The President of the European Economic and Social Committee attends the Consumer and User Council Plenary Meeting
Post: Agencia Española de Consumo, Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición
Date: 24 February 2016
Section: Consume
The Plenary Meeting of the Consumer and User Council (CCU), held yesterday and presided over by Manuela Besteiro, was attended by the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Georges Dassis.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a consultative body which provides representatives of social/professional and other interest groups in Europe with a formal platform to express their points of view on European Union (EU) issues. Their opinions are forwarded to the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament. Therefore, the Committee has a key role to play in the European Union’s decision-making process. It also contributes to the strengthening of the EU’s democratic legitimacy and effectiveness, allowing civil society organisations of Member States to express their opinions at the European level.
This session was attended by Teresa Robledo, the Executive Director of AECOSAN (the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition), who welcomed the President, Georges Dassis.
In her speech, the Executive Director stated that protecting consumers must be a priority for any government, and that it is a priority for the Government of Spain. At AECOSAN, we are very aware of the importance of the collaboration between the Administration and civil society in order that said protection may be effective. In that sense, I consider that the EESC has done important work since it was established in 1957 in the Treaty of Rome, carrying the voice of civil society in Member States to European institutions and carrying out very important advisory functions, issuing around 170 advisory and opinion documents per year. Its ever more intensive information and integration role in the EU is also essential.
Teresa Robledo highlighted that for AECOSAN, the Consumer and User Council is of great importance as an independent participative and representative body, and that it is a priority because the consumerist movement will have greater strength if it works cohesively with a body that represents, through its members, the interests of consumers in more than 60 bodies, and that the movement would be heard in all regulatory projects affecting them. For that reason, training grants have been made over the years for graduates helping the Council in its functions, and AECOSAN has continued to support the Council with human, technical and financial resources, and is even trying to increase this support.
