Nav 6-2: The European Economic and Social Committee

Length	Browsing: 20 minutes Reporting: 20 minutes
Goals	To gain insight into the composition of the Economic and Social Committee and reflect upon its role in EU policy-making. To familiarize yourself with the website of the EESC.
Introduction	Chapter 6 has briefly outlined the role of the EESC as one of the EU’s advisory bodies. While originally an advisory body for economic and social interests, according to the Lisbon Treaty the EESC represents ‘organisations of employers, of the employed, and of other parties representative of civil society, notably in socio-economic, civic, professional and cultural areas’. In this exercise, you will find out which organizations seated in the EESC represent these interests.
Steps	Go to the website of the Economic and Social Committee. The website has an overview of the different members per country. Click on ‘full list of the current EESC members and CCMI delegates’ in the search field, then select two countries you are familiar with.
Questions	Do you think the list provides a good representation of the civil society in your chosen countries? If not, what groups should be added or should receive more seats on the EESC? The EU is often mentioned as a mix between a pluralist and a corporatist system. How do you interpret the EESC from this perspective?
Links	https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/members-groups/members/members-and-ccmi-delegates

Cambridge University Press