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Luxembourg Minister kicks off the Luxembourg Presidency at EESC
“It is in very uncertain times for Europe that Luxembourg starts its twelfth Presidency”, said Henri Malosse, EESC President, in his welcome address to Nicolas Schmit, Minister for Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy.
Not only did President Malosse express his concerns regarding terrorists' attacks in and around Europe, but he also reaffirmed the EESC's solidarity with the Greek people, urging Europe to find a suitable solution for all Europeans. President Malosse took the opportunity to offer condolences on behalf of all members of the EESC to the victims of the massacre in Tunisia.
On this first day of the Luxembourg presidency, Nicolas Schmit presented the Work programme of the Luxembourg presidency of the presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Luxembourg Presidency has defined seven core priorities: stimulating investment to boost growth and employment; deepening the European Union’s social dimension; managing migration, uniting freedom, justice and security; reviving the single market; placing European competitiveness in a global, transparent framework; promoting sustainable development and strengthening the European Union’s international presence.
Luxembourg Minister Nicolas Schmit « Europe must find a new impulse and work closely together with civil society to do so. We need a social European model which does not have to be identical for all member states, but based on common values.”
During the following debate, the Members welcomed the programme of the Luxembourg Presidency, and showed their support on the focus on combatting poverty, ensuring the role of the EESC in better legislation, developing a social dimension of EMU and further building on the EU 2020 strategy.
In this same context, Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development presented the Commission's work on simplification of the CAP and the use of financial instruments in the rural development programme at the EESC Plenary recently. With global food demand expected to increase by 62% in the coming decades, the challenge will be to "meet demand while ensuring sustainability, and the CAP is working to offer solutions in these regards". He expressed the hope that the EESC, being "the eyes and ears of civil society", will support the Commission in making well-informed decisions that reflect the needs of civil society.
On Thursday 2 July, the EESC welcomed Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete, to debate the state of play of international negotiations on climate, in the run-up to the COP21 conference in December 2015. EESC members appreciated M. Cañete's statements acknowledging the important role which citizens and civil society will have to play putting an agreement in Paris into practice. At the same time they stressed the importance of a common performance – Commission and member states in Paris – also using civil society support to fight for an ambitious, fair and binding "global deal". The long-term sustainability goal must not be sacrificed to short-term political "revenues".
For more information, please contact:
Chloe LAHOUSSE, EESC Press Unit
E-mail: press@eesc.europa.eu
Tel: + 32 2 546 8893 / +32 473 86 7000
@EESC_PRESS
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