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.
European young people say that greater opportunities for learning languages through travelling, more accessible European cultural sites and preserving our culture through national cuisine and crafts can inspire young Europeans to discover different cultures and gain a better understanding of our common cultural heritage. These recommendations to EU policymakers were suggested by 99 students from across Europe, who took part in the annual youth event Your Europe, Your Say (YEYS) 2018. Organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the event took place in Brussels for the ninth year running.
EESC rapporteur on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Catelijne Muller says the strategy, as outlined by Commissioner Ansip to the EESC's plenary on March 15, fully meets the Committee's call for the European Union to take global pole position in determining the framework for the responsible development and deployment of AI.
The EESC acknowledges the Commission's Communication Tackling Illegal Content Online – Towards and enhanced responsibility of online platforms as a first and useful step but is not satisfied with its scope. It therefore calls on the Commission to establish programmes and effective measures to provide a stable and consistent legal framework for the efficient removal of illegal content.
The future of democracy in Europe was debated at a two-day European-level conference organised by EESC president George Dassis in the auditorium of Athens' Acropolis museum on 1 and 2 March. Facing an audience of actively engaged participants from EU institutions, Greek government, civil society organizations and universities, George Dassis clearly made the case that the future of democracy is directly linked to a peaceful and federal Europe.
Today sees the opening of the European Migration Forum, a platform for dialogue between civil society, institutions and authorities on the topic of integration of third-country nationals into the labour market
EESC on European Industry Day: Let's turn challenges into opportunities
The EESC argues for closer cooperation, longer-term and predictable policies and fair trade agreements under the Commission's leadership
"Industry is the source of prosperity in almost all Members States. When industries die, whole regions suffer", warns Gonçalo Lobo Xavier,EESC Vice-Presidentahead of a two-day conference organised by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform to mark European Industry Day (22-23 February).
The EESC presents measures to avoid the severity of austerity in the future and to mitigate the negative effects of previous crisis management
Future crisis management should strive for a better balance between fiscal and social objectives to avoid adverse effects on the economic capacities, labour markets and social protection systems of the countries concerned. Instead of restrictive austerity, the EU institutions should in future crisis situations implement policies in pursuit of economic cooperation, growth and solidarity.
EESC calls for uniform protection of refugees in Turkey and for the establishment of a mechanism to monitor compliance by both sides with the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement on Refugees
On 24 January, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Commission jointly organised the launch of the Commission's new toolkit to help Member States to strengthen the integration of people with a migrant background by making more efficient and coordinated use of available EU funding instruments.