It was online Europe Day this year at the EESC, the home of EU organised civil society. Hosting a range of activities on its website, the Committee celebrated the European Union and the 71st anniversary of the Schuman Declaration – the starting point for European integration – by showcasing the key and unique role played in Europe by civil society organisations in these times, from their involvement in the recovery to their vital work in dealing with our day-to-day challenges.

The wide-ranging agenda for the day included online talks, a 360° virtual visit of the Committee's premises and other interactive activities enabling visitors to discover more about how the EESC works, its advisory function in the EU decision-making process and its members' activities.

The Committee also held a webinar on "Participatory democracy: a key pillar of the Conference on the Future of Europe", moderated by Cillian Lohan, vice-president for communication, in which EESC members Milena Angelova, Tatjana Babrauskienė, Miroslav Hajnoš, Violeta Jelić and Elena Sinkevičiūtė discussed how civil society organisations could play a more prominent role at European level and make their invaluable contributions even more effective.

We are already looking forward to next year, when the EESC Open Day will hopefully be back at its official premises, the Jacques Delors building in the EU district in Brussels. (mp)