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.
The European Commission is proposing to revise the so-called Posting of Workers Directive from 1996, which affects some 2 million workers in the EU. Posted workers are employed in one Member State, but sent to work temporarily in another country by their employer. The general view of the EESC Employers' Group is that the existing EU legislation on the posting of workers - namely the original 1996 Posting Directive and the 2014 Enforcement Directive which aims to strengthen the practical implementation of the Posting Directive - strikes a proper and fair balance between supporting the cross-border provision of services and protecting the rights of posted workers. It also ensures a level playing field between foreign and local competitors.
The EESC Opinion was adopted at the EESC plenary meeting with a majority of the votes (180 for, 84 against and 30 abstentions). A counter opinion on the same subject was put forward and not carried, receiving 94 for, 175 against and 23 abstentions.
In their plenary session debate with European Commission First Vice-President Timmermans, the EESC Members called for a new impetus and more solidarity, as stated in the EESC contribution to the European Commission's 2017 Work Programme.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has awarded its 2016 Civil Society Prize to five organisations and individuals from across Europe who have demonstrated outstanding examples of solidarity towards refugees and migrants. The first prize went to the Hungarian NGO Artemisio Foundation (14 000 EUR), while the German organisation SOS Mediterrannee, the Greek baker Dionysis Arvanitakis, a branch of the Spanish NGO SOS Racismo and the Greek NGO Iliaktida (Sunbeam) received 9 000 EUR each.
In their plenary session debate with European Commission First Vice-President Timmermans, the EESC Members called for a new impetus and more solidarity, as stated in the EESC contribution to the European Commission's 2017 Work Programme.
Taking account of the Brexit vote and of the questioning on the European project in public perception in several Member States, the EESC considers that the European Commission must work to restore a spirit of solidarity and responsibility, and regain public support. Concretely, 2017 should be devoted to strengthening the economic and social cohesion of the EU and reinforcing the EU's global role and citizens' ownership of the EU.
On 14th of December 2016 President Georges Dassis met H.E. Andrej Lepavcov, Head of Mission of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the European Union, at the request of the Ambassador.
Le CESE considère qu’après vingt ans d’existence, l’union douanière UE-Turquie – qui fournit le cadre aux relations commerciales bilatérales – est devenue obsolète, et qu’un nouveau type d’accord commercial reflétant les besoins actuels doit être établi. Le Comité considère toujours la Turquie comme un partenaire très important, et aussi ...
Safety is the cornerstone of a sustainable aviation sector, a key area for economic growth in the EU. But aviation safety in the XXI century means to be ready and regularly adapt to new safety risks such as drones and new forms of cybercrime.
On December 8, the Lasaire think tank organised a seminar at the European Economic and Social Committee titled Anticipation and participatory change management in companies during a period of crisis and technological change. This seminar took place in the framework of their 12th Biennial project “Europe, Work, Employment".
EESC member Carlos Trias Pintó presented the second edition of the EESC publicationabout Financial Education, in the framework of a conference about Financial Education and New Technologies, organized by and in the premises of the Spanish Saving Banks Association (Confederación Española de Cajas de Ahorros CECA ).