAR, a movement of over 50 progressive civil society organizations across Europe and beyond, is calling for systemic change that accelerates the transition towards a sustainable future to deliver a Europe for all and with all, based on common and human security, human rights, and social justice. Find out more about our campaign here.

CEV: Volunteering We Grow

On 1st February 2024 CEV launched the European volunteering anthem “Volunteering We Grow”, a song co-written and interpreted by Madeleina Kay, nominated Young European of the Year 2018, and Joseph Redsure (Rojas), CEV Events and Campaigns Officer. The song is part of the “Vote Volunteer Vision” (VVV) Campaign to raise visibility in the framework of the European Parliament Elections 2024 of the need for a European Civic Engagement & Volunteering Strategy. The first live performance will happen during Civil Society Week in March 2024 in Brussels. Watch the video clip here and discover more about the Campaign here.

Past events

Cooperatives Europe: SE4Ces Final Event: Shaping the Future of Social Economy Education, EESC, 29 January 2024

The SE4Ces project's final event took place on 29 January 2024 at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels, highlighting innovative strides in social economy education. The partnership event featured notable speakers including Giuseppe Guerini (EESC Member) and MEP Brando Benifei, alongside interactive workshops that explored the evolving landscape of social economy education. This pivotal event marks the culmination of the Erasmus+-funded SE4Ces project, showcasing its contributions to developing a new innovative international master’s programme in the social economy by 2030. Read more here.

COFACE: EU Policy Webinar on the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, 23 January 2024

COFACE Families Europe advocates a two-generation approach to policy and practice for tackling child poverty, based on the interrelated well-being of children and their families. On 23rd January 2024, COFACE organised a multi-stakeholder webinar to discuss tools for monitoring and evaluating Child Guarantee implementation, and to foster stronger links between the various policy and funding initiatives taken at EU and national level. See the full programme here.

News from the EESC

Conference on "Housing crisis in Europe - the way forward?", 20 February 2024

The conference will take stock of the progress made since the launch of the Renovation Wave Strategy as part of the European Green Deal and to address some of the main challenges. As the availability and affordability of decent housing is an issue of growing concern to Europeans, particularly young people, the conference will examine the housing conditions and needs of young people. Finally, the conference will look at how to simplify and make more coherent the multiple funding systems for investment in social and affordable housing. Read more here.

Conference: Meet the Champions of excellence, 23 February 2024

"Meet the champions of excellence" is a flagship event of the European Year of Skills, jointly organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Commission. It will show inspiring skills of young people and highlight the value of vocational education and training as an effective learning and career path. Some 400 young people will exchange with young champions of Euroskills competitions, EESC members, Commission representatives and other invited participants, during plenary sessions and highly interactive workshops. Participants will also be able to watch demonstrations of innovative skills, like virtual reality, 3D printing and robotics. For more information, click here. Interested to join us or to watch the webstream of the event? Click here! Read more here.

Achieving SDG 2 without breaching the 1.5°C threshold: A global roadmap, 29 February 2024

In the face of escalating global crises, the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels, in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), is proud to announce the event "A Time of Urgencies: Addressing Global Food Insecurity and Climate Challenges". Read more here.

Conference: Rare Diseases in the EU: Joint Action shaping the future of ERNs, 8 March 2024

The conference will conclude the three-day Joint Action JARDIN kick-off meeting on the integration of European Reference Networks (ERNs) into national health systems. It aims to raise the awareness of the Joint Action and rare diseases in general and reach a wider community of stakeholders. Moreover, it follows up the EESC Conference on "Rare diseases and the European Reference Networks" that was organised under the auspices of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council in October 2023 in Bilbao, Spain. Read more here.

Public hearing: Potential and challenges of Assistive Technology and Artificial Intelligence on the life of persons with disabilities, 14 March 2024

When implemented effectively, assistive technology (AT) can improve accessibility and quality of life. Artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance the effectiveness of AT in a number of fields, but it is important that it is developed safely with accessibility and inclusion in mind. During the hearing, we will discuss with stakeholders the potential but also challenges associated with the use of AT and AI on the life of PWDs. Read more here.

EC Seminar: Effective legal protection and access to justice for all - a fundamental rights perspective, 14 March 2024

The seminar is a joint EC-EESC event to discuss the annual report on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, issued by the Commission in December 2023. The event will offer a platform for discussion among institutions, law experts and practitioners, on how to improve legal protection and access to justice for all. Read more here.

Past EESC events

Conference: 5th Policy learning forum on Upskilling pathways: a vision for the future, 6-7 February 2024

CEDEFOP and the EESC jointly organized the "Fifth Policy learning forum on Upskilling pathways: a vision for the future". The Forum was organised in a context where all adults, regardless of their socio-economic background, labour market status and qualifications deserve the opportunity to constantly update and acquire new skills to keep up with rapidly changing work realities, manage ever more frequent transitions in the labour market and to thrive in their personal lives and career. Read more here.

FRRL Group hybrid hearing: Defence of Democracy Package, 5 February 2024

The European Commission announced the Defence of Democracy Package as a way to promote free and fair elections, to fight disinformation, and to develop civic space and citizen participation. The initiative has raised much interest but also concerns amongst civil society actors fearing that aspects addressing interference from non-EU countries could affect civic space. Participating stakeholders were invited to discuss the content of the package to feed into the related EESC opinion. Read more here.

Public hearing: Boosting long-term inclusive growth through reforms and investment, 30 January 2024

This public hearing was organised as part of the preparation of the related exploratory opinion and focuses on how to foster upwards social convergence and cohesion, in an economic governance framework defined around debt sustainability, productive investments and reforms. It also looks at the implications of such a framework for the European Semester and the strengthening of the European Pillar of Social Rights. Read more here.

EESC Plenary Session, 14-15 February 2024

The plenary session in February took place in a fully in-person form.

The following debates took place:

Debate about the Commission work programme and priorities for 2024, with Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight
Debate about Strengthening civil dialogue and participatory democracy in the EU, linked to the adoption of the opinion SOC/782 on Strengthening civil dialogue and participatory democracy in the EU: a path forward, with Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Democracy and Demography
Launch of the European Economic and Social Committee Enlargement Candidate Members’ initiative, with Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania and Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro
Debate about the Role of civil society in the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with Tatiana Molcean, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Amongst others the following opinions were adopted:

Digitalisation in social security (SOC/781)
Strengthening civil dialogue and participatory democracy in the EU: a path forward (SOC/782)
Preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastics pollution (NAT/894)
SME relief package (INT/1048)
Annual Sustainable Growth Survey 2024 (ECO/634)
Towards a comprehensive strategy for the EU wood industry (CCMI/213)

The EESC opinions adopted can be consulted here.

Civil dialogue in the EU and European Citizens' Initiatives

ECI Day 2024: Registration open

The first EESC Civil Society Week – which includes ECI Day 2024 on 5 March – is almost here! Register now and engage with EU institutions, civil society organisations, ECI organisers and other stakeholders in interesting ECI-related panel discussions and practical "how-to" workshops. For more information, please see our #CivSocWeek webpage and follow us on social media.

New ECIs registered

On 24 January, the European Commission registered the first two European Citizens’ Initiatives of this year. The ECI entitled Ban on conversion practices in the European Union is calling for a ban on interventions aimed at changing, repressing or suppressing the sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression of LGBTIQ+ citizens. The second one – European Citizens' Initiative in Defence of Agriculture and Rural Economy in Europe – requests a new regulatory framework to protect European agriculture and the rural economy, and the establishment of an EU Agency for Agriculture and Rural Economy. Their organisers now have six months to start the collection of signatures.

Image © mstanley

Open for signature collection now

In January, the ECI entitled Creation of a European Environment Authority launched their year-long signature collection period, thus increasing the number of ECIs currently collecting support to ten. Read more about its objectives and the objectives of all ten ongoing ECIs in the ECI registry website.

Image © Zoa.Arts

Find your ECI National Contact Points

The ECI National Contact Points have been recently added to the European Union around me map! Check it out to find your ECI contact point and/or any other EU centre or network active in your region and learn about the services they provide.