European Economic
and Social Committee
EESC RENEWAL: Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, new Vice-President of the EESC Civil Society Organisations’ Group
EU Member State responsible for her nomination as EESC member:
Croatia
Nomination as representative of:
ODRAZ – Sustainable Community Development/Croatian Volunteer Development Centre
Educational background and professional experience:
I am Director of Croatian civil society organisation ODRAZ – Sustainable Community Development, have worked on sustainable development for many years, including environmental and social aspects, and have founded several associations and networks.
I graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb and the Diplomatic Academy and have a Master’s degree in Social Policy from London Metropolitan University.
I have experience in international organisations – in the environment and the development of civil society organisations (CSOs) – and spent 10 years in the Croatian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning.
I have been an EESC member since 2013, a member of the Rural Pact Coordination Group of the European Commission and of the Croatian Volunteer Development Centre’s supervisory board, and head of the secretariat for the sustainable urban mobility network CIVINET Slovenia-Croatia-SEE.
I was a member of the Croatian State Council for Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection, the Croatian Council for Civil Society Development, the board of the Croatian Rural Development Network (HMRR), etc.
Motivation for the Vice-Presidency:
I am deeply committed to the EESC’s core values: solidarity, inclusion and the transformative power of civil society. Leadership, to me, means service – amplifying unheard voices and building bridges where others see barriers.
Since joining in 2013, I have gained institutional insight through my work in the EESC, Civil Society Organisations’ Group and EESC REX bureaux. My roles as rapporteur, co-rapporteur and study group member have focused on sustainable development, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), rural and urban development, sustainable urban mobility and civil society empowerment. Active across the EESC's sections REX, NAT and TEN, and contributor to the ECO and SOC sections, I’ve seen the strength of cross-sectional collaboration.
Representing the EESC at events like the European Rural Parliament and the UN’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) has helped elevate our voice globally. My engagement with CSOs across Europe, the Western Balkans and EUROMED informs my inclusive vision.
As Vice-President, I will ensure our Group remains a strong, visible force for a better Europe.