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 welcomes the Commission proposal but highlights the fact that it can only be one component of dedicated financial instruments for social businesses. The Committee reminds the Commission that some elements of the proposal have to be clarified in order to allow such funds to be successful, both for the financial community and for the final beneficiaries.
EESC opinion: European Social Entrepreneurship Funds
The EESC welcomes the actions proposed by the Commission to develop tools to improve awareness of the sector and the visibility of social enterprise and is pleased to note that the Commission has taken on board several points from its exploratory opinion on the same issue. The EESC calls on Member States to develop national frameworks for the growth and development of that kind of enterprise.
The EESC is fully supportive of the revised directive and it finds much in the regulation which it can support. The EESC has a major concern about the applicability of the regulation to SMEs and it recommends that the more radical proposals be revised.
EESC opinion: Annual accounts and consolidated accounts - Audit - public interest entities
The EESC supports the general principles of this program but believes it should also strengthen the support and advice to SMEs in consultation with all professional organizations. The Committee also considers that promoting access to finance and encouraging an entrepreneurial culture should be the core issues of this new regulation.
Social enterprise is a key element of the European social model and fundamental for the success of the EU2020 strategy. By supporting and promoting social enterprise, Europe strengthens its growth and competitiveness potential and its capacity to create social value. The EESC supports the Commission's launch of a political framework and action plan to promote social enterprise in Europe. In its opinion, it stresses the importance of its implementation at both EU and Member State level as well.
EESC opinion: Social entrepreneurship and social enterprise