Ευρωπαϊκή Οικονομική και Κοινωνική Επιτροπή
Η ΕΟΚΕ συμμετέχει ενεργά στη διαδικασία διεύρυνσης της ΕΕ και έχει αναπτύξει διττή προσέγγιση ―περιφερειακή και διμερή― στις σχέσεις της με τις οργανώσεις της κοινωνίας των πολιτών στις χώρες της διεύρυνσης.
Σε ό,τι αφορά την περιφερειακή προσέγγιση, το κύριο μέσο για τον συντονισμό των δραστηριοτήτων της ΕΟΚΕ στην περιοχή των Δυτικών Βαλκανίων αποτελεί η επιτροπή παρακολούθησης «Δυτικά Βαλκάνια», ένα μόνιμο εσωτερικό όργανο της ΕΟΚΕ. Το Φόρουμ της κοινωνίας των πολιτών των Δυτικών Βαλκανίων, το οποίο διοργανώνεται κάθε δύο χρόνια, εντάσσεται στο πλαίσιο του έργου της επιτροπής παρακολούθησης.
Η ΕΟΚΕ συνεργάζεται επίσης σε διμερές επίπεδο με τις χώρες των Δυτικών Βαλκανίων και την Τουρκία. Βάσει συμφωνιών σύνδεσης μεταξύ αυτών των χωρών και της ΕΕ, και προκειμένου να συμμετάσχουν οι οργανώσεις της κοινωνίας των πολιτών στις προενταξιακές και ενταξιακές διαδικασίες, η ΕΟΚΕ έχει δημιουργήσει τρεις κοινούς φορείς με τους εκπροσώπους της κοινωνίας των πολιτών – με την Τουρκία, το Μαυροβούνιο και τη Σερβία. Κάθε φορέας αποτελείται από ίσο αριθμό μελών από την ΕΟΚΕ και τη χώρα εταίρο και συνεδριάζει δύο φορές τον χρόνο.
Η ΕΟΚΕ διατηρεί τακτικές επαφές και διοργανώνει κοινές δραστηριότητες με τις οργανώσεις της κοινωνίας των πολιτών των χωρών της διεύρυνσης με τις οποίες δεν έχει θεσπιστεί ακόμη κοινό όργανο εκπροσώπων της κοινωνίας των πολιτών.
Το έργο των κοινών οργάνων συμπληρώνεται με την εκπόνηση γνωμοδοτήσεων της ΕΟΚΕ για τις προενταξιακές και ενταξιακές διαδικασίες των επιμέρους χωρών, καθώς και για θέματα περιφερειακού ενδιαφέροντος.
The 51st Western Balkans Follow-up Committee meeting, held on 3 December 2021, placed conflict resolution and normalisation of relations between Kosovo* and Serbia in the spotlight. The meeting, presided by Ionuţ Sibian, hosted prominent speakers from the ranks of EU officials, Western Balkans experts, as well as civil society representatives from the local communities, all of whom agreed that EU-facilitated dialogue was the only way to move forward.
Members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and representatives of the Montenegrin organised civil society held on the 1st March the 14th meeting of the EU-Montenegro Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), which took place online. Members of the JCC adopted a joint declaration urging the EU to assist Montenegro to face the devastating consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has strongly supported the enlargement of the European Union to the six Western Balkans countries provided they fulfil all the necessary criteria for membership. In the aftermath of the Council's non-decision to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia in October 2019, we have reacted swiftly by adopting, on 31 October, a Resolution expressing our profound disappointment by the lack of unanimity from the Member States. The EESC has since been committed to working closely and intensively with the civil society in the Western Balkans to support and reassure them that their place is in the European Union.
The EU-Montenegro Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) held a meeting in Podgorica on June 7 to discuss the state of play in Montenegro's EU accession negotiations. The members of the JCC agreed on a joint declaration, which calls on the EU institutions to continue to be supportive of the EU enlargement policy after the European elections in May 2019 and on the Montenegrin authorities to produce tangible results in the areas of rule of law, media freedom, fight against organised crime and corruption.
Civil society representatives from both the EU and Turkey called on Turkish authorities to undertake major reforms in the fields of rule of law and human rights as a prerequisite to resume accession negotiations with the EU. This was one of the main conclusions of the 38th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) held in Brussels on 8 and 9 April, which also agreed on the important role of the JCC as an open channel for exchanges at civil society level.
The importance of Social Dialogue, the role of employers' organisations, the economic situation in the Balkan countries, progress in the accession process and current political challenges: these were main topics of the discussions at the Balkan Employers' Round Table that took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 22 March 2017. The event brought together representatives of employers' organisations from former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia).
The high-level civil society conference on youth policy in the Western Balkans, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), highlighted the key role of young people for the future of the region and called for their active involvement in policy-making.
On 24 May in Sarajevo, the EESC's Western Balkans Follow-up Committee held its yearly external meeting - for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic - to meet with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and discuss their role and concerns regarding the current situation. The conclusions will be conveyed to the country's political authorities and to the EU institutions.
The May plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted a debate led by its President Christa Schweng and the President of the European Council Charles Michel on Europe's response to this turning point in history.
EESC criticises European Council decision to deny the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is deeply disappointed about EU leaders' decision to further postpone opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania at the European Council of 17-18 October, due to the lack of unanimity between the Member States.
