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14/12/2022 08:00 AM

📌Happening today: Zero Pollution Stakeholder Conference

📍 Live in Brussels

🔴 Web streamed here

📝Full program available here

✨Check the agenda highlights:

🔷Opening session

• Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European

Commission

• Apostolos Tzitzikostas, 1st Vice President of the Committee of the Regions

🔷Panel Discussion – reactions from stakeholders

• Marieke Schouten, Member of the Committee of the Regions & Co-Chair of the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform

• Patrick ten Brink, Secretary General, European Environmental Bureau (EEB)

• Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric

• Pär Dalhielm, EurEau Acting President

• Janyl Moldalieva, UNEP Brussels Office, Policy Officer

🔷Deep dive sessions

Deep dive 1 – Zero Pollution and Health, with reaction from Birgitta Sacrédeus, Member of the Committee of the Regions and rapporteur for the opinion on Europe's Beating Cancer Plan

Deep dive 2 – Zero Pollution and Biodiversity, with reaction from Una Power, Member of the Committee of the Regions and Member of the Green Deal Going Local Working Group

Deep dive 3 - Zero Pollution and Circular Economy, with reaction from Luca Menesini, Member of the Committee of the Regions and rapporteur for the opinion on EU Strategy for Sustainable Circular Economy and Textiles

From left to right: CoR members Una Power (IE/Greens), Marieke Schouten (NL/Renew), Brigitta Sacredeus (SV/EPP)

12/12/2022 09:00 AM

📌 The SEDEC Commission meets today!

📝 The meeting agenda includes:

🔹Election of the 1st vice-chair of the SEDEC commission (tbc)

🔹Discussion on the Work Programme for 2023 of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC)

First discussion and adoption of the following opinions:

🔹Creating an enabling environment for the social economy, Rapporteur: Ricardo RIO (PT/EPP)

🔹European care strategy, Rapporteur: Heinrich DORNER (AT/PES)

🔹Adequate minimum income for social inclusion: the local and regional perspective, Rapporteur: Anne KARJALAINEN (FI/PES)

Exchange of views for the opinions on:

🔹Amending the Directive on Asbestos, Rapporteur: Hanna ZDANOWSKA (PL/EPP)

🔹Zero long-term unemployment: the local and regional perspective, Rapporteur: Yonnec POLET (BE/PES)

💻 Find the full agenda here and follow the meeting live from 11 am.

Tweets from the meeting:

🗣️ Opinions - First discussion and adoption

Creating an enabling environment for the social economy - Ricardo RIO (PT/EPP)

📝Read more about the opinion here.

Social Economy is a vital sector for Europe to ensure sustainable and inclusive development. Local and regional governments are calling to boost this important sector of the economy. All European institutions are working together to reinforce the social economy actors and this opinion is another step in this direction.

Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga, Portugal

European Care Strategy - Heinrich Dorner (AT/PES)

The demographic trends for the European Union speak for themselves: with a forecast of people potentially in need of long-term care expected to increase from 19.5 million in 2016 to 23.6 million in 2030 and 30.5 million in 2050 in the EU and with some 8 million jobs required in the health and social sector in the next ten years, it is clear that the European Union has to gear up its care strategy. The gearing up should build on coordinated European measures for better recognition and upgrading of the situation and working conditions of care professionals, on an improved legal framework based on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the relevant ILO conventions and on closing the territorial gaps in availability and access to long-term care, notably by incentivizing social investments also at European level.

Heinrich Dorner, Member of a Regional Executive holding an electoral mandate: State Government of Burgenland, Austria

Adequate minimum income for social inclusion: the local and regional perspective - Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES)

The proposed Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income is an encouraging first step in the right direction. Local and regional authorities have a crucial role to play in making a success of it, particularly when it comes to providing quality social services, actively reaching out to people requiring support and identifying the specific needs of individuals in order to develop people-centred pathways towards active inclusion in society. However, a higher level of minimum income, a tighter delivery timeline for the Recommendation, more homogeneous eligibility criteria and more precise wording when it comes to envisaged action are necessary in order to optimise the impact of the proposal.

Anne Karjalainen, Chair of Kerava City Council, Finland

🗣️ Opinions - Exchange of views

Amending the Directive on Asbestos - Hanna ZDANOWSKA (PL/EPP)

Asbestos kills more and more people. Many of them do not realize that this is due to the asbestos they have come into contact with in the past. We need new better quality campaigns and educational programs. I would like to propose new tools and solutions to give former, current and future employees and their families a dedicated medical system that ensures proper diagnostics and medical care. It is also our -LRAs - responsibility to remove asbestos from our communities as soon as possible in a safe way.

Hanna Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź, Poland

09/12/2022 03:01 PM

📌 15th ENVE Commission meeting

Check out the highlights from the agenda

EU Nature Restoration Targets by Rapporteur Roby Biwer (LU/PES);
Transfortmative Action Award Ceremony
Presentation of the Zero Pollution package by the European Commission
Debate on UNFCCC COP27 outcomes and a Green deal Helpdesk session.