Kosovo accepted into European Economic, Social Committee

According to the announcement, this advisory institution in EU structures has invited civil society organisations in Kosovo to apply for membership until October 24th within the initiative of candidate states for enlargement ( ECMc, initiated in 2023.

With this initiative, we hope to strengthen projects promoting civil and social dialogue, strengthening engagement and co-operation within the Kosovo communities”, the call published on this community's website said.

In February 2024, E The ESC became the first EU institution to accept members from candidate states. However, that world Kosovo was not included, as it is the only state in the Western Balkan region that does not have candidate status.

In 2024, this committee accepted Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, northern Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine as a member. All these states are formally candidate countries in the European bloc.

This committee has said that the initiative marks an important step towards gradual integration of candidate states, before they formally join the EU.

Despite Kosovo's lack of EU membership candidate status, according to a response this committee has sent to the Time, it was decided that the second phase of this initiative will open to Kosovo as a potential candidate for membership”.

EESC is an integral part of the EU. This committee was established in 1957 on the basis of the Rome Treaty and aims to advise EU decision-makers to ensure that civil society organisations and networks across the European continent have a say in the development of Europe.

Civil society organisations that become part of the committee act as mediators between decision-makers and the public.

The goal of EESC is to help the policymaking and legislative process be more democratic, more effective and really reflect the needs of EU citizens”, the committee site says.

The committee has headquarters in Brussels and consists of 329 members of all 27 EU states. Only members coming from EU states have the right to vote in EESC. Members come from various fields, and they represent workers' associations, industries, chambers of commerce, associations for small and medium enterprises, consumers, farmers, human rights advocates, and others.

This committee consists of three groups: The Employers' Group, the Workers' Group and Civil Society Organizations Group.

Otherwise, Kosovo has applied for EU membership in December 2022. However, this application has not yet passed through the first formal phase, the review by the EU Council, and then the submission for opinion to the European Commission.