26. Brussels, we have a water problem!

With the 2024 European elections around the corner, the Grassroots View is looking at the hopes and concerns of three groups whose voices are often neglected by policymakers: people with disabilities, senior citizens and young people. We checked in with Milan Šveřepa, president of Inclusion Europe, to see if anything had changed on the accessibility front since 2019, when millions of Europeans were barred from voting due to intellectual disabilities or were prevented from going to the polls simply because the polling stations could not accommodate their physical disability. We asked youth activist and influencer Nina Skočak whether she thought the voting age should be lowered to 16 and what was at stake for young people in this election. We wanted to hear from Heidrun Mollenkopf, the president of AGE Platform, which advocates for senior citizens, about whether older people felt included in election debates or rather dismissed and written off by politicians. And we asked the EESC’s vice-president for communication, Laurențiu Plosceanu, what the EESC does to keep amplifying the voices of civil society, making sure that the more vulnerable do not get side-lined or marginalised. Enjoy our podcast, use your vote and speak up for yourself, shape up the Europe you want!

Welcome to this episode of The Grassroots View, where we explore the complexities of economic governance and the challenges facing the European economic landscape. With our guests, we delve into fundamental questions about Europe's economic strategy, and the necessity of consensus amid political divisions. First, we hear from Luca Jahier, former EESC president and current president of the European Semester Group, who sheds light on the urgent need for reform in response to the pandemic and geopolitical shifts. Next, Margarida Marques, MEP from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, shares insights into the European Parliament's efforts to introduce flexibility into the current framework, emphasizing the importance of policies that prioritize citizens. Finally, Maria Demertzis, Senior Fellow at Bruegel, and Maria Tadeo, a Brussels-based correspondent, dissect the adequacy of recent reforms in addressing the critical needs of today's tumultuous era. How much consensus is there on economic governance among EU members? What hard choices need to be made? And what will the public make of it all in this crucial election year? Join us as we navigate the tough decisions Europe faces in adapting its economy to the demands of the 21st century.

Welcome back to the Grassroots View! In this episode, we're tackling the urgent issue of homelessness across the European Union. Despite Europe's relative wealth, the challenge of ensuring safe and decent housing for all citizens persists, prompting crucial reflections on the EU's core values of social justice, solidarity, and inclusivity. Today, we're joined by key voices in the fight against homelessness: Frederik Spinnewijn from the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), Nóra Teller from the Metropolitan Research Institute, and María del Carmen Barrera Chamorro from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Frederik sheds light on FEANTSA's multifaceted approach, emphasizing mutual learning and innovative solutions like Housing First. Nóra provides valuable insights into the stark realities of homelessness in Europe, highlighting successful strategies from countries like Finland, Austria, and Denmark. María outlines the importance of collaborative efforts through platforms like the European Platform for Combating Homelessness and calls for concrete actions at the EU level.

Welcome to the Grassroots View, where we delve into the dynamics of EU enlargement, shedding light on the Western Balkans as we near the twentieth anniversary of the Union's most significant expansion. In this episode, we're joined by Oliver Röpke, President of the EESC; Alexandra Voudouri, journalist and foreign policy analyst; Biljana Spasovska from the Balkan Civil Society Development Network; and Danuta Hübner, former Polish Minister of European Affairs and MEP. Together, we explore the European Parliament's role, 'enlargement fatigue,' and alternative pathways to EU membership. We talk about press freedom, citizen sentiment, civil society, and the region's perception of the EU, and President Röpke explains the EESC's decision to appoint candidate members from enlargement countries.

Welcome to the Grassroots View, the podcast of the European Economic and Social Committee. In this episode, we deep dive into the upcoming COP 28 in Dubai, where the world converges to address the pressing issue of climate change. Joining us are insightful voices: climate journalist Anna Gumbau, EESC Youth Delegate Diandra Ní Bhuachalla, Sustainable Public Affairs founder and CEO Willem Vriesendorp, and Jule Könneke from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. We start with Anna Gumbau's perspective on the controversial choice of Dubai as the venue, diving into the challenges journalists face in covering such critical events. Diandra Na Bhuachalla sheds light on the urgency of youth voices in climate debates and shares hopes for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty. Willem Vriesendorp emphasizes the need for businesses to lead in sustainability, while Jule Könneke explores the security dimensions of climate policy and the role of civil society.

In this episode of the Grassroots View, the podcast from the European Economic and Social Committee, we dive deep into the Green Deal Industrial Plan, a crucial aspect of the EU's path to a net-zero carbon future. We explore the challenges of decarbonizing energy-hungry industries, Europe's competition with the United States, the importance of securing critical raw materials, and the delicate balance between economic priorities and environmental values. Join our panel of experts: Emanuele Bonini, a Brussels-based journalist for EU News and La Stampa, Sandra Parthie, chair of the Internal Market section at the European Economic and Social Committee, and David Kleimann, a visiting fellow at the think-tank Bruegel. They share insights into the implications of the Green Deal Industrial Plan, Europe's response to global challenges, and the possibility of a European Sovereignty Fund.

Join us to talk about the pressing challenges posed by scarce water resources, pollution, aging infrastructure, climate change, as well as a fragmented approach to water policies at EU level. In this episode of The Grassroots View we've invited POLITICO's sustainability reporter Antonia Zimmerman, award-winning documentary filmmaker Ewa Ewart, Thessaly University Professor and Vice-President at Water Europe Chrysi Laspidou, and EESC's Consultative Commission on Industrial Change President Pietro de Lotto.

Digital innovation has the power to transform our industries, our societies, our lives. It can also be a threat if not properly regulated. In this edition of The Grassroots View we take stock of the state of digital transformation in Europe. Where does the EU stand compared to the rest of the world? What are the challenges and opportunities ahead? How can Europe secure and hold a competitive position, while safeguarding the rights and welfare of its citizens? We’ll be exploring the issues and looking for answers with Tanya O'Carroll, expert on Technology & Human Rights. With Jennifer Baker, Brussels-based journalist specializing in technology, politics and digital legislation. And with Gonçalo Lobo Xavier, EESC employers’ group member representing the Portuguese Business Confederation, Franca Salis-Madinier, EESC Vice president of the workers group and of the Digital Transition and Single Market Observatory, and Giuseppe Guerini, EESC civil society group member and President of the European confederation of industrial and service cooperatives.

In this edition of The Grassroots View we explore the continuing migration crisis in Europe. The recent stand-off between Italy and France, both refusing to allow the Ocean Viking to dock to transfer informal migrants it had rescued off the coast of Libya to land, has highlighted the issue. So where is European migration policy actually right now? What has become of the call, heard often since the big Syrian refugee crisis of 2015, for European solidarity? How can it come to this, that vulnerable migrants are caught in a legal no man’s land? We’ll be exploring the issues and looking for answers with José Antonio Moreno Díaz, member of the European Economic and Social Committee’s Workers’ Group. With Louise Guillaumat, Deputy Operations Manager of SOS Méditerranée, the NGO that operates the Ocean Viking. And with Tomas Miglierina, Brussels-based correspondent for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, with specialist knowledge of migration.

In this edition of The Grassroots View we look at gender equality. Women make up slightly more than half the population of Europe and there’s no doubt that, in the years since the Union was founded, their position in society relative to men has been transformed. But what is the state of gender equality in the EU now? What challenges remain and, in particular, what role can gender equality play in Europe's road to economic recovery? Joining us to provide their perspectives are Chiara Corazza, who sits on the G7's Gender Equality Advisory Council and is Private Sector Representative for France within the G20 EMPOWER Alliance, Maria Nikolopoulou, President of the Ad Hoc Equality Group at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Agata Araszkiewicz, one of the leaders of the feminist group "Elles sans Frontières", and Loubna Azghoud a gender equality expert with a particular interest in the digital economy.