The EESC issues between 160 and 190 opinions and information reports a year.
It also organises several annual initiatives and events with a focus on civil society and citizens’ participation such as the Civil Society Prize, the Civil Society Days, the Your Europe, Your Say youth plenary and the ECI Day.
Here you can find news and information about the EESC'swork, including its social media accounts, the EESC Info newsletter, photo galleries and videos.
The EESC brings together representatives from all areas of organised civil society, who give their independent advice on EU policies and legislation. The EESC's326 Members are organised into three groups: Employers, Workers and Various Interests.
The EESC has six sections, specialising in concrete topics of relevance to the citizens of the European Union, ranging from social to economic affairs, energy, environment, external relations or the internal market.
Na plenárním zasedání EHSV se diskutovalo o tom, jak roste význam organizované občanské společnosti a měst, neboť ovlivňují schopnost Evropy čelit asymetrickým otřesům a neočekávaným krizím. Tato debata proběhla v souvislosti s přijetím dvou stanovisek: stanoviska k flexibilní pomoci územím (FAST-CARE) a stanoviska k Lublaňské dohodě týkající se městské agendy EU. Výbor obě iniciativy vítá, ale domnívá se, že se míjejí účinkem a nejsou schopny odpovídajícím způsobem posílit postavení organizované občanské společnosti a zapojit ji do úsilí o dosažení odolnosti v Evropě. Klíčovým opatřením, které EHSV navrhuje, je vytvořit zvláštní fond EU pro obnovu a rozvoj Ukrajiny, který by doplňoval úsilí členských států.
Cohesion policy is key to overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and to reducing disparities in Europe. Its most serious challenge for the foreseeable future, however, is the war in Ukraine, the EESC cautions in a recent opinion. Rapid action is needed to help refugees and ensure the country's European integration.
The European Economic and Social Committee is calling on the European Commission to carry out more targeted impact assessments of its proposals for new EU budget funding sources to repay NextGenerationEU debt. The EESC generally agrees with the proposed EU "own resources" revenues for the budget. However, they need to be stable and fair – and should not burden households or businesses.
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.
Trillions of euros are needed for Europe's economic recovery. EU proposals for accessible investment data and long-term funding must be more flexible and promote a transparent level playing field, to include more investors and businesses in capital markets.
In an opinion adopted during its March plenary, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the European Commission (EC) proposal to implement the remaining elements of the Basel III international standards in the EU. The aim is to strengthen the resilience of the banking sector while ensuring that it continues to finance economic activity and growth. But the EESC also calls on the EC to find a proper balance between faithful implementation, and the need to reflect the specificities of the EU economy and banks.
Ensuring effective and fair taxation across the Single Market is crucial to stimulating a real recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. In an opinion adopted at its March plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) supported the European Commission (EC) proposal on the misuse of shell companies for tax purposes. This is purely a tax directive proposal, however, and the Commission needs to dig deeper into the topic, and address other key issues related to shell companies.
The rules of Solvency II, the 2009 EU regulatory framework for insurance firms, have proved their worth but need to be adapted to new circumstances. In an opinion adopted at its plenary session on 23 February, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed the initiative of the European Commission (EC) to revamp Solvency II. The Committee stresses the considerable interest of civil society in ensuring the stability of the financial sector, and therefore calls for sound capital requirements and risk preparedness in the insurance sector.
The successful experience of Estonia with E-government as well as questions concerning cybersecurity were discussed during the EESC conference on the “Future development of E-government in the EU” held in Tallinn. The EESC hosted a debate on the priorities of the incoming Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU which have as an overarching goal to improve the ...