The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted a strategic, long-term document on the current political debate and the challenges ahead A Programme for Europe: proposals of civil society.
The Committee has presented the EU institutions with a set of concrete measures and initiatives needed to overcome the economic crisis and support sustainable growth in the years to come. It has also taken a position on the European elections, calling on the other institutions, the Member States and stakeholders to ensure that the June elections discuss matters of European interest and not just national issues.
Some interesting issues are:
- Support for the unemployed should be linked with skills acquisition and retraining.
- Support solutions for people with low incomes, such as temporary increases in unemployment benefit and the earmarking of transfer payments, training vouchers, climate vouchers, etc.
- Stimulate entrepreneurship and strengthen human capital whilst ensuring that European vocational training is based upon the needs of industry and attracts qualified and young people, in particular to engineering and technology fields.
- provide training for micro-credit stakeholders and applicants for micro-credit.