Turning recovery into a success: EESC underlines key role of organised civil society 

Christa Schweng, European Economic and Social Committee President, said that the EESC is collecting opinions from civil society from every corner of the EU and supports today’s conference that would produce tangible results that lead to follow-up measures that will be taken up. Ms Schweng was speaking during a debate on the EU priorities for recovery and the implementation of the 2022 European Commission work programme, with Ursula von der Leyen and Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-president of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.

Main points: Ursula von der Leyen:

Social Market Economy: We want to preserve a social market economy. There are many market economies but here is one unique social market economy.

COVID-19: The world is experiencing a rapid increase of COVID-19 cases unfortunately but mostly among those who are not yet vaccinated. On top of his, there is the spread of the Omicron variant. Compared to a year ago, we have achieved breakthroughs and those vaccinated are the most protected at this stage.

Pact for Skills: Its aim is to work in close collaboration with employers, employees and trade unions to ensure we can flourish in a more green and digital society. The pact is a central element of the European Skills Agenda. The pact promotes joint action to maximise the impact of investing in improving existing skills (upskilling) and raining of workers.