Good practice for EU civil dialogue in the light of participatory processes

Key points

The EESC:

• recalls civil society's crucial role in promoting citizen engagement, civil dialogue, and democracy, and points out that the specific role of social partner organisations should be fully recognised and respected in social dialogue structures and processes, while recognising that civil dialogue, involving a broader set of stakeholders on a wider range of topics, is a separate process;

• in the current context of multiple crises, in addition to digital challenges, urges the EU institutions and Member States to act on the EESC’s proposals on social dialogue and civil dialogue and to engage individual citizens in democracy in general;

• intends to work closely with the European Commission on the creation, governance and regular operation of a civil society platform, as the Treaty-based EU consultative body composed of representatives of employers’, workers’ and civil society organisations;

• proposes to act as a hub and custodian for public and organised civil society participation, multiplying the effect of consultations held by the Commission and other institutions and systematically collecting input on its opinions from its members and European organised civil society more generally on major priorities and policies on the European political agenda;

• emphasises that its proposals build on the Treaties and the final report of the Conference on the Future of Europe of 9 May 2022, which explicitly calls for the EESC’s institutional role to be enhanced and for it to be empowered as a facilitator of participatory democracy activities, such as structured dialogue with civil society.