Enlargement countries

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The EESC is actively engaged in the enlargement process of the EU and has developed a dual approach - regional and bilateral - for its relations with civil society organisations (CSOs) in the enlargement countries.

As far as the regional approach is concerned, the Western Balkans Follow-up Committee – a permanent internal body of the EESC – is the main instrument for coordinating the EESC's activities in this region. The Western Balkans Civil Society Forum, organised every two years, is part of the work of the Follow-up Committee.

The EESC also works bilaterally with countries of the Western Balkans and Türkyie. On the basis of association agreements between these countries and the EU, in order to involve CSOs in the pre-accession and accession processes, the EESC has created three joint bodies with civil society representatives – with Türkyie, Montenegro and Serbia. Each body is composed of an equal number of members from the EESC and the partner country and meets twice a year.

The EESC keeps up regular contacts and organises joint activities with the CSOs of enlargement countries with whom no joint body of civil society representatives has yet been established.

The work of the joint bodies is complemented by the preparation of EESC opinions on the pre-accession and accession processes of individual countries, as well as on topics of regional interest.

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  • Civil society representatives urge the EU to assist Montenegro to tackle the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

    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.

    External relations

  • Declaration by EESC President Luca Jahier and External Relations Section President Dilyana Slavova on the decision of the European Council to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia

    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.

    External relations

  • "A geo-strategic and historic mistake"

    Reference number
    44/2019

    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.

  • Civil society representatives give their support to the sustainable development of Montenegro

    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.

    External relations

  • The Western Balkans Civil Society Forum demands a renewed impetus for the EU's enlargement policy

    Reference number
    22/2019

    The 7th edition of the Western Balkans Civil Society Forum, which took place in Tirana on 16 and 17 April, concluded with a call for the next Commission to maintain the Western Balkans enlargement policy as one of its priorities in the interest of both the region and of the EU.

    External relations

  • Civil society representatives call for democratic reforms in Turkey as a prerequisite to resume accession negotiations with the EU

    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.

    External relations

  • Balkan Employers' Round Table – Current Challenges and Future Prospects

    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).

    External relations

  • Citizens can defeat disinformation 2024

    Civil society for an open democratic debate
    Moldova State University - Aula Regina Maria, Strada Alexei Mateevici 60, Chișinău
    Moldova

    This is the 2nd campaign on fighting disinformation that the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is organising as part of its overall project on disinformation to be implemented with the help of civil society.

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    Geopolitical turmoil at Europe's door: the perspective of civil society

    Connecting EU 2022
    Zagreb
    Croatia

    The EESC's annual seminar for civil society communicators zoomed in on the impact of the war in Ukraine on the EU, addressing three thorny issues.

  • 8th meeting of the EU-Montenegro Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee

    JCC Meeting
    Budva
    Montenegro

    For the 8th time, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Montenegro held the Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) in Budva, Montenegro.

    This meeting tackled following issues: Assessment of the state of play in Montenegro accession negotiations to the EU, Chapter 28 of the accession negotiations – with focus on Consumer protection and Debate on the situation of young people on the labour market.

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