EESC President

EESC President Röpke met on 10 April 2025 with European Commissioner for International Partnerships Síkela and the Presiding Officer of the African Union's Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU ECOSOCC), Sissoko, to reinforce joint efforts in enhancing civil society engagement in the EU-Africa partnership.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) deepened its engagement with the Western Balkans this week with a series of high-level meetings and the official launch of the EU–Albania Joint Civil Society Consultative Committee (JCC)—a major milestone in Albania’s EU accession journey.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the European Training Foundation (ETF), and Eurofound are joining forces on 3 April in Tirana for a high-level event focused on promoting effective social dialogue and collaboration in the Western Balkans. Titled Enhancing quality of work and life through effective social dialogue in the Western Balkans, the by-invitation-only event will bring together key stakeholders to explore challenges and opportunities in the region’s labour markets and social policies.

During the Conference of Committee Chairs (CCC) meeting, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Parliament marked a key milestone in their partnership. They reflected on the first year of their renewed cooperation agreement, signed by EESC President Oliver Röpke and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in May 2024, and looked ahead to the new parliamentary mandate for strengthened collaboration.