Kosovo has been accepted as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), marking the first time a territory without official EU candidate status joins this European body.
The EESC had launched a pilot phase last year with candidate countries, but Kosovo was initially not included due to its lack of candidate status.
“After consultations with the European Commission and other key stakeholders, it was decided that the second phase of the initiative will also be opened to Kosovo, as a potential candidate for EU membership,” the committee confirmed.
The call for interested candidates from Kosovo is now open. After the selection process, Kosovo will have equal status with the other countries participating in the enlargement process.
The initiative is addressed to civil society organizations, trade unions, and other economic and social partners.
The European Economic and Social Committee is an EU advisory body composed of representatives from employers’ associations, workers’ unions, and civil society organizations, aiming to bring together various economic and social interest groups to contribute to the development of the European Single Market.
