Economic and Social Committee may be established in Moldova
The matter concerns a new institutional framework for strengthening the dialog between civil society and the authorities. Discussions on the possibility of creating an Economic and Social Committee in Moldova took place within the framework of a round table, which was attended by representatives of Expert-Group Independent Think-Tank, the Institute for European Policy and Reforms, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Moldova, etc. The event gathered representatives of public authorities, decision-makers, donor community, civil society organizations, opinion leaders and mass media. They discussed the need to create an Economic and Social Committee in Moldova, its role in strengthening social dialogue and improving the decision-making process; Romania's experience in the organization and functioning of the Economic and Social Committee, presented by invited experts and offering concrete examples of good practices and lessons learned. The discussion focused on the impact of the creation of the Economic and Social Committee on Moldova's European integration and its contribution to transparency and inclusiveness at the decision-making level. Adrian Lupusor, Executive Director of Expert-Group, noted, in particular, that Moldova has a rather fragmented structure of public consultations, there are a number of platforms, quite a large number of non-governmental organizations, employers' associations, trade unions, which actively defend their views and interests. At the same time, there is no mechanism that would allow civil society, both non-governmental organizations and employers' and trade union associations, to represent a unified voice. “Thus, the creation of such an Economic and Social Committee in our country as well, similar to the experience of EU countries, would represent an effective institutional tool for civil society organizations to present a consolidated, consensus position to the government, but, at the same time, to create a more rigid mechanism of public consultations, where the government will not be able to evade public consultations,” he said. Notably, at the EU level, there is the European Economic and Social Committee, an EU consultative body that contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and effectiveness of the European Union by offering civil society organizations from member states the opportunity to express their views at the European level and contribute to better adaptation of European policies and legislation to economic, social and civic realities. // 10.09.2024 - InfoMarket.
