EØSU's aktiviteter i forhold til nabolandene i øst vedrører Armenien, Aserbajdsjan, Hviderusland, Georgien, Moldova og Ukraine. EØSU's vigtigste opgave er her at skabe bedre forbindelser til civilsamfundsorganisationerne i regionen og inddrage dem i en dialog med både de nationale politiske beslutningstagere og EU's civilsamfundsorganisationer.
De vigtigste samarbejdsmekanismer med Georgien, Moldova og Ukraine er civilsamfundsplatformene, som supplerer de politiske organer, der findes inden for rammerne af EU's associeringsaftaler med de tre lande. Via platformene har civilsamfundsorganisationer i såvel EU som partnerlandene mulighed for at overvåge gennemførelsen og formulere anbefalinger til de relevante myndigheder.
På EU-siden består platformene af medlemmer fra EØSU og repræsentanter for større europæiske civilsamfundsnetværk. Partnerskabslandene er repræsenteret i platformene ved en lang række forskellige civilsamfundsorganisationer. Sammensætningen af platformene afspejler en ligelig repræsentation af alle interessegrupper (arbejdsgiverorganisationer, fagforeninger og andre interessegrupper).
I EØSU blev Opfølgningsudvalget for EU's nabolande i øst oprettet i 2004 netop med henblik på at varetage forbindelserne med civilsamfundet i nabolandene i øst. Opfølgningsudvalget holder som regel fire møder om året og medlemmerne deltager aktivt i aktiviteterne i østpartnerskabet, bl.a. de multilaterale platforme og civilsamfundsforummet.
Publication8 pages
The External Relations Section (REX) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is responsible for dialogue between European civil society organisations and their homologues from the countries with which the European Union has formal relations (e.g. under the form of a Free Trade Agreement). Through this dialogue, made possible by a series of bilateral bodies, and through specialized opinions and information reports, the Committee is able to concretely contribute to EU foreign policy.
Publication8 pages
The European Economic and Social Committee has been an ardent supporter of the Eastern Partnership from the very outset and the EESC's Employers' Group has continually emphasised the need to strengthen the partnership's economic dimension. An appropriate tool was needed to enable the representatives of employers, entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises from the EU and its partner countries to meet and openly assess the process of convergence with the European acquis and its impact on the economic situation.
PublicationThematic paper
4 pages
The EU is highly dependent on energy resources. More than a half of EU energy consumption is linked to imports. Increasing instability in the Middle East together with the deterioration of EU-Russia relations mean that energy security will remain at the top of the EU's agenda in the coming years. How can we achieve a true energy union? How can interconnectivity be increased between Member States? What should the ideal energy mix look like and how can energy efficiency be increased within the EU? The publication summarises the debate that seeks answers to these questions.
PublicationThematic paper
4 pages
Members' conclusions after the conference held in Vilnius on 25 October
Publication17 pages
The main messages of the 6 EESC opinions on Eastern Partnership.
