'Every year should be the year of youth. Their figures double the normal unemployment in Europe, and in some member states the situation is worse. And then they often lack proper working conditions, harming their living conditions'

@NicolasSchmitEU #EESCplenary #Youth #Skills '#Traineeships are great as a transition to the labour market. But multiplication of traineeships are not a substitute for proper employment. And traineeships are a learning opportunity, not a tool for cheap labour'

@NicolasSchmitEU #EESCplenary #Youth #Skills

The general movement of the gender equality in the labour market is positive but it is moving slowly.
The speed of closing the gender gap must be much higher than what we have seen in recent years. Ivailo Kalfin @eurofound on #GenderEquality #EESCPlenary This year, the amount of investment going to female-led startups has gone down from 3% a few years ago to 1% last year.
Diversity outperforms every single time and yet we are not backing diversity. Kinga Stanislawska #EESCPlenary #GenderEquality

'2022 wasn't an easy year for the Union for the #Mediterranean. High #unemployment, #ClimateEmergency, #food and #energy #safety... But we are advancing, also on regional dialogue on #GenderEquality'

Álvaro Albacete @UfMSecretariat at #EESCplenary debate 'EU relationships with its southern neighbourhood is based on the two most powerful engines: geography and history. #Euromed has great potential, but faces also massive challenges in terms of #climate and #demography'

Josep Ferré @AnnaLindh at #EESCplenary debate