EESC President

The European Economic and Social Committee will host its End of Mandate Ceremony on 17 September 2025. This event will gather EU leaders, civil society, youth voices and international partners around the Committee’s achievements of the 2023-25 mandate of EESC President Oliver Röpke.

Debates, keynote addresses and tributes will underscore the EESC’s pivotal role in strengthening democracy, promoting social justice, supporting enlargement, and fostering dialogue with organised civil society. It will be an occasion to commend our partners, our Members and our EESC team, and to look ahead to the future with confidence! 

#ProudToBeEESC

You will be able to follow the ceremony by web streaming

Programme of the ceremony

Wednesday, 17 September 2025 | EP Hemicycle Brussels (14:30–18:30)

14:30–14:40 | Proud to be EESC: Opening together

• Welcome by the moderators Shada Islam and Katrina Sichel
• Introductory video

14:40–14:55 | A Social Europe for a Competitive and Sustainable Future

• Introductory video: Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness of the European Commission), Li Andersson (Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament) and Yolanda Díaz (Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain)
• Wolfgang Katzian, President of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
• Markus Beyrer, Director-General of  BusinessEurope
• Mikael Leyi, Secretary-General of Solidar

14:55–15:10 | Opening Europe’s Future: Youth at the Heart of Democracy

• Rareș Voicu, President of the European Youth Forum
• Debate with EESC Rapporteurs Gonçalo Lobo Xavier, Nicoletta Merlo, Elena Calistru, and youth representatives Arno Schrooyen (Vice-President of the European Students Union), Vassilis Angelopoulous (Hellenic National Youth Council) and Alexiane Terrochaire-Barbançon (representative of the Youth Advisory Council)

15:10–15:55 | From Kyiv to Tirana: Civil Society Shaping Europe’s Future

• Prime Minister Edi Rama (Albania) Keynote
• Debate with EESC Rapporteurs Milena Angelova, Maria del Carmen Barrera Chamorro, Ionuţ Sibian and EESC Enlargement Candidate Members Boško Savković (Serbia); Igor Zubcu (Moldova); Vasyl Andreyev (Ukraine); Ayşe Yürekli (Türkiye) and Pascale Joannin, Director-General of the Robert Schuman Foundation

15:55–16:05 | Parting Voices, Lasting Legacy

• Tribute to EESC Members Dimitris Dimitriadis by Stefano Palmieri, Peter Schmidt by Stoyan Tchoukanov and Pietro De Lotto by Alain Coheur

16:05–16:15 | Team EESC – Tribute from the Groups

• Stefano Mallia, President of the Employers’ Group
• Lucie Studničná, President of the Workers’ Group
• Séamus Boland, President of the Civil Society Organisations’ Group

16:15–16:25 | Mandate Milestones: Reflections from the Vice-Presidents

• Krzysztof Pater, Vice-President of the EESC for Budget
• Laurenţiu Plosceanu, Vice-President of the EESC for Communication

16:25–16:28 | From Vision to Delivery: The Administration’s Contribution

• Isabelle Le Galo Flores, Secretary-General of the EESC

16:28–17:00 | Civil Society at the Heart of Europe’s Institutions

• Video message Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament
• Video message António Costa, President of the European Council
• Debate with  Tony Murphy, President of the European Court of Auditors, MEP Younus Omarjee, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions and Maroš Šefčovič, European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency

17:00–17:20 | Equality & Inclusion

• Debate with Irena Moozová (Deputy Director-General of EC DG Justice), Sarah E. Hendriks, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women (remote), Zornitsa Roussinova, President of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria, Fariha Khan, European Youth Representative of the Austrian National Youth Council and László Andor, Secretary-General of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS)

17:20–17:30 | Global Gateway for Civil Society

• Olavo Noleto, Executive Secretary of the Brazilian CDESS, remote
• Louis Cheikh Sissoko, Presiding Officer of the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council
• Luc Triangle (General Secretary of the International Trade Union
  Confederation)

17:30–18:00 | Proud to Be EESC: Thank You, Team EESC!

• Video compilation “Thank you, EESC! Proud to be EESC”
• Final Address by Oliver Röpke, President of the EESC