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 European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) backs the Commission's initiative to create a European industrial, technology and research competence centre for cybersecurity and a network of national coordination centres. The objective is to help the Union develop cybersecurity technological and industrial capacities and increase the competitiveness of the Union's cybersecurity industry.
Participating in the workshop on Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development at the Closing Conference of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 #EuropeForCulture, organised under the outgoing Austrian presidency in December in Vienna, Tom Jones emphasised that the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) had fully supported the designation of the thematic year and the initiatives around it. He also recalled that public investment must be "rural-proofed", to maximise support to rural creative sectors and local groups working to enhance the infrastructure of our rural heritage.
At the January meeting of the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society (TEN), the members of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) discussed how to tap into the potential of "neurodiversity", which could also help people within these so-called cognitive minorities to integrate socially.
The EU should create the conditions for positive coexistence between online and offline, large, medium-sized, small and micro retailers, says the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in its response to the Commission's communication A European retail sector fit for the 21st century. Quality, consumer choice and awareness, together with the impact on society, should shape its vision of retail's future.
À l’issue d’un examen long et approfondi de la situation des femmes roms, le Comité économique et social européen (CESE) a adopté, lors de sa session plénière de décembre, un avis exploratoire dans lequel il a appelé de ses vœux des efforts de grande envergure en vue de mettre en œuvre des politiques en leur faveur ...(lire plus)
In a recently adopted opinion, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomes the European Commission's proposal to amend the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) with the objective of better tackling money laundering and terrorist financing in the European banking and financial sector, but calls for more comprehensive measures. These issues are, in its view, becoming increasingly dangerous in terms of the stability, safety and reputation of financial institutions and the financial sector as a whole. Additional measures are therefore of the utmost importance.
At a time when major global players have initiated a trade war and protectionism is back in many parts of the world, the European Commission is promoting the establishment of a multilateral court for the settlement of investment disputes. In relation to this initiative, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for fundamental questions on scope, protection of public interest, accessibility and relations with domestic courts to be addressed.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) fully supports the Commission's proposal on decommissioning nuclear facilities and managing radioactive waste. However, the Committee recommends adopting a more sustainable approach and closer monitoring of activities in sensitive areas such as the protection of workers from radiation. Involvement of civil society in the monitoring process is central. The social and economic consequences should also be assessed.
Clean energy is a top priority and fusion technologies could provide a long-term solution. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) emphasises the great potential of nuclear fusion for achieving clean energy and believes that the Commission should link the ITER project more closely to the European fusion research organised by the EUROfusion consortium.