Minister Grabar-Kitarović received EESC President Sigmund

Minister Grabar-Kitarović expressed satisfaction with and welcomed the setting up of the co-operation between EESC and representatives of employers, syndicates, and other civil society organizations in Croatia. She pointed out that this co-operation enhances the role of the civil society in the process of Croatia’s EU accession, noting that the European integration process should include all parts of a society and stimulate their active role.

EESC President Sigmund is visiting Croatia for the purposes of reviewing the setting up of a co-operation between EESC and the representatives of the civil society in Croatia.

Before meeting with Minister Grabar-Kitarović, President Sigmund met with the representatives of MFAEI, Economic and Social Council, Office for Social Partnership, and National Foundation for Civil Society Development. The meeting arranged the setting up and work methods of a joint body that will facilitate the co-operation between EESC and the representatives of the civil society in Croatia. Its first meeting can be expected in early 2007, after a formal decision by EESC to be reached in December 2006.

The European Economic and Social Committee is an advisory body of the EU, founded by the Treaty of Rome that in 1958 set up the European Economic Community. The Committee represents on a European level the interests of various social and economic groups, and is considered a bridge for the dialogue between the EU institutions and the civil society. Its members include employers, employees, and representatives from various civil society groups (eg. agriculture workers, consumers, scientists, teachers, ecological groups, etc.). EESC advises the European Commission, EU Council, and European Parliament in specific areas of the European Union’s competence.