Civil Society Week

An annual hub for civil society engagement

Civil Society Week is the EESC’s annual flagship event for civil society. Centred around panels led by the EESC Liaison Group, the  European Citizens’ Initiative Day, and the Civil Society Prize award ceremony, the event brings together civil society representatives from across Europe, including the candidate countries, high-level EU policy-makers, experts, and other key stakeholders. The primary goal is to foster meaningful engagement with civil society by hosting in-depth debates, exchanging best practices, and generating solutions to address pressing societal challenges.

Each year, the conference focuses on a distinct set of urgent issues that resonate deeply with civil society. Through a diverse array of sessions – including workshops, panel discussions, world cafés and other interactive formats – the participants collaboratively craft recommendations for policy-makers. These proposals are discussed at the closing session with high-level institutional representatives and subsequently pursued with the EU institutions to ensure impactful follow-up.