site.btaCoordinated National Councils Voice Seen as Vital for Europe’s Future

The coordinated voice of national economic councils is decisive for Europe’s future, Economic and Social Council (ESC) President Zornitsa Rusinova said on Thursday. 

Rusinova spoke during a ceremony marking the end of European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) President Oliver Ropke’s term in Brussels.

Rusinova was the only national economic and social council president formally invited to speak at the official programme, which took place in the plenary hall of the European Parliament.

“National economic councils find the common ground among employers’, trade unions’ and civil organizations’ positions in individual States on important issues, while the EESC is the platform through which these positions reach European institutions. Our coordinated voice is very important for the decisions Europe makes,” she added.

The ceremony brought together more than 600 participants, including Members of the European Parliament, ambassadors, representatives of EU institutions, national economic and social councils, organized civil society, and guests from candidate countries.

During the session on equality and inclusion, Rusinova referenced Bulgaria’s role in the European discourse through a joint anti-disinformation campaign initiated by the ESC and EESC in Sofia in 2023, which was later extended to Moldova, Portugal, and Greece.

“We have shown that the common voice of civil society is important for policymakers. Speaking of social inclusion, today in Europe one in every five people, and in Bulgaria – one in every three, is at risk of poverty. Eleven percent of young people in Europe are neither working nor studying. In this situation, the national councils and the EESC can be the voice which, through their proposed policies, contributes to improving skills, education, labour market inclusion and other important sectors,” Rusinova said.

The Bulgarian delegation for this EESC mandate comprised ESC members Milena Angelova (Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association), Plamen Dimitrov (Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria), Bogomil Nikolov (Active Consumers Association), Evgeniy Ivanov (Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria), Mariya Mincheva (Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Georgi Stoev (Bulgarian Industrial Association), Veselin Mitov (Podkrepa Confederation of Labour), Dimitar Manolov (Podkrepa Confederation of Labour), Ivan Kokalov (Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria), Lalko Dulevski (Ministry of Economy and Industry), Diana Indjova (Centre for Psychological Research), and Stoyan Chukanov (Beef Breeders Association of Bulgaria – BBAB).

At the July session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), participants discussed the political priorities of the current Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Key objectives include enabling the EU to take greater responsibility for its own security and to strengthen its competitiveness.

Security and competitiveness will be the main priorities for the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which runs from July 1 to December 31, 2025.

Oliver Ropke said the Committee is currently drafting 11 exploratory opinions at the request of the Presidency, including one on "green" skills and vocational training institutions.