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.
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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.
Ten percent of women live in dire poverty. One in three women face violence. With a growing backlash against women's rights, unwavering commitment from both institutions and civil society is vital. A debate at the EESC plenary session underscored the need to keep up support for the fight for gender equality.
This year the UNCSW, the UN’s top annual meeting on gender equality, will focus on ending women’s poverty. During its inaugural participation in the event, the EESC will contribute to the theme with a declaration comprising ten action points for the economic empowerment and social protection of women
Amid a projected rise in the number of people at risk of poverty, adequate minimum income is a necessary condition to ensure a dignified life for many Europeans. To make sure it is available to all those who need it, Member States should put in place transparent and non-discriminatory criteria for people to obtain it.
Poverty must always be combated in the EU and in the rest of the world. This is all the more important as the cost of living has increased significantly since the onset of the war in Ukraine. While civil society organisations provide important solutions to tackle the effects of poverty, it is clear that future policy measures must be poverty-proof. These are the conclusions of a discussion organised by the Civil Society Organisations' Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on 22 March 2023. The event was attended by high-level guest speakers, including Italy's Minister for Labour and Social Policies, Marina Elvira Calderone.
As the number of EU households unable to warm their homes is likely to grow and with energy annual inflation hitting over 40%, the EU and the Member States should adopt and implement urgent measures to prevent and tackle energy poverty threatening Europeans
Drastically improving the energy efficiency of Europe's buildings, increasing the use of renewables and educating consumers on energy savings are among the main prerequisites for reducing the number of energy poor in the EU in the long term.
Poverty and the role of civil society organisations in combatting it will be the focus of his Presidency
With the start of the 2020-2025 term of office of the EESC, Séamus Boland takes over the Presidency of the its Diversity Europe Group. Members confirmed his new role for the next two and a half years during the first group meeting of the new term held today, 27 October. Mr Boland's Presidency will focus on the topic of "Poverty and the role of civil society organisations in combatting it".
The public hearing will examine how national, local and civil society actors will work together to foster collaboration through partnership principle and multi-level governance in order to deliver more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient outcomes across all regions.
Partnership event by the EAPN and the Civil Society Organisations' Group
Event type
Conference
Location
Rue Van Maerlant 2
Brussels
Belgium
The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) will launch its latest Poverty Watch Report at an event co-organised by the EAPN and the EESC Civil Society Organisations' Group. This is an in-person event that will take place at the EESC in Brussels and be webstreamed.