The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) made a large transfer of historical archival material to the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU), earlier this summer. The 805 files composing this new sub-fonds (CES.VOL25) are organised in 144 series and they are now available through the HAEU’s online database within the EESC collection.
The materials in this transfer, preserved on microfiche, paper and in digital format, are related to the activities and functioning of the EESC from 1958 to 1990. They include documents produced by its governing bodies, reports, materials concerning its relations with other European institutions or international organisations, and more. The languages of the documents are Dutch, English, French, German and Italian.
The European Economic and Social Committee is a consultative body that advises the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission. It was established in 1957 under the Treaty of Rome, and aims to enable civil society organisations from the Member States to express their views at European level. Its members include employers, trade unionists and representatives of social, occupational, economic and cultural organisations. The European institutions are required to consult with the EESC on a number of policy issues, and the EESC also delivers opinions and advisory documents on its own initiative.