“The Semester has become a tool in itself with only economic governance objectives dominant, disconnected from inclusive and sustainable growth, and delivery on the social, environmental targets and equality goals”. Her call: ‘’Europe 2020: Let’s bring it back’, was strongly welcomed by the EESC in the summing up of Stefano Palmieri, President of the EESC Europe 2020 Steering Committee. He also confirmed the need to “embed in the Semester, the involvement of economic and social actors, with representatives of organized civil society at national and European level, in a way that allowed for a systematic feedback from the stakeholders. An adequate, transparent system of social impact assessment of all policies was also crucial’.
Key speakers included : Maria João Rodrigues, Member of the European Parliament, S&D Group Vice-Chair in charge of Economic and Social Policies; Andrea Saltelli, European Centre for Governance in Complexity; Wolfgang Kowalsky, Senior Political Advisor, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC); László Andor, Former EU Commissioner, Mercator Senior Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance.
See programme here