European Economic
and Social Committee
Discover the EESC
Given the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the EESC cancelled its Open Day scheduled on the 9th of May. By scrolling down this page, you can discover more about the Committee, its work, its sections and groups, and delve into its valuable contribution to the EU decision-making process.
EESC Groups
The EESC brings together representatives from all areas of organised civil society, who give their independent advice on EU policies and legislation. The EESC’s 326 Members are organised into three groups: Employers, Workers and Diversity Europe.
« The COVID-19 crisis has brought into sharp relief the fragility of our way of life and of the assumptions our societies and economies are based on. To face this crisis, we need extraordinary and unprecedented economic measures and true, unconditional European solidarity.»
«The massive challenge that the COVID-19 pandemic poses to our health, our society and our economy knows no borders and demands unity and solidarity. On this Europe Day, the message of our EU founding fathers resonates even louder. Only together can we come out of this emergency, only by forging a sustainable future can Europe recover and rebuild. Our actions must be guided by the respect for fundamental rights and values, by the protection of democracy and of public services, by the need for a fair social and ecological transition. Solidarity both in the EU and with the rest of the world must be the golden rule. Today, like in 1950, we need a new way of cooperating to stand up again, together.»
We have to do whatever is necessary to enable and support our people, to speak on behalf of organised civil society and to encourage them to continue with all the efforts they have made in guarding citizens' interest and humanity on European and national level.
EESC Sections
The EESC has six sections, specialising in concrete topics of relevance to the citizens of the European Union. Members participate in one or more of these sections depending on their areas of expertise, and it is here that much of the groundwork on opinions is carried out. The EESC also has a Consultative Commission on Industrial Change (CCMI), which helps EU industry anticipate and adapt to the impact of globalisation.
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a human health emergency but also constitutes a severe economic and social crisis and is therefore a crucial moment for the future of European integration. We, at the ECO Section of the EESC, are ready to contribute to the greatest extent possible to the preparation of a comprehensive European economic recovery plan, based on solidarity and subsidiarity. Such a plan would allow the EU Member States, its citizens, companies and workers to best face the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and rebuild a more sustainable and resilient European economy.
– Stefano PALMIERI, President of the ECO Section
- Single Market, Production and Consumption – INT
- Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society – TEN
Transport, energy, digital, services of general interest: services and tools for a Europe closer to its citizens.
Please refer to the following links for statements on the situation of refugees, fundamental rights and the rule of law and the Roma community during the COVID-19 pandemic and to opinions on FEAD/COVID-19 as well as on demographic challenges, sustainable funding for lifelong learning and the employment guidelines, which also contain references to the current pandemic.