The EESC issues between 160 and 190 opinions, evaluation 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 stresses that a real growth strategy at EU and national level is needed to support the creation of better and more stable jobs for young people.
Download — Employability of young people – matching training with industry needs in an age of austerity
The EESC welcomes the Communication as a significant and helpful support for the implementation of the Core Network Corridors and the predefined projects in them. The EESC appreciates the Communications’ focus on the governance system and the support it provides for the development of the work plans for the Core Network Corridors.
Due to the increased need for cost-efficient procedures and the pressure on public expenditure, the European market for pharmaceutical products is less dynamic than in the past. This high-technology sector is faced with the following challenges: austerity measures introduced by European governments, rapid growth in the market and research in emerging economies, and migration of economic, research and development activities outside of Europe.
Download — Industrial Changes in the European Pharmaceutical Sector
The European Commission under the European Strategy 2020 has established a goal to raise the industry contribution to GDP from 15.6% (2011) to 20% by 2020. The Industrial Policy Communication updated of October 2012 outlines a strategy to reverse the declining role of industry announcing actions in four main areas: Investment in new technologies and innovation; Access to Markets; Access to Finance and Human capital and skills.
Download — Reshoring of EU industries in the framework of reindustrialisation
The EESC considers that there is an enormous need for a social investment package to counter poverty and promote employment. Implementing such a package requires:
- creating an investment programme amounting to 2% of GDP;
- identifying new sources of revenue;
- including social investments in the Europe 2020 Strategy and the European Semester;
- considering excluding social investments from the calculation of net government deficits; and
- finding the right tools to measure the effects of such investments
Download — EESC opinion: The impact of social investment on employment and public budgets
The EESC welcomes this new communication, which it regards this as an opportunity to recalibrate policies in light of the experience acquired by the Member States and to give new impetus to the process of EU electricity market integration by focusing more clearly on the benefits to the public and the eradication of energy poverty in the EU.
Download — Internal electricity market/ public intervention