Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has officially launched its initiative to welcome civil society representatives from EU candidate countries.
A total of 131 candidate members (ECM) were selected to make up the pool of civil society experts who will be participating in the Committee’s work.
It makes the EESC the first institution to open its doors to EU candidate countries.
The initiative, a priority of EESC President Oliver Röpke, seeks to set new standards for involving candidate countries in EU activities, facilitating their progressive and tangible integration into the EU.
The initiative was warmly welcomed by European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, and the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, who were attending the inauguration, held during the EESC’s Plenary Session.
They were joined by civil society representatives from nine EU candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine) and by other ECMs online, all of whom were participating in EESC Plenary debates for the first time.
“We need to start working together now – exchanging views, building connections, and fostering a strong and healthy civil society. This is why, the EESC decided to open its doors to candidate countries and involve their representatives – the ‘Enlargement Candidate Members’ – in our work. Enlargement is one of the most critical and strategic choices for the future of the European Union and this continent. Europe cannot afford to be less ambitious.”
The Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić, said: “We highly value these aspects of gradual integration. We do not see this as a substitute for membership, but a way of preparing both the countries of the Western Balkan Region (in line with a merit-based approach-regatta principle), and the EU for integration.”
