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A strong European brand οf products and services to enhance European competitiveness

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The coming years will see new prospects and challenges for European products and services, according to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Providing innovative, highly specialised products and services with well-recognised and certified key characteristics can boost European competitiveness, says the EESC.

Unanimously adopted, the EESC’s own-initiative opinion “Use-value” is back: new prospects and challenges for European products and services  aims to raise awareness of the branding of European products and services that cater to customers’ needs, as well as to social and environmental sustainability requirements.

Addressing the plenary, the rapporteur for the opinion, Dimitris Dimitriadis, said: Thirty years ago, ‘made in Europe’ was a guarantee for a product; now we are behind China, India and the United States; we have lost the European commercial brand name and want to get it back on track. Mr Dimitriadis mentioned the position of advantage of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the benefits of this. Continue reading “A strong European brand οf products and services to enhance European competitiveness”

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We need a wellbeing economy that works for people and the planet

Ecology

The EU is currently confronted with emergencies that are challenging its prevailing economic models. Slogans that until recently were used as the flagship of the European project, such as growth, jobs and prosperity, are no longer enough to speak to the hearts of the young generations of Europeans. The EU is under pressure to respond to a number of multifaceted challenges, which originated from a decade of economic and migration crises, social discontent and environmental degradation. It needs to reinvent itself fast, for the sake of its citizens.

This EESC opinion aims to define what “the sustainable economy we need” should look like by exploring a new vision of prosperity for people and the planet, bringing together economic, environmental and social dimensions in an integrated manner. The EESC is calling on the EU to propose new economic models, investment decisions to harness technological advances, and new indicators for the wellbeing economy, in order to regain citizens’ trust and belief.

With the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, a commitment to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development by 2030 worldwide, and the European Green Deal, with the goal of becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the EU has finally made these issues its top priorities.

However, the most important thing is that this Green Deal becomes a real Green and Social Deal, making sure that the transition to a climate-neutral economy, which leaves no one behind, is just and coherent from A to Z. In fact, we need to rethink the whole system.

To ensure a just and green transition and implementation of the SDGs, we have to re-think our EU economy. ‘We must reboot the system but we need new software, not just an update!’ said rapporteur Peter Schmidt. Continue reading “We need a wellbeing economy that works for people and the planet”

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Trade preferences boost developing countries’ exports to the European Union

Export

Exports to the European Union from developing countries using special tariff preferences under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) reached a new high of €69 billion in 2018. According to the European Commission’s report published every two years on the GSP, released today, exports to the EU from the 71 GSP beneficiary countries increased to almost €184 billion. Nearly €69 billion of these used GSP special preferences.

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell said:  “Trade is one of the crucial tools the EU has at hand to address, support and improve human rights, labour rights and good governance, which are pillars of sustainable development, around the world. Through the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences, we support developing countries to grow and advance in a sustainable way, not least when it comes to climate action. Our preferential trade tariffs help to take thousands out of poverty, to reduce inequalities, and to bring economic growth.”

Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan said: “Thanks to our trade preferences, the EU imports twice as much from least developed countries as the rest of the world does. This trademark tool of the EU’s trade policy underpins millions of jobs in the world’s poorest countries and acts as an incentive to countries to implement international conventions on human rights, labour rights, good governance and the environment.”

The Generalised Scheme of Preferences removes import duties on developing countries’ exports to the EU.  By creating additional export opportunities, it helps the countries to tackle poverty and create jobs while also respecting sustainable development principles. For instance, today’s report shows that, thanks to the GSP, countries like Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Bolivia are more effectively tackling child labour. Continue reading “Trade preferences boost developing countries’ exports to the European Union”