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.
Just a few days ahead of last December's climate summit COP24 in Poland, the European Commission published its long-term strategy "A clean planet for all" presenting its vision for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through a socially-fair transition in a cost-efficient manner. While the document does not contain any new policy proposals, it provides the direction of travel of EU climate and energy policy and frames what the EU considers as its long-term contribution to achieving the Paris Agreement temperature objectives in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Download — EESC opinion: Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction (Communication)
The opinion tables proposals on how to enhance the European project and bring it closer to its citizens.
Download — EESC opinion: The Future of the EU: Benefits to citizens and respect for European values (Exploratory opinion at the request of the Romanian Presidency)
The EESC is a bridge between the EU and its citizens, through the diversity of its members, and as such would like to propose its ambitious vision for the future, with Europe becoming the global leader on sustainable development
Download — Listening to the citizens of Europe for a sustainable future (Sibiu and beyond)
This opinion is on the Annual Growth Survey 2018 (AGS), which establishes the main economic priorities and provides policy guidance for the following year. The European Commission published the 2018 AGS on 22 November 2017 as part of the European Semester Autumn Package. The 2018 AGS is focused on fostering job creation and growth and establishes three main priorities: boosting investment to support the recovery and to increase long-term growth; structural reforms for inclusive growth, upward convergence and competitiveness; responsible fiscal policies to support sustainability and convergence.
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has requested the Committee's views on whether the steps taken by the European Commission to enforce EU law have addressed European's concerns. The ECA would like to know which specific aspects of the monitoring of the application of the legislation in particular have caught the EESC's attention.
Download — EESC opinion: Monitoring the application of EU legislation
This Committee opinion, prepared in response to the commission's request, has taken stock of the views of European stakeholders on how EU policies and regulatory action can use sustainable economic models to transition successfully towards economic modernisation by reconciling economic prosperity and efficiency, social inclusion and environmental responsibility.
Download — EESC opinion: New sustainable economic models (exploratory opinion requested by the Commission)
This own-initiative opinion is a joint proposal of the two EESC bodies with a cross cutting and horizontal approach: the SDO and the Europe 2020 Steering Committee (SC).
Download — EESC opinion: The transition towards a more sustainable European future – a strategy for 2050 (own-initiative opinion)