Economic and Social Council

Date of creation
June 17, 1991

Year operational
1993

Nature of the texts that create the ESC (Constitution, law, decree, etc.)
Law 21/1991, of 17th June, on the Founding of the Economic and Social Council. It is envisaged in the Constitution of 1978 (article 131.2).

The Council must deliver its Opinion on Draft Bills and Draft Royal Legislative Decrees concerning socioeconomic and Labour matters (except the Draft General Government Budget Bill) as well as on any Draft Royal Decrees containing particularly important provisions on such matters, but its Opinion are not binding. The Council is also required to deliver Opinions concerning any affairs on which it may be consulted by the National Government or any members of the Government; as well as to draw up, reviews or reports on economic and social matters at the request of Government or at its own initiative.

- Issue mandatory opinions on draft bills of laws, draft legislative royal decrees regulating socioeconomic and labour policy, and draft royal decrees considered by the Government to be of particular significance in this field.
- Studies and analyses issues of concern to our society on its own initiative. Its annual socioeconomic and labour report has become an essential point of reference for understanding Spain’s development and socioeconomic situation.

Number of members : 61 members

President
Trade Union Organizations: 20 members (Group 1)
Employers Organizations: 20 members (Group 2)
20 members as follows (Group 3):
Agricultural professional organisations: 3
Maritime-fisheries sector: 3
Consumers and users: 4
Cooperative associations from the sector of social economy: 4
Experts in the social, economic and labour fields: 6

Duration of the term: 4 years renewable

Process of designating the members: The Council members are designated or proposed by the entities and associations of the different Groups and appointed by the Government at the proposal of the Minister of Labour.

The President is elected for 4 years renewable by the Government, upon proposal of the Minister of Labour and Immigration and the Minister of Economy and Finance, after consulting the different Groups of the Council. The nomination must get then a qualified majority of the voting of the members of the Plenary Assembly the Council to be effective. There are 2 Vice Presidents elected by the Plenary Assembly upon proposal of the members from Group 1 and Group 2 and from those Groups.

Plenary Assembly

General Secretariat

74 employees make part of the General Secretariat.

Approximately 18% women

The Council is required to draw up and submit to the Government each year a Report containing the Council´s considerations on the country´s socioeconomic and labour situation.