Evropski ekonomsko-socialni odbor
Od prve konvencije iz Loméja (1975) do Sporazuma iz Cotonouja (2000–2021) so partnerstva EU-AKP urejala odnose med EU in 79 članicami skupine afriških, karibskih in pacifiških držav (AKP), ki se je nedavno preimenovala v Organizacijo afriških, karibskih in pacifiških držav.
EESO si je v vsem tem obdobju skupaj s civilno družbo držav AKP prizadeval za priznanje ključne vloge, ki jo imajo nedržavni akterji pri razvoju, dokler to ni bilo doseženo s Sporazumom iz Cotonouja, s katerim je EESO dobil nalogo, da organizira dejavnosti in posvetovanja z ekonomskimi in socialnimi interesnimi skupinami iz držav AKP in EU, da se zberejo stališča organizirane civilne družbe in se ji prisluhne. Cilj je bil spodbujati izmenjave in oblikovati priporočila o vprašanjih in politikah, pomembnih v odnosih med AKP in EU, ki so bili kasneje uradno naslovljeni na voditelje EU in AKP.
V praksi se dejavnosti EESO v okviru odnosov med EU in Organizacijo afriških, karibskih in pacifiških držav izvajajo predvsem pod okriljem vključujočega spremljevalnega odbora EU-AKP, ki ga sestavljajo člani EESO in delegati, ki zastopajo ekonomske in socialne interesne skupine držav AKP.
Spremljevalni odbor EU-AKP vzdržuje redne stike s predstavniki civilne družbe v državah AKP na različnih ravneh, in sicer z:
EESO je v okviru skupne strategije Afrika-EU v rednih stikih s predstavniki ekonomskih in socialnih interesnih skupin Afriške unije. Vsako leto organizira srečanja z mrežo gospodarskih in družbenih akterjev EU in Afrike.
EESO poleg tega že več let vzdržuje redne stike s skupno parlamentarno skupščino AKP-EU, tako da na njenih sejah predstavlja poročila o svojih dejavnostih.
Tesno sodeluje tudi z mednarodnimi organizacijami delodajalcev, delavcev, kmetov, zadrug in potrošnikov. Te organizacije imenujejo predstavnike skupine držav AKP, ki so povabljeni na seje EESO, vključno s spremljevalnim odborom EU-AKP.
Under the auspices of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)-European Union relations, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) organises regular consultation meetings with ACP and EU economic and social stakeholders, including representatives of civil society originating from the 79 ACP countries.
This meeting is opportunity to take stock of the EU-Africa comprehensive agenda and strategy, the role of the organised civil society and social partners and the cooperation on development in the new negotiated partnership agreement between the EU and the organisation of ACP states as well as to prepare the 29th meeting of the ACP-EU economic and social interest groups.
The Meeting of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee will virtually take place on 2 March 2021, 9.30 - 12.30 a.m. Brussels time.
This meeting will be the opportunity to welcome the delegates to the new mandate (2021-2013) of this ACP-EU Follow-up Committee.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Seventh meeting of the EU-Africa Economic and Social Stakeholders' Network originally scheduled in 2020 had been postponed to 2021.
The EESC proposes holding the Seventh meeting of the EU-Africa Economic and Social Stakeholders' Network at the EESC building in Brussels, on 2 March 2021, from 2.30 to 6.15 pm.
The meeting will be held virtually from the EESC building in Brussels. The system INTERACTIO will used as it allows simulations interpretation in EN, ES FR and PT, which is the linguistic regime applied to EESC regular activities with Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP).
The Meeting of the Follow-up Committee ACP-EU will virtually take place on 14 December 2020, 5-7 p.m. Brussels time, which is 4-6 p.m. G.M.T., 12 a.m.-5 p.m. in Trinidad and Tobago, 7-9 p.m. in Nairobi or 4-6 a.m. in Suva (Fiji).
This meeting will be the opportunity to properly say good-bye and thank our delegates for the good cooperation during the 2018-2020 period, before the EESC launches call for the nomination of new delegates.
Meeting of the Follow-up Committee ACP-EU
The EESC organised a regional seminar in Eastern and Southern Africa, which comprises the Indian Ocean islands (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles), countries from the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan) and some countries of Southern Africa (Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe).
The regional seminar took place in Mauritius, on 21-22 November 2019.
The sixth meeting of the EU-Africa Economic and Social Stakeholders' Network took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 3 and 4 July 2019. A political declaration was adopted by the network to be addressed to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the African Union.
On the basis of the Cotonou agreement, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is mandated to organise consultation sessions and meetings of ACP-EU economic and social interest groups in order to voice these actors' views on the ACP-EU partnership and foster cooperation between civil society organisations.
Within this framework, the EESC organises regional seminars every year in one of the ACP regions.
This year, the EESC is organising a regional seminar in Windhoek (Namibia) on 8-9 November 2018.
The EU-Africa economic and social stakeholders' network will first deal with the up-coming EU-Africa Action Plan for the period 2018-2020. The annual meeting will specifically address migration and economic issues, focusing on the implications for young people. The youth focus is essential as young people clearly represent an increasingly important proportion of African populations. Moreover, youth unemployment in both Africa and Europe is a shared concern of economic and social actors. It is helping to feed migration flows, especially for young Africans who are facing a lack of prospects.
