Permanent group on the European Semester

In 2017, the European Economic and Social Committee established the European Semester Group (ESG) in response to the growing importance of the European Semester.

The ESG is a horizontal body of 34 EESC members which reinforces and supports the work carried out in the EESC sections. It examines proposals from European civil society on economic, fiscal, employment and social policies, thereby ensuring a continuous EESC contribution to the annual European Semester cycle.

The European Semester is part of the European Union's economic governance framework. It allows for integrated surveillance and coordination of Member States' economic, fiscal, employment and social policies across the EU. The main objectives of the European Semester processes are the following: (1) ensuring sound public finances, preventing excessive budgetary deficits and preventing or reducing government debt; (2) ensuring convergence and stability in the EU; (3) fostering economic growth; (4) preventing macroeconomic imbalances in the EU; (5) monitoring the implementation of national recovery and resilience plans; and (6) coordinating and monitoring employment and social policies. While previously these national policies were handled separately, the Semester ensures that they are analysed and assessed together within the framework of a common annual calendar. Its timetable follows a recurring cycle, starting in autumn with the presentation of economic and social priorities by the European Commission. It concludes in October of the subsequent year when EU Member States submit their draft budgetary plans. Following this, the cycle starts over again. The European Semester has adapted to reflect changes in the policy environment by incorporating the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal. It further integrated the post-COVID recovery and the energy crisis resulting from the war in Ukraine into the macroeconomic governance framework. More recently the European Semester has evolved again in response to the European Commission’s legislative package reforming the European Union’s economic governance framework in order to enhance the EU’s competitiveness and ensure better preparedness for future challenges by supporting progress towards a green, digital, inclusive and resilient economy.

The main activities of this EESC's ESG include: (1) drawing up opinions linked to the European Semester Autumn Package, and drawing up information reports (containing the recommendations of national representatives of organised civil society) and own-initiative opinions (highlighting the resulting recommendations from the EESC on a key theme of the European Semester) on the basis of a consultation with organised civil society in the Member States; (2) organising a broad annual consultation of the organised civil society in Member States, through country visits and a questionnaire; (3) holding four ESG meetings per year; (4) organising an annual ESG conference with representatives from European institutions, national economic and social councils, national social partners and civil society and other relevant organisations. Through its activities, the ESG helps to bring quality to the European Semester process, improve its legitimacy and add value through greater national ownership, better priority setting, more efficient implementation and greater national awareness. In line with this, the ESG intends to continue its important work to collect, channel and promote policy views from national civil society organisations through the regular national country visits and discussion forums.

For the latest updates on the ESG's activities, see the documents listed on the left-hand side of the page.