Dear Presidents, Today is the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. The ETUC joins many others in saluting the creation of the European Union with its social policy commitments alongside ambitious economic goals. It remains a milestone in the history of Europe and European integration. For all its faults, the European Union is a model of regional cooperation without parallel in the world. But while we should celebrate the Union, we should not overlook its failings. The house that is the EU is much needed - all the more reason to keep it in good repair.

Dear Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis, Dear Valdis, It has been nearly two years since the outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Workers have stepped up, putting themselves at risk to safeguard people’s lives, livelihoods, and the global economy, and driven outstanding advances in science and medicine with the rapid development of Covid-19 tests, treatments, drugs, medical devices, personal protective equipment and, most importantly, vaccines.

Brussels, 13 December 2021 Dear Ms Spurek, Dear Ms Vozemberg-Vrionidi, I am contacting you with regard to the LIBE / FEMM report on combating gender-based cyberviolence, ahead of the debate and vote in the European Parliament’s Plenary on 13 and 14 December 2021.

Updated version adopted by the Executive Committee of 8-9 December The European trade union movement is extremely concerned about the humanitarian crisis at the border of Poland and Belarus and calls for immediate EU action to ensure migrants’ fundamental rights are respected and their humanitarian needs are met.

Approved by the Executive Committee meeting on 8 December 2021

Open letter to President Von der Leyen: It is time for you to show leadership on the Sustainable Corporate Governance initiative Dear President Von der Leyen, As a coalition of civil society organisations, including national coalitions and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), who are actively working and engaging on the planned Commission proposal on a Sustainable Corporate Governance (SCG) initiative, we are writing to raise our strong concerns about the new delay to the publication of this initiative.

ETUC Letter sent to the Members of the EMPL Committee in the European Parliament Dear Members of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, With this letter, we would like to address you ahead of the EMPL Committee vote on the Resolution on Empowering European Youth : post-pandemic employment and social recovery.

Netlex celebrates its 25th Anniversary! On 2 December, the ETUC’s Confederal Secretary Isabelle Schӧmann together with Frédéric Sève, CFDT National Secretary, kicked off the ETUC conference celebrating 25 years of trade union legal activism in Europe. The conference is a unique opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the ETUC trade union legal network and to showcase, with its new legal forum named ETUCLEX, the enhanced investment of the trade union legal and litigation action in defending workers’ interests and promoting social justice.

*Signatories : Pierre-Yves Dermagne (Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy and Labour, Belgium), Yolanda Díaz (Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Spain), Ana Mendes Godinho (Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Portugal), Hubertus Heil (Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Germany), Andrea Orlando (Labour and Social Policies Minister, Italy), Luca Visentini (General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, Italy), Ludovic

ETUC reflections on the SOCIAL ECONOMY ACTION PLAN The ETUC delegation taking part in the SP dedicated hearing prior to the issuing of a Social Economy Action Plan, has identified some aspects worth underlining in the context of EU policy-making. Trade unions and social economy, a promising alliance for upward social convergence

ETUC statement on Afghanistan Adopted by the ETUC Executive Committee on 9 September 2021 The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is alarmed with the situation in Afghanistan and concerned about the security of the Afghan people, both those that remain in the country and those seeking protection. The fall of the Afghan government has demonstrated the failure of the NATO and has shown the need for a relaunch of global multilateralism, based on democracy and peace, solidarity and respect for human rights.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) have followed closely the collective bargaining rounds in the Turkish public sector, informed throughout by our affiliates.

The ETUC sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, Charles Michel, President of the European Council to raise the need for the EU institutions to take immediate action and ensure that all EU Member States work together for the safe passage out of Afghanistan and asylum for anyone in danger. The EU and Member States must do all that they can to protect all trade union, human and women's rights activists, journalists and those who have campaigned for freedom, democracy and equality.