European Economic and Social Committee

Transcription

1 European Economic and Social Committee

2 European Economic and Social Committee 1.A description of the consultative role of the EESC for your presentation 2. Some key messages regarding the Euromed region, which could be useful to follow the discussions on this topic

3 The EESC Case Why consulting civil society organisations? ensuring that policies match economic, social and civic realities. Trade unions, employers' organisations, chambers of commerce, consumers' organisations they are the ones who will benefit (or suffer) from EU policies and they have on-theground knowledge to better adapt the policies to the reality. building a more participatory society, closer to its citizens. This is part of democracy. better communication between the EU and its citizens, and boosts transparency

4 Main EESC's goal To make EU policies better by enabling civil society organisations from the Member States to express their views

5 Brief description: 344 members from the 27 Member States 5 year term 3 Groups: - Employers: employers' organisations, chambers of commerce - Employees: trade unions - Various interests: NGOs, consumers, farmers, social economy, crafts sector, etc.

6 Official consultative role in the decision making process The 3 EU decision-making institutions consult the EESC: Commission, Parliament and Council. Consultation of the EESC by the Commission or the Council is mandatory in a growing range of areas, such as economic and employment policy, agriculture, social issues, transport, education, consumer protection, health, structural funds and equal opportunities. In other areas, consultation is optional. The EESC may, however, also adopt opinions on its own initiative. Around 200 opinions are adopted every year at the EESC. The EESC is consulted before the legislation has been adopted. A timely consultation is crucial for the possibility of taking into account our recommendations. Although EESC opinions are not binding, the Commission is obliged to regularly submit reports on the follow-up given to the EESC opinions.

7 The EESC advantages: intervenes at the EU decision making level official body: - the EU institutions are obliged to consult the EESC - easier for the EESC Members to have direct access to high level officials or politicians Diversity: The Committee s Members bring together a wide range of interests, knowledge and competences drawn from their diverse areas of work Consensus building: not only the EESC does convey the views of civil society organisations but it becomes a forum where civil society organisations with different interests work on reaching a common position before submitting their opinions to the EU institutions. This is one of our advantages in comparison with lobbies or direct consultation to different civil society organisations.

8 Liaising with civil society organisations The EESC liaises with national and European civil society organisations as well as, when appropriate, from 3rd countries: 1. EESC Members do not work full time at the EESC: they keep their activities in their States of origin, thus, they are in permanent contact with their organisations. 2. Liaison group with networks of European civil society organisations. Meetings are held on a regular basis 3. Inviting organisations to hearings of EESC opinions before and after being adopted, conferences, etc. 4. Organising events outside Brussels, in the EU Members States

9 Liaising with national Economic and Social Councils The EESC works in close cooperation with the national ESCs on a regular: bilateral basis: organisation of joint conferences on matters of mutual interest, particularly with the national ESC whose country is holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union or multilateral basis: - invitation to Plenary sessions in presence of the European Commission's President - involvement in the works of the EESC group "Europe 2020 Steering Committee", which are particularly well appreciated by the European Commission.

10 The EESC's work in the Euro-Mediterranean region Looking beyond the current period of transition in the region, the EESC's long-term aims are: to improve governance, including corruption reduction, by ensuring that effective, permanent, mechanisms for civil society involvement in policy making, such as ESCs, are in place that allow civil society to put across their views to government, follow-up on the implementation of their proposals, and act as a publically visible civil society platform. to make sure governments have a stable civil society partner drawn from the civil society of the country which puts across civil society's proposals in a consensual and digested format, ready for use by the government in policy making. thus make sure, that besides the support that is provided to social dialogue which is the ILO's primary vocation, "civil dialogue" as described above is fostered. Our definition of civil society is not just NGOs but includes socio-professional organisations, such as employers' and trade union organisations, plus NGOs. foster a "culture of dialogue" permanent mechanisms are a stepping stone in that direction but do not preclude other forms of civil society involvement in policymaking. by way of example, the EESC is working particularly closely with the recently established ESC of Morocco; the ESC of Jordan, which is being revived; as well as with Palestinian civil society and the Palestinian Authority in order to promote the setting up of an independent and representative Palestinian ESC.

11 Charter for ESCs in the Euro-Mediterranean region The EESC with its partners in the region recently adopted a nonbinding Charter for ESCs in the Euro-Mediterranean region, which sets out essential benchmarks on the independence and representativeness of ESCs. The charter is a non-coercive tool to encourage our partners, as well as and ourselves, to act representatively and independently. insists on the inclusion in all ESCs of a representative spectrum of civil society organisations, including the main socio-professional organisations and NGOs; nomination procedures for its members that are independent of government; the provision of an annual budget to the ESC; and the need for an independent and neutral secretariat.