3.7 Consultative Committees

(I) Introduction

The two main advisory and consultative committees attached to the EU are:

• The Economic and Social Committee (ESC or EcoSoc).
• The Committee of the Regions.

The numbers of members by member state are shown below.

The Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: members (EU27)

Sources: (1) British Management Date Foundation, Analysis of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, BDMF, October 2003 and (2) Dod's Eurosource 2008, Dod's Parliamentary Communications, 2006, updated.

(II) The Economic and Social Committee (EcoSoc)

The main features of the Economic and Social Committee are:

• It is a purely advisory body, but must be consulted by the Commission and the Council of Ministers over a wide range of economic and social issues including "workers' rights". There is no obligation on the Commission or the Council to take its advice.
• The members are divided into three groups (based on the notion of "social partnership"):
• Group I: Employers.
• Group II: Workers.
• Group III: Various Interests, such as consumers, farmers, the self-employed and academics.
• Members are appointed by the Council of Ministers on the nomination of their governments. There are 344 in all (for EU27). These numbers changed with enlargement.
• Detailed work is undertaken by specialist sections. These are:
• NAT: Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment.
• ECO: Economic and Monetary Union and Social Cohesion.
• REX: External Relations.
• INT: The Single Market, Production and Consumption.
• TEN: Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and Information Society.

Some key dates are:

• EcoSoc was established under the Treaty of Rome (1957).
• The Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties strengthened it, by linking it to the "new" Committee of the Regions, and extending the range of issues that must be referred to the committee.

(III) The Committee of the Regions (COR)

The main features of the Committee of the Regions are:

• The Committee is asked for its opinion on proposed EU legislation likely to have an impact for the regions. There is no obligation on the Commission or the Council to take its advice.
• Under the Maastricht Treaty, which set it up, it must be consulted on the following areas:
• Education, vocational training and youth.
• Culture.
• Public health.
• Trans-European Networks (TENs) for transport, telecommunications and energy.
• Economic and social cohesion (including the structural funds).
• The members are appointed and, as with EcoSoc, there are 344 (for EU27). The national membership quotas are the same as for EcoSoc and changed with enlargement.
• Detailed work is undertaken by specialist commissions. These are:
• CONST: Constitutional Affairs and European Governance.
• EDUC: Culture and Education.
• ECOS: Economic and Social Policy.
• RELEX: External Relations.
• DEVE: Sustainable Development.
• COTER: Territorial Cohesion Policy.

Some key dates are:

• It was set up under the Maastricht Treaty (1992).
• Its first meeting was in March 1994.
• The Treaty of Amsterdam increased extended the range of areas for consultation.

RL, February 2007.