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.
Administrator / Assistant in charge: Sabrina TESOKA / Tena VUKELIC
Background
Visa-free travel brings significant benefits for the EU and partners around the globe. It makes travel more convenient and is an important tool to promote people-to-people contacts, tourism, economic development and cultural exchange. The EU currently has a visa-free regime in place with 60 third countries. Under this regime, nationals from these countries can enter the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The EU’s visa-free policy is based on the principle of visa reciprocity.
Valmisteilla (updated on 18/04/2024) - Bureau decision date: 18/01/2024
The EC Communication with title "Towards a more resilient, competitive and sustainable Europe" summarises what has been achieved to promote and build a more resilient, competitive and sustainable economy, protect EU citizens and guarantee their well-being.
In its opinion, the EESC wishes to put forward its views on the Communication, adopted in connection with the Granada summit, so that its position can be taken into account during preparations for the next European legislative mandate. Given the range of issues addressed in the Communication, the opinion is focussing on four key sectors for the future of European strategic autonomy: the energy sector, the digital sector, the defence sector and the space sector. In its opinion, the EESC makes concrete proposals to highlight the need for a European economic and political power.
Valmisteilla (updated on 17/04/2024) - Bureau decision date: 11/07/2023
Javier DOZ ORRIT (Workers - GR II/Spain), Luca JAHIER (Civil Society Organisations - GR III/Italy), Wautier ROBYNS DE SCHNEIDAUER (Employers - GR I/Belgium)
Plenary session number
586
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At the request of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the EESC is drawing up this opinion to suggest recommendations on how to tackle inequalities, foster upwards social convergence and strengthen social security systems and ensure its long-term affordability, in an EU economic governance framework/European Semester defined around debt sustainability, productive investments and reforms. This opinion is also focusing on the implications of such a framework for the European Semester, and the further strengthening of the social pillar herein. Finally, the opinion also looks at ways of continuing to further develop fiscal instruments that have a stabilising role at the European level, based e.g. on the experience of SURE.
EESC opinion: Boosting long-term inclusive growth through reforms and investment
Already in 2018 the European Commission has proposed a Regulation on a mechanism to resolve legal and administrative obstacles in a cross-border context for the programming period 2021-2027. At the time, the EESC has adopted its opinion on 19 September 2018, and the European Parliament adopted its first-reading position on the proposal in February 2019. However, the Council's working party on structural measures decided to cease work on the proposal in May 2021. In October 2022, to break the impasse and take the lead on this issue, the EP's Committee on Regional Development started drawing up a legislative-initiative report, calling on the Commission to present a new legislative proposal. The EP voted the report at its September 2023 plenary session.
Valmisteilla (updated on 17/04/2024) - Bureau decision date: 21/03/2024
Every year in February, the EESC adopts an opinion on the Annual Sustainable Growth Survey (ASGS), which the Commission usually presents at the end of November in the year before. To reinforce the Committee's impact throughout the entire annual European Semester cycle, an own-initiative opinion with additional considerations is regularly produced by October taking into account the overall European Semester process and RRF developments, and providing a timely input to the Commission's preparation of the next ASGS expected again for November 2024.