Uitbreidingslanden

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Het EESC is actief betrokken bij het uitbreidingsproces van de EU en heeft een tweeledige aanpak ontwikkeld – regionaal en bilateraal – voor zijn betrekkingen met organisaties van het maatschappelijk middenveld in de uitbreidingslanden.

Met betrekking tot de regionale benadering is het follow-upcomité Westelijke Balkan – een permanent intern orgaan van het EESC – het belangrijkste instrument voor het coördineren van de activiteiten van het EESC in deze regio. Het forum voor het maatschappelijk middenveld van de Westelijke Balkan, dat om de twee jaar wordt georganiseerd, maakt deel uit van de werkzaamheden van het follow-upcomité.

Het EESC werkt ook bilateraal samen met landen van de Westelijke Balkan en Turkije. Op basis van de associatieovereenkomsten tussen deze landen en de EU, om de organisaties van het maatschappelijk middenveld te betrekken bij de pretoetredings- en toetredingsprocessen, heeft het EESC drie gemeenschappelijke organen gecreëerd met vertegenwoordigers van het maatschappelijk middenveld – met Turkije, Montenegro en Servië. Elk orgaan bestaat uit een gelijk aantal leden van het EESC en van het partnerland en komt tweemaal per jaar samen.

Het EESC onderhoudt regelmatige contacten en organiseert gezamenlijke activiteiten met de organisaties van het maatschappelijk middenveld van uitbreidingslanden waarmee nog geen gemeenschappelijk orgaan voor vertegenwoordigers van het maatschappelijk middenveld is opgericht.

De werkzaamheden van de gemeenschappelijke organen worden aangevuld met de voorbereiding van EESC-adviezen over de pretoetredings- en toetredingsprocessen van de afzonderlijke landen, alsmede over onderwerpen van regionaal belang.

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  • Enlargement: Representatives from EU candidate countries will now join the work of the EESC

    Reference number
    9/2024

    Today, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) officially launched its initiative to welcome civil society representatives from EU candidate countries. A total of 131 'Enlargement Candidate Members' (ECM) were selected to make up  the pool of civil society experts who will be participating in the Committee's work, thus making the EESC the first institution to open its doors to EU candidate countries. The initiative, a political priority of EESC President Oliver Röpke, sets new standards for involving candidate countries in EU activities, facilitating their progressive and tangible integration into the EU.

    External relations

  • Civil society calls on the new Montenegrin authorities to speed up the reforms for the EU accession

    Reference number
    51/2023

    In the run-up to the EU-Western Balkans Summit, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) met with Montenegrin civil society on 7 December 2023 to take stock of the country's accession progress, and in particular its public administration reform. The participants raised concerns about the weakening capacity of the country's public administration to respond to the growing demands of the EU agenda. However, with the new government, there is a window of opportunity for the necessary reforms to move forward in the accession negotiations.

    External relations

  • Never before have the Western Balkans been so close to EU accession

    Reference number
    40

    The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held the 9th edition of the Western Balkans Civil Society Forum on 19-20 October 2023, just a few weeks ahead of the European Commission's Enlargement Package and the New Growth Plan. The Forum signalled a renewed momentum for the region to join the EU, in view of the current geopolitical situation and a clear commitment of EU leaders to the enlargement policy. Representatives of Civil Society Organisations stressed the need for greater support and safeguarding of civic space to facilitate the essential socio-economic reforms required for EU integration.

    External relations

  • EESC discusses Honorary Enlargement Members initiative to support the gradual integration of EU candidate countries

    Reference number
    30/2023

    The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) welcomed representatives from civil society organisations from candidate countries at its July plenary session, announcing the initiative to appoint Honorary Enlargement Members and invite them to participate in the daily advisory work of the Committee

    External relations

  • Civil Society in Serbia: "This is our last train to EU integration and we shouldn't miss it"

    The  EU-Serbia Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) held its 14th meeting on 29 November 2022 in Belgrade, to discuss the state of play in the accession process and reform policies in the country. The participants from Serbia and the EU Institutions, as well as from civil society organisations pointed out concerns and challenges that still need further improvement. The joint declaration of the EU-Serbia JCC was adopted unanimously.

    External relations

  • Speech by Séamus Boland at the Connecting EU seminar 2022

    Panel I - In the shadow of war: Europe's new geopolitical context and the consequences for the future of the EU, Zagreb

  • Young people as promoters of change and the Western Balkans' integration into the EU

    Reference number
    44/2022

    The high-level civil society conference on youth policy in the Western Balkans, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), highlighted the key role of young people for the future of the region and called for their active involvement in policy-making. 

    External relations

  • War in Ukraine poses major challenge for EU cohesion policy, EESC cautions

    Cohesion policy is key to overcoming the COVID-19 crisis, to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and to reducing disparities in Europe. Its most serious challenge for the foreseeable future, however, is the war in Ukraine, the EESC cautions in a recent opinion. Rapid action is needed to help refugees and ensure the country's European integration.

    Cohesion, Regional and Urban Policy
    Economic and Monetary Union

  • Civil Society should be a driving force in democracy, emphasised participants at the EESC hearing in Sarajevo

    Reference number
    26/2022

    On 24 May in Sarajevo, the EESC's Western Balkans Follow-up Committee held its yearly external meeting - for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic - to meet with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and discuss their role and concerns regarding the current situation. The conclusions will be conveyed to the country's political authorities and to the EU institutions.

     

    External relations

  • In front of the EESC members President Charles Michel comments on prospect of Ukraine EU membership and calls for the creation of a European Geopolitical Community

    Reference number
    22/2022

    The May plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted a debate led by its President Christa Schweng and the President of the European Council Charles Michel on Europe's response to this turning point in history.

    External relations
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