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.
The 11th meeting of the EU DAG, which took place right after European elections and ahead of UK general election, was dedicated to members’ presentations on pressing ongoing issues, including CBAM, concerns around labour rights LPF and non-regression, the sand eel dispute and the transport of live animals and common veterinary.
Hearing of the Fundamental rights and Rule of law Group
Location
EESC, Rue Belliard 99, 1040
Brussels
Belgium
This hearing will examine the current state of prisons and detention centers in Europe, focusing on the experiences of inmates, detainees, and the working staff. The event will review existing regulations for these facilities and assess their practical implementation, to determine whether they uphold human rights standards adequately. Thanks to the participation of relevant stakeholders, the hearing seeks to identify gaps and challenges in the system, by comparing the laws with on-the-ground realities.
The 2024 annual meeting of presidents and secretaries-general of the ESCs of the EU & the EESC will be held on 19 June 2024. The meeting will tackle following topic "From words to action: the role of organised civil society in implementing and assessing public policies - the twin transition".
The annual Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions provides civil society organisations (CSOs) from the UfM Member States with a platform to debate common challenges and opportunities and to exchange best practices.
Domestic Advisory Groups of the EU and six Central American countries held their Joint Meeting in Brussels on 17-18 June. The DAGs took part in a Workshop focused on two pertinent topics: Corporative Sustainability Due Diligence and the EU Deforestation Directive. During the Joint Meeting the DAGs discussed their role and functioning, in particular in view of the full application of the Association Agreement. The delegates exchanged good practices and debated the consequences of the full application of the AA for civil society sensu largo and on the work of the DAGs. Important part of the discussion was dedicated to the space for democracy and the role of civil society and advisory groups in strengthening democracy and rights.
Representatives of the European and Georgian Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs), set up under the Trade and Sustainable Development Chapter of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Georgia, will hold their eighth joint meeting on 17 June 2024 in Brussels.
The 15th meeting of the EU-Ukraine Civil Society Platform (CSP) took place on 14 June 2024. During the meeting, the CSP members exchanged with the EU and Ukrainian authorities on the implementation of the European Commission's opinion on Ukraine's EU membership and on the state of play of the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
12th meeting of the EU-Chile JCC was held physically in Brussels on 12-13 June 2024. The EESC members and Chilean delegates discussed the transition to a new framework of our bilateral partnership, under the Advanced Framework Agreement, which is expected to enter into force by the end of the year or in early 2025. They also debated the current challenges for democracy in the EU, Chile and across the globe. Among the economic issues, state of play of bilateral trade and technology transfer dominated the discussions. Members also exchanged views on the participation of youth in civil dialogue, and shared good practices of inclusion of young people in the initiatives promoting sustainable development. Prominent on the agenda were also environmental issues, including healthy environment as a human right, climate financing, and the future of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The JCC adopted a Joint Declaration.
On 12 June 2024, the EESC will hold a public hearing in connection with its ongoing opinion on Aligning the circular economy and the bioeconomy at EU and national level which aims to enhance the synergy between bioeconomy, circularity, and sustainability by adopting a more integrated and systemic perspective on the circular bioeconomy.
In 2023, the EESC launched its call for an EU Blue Deal, as a new standalone strategic priority on water for the EU. Partnering with Water Europe, this event explored integrating water into industrial strategies and showcased Water-Smart economy practices. The event is a partner event of the EU Green Week, which this year focused on water resilience. Online, via Zoom - From 14:30 to 16:30