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.
With democracy around the world in decline, the proliferation of disinformation and mounting dissatisfaction amid rising inflation and the threat of war, much is at stake in the vote for the new European Parliament.
At the March plenary of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta made clear that the European single market was first and foremost about people and – 30 years after its launch – needed to focus on Europe’s strategic autonomy and matters such as defence, telecommunications, energy and finance.
This year the UNCSW, the UN’s top annual meeting on gender equality, will focus on ending women’s poverty. During its inaugural participation in the event, the EESC will contribute to the theme with a declaration comprising ten action points for the economic empowerment and social protection of women
Following last year's rare diseases conference in Bilbao, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Commission are joining forces to deal with rare diseases at European level.
This week, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted the first-ever Civil Society Week, where over 800 representatives from civil society organisations and youth groups gathered to discuss the incoming elections and the future of the EU. The takeaways will be incorporated into an EESC resolution in July that will outline what civil society expects from the incoming leadership of the European Parliament and Commission.
On 7 March, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) rewarded five non-profit organisations for their outstanding contribution to fighting mental health disorders, which have risen dramatically in the EU.
On 4 March, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) kicks off its first ever Civil Society Week, titled 'Rise Up For Democracy!'. This week-long event brings to Brussels more than 200 citizens' organisations and stakeholders from across Europe, including youth organisations, NGOs and journalists. They will be discussing the state of democracy, the challenges it faces, and the vital role civil society plays ahead of the EU elections, drawing up demands for the next EU leaders.
On 23 February, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Commission held a flagship event for the European Year of Skills, bringing together over 400 young people from all EU Member States to shine the spotlight on the skills needed for current and future jobs.
At a high-level conference, the EESC, the EU’s home of organised civil society, sounded the alarm: the shortage of decent and affordable housing is a matter of increasing concern, especially for vulnerable groups and young people, and the European Union must pull together the resources to fight it.
The pivotal role of civil society in driving forward the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) took centre stage during the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). The discussion made it crystal clear that the UN and EU need to work together to advance the SDGs.