site.btaEESC Plenary Session in Brussels to Focus on Technological Sovereignty, Poverty, Housing

A two-day plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) begins in Brussels on Wednesday, with the EU's technological sovereignty, the fight against poverty and access to housing high on the agenda. The meetings will take place in the Paul-Henri Spaak building of the European Parliament in Brussels.

The session will open at 2.30 pm local time. The main debate on the first day will focus on European technological sovereignty and the role of people in the digital transformation. Participants are expected to include European Commission (EC) Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen and Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director-General of the European technology association DIGITALEUROPE.

The discussion is linked to the upcoming adoption of opinions on the second European Chips Act and on reducing the EU's dependence on foreign providers of cloud services, artificial intelligence and digital platforms. Proposals include investment in European digital infrastructure, the promotion of open-source solutions, and better protection of data and workers' rights.

On Thursday, a high-level debate entitled, “Eradicating Poverty by 2050: Fulfilling Our Collective Responsibility”, will take place at 10 a.m. local time. The programme includes speeches by EESC President Seamus Boland, EC Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness Roxana Minzatu, and European Anti-Poverty Network President Carlos Susias. Video addresses are scheduled from Ireland's Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary, on behalf of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU, and European Parliament Employment and Social Affairs Committee Chair Li Andersson.

The European Commission and the EESC are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in implementing the EU's anti-poverty strategy. A study commissioned by the Committee will also be presented, examining European policies through the lens of poverty and opportunities to break the cycle of social inequality.

Discussions will cover the intergenerational transmission of poverty, inequalities between rural and urban areas, and prevention and social protection measures. Participants will include Maria Petkova, Vice-President of AGE Platform Europe, a European network of organizations representing older people.

The session will also consider opinions on strengthening the European Child Guarantee, tackling homelessness and housing exclusion, electricity bills, and consumer protection in the digital environment.

The agenda also includes topics involving Bulgarian participants. Milena Angelova is among the rapporteurs for the opinion on water diplomacy and the restoration of the global water cycle, while Ina Agafonova is the rapporteur for the European OceanEye initiative for ocean observation.