On 24 June 2025, the European Semester Group (ESG) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted its annual conference under the heading ‘A stronger and more inclusive European Semester that works for all: strengthening Europe’s economic resilience, sustainable growth and competitiveness’. The event gathered together EU institutions, civil society organisations, national economic and social councils, and policy experts. Together, they explored how the European Semester can adapt to today’s complex economic, geopolitical and social challenges.
A resilient, sustainable and inclusive Europe is only possible if organised civil society is systematically involved in both national recovery plans and the Commission's new REPowerEU strategy. During its annual conference in June, the European Semester Group (ESG) renewed its call for a regulation or directive to ensure civil society participation, and proposed a permanent and common investment financing mechanism to enhance crisis preparedness and response capacity.
In its resolution on the involvement of organised civil society in the implementation and monitoring of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) the European Economic and Social Committee calls for clear rules to effectively involve social partners and civil society organisations in the Member states' strategies to bring the economy back on track.
The involvement of organised civil society is far from satisfactory in a majority of EU countries, warned the European Economic and Social Committee at the annual conference of its European Semester Group, which took place remotely on 31 May. This event was organised right before the publication of the European Semester Spring Package by the Commission, on the 2 June 2021.
On behalf of the European Semester Group: Javier Doz Orrit, President - Gonçalo Lobo Xavier, Vice-President - LucaJahier, Vice-President
The EESC welcomes Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan (under the Recovery and Resilience Facility or RRF) as the first one officially submitted to the Commission. The plan focuses on resilience and the climate and digital transitions and concerns almost all the EU flagship areas (6 out of 7). ...
Taking into account the disastrous social and economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the EESC has adopted two additional opinions on the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy and on the euro area economic policy.
