460,000 counterfeit euro banknotes withdrawn from circulation in 2020, a historically low level in proportion to banknotes in circulation About two thirds of the total were €20 and €50 banknotes Euro banknotes continue to be a trusted and safe means of payment All euro banknotes can be verified using the “feel, look and tilt” method
Shorter-term inflation expectations largely unchanged; longer-term inflation expectations unchanged at 1.7% Opposing revisions to real GDP growth outlook, with near-term forecasts revised down but stronger rebound envisaged thereafter Unemployment rate expectations revised down across all horizons
Just as Portugal is taking the reins of the EU and is pushing the social agenda up the list of priorities, the EESC is hosting a virtual exhibition of work by Portuguese artist Maria Reis Rocha which pays tribute to human connection and solidarity.
The EESC’s youth event Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS) 2021 will model the United Nations’ climate change conference (COP), with students giving their take on how to deal with the climate crisis and come closer to the 2050 climate-neutral ambitions.
By Ronny Lannoo, member of the EESC Diversity Europe Group and of Belgian SME organisation UNIZO The self-employed are often associated with “making a fast buck” and success. This caricature overshadows the many challenges entrepreneurs face. Self-employment always goes hand in hand with risks, in both the business and the private sphere.
By the EESC Workers’ Group Industrial change may mean better jobs and working conditions, with sustainable growth and inclusiveness. Or it might mean rampant inequality and poverty, soaring unemployment for certain groups, and eventually a fracture in social cohesion that will endanger the EU and democracy itself.
Following the US election, the EESC’s Follow-up Committee on Transatlantic Relations met on 15 December in a bid to re-establish a strong partnership with US civil society.
The EESC is pleased to see its recommendations reflected in the European Commission’s proposals for a European Climate Pact that supports existing and new climate action via peer learning, education, capacity building, the removal of barriers, and easier access to finance.
Blockchain technologies could offer useful solutions to the mining industry of the future, but the digital transition should take into account the social consequences. This was the main message from the online round table organised by the EESC’s Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI) on 14 December 2020.
The European Commission and aviation stakeholders should come back to the discussion table to clarify the ambition of the new Single European Sky (SES) Regulation, says the EESC in a newly adopted opinion.
