The EESC issues between 160 and 190 opinions, evaluation 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 public hearing will examine how national, local and civil society actors will work together to foster collaboration through partnership principle and multi-level governance in order to deliver more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient outcomes across all regions.
rue Belliard 101, Jacques Delors building, room JDE 70
Brussels
Belgium
The European Commission is in the process of developing a European Affordable Housing Plan, to be launched in 2026. This political debate will explore what elements and policies should be included in order to produce a holistic and inclusive housing plan.
Public hearing with Polish civil society and policy makers
Event type
Public hearing
Location
Online event
ul. Wspólna 2/4
00-926 Warszawa
Warsaw
Poland
In the context of the ongoing exploratory opinion, requested by the Polish Presidency, to examine how civil society actors can make use of a results-orientation approach in cohesion policy in the next programming period, the EESC is organizing a hearing in Warsaw on 17 January 2025. The hearing will be important as the EESC will explore how civil society and local actors understand the concept of a results-orientation approach to cohesion policy, to which degree they are prepared and if they have the administrative capacity to implement it.
The hearing is co-organized with the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU and it has the patronage of the Polish Presidency. The venue is the premises of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy of Poland.
The EESC is organising this public debat to discuss how civil society partners can use a results-orientation approach in cohesion policy for the next programming period. The principles of multi-level governance and shared management are contradictory or complementary to the results-focused cohesion policy ?
On 15 November the EESC will host a pivotal event focusing on the benefits of organic food and the critical role of public procurement in advancing sustainable practices. This event will bring together representatives from cities, national governments, and institutions to discuss the future of organic farming and its impact on farmers, workers, the climate, and the environment.
This event will explore how circular economy and bioeconomy can drive sustainable agri-food systemsdevelopment across both rural and urban areas in the EU, through the presentation of innovative approaches that support the balanced development of rural and urban communities
This public hearing aims to exchange views with civil society representatives from candidate countries and EU's stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges for the EU-agri-food sector with EU enlargement and to identify the contributions of the accession countries to the EU's social, environmental, and economic sustainability.
With this debate, the EESC wants to contribute to reflections on the foundations of a just transition framework on the agri-food sector to achieve a sustainable food system and move forward with concrete recommendations, for example, looking at the skills, capacity and mental support needed, or identifying some key policy areas and legal leverage points that could be triggered to start a just food transition for the EU.
Given the link between agriculture and rural areas and farmers with food production, the recommendations of this opinion will also have a positive impact on rural development.
Lessons learned from the first years of the implementation of the programming period 2021-2027
Event type
Debate
Location
Online event
Belgium
Public debate on 9th Cohesion report: Lessons learned from the first years of the implementation of the programming period 2021-2027, in the framework of the ECO section meeting.