The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a consultative
body of the European Union (EU) established in 1958. It is an advisory assembly composed of "social partners", namely: employers (
employers' organisations), employees (
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
s) and representatives of various other interests. Its seat, which it shares with the
Committee of the Regions
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the European Union's (EU) assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities (i.e. regions, counties, provinces, municipalities and cities) with a direct voice w ...
, is the
Jacques Delors building on Belliardstraat /
Rue Belliard
The Rue Belliard (French) or Belliardstraat ( Dutch) is a major street in Brussels, Belgium, running parallel to the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat. Both are one-way streets; where traffic in the Rue de la Loi runs in the western direction towards B ...
99 in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. Once known by the acronym "EcoSoc", the body is now referred to as the "EESC", to avoid confusions with the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
ECOSOC
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...
.
Role
The European Economic and Social Committee was established by the
Treaty of Rome of 1957 in order to unite different economic
interest group
Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the developm ...
s to establish a
Single Market. The creation of this committee gave them an institution to allow their voices to be heard by the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
, the
Council and the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
. The EESC declares itself to be "a bridge between Europe and organised civil society".
It is mandatory for the committee to be consulted on those issues stipulated in the Treaties and in all cases where the institutions deem it appropriate. The
Treaty of Maastricht
The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve member states of the European Communities, it announced "a new stage in the pr ...
considerably enlarged the committee's domain. Its influence now extends to matters such as social policy, social and economic cohesion, environment, education, health, customers protection, industry,
Trans-European Networks
The Trans-European Networks (TEN) were created by the European Union by Articles 154–156 of the Treaty of Rome (1957), with the stated goals of the creation of an internal market and the reinforcement of economic and social cohesion. To various ...
, indirect taxation and structural funds. On certain issues the EESC works in partnership with the
Committee of the Regions
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the European Union's (EU) assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities (i.e. regions, counties, provinces, municipalities and cities) with a direct voice w ...
.
In latest years the committee has taken up the challenge of civil society, opening up its forum to representatives of all sectors, developing two complementary missions:
* Involving civil society organisations more in the European venture, at both national and European level,
* Boosting the role of civil society organisations in non-member countries or country groupings where the committee is furthering structured dialogue with civil society organisations, and promoting the creation of consultative structures based on its experiences, not least in the countries applying for EU membership, the Mediterranean partner countries, African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, India, China, Latin America (
Mercosur
The Southern Common Market, commonly known by Spanish abbreviation Mercosur, and Portuguese Mercosul, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Arge ...
) and Brazil.
Operation
It is mandatory for the committee to be consulted on those issues stipulated in the Treaties and in all cases where the institutions deem it appropriate. The EESC may also be consulted on an exploratory basis by one of the other institutions, and under Rule 29(2) of its Rules of Procedure may issue opinions on its own initiative. Around 15% of its opinions are
own-initiative opinions.
Own-initiative and exploratory opinions often raise the awareness of decision-making bodies, and of the commission in particular, about subjects which have hitherto barely attracted their attention, if at all. Exploratory opinions drawn up at the request of other institutions before the commission has even drafted its proposals enable the various components of organised civil society represented within the EESC to express the expectations, concerns and needs of grassroots stakeholders.
The Committee adopts on average 170 opinions a year on a wide range of subjects concerning European integration. It therefore plays an active role in the processes of shaping Community policies and preparing Community decisions.
Membership
Currently, EESC membership numbers 329 (same as the
Committee of the Regions
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the European Union's (EU) assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities (i.e. regions, counties, provinces, municipalities and cities) with a direct voice w ...
). The number of members per EU state varies according to the population of each state (see table below for state-by-state membership figures; the breakdown is the same for the Committee of the Regions). Members of the EESC are divided into three groups of equal number, employers, employees and a third group of various other changing interests such as: farmers, consumer groups, professional associations and so on.
Members are appointed by the council (by qualified majority) following nominations made by the government of the respective
Member State
A member state is a state that is a member of an international organization or of a federation or confederation.
Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) include some members that are not sovereign state ...
. However, once appointed, the members are completely independent of their governments. They have a renewable term of office of five years. The President of the EESC, elected for a -year term, is Christa Schweng (since 28 October 2020), and the previous presidents were
Luca Jahier
The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; th ...
(2018-2020)
Georges Dassis (2015-2018) and
Henri Malosse
Henri Malosse (born 6 October 1954 in Montpellier, France) is a French Politician and representative of the business world. he has been the 30th President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) (April 2013 - October 2015).
Biogr ...
(2013-2015).
Opinions
Selected own-initiative opinions include:
*Opinion on the Value and
supply chain development in a European and global context (adopted 25 April 2007) which argued that EU and member state agencies should work to improve the environment in which "initial and intermediate companies" operate within supply chains. Initialised as "IICs", a term which was "coined specifically for this opinion", the opinion refers to the relatively less visible, generally smaller or medium sized enterprises, at the lower tiers of supply chains, operating at early stages of the value creation process, often in
innovative
Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed entit ...
ways, and playing an important role in employment. The opinion notes that there is "no established definition of IICs" and that attitudes to such companies vary across member states and regions.
*Towards an ILO standard against
gender-based violence Gender-related violence or gender-based violence includes any kind of violence directed against people due to their gender or gender identification.
Types of gender-related violence include:
* Violence against women (sometimes referred to simply a ...
at work (16 September 2015)
Critiques
In a report reviewing 50 years of the EESC, C.S. Dimitrioulas cited
Jacques Delors
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors (born 20 July 1925) is a French politician who served as the 8th President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995. He served as Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry (France), Minister of Finance of Fran ...
as saying that EESC contributions from 1958 to 2008 on civil and social matters were "remarkable". Dimitrioulas commented: "Thanks to its membership and unique role in the EU’s institutional framework, the Committee will in future have special responsibility for making a reality of
participatory democracy
Participatory democracy, participant democracy or participative democracy is a form of government in which citizens participate individually and directly in political decisions and policies that affect their lives, rather than through elected repr ...
and for working towards the development of structured dialogue between organised civil society and Union institutions."
In 2012, the
European Foundation stated that the EESC had undoubtedly performed good works in its time, but it had outlived its usefulness and should be dismantled.
The modern EU is replete with advisors: Commissioners have their DGs, MEPs have their own researchers, and the ''ad hoc'' national ministers attending the Council of Ministers have both their own advisors and the services of
COREPER
: ''For the OIC Committee of Permanent Representatives, see OIC Committee of Permanent Representatives.''
COREPER, from French ''Comité des représentants permanents'', is the Committee of Permanent Representatives in the European Union, made u ...
. The vice president of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, Derk Jan Eppink, also stated in 2012, "Over the last eight years, the budgets of the EESC and CoR will have increased by some 50 percent, reaching €130 million and €86.5 million, respectively. There are around 50 officials at each committee with a minimum salary of €123,890, and six officials at each committee earning over €180,000". He stated that there is no information on whether or how the COR and the EESC opinions had influenced legislation and that neither committee had been successful in fulfilling its mandate to "engage participation" from citizens.
The EESC has fought such criticism with arguments of its own.
Staffan Nilsson (then EESC president) said "It's very strange that Liberals, who also ask for transparency and for the development of society, would try to discuss the idea of cancelling the only body that is for people who are not politicians."
Far from being sidelined as critics hoped, the EESC was reinvigorated by the
Lisbon Treaty
The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member sta ...
, which has confirmed the EESC's role and influence. According to proponents of the EESC: "Indeed, significant prospects for the development of participatory democracy are opened through Article 11 of the new Treaty on the European Union, which lays the foundations for the future establishment of a genuine structured civil dialogue at European level alongside the political dialogue between the EU and its Member States and the
social dialogue Social dialogue (or social concertation) is the process whereby social partners (trade unions and employer organisations) negotiate, often in collaboration with the government, to influence the arrangement and development of work-related issues, la ...
with the social partners, thereby ensuring sustainable participation of organised civil society in the European political process. In this context, the EESC has a particular responsibility in bringing participatory democracy to life. In view of its membership and role, as laid down in the Treaties, and in partnership with the other institutions, the Committee's purpose is to be even more in the future the means of developing participatory democracy and civil dialogue at Union level."
In October 2020 reappointment of a Polish business representative Jacek Krawczyk for another five-year term of the EESC president became a target of harsh criticism as the EESC faced pressure to better prevent harassment in the organization. Mr. Krawczyk was himself accused of psychological harassment and is prosecuted by Belgian authorities. Besides that, the conduct of Jacek Krawczyk has been investigated by the EU’s anti-fraud office OLAF. MEPs therefore rejected the EESC’s 2018 financial accounts over its failure to deal with the issue of harassment. According to the words of MEP
Tomáš Zdechovský, who led the budget discharge procedure, the EESC was not able to answer questions regarding its various mistakes and take measures which would make MEPs believe that this particular institution is able to protect the interests of European citizens.
Overall usefulness of the EESC has also been questioned recently. While the number of administrative staff has decreased from 727 in 2013 to 668 in 2019 and the number of opinions has gone down, the annual EESC's budget has continued to grow.
Czech MEP
Tomáš Zdechovský said, that “very few lawmakers are reading the opinions of this committee. The impact is close to zero.” He also described the EESC as “a zombie committee that lost its purpose but still lives on.”
See also
*
BUSINESSEUROPE
*
*
European Trade Union Confederation
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is the major trade union organisation representing workers at the European level. In its role as a European social partner, the ETUC works both in a consulting role with the European Commission and ...
*
UEAPME The European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises or SMEunited (formerly UEAPME) is an umbrella group for associations of SMEs based in Brussels, Belgium. SMEunited represents the interests of European crafts, trades and SMEs a ...
*
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...
References
External links
*
Website of the EESC Presidenton
EUR-Lex
Eur-Lex (stylized EUR-Lex) is an official website of European Union law and other public documents of the European Union (EU), published in 24 official languages of the EU. The Official Journal (OJ) of the European Union is also published on EU ...
List of MembersHistorical archivesof the European Economic and Social Committee are at th
Historical Archives of the EUin Florence
MCE European NAvigator Economic and social committee
Group I Employers Group of the Economic and social committeeGroup II Employees Group of the Economic and social committeeGroup III Diversity Europe Group of the Economic and social committee
{{DEFAULTSORT:European Economic And Social Committee
Economy of the European Union
Non-institutional bodies of the European Union