Economic and Social Council

Date of entry: June 27, 2002

Member of AICESIS

Member of ILO

Best practices :

- Conferences, research awards, international cooperation.

- TRESMED European project, to foster Economic and Social Councils in the Euromed region

- EUROSOCIAL II European project, to foster Economic and Social Councils in Latin America

Contacts

(34-91) 429-00-18 / 429-06-96/ 429-23-34

+34 91 429 51 73

beatriz.martin@ces.es / pilar.lopez@ces.es / margarita.bravo@ces.es

Calle Huertas n°73 – 28014 MADRID (ESPAÑA)

Institutional characteristics

Establishment	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).
Mandate	Consultation and advisory 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.
Composition	Bipartite plus (W, E and others) 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.
Management organes	Presidium 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. General Assembly and Plenary Plenary Assembly Secretariat General Secretariat 74 employees make part of the General Secretariat.
Gender balance	Equal or More than 10% Approximately 18% women
Reporting Institution	Government 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.

Main technical areas of competencies

Productivity and competitivity	Draft Bill on support for entrepreneurs and business internationalisation Internationalization of Spanish companies as a factor of competitiveness
Education	Education system and human capital
Health and Medical Policy	Draft Order establishing new sets of medicinal products and their reference prices, and revising the reference prices set for previously established sets Decentralisation, competitiveness and social cohesion in the health system Draft Bill transposing to Spanish Law Directives 2010/84/EU of the European Parliament and Council of 15 December 2010 on Pharmacovigilance and 2011/62/EU of the European Parliament and Council of 8 June 2011 on the prevention of the entry into the legal supply chain of falsified medicinal products, and amending Law 29/2006 of 26 July on guarantees and rational use of medical and health products
Environment Policy	Regional development, competitiveness and social cohesion. The environment
Financial and Economic Policies	Spain’s Partnership Contract in the context of cohesion policy for 2014-2020 Income distribution in Spain: inequality, structural changes and cycles
Infrastructure Networks, Transport, and Energy Policies	Draft Bill for a General Telecommunications Law
Agriculture	Common fisheries policy reform
Legal Affairs	Draft Bill on Legal Aid
European Affairs	Draft bill to guarantee market unity New economic governance in the European Union and growth The challenge of the internal European market

Sub-committees/working groups

Employment policy and labour market regulation and reform	Industrial Relations, Employment and Social Security
Gender equality and anti-discrimination	Ad hoc Working Commission for the socioeconomic situation of Spanish Women
Environment Policy / Sustainable development	Sectorial Policies and Environment
Fiscal and Taxation Policies	Economy and Tax Regulations
International / Regional affairs	European Single Market, Regional Development and Development Co-operation
Others (please specify the list)	Working Committee responsible for drawing the Annual Report on the socio-economic and labour situation of Spain
Social Affairs	Health Care, Consumer and Social Affairs, Education and Culture
Agriculture	Agriculture and Fisheries