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 EESC is organising a public hearing on "Transport Accessibility for persons with disabilities" on 23 June 2022.
The aim of the event is to reflect on which steps the EU could take to make progress on this topic, in particular by identifying the existing barriers and obstacles and good practices and to offer a space for debate to organisations representing persons with disabilities and other stakeholders.
The EESC is organising a public hearing on "The right to make decisions: advancing the issue of Legal Capacity for persons with disability" on 15 November 2021.
The aim of the event is to:
show the cross-cutting nature of legal capacity, and how not being entitled to it has repercussions on different areas of life
reflect on which steps the EU could take to make progress on legal capacity
De-institutionalisation and the role of families as carers of persons with disabilities
Interactio and Room JDE 62, EESC building, Rue Belliard 99, 1040
Brussels
Belgium
The aim of the hearing is to discuss the challenges of the transition from institutional to community-based support for persons with disabilities (de-institutionalisation) as well as the role played by families as their carers.
In order to prepare its opinion on the Commission's proposal on the "EU Disability Strategy 2021-2030", the EESC is organising a public hearing on 1 June 2021, from 9.30 am to 1 pm.
The aim of the event is to gather input from other EU Institutions, organisations representing persons with disabilities, social partners and other civil society organisations on the Commission's proposal. This input will feed into the EESC's opinion.
Interactio and Room JDE 62, EESC building, Rue Belliard 99
Brussels
Belgium
The EESC Thematic Study group on Disability Rights is organising a public hearing on 30 March 2021.
The objective of this hearing is to give the floor to one of the groups more hit by the COVID-19 pandemic: persons with disabilities (PWD). In particular, we will look into the situation concerning the prioritization of PWD, or lack of, in the vaccination rollouts within the EU.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is organising a public hearing on "Challenges and prospects for the deinstitutionalisation process in Croatia " on 31 March 2020, in the context of a fact finding mission of the EESC's Study Group on Disability Rights.
During the hearing, we will listen to representatives from public authorities and civil society to find out how the deinstitutionalisation process is advancing in Croatia.
The European Economic and Social Committee will hold a conference to shape the new EU agenda for disability rights 2020-2030on 26 February 2020 in the EESC's premises.
The aim of the conference is to present the EESC's proposal for the new strategy at a crucial moment in the EU landscape. With a new European Commission, a new European Parliament and a new budget programming period, it is now the perfect timing for a new Disability Strategy that fully takes into account the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCPRD), the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The conference will tackle various areas of work of the EU, drawing attention to the crosscutting character of disability rights.
Room VMA 3, EESC building, Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1040
Brussels
Belgium
Perception, fear, myth and prejudice continue to limit the understanding and acceptance of disability in workplaces everywhere. Most of society still looks at persons with disabilities as unable to work and thinks that accommodating them in the workplace is expensive.
The EESC is organising a public hearing on "Employment of persons with disabilities: how can we change society's view" on 13 November 2019, with the aim to present programmes and projects that prove that these perceptions are incorrect.
EU House, Aspazijas bulvāris 28, Fireplace hall (1st floor)
Riga
Latvia
How have the current EU disability Strategy and other EU's policies and programs influenced the Latvian Disability policy?
What could be changed or improved in the next EU Strategy 2020-2030?
The EESC is organising a public hearing on "Shaping the EU agenda for disability rights 2020-2030" on 23 July 2019, where we will try to give an answer to these questions.
What is the role of the media in raising awareness on disability rights and combating stigma towards persons with disability?
How can the Media help in portraying persons with disability in a manner consistent with a human rights approach to disability?
What can be done to enhance the voice of persons with disability in the Media?
The EESC Study Group on Disability Rights is organising a public hearing on "Communicating disability Rights" on 28 June 2019, where we will try to give an answer to these questions.