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 EU plans to extend the EGF from 2014-2020. Inclusion of farmers and withdrawal of EGF use to combat social consequences of the economic crisis are among other major changes introduced in the Commission proposal and are opposed by the EESC.
According to the EESC, the renewed EGF will generally accrue to industry and services, whereas agriculture will have to pay the bill. Farmers must be compensated, but that should be done with a tailor-made solution for the sector. Furthermore, the EESC wants to make it absolutely clear that the social dimension is taken into consideration.
..."Entre-temps, nous sommes passés d'une crise économique et financière à une crise de la dette souveraine, en raison de la spéculation quotidienne contre l'euro, qui a changé d'objectif, et porte maintenant sur la dette de chaque pays européen. Cela est dû au seul fait que les instruments économiques et politiques de défense de l'euro sont partiels, et surtout insuffisants, et étaient jusqu'à il y a un an, absolument inexistants. Ce sont les contradictions qui découlent d'une politique monétaire unique, face à 17 politiques en matière de dette, 17 politiques budgétaires, 17 (voire 27) politiques économiques et industrielles, et à des voix très nombreuses, souvent contradictoires, qui s'expriment pour proposer des recettes afin de résoudre la crise.