Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda | Snapshots from NY
The EESC delegation just came back from the UN High-Level Political Forum in New York, which was dedicated this year to Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises. We were involved, amongst others, in the discussions on the state of implementation of SDG 2: the current levels of finance development are insufficient, and we cannot solve the financing gap until we tackle unfair distribution in the supply chain and food speculation. We need a coherent approach to align needs with resources. 

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Implications of EU enlargement for agriculture
The EESC just adopted an opinion highlighting the complexities and strategic considerations surrounding the EU’s forthcoming enlargement, emphasising preparedness, sustainability, and balanced support for agricultural and rural sectors across both current and candidate Member States. The enlargement presents opportunities to better secure the EU’s strategic autonomy and further reduce the environmental footprint of the agricultural sector. However, past enlargements of the EU have produced mixed outcomes in this sector. 🎬Rapporteur's video 📑Read more

Meet our members | Ágnes Cser: Putting sustainable agri-food systems at the core of the Hungarian Council Presidency

"Our goal is for EU agricultural policy to create a competitive, crisis-proof and farmer-friendly European agriculture system" says Ágnes Cser, NAT member of the EESC. Agriculture should not be seen as the cause of climate change, but as part of the solution. We cannot avoid discussing the social and labour conditions of those who contribute to agriculture - social dialogue is indispensable. 🎤 Read the interview"

The EESC at the HLPF, New York
From 15 to 17 July, an EESC delegation participated in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York where they had the opportunity to meet a number of stakeholders on the ground, including representatives of the Major Groups, business, trade unions, youth organisations, UN agencies and Member States. The delegation advocated for the structured engagement of civil society in implementing the SDGs at both EU and global level while also promoting the key messages of the EESC’s opinions on sustainable food systems and climate finance. 📑Read more 

EU Organic awards | Finalists announced for the 2024 edition!
The names of the finalists for the 2024 EU Organic Awards have been revealed today. For each of the eight categories, the top three projects have been selected, representing 24 finalists from 12 EU countries. The winners of the eight awards will be unveiled at the official ceremony in Brussels on 23 September 2024 as part of a series of events and activities celebrating the annual EU Organic Day. 📑Read more

Holistic farm policies are needed to keep focus on SDGs 
"Governments are shifting their priorities away from Sustainable Development Goals, but what we need is a holistic approach: designing policies that can help farmers and citizens transition to a more sustainable way of producing and consuming" said Peter Schmidt, president of the NAT section, who was recently interviewed by Euractiv. Governments and economic actors are shifting their priorities towards different goals and this puts the 17 SDGs at risk. 📑Read more 

EU Youth Test at the EESC | How does it work in practice ?
The EESC Youth Test is a tool designed to strengthen youth participation and youth mainstreaming in policy-making. This means that youth representatives can participate in the preparation of the EESC policy recommendations by participating in meetings and hearings, providing written contributions and following the uptake of the opinion. How does it all work in practice? 📑 Find out more on this infographic!

Duty of vigilance and extra-financial rating, an article by Ozlem Yildirim
With the directives on the duty of vigilance of companies and extra-financial reporting, the European Commission has endeavored to consider environmental and human rights issues through a common perspective. A development welcomed by Ozlem Yildirim, NAT member of the EESC, who wrote an article on this topic recently published on Toute l'Europe. 📰 Read more 

EESC event | Towards a comprehensive water strategy in the context of the climate and biodiversity emergencies 
On 2 July 2024, as a follow-up to its call for an EU Blue Deal, the EESC held an online event to examine the role of water in the climate and biodiversity emergencies we face, seeking cohesive, sustainable solutions for water resilience. The event highlighted challenges and showcased best practices, while also exploring solutions for the agri-food sector. 📑Read more 🎬Video recording 🔎 PPTs

EESC event | Aligning the circular economy and the bioeconomy at EU and national level 
On 12 June 2024, the EESC held a public hearing in connection with its ongoing opinion on Aligning the circular economy and the bioeconomy at EU and national level. The event aimed to gain a thorough understanding of the political landscape of the circular economy and bioeconomy, including overlaps and joint challenges, and discuss how sustainability and circular economy principles could be applied in the bioeconomy sector. 📑 Read more 💬Video recording

EESC event | Building Transformative Policies to Reach the Sustainable Development Goals 
On 5-6 June 2024, the EESC in cooperation with the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN) and the Belgian Federal Institute for Sustainable Development held a conference on Building transformative policies to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. A short wrap-up video and a photo gallery are now online.

SDSN | Global Sustainable Development Report
The Sustainable Development Report reviews progress made each year on the Sustainable Development Goals since their adoption in 2015. According to this year's edition, on average, only 16 percent of the SDG targets are on track to be met globally by 2030, with the remaining 84 percent showing limited progress or a reversal of progress. The SDG targets related to food and land systems are particularly off-track. The report evaluates three possible pathways towards achieving sustainable food and land systems.📑Read more 

European Environment Agency | Report: Europe's sustainability transitions outlook - Short-term action, long-term thinking
Despite progress, Europe is still far from achieving many of its 2030 objectives, and the convergence of economic, social, and environmental crises raises further concerns about the EU's security and its economic competitiveness, along with questions of fairness when it comes to distribution of the costs associated with the transition. This report suggests strategies to align short-term actions with long-term sustainability goals, addressing competitiveness, security, and fairness. 📑Read more 

European Commission | 2nd report on the State of Food Security in the EU
This report provides a qualitative assessment of the state of food security in the EU based on the inputs of the expert group on the European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism (EFSCM). According to the report, food inflation remains a concern for food security, fuelling some increasing tensions along the food chain while maritime disruptions in the Red Sea are among possible new factors that might have impacted EU food supply and food security since mid-2023. 📑Read more 

European Commission | Launch of EU grants for projects to reduce consumer food waste
The aim of this call is to support stakeholders in their actions to prevent and reduce the amount of food waste generated at consumer level. Covering actions such as behavioural change interventions, awareness raising campaigns and communication materials, this call targets both single stakeholders and multi-stakeholder collaborations or partnerships across the food supply chain, including key actors such as farmers, manufacturers, retailers, food services and researchers, NGOs and public entities. Application deadline: 25 September 2024. 📑Read more 

26 September 2024 | Partnership event with CopaCogeca
Multifunctional EU forests and their role in supporting EU strategic objectives

27 September 2024 | EU circular talk 
Digitalisation for Circular Procurement: Global Insights and Local Applications

1 October 2024 | Partnership event with the European Environment Agency 
State and Outlook of the Environment Report - stakeholder engagement

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