With the 2024 European elections around the corner, the Grassroots View is looking at the hopes and concerns of three groups whose voices are often neglected by policymakers: people with disabilities, senior citizens and young people. We checked in with Milan Šveřepa, president of Inclusion Europe, to see if anything had changed on the accessibility front since 2019, when millions of Europeans were barred from voting due to intellectual disabilities or were prevented from going to the polls...

Welcome to this episode of The Grassroots View, where we explore the complexities of economic governance and the challenges facing the European economic landscape. With our guests, we delve into fundamental questions about Europe's economic strategy, and the necessity of consensus amid political divisions. First, we hear from Luca Jahier, former EESC president and current president of the European Semester Group, who sheds light on the urgent need for reform in response to the pandemic and...

Welcome back to the Grassroots View! In this episode, we're tackling the urgent issue of homelessness across the European Union. Despite Europe's relative wealth, the challenge of ensuring safe and decent housing for all citizens persists, prompting crucial reflections on the EU's core values of social justice, solidarity, and inclusivity. Today, we're joined by key voices in the fight against homelessness: Frederik Spinnewijn from the European Federation of National Organisations Working...

Welcome to the Grassroots View, where we delve into the dynamics of EU enlargement, shedding light on the Western Balkans as we near the twentieth anniversary of the Union's most significant expansion. In this episode, we're joined by Oliver Röpke, President of the EESC; Alexandra Voudouri, journalist and foreign policy analyst; Biljana Spasovska from the Balkan Civil Society Development Network; and Danuta Hübner, former Polish Minister of European Affairs and MEP. Together, we explore the...

Welcome to the Grassroots View, the podcast of the European Economic and Social Committee. In this episode, we deep dive into the upcoming COP 28 in Dubai, where the world converges to address the pressing issue of climate change. Joining us are insightful voices: climate journalist Anna Gumbau, EESC Youth Delegate Diandra Ní Bhuachalla, Sustainable Public Affairs founder and CEO Willem Vriesendorp, and Jule Könneke from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. We start...

In this episode of the Grassroots View, the podcast from the European Economic and Social Committee, we dive deep into the Green Deal Industrial Plan, a crucial aspect of the EU's path to a net-zero carbon future. We explore the challenges of decarbonizing energy-hungry industries, Europe's competition with the United States, the importance of securing critical raw materials, and the delicate balance between economic priorities and environmental values. Join our panel of experts: Emanuele...

Join us to talk about the pressing challenges posed by scarce water resources, pollution, aging infrastructure, climate change, as well as a fragmented approach to water policies at EU level. In this episode of The Grassroots View we've invited POLITICO's sustainability reporter Antonia Zimmerman, award-winning documentary filmmaker Ewa Ewart, Thessaly University Professor and Vice-President at Water Europe Chrysi Laspidou, and EESC's Consultative Commission on Industrial Change President...

Digital innovation has the power to transform our industries, our societies, our lives. It can also be a threat if not properly regulated. In this edition of The Grassroots View we take stock of the state of digital transformation in Europe. Where does the EU stand compared to the rest of the world? What are the challenges and opportunities ahead? How can Europe secure and hold a competitive position, while safeguarding the rights and welfare of its citizens? We’ll be exploring the issues...

In this edition of The Grassroots View we explore the continuing migration crisis in Europe. The recent stand-off between Italy and France, both refusing to allow the Ocean Viking to dock to transfer informal migrants it had rescued off the coast of Libya to land, has highlighted the issue. So where is European migration policy actually right now? What has become of the call, heard often since the big Syrian refugee crisis of 2015, for European solidarity? How can it come to this, that...

In this edition of The Grassroots View we look at gender equality. Women make up slightly more than half the population of Europe and there’s no doubt that, in the years since the Union was founded, their position in society relative to men has been transformed. But what is the state of gender equality in the EU now? What challenges remain and, in particular, what role can gender equality play in Europe's road to economic recovery? Joining us to provide their perspectives are Chiara...

In this episode of The Grassroots View we talk about the 2022 Conference of the Parties to the Paris Climate Agreement, or COP27. Negotiators from the 196 signatory states will meet in November in Egypt to discuss progress towards tackling the urgent issue of global warming. What are the expectations and concerns for COP27? What would a successful conference look like? Will the energy crisis slow down Europe's green transition? What is the role of organised civil society, and does it receive...

In this episode, we explore organic farming, organic production, and organic eating, through the lens of the first EU Organic Awards. These were awarded in September 2022 to eight European organisations excelling all along the organic food chain: from Best Organic Farm and Region, to best Organic SME and Restaurant. What are the prospects for reaching the EU target of 25% of agricultural land under organic cultivation by 2030? Does organic food contribute to food security and food...

What is the impact of the energy crisis on our daily lives? Since Russia has invaded Ukraine, there is a new political reality on the continent. Up to 1 in 4 households in the EU cannot afford to adequately heat, cool or light their homes, and prices continue to rise. Where do we go from here and what does it all mean in particular for the poorest in society? This is what we talk about in this episode of The Grassroots View. Alena Mastantuono, EESC Member representing the Czech Chamber of...

The long-awaited accession process of the Western Balkan countries to the EU is on the EU agenda. This episode of the "Grassroots view" is focusing on EU enlargement, discussing the principle of gradual and progressive integration and the perspective of the region to integrate in the EU family. What are the similarities and differences between the first great enlargement of the EU to 10 new countries in 2004 and the membership process for the Western Balkan countries? What is the attitude of...

The EU and the African continent share interests and concerns: a sustainable and inclusive economic recovery, the green transition and the access to energy, the digital transformation, human development, peace and good governance or even migration and mobility. That’s why a frank and ongoing dialogue between civil society stakeholders from both sides is so important. In this episode of The Grassroots View, we have invited some of their representatives to tell us their stories. Dimitris...

Since February 24, 2022, Ukraine has been facing Russian invasion. In addition to the military and financial aid that arrives from all over the world, European and Ukrainian civil societies are working hand in hand to help the populations in distress. In this episode of The Grassroots View, we invited some of their representatives to tell us their stories. Elena Calistru, member of the European Economic and Social Committee, explains how and why many Romanian citizens help fleeing Ukrainian...