EESC – European Economic and Social Committee
On Monday, the first day of our Brussels field trip with our European Markets class, we visited
the European Economic and Social Committee. After a security check, which lasted a few
minutes due to the number of participants, we were very warm-welcomed and guided to our
conference room. Jean-Pierre Faure, head of the secretariat of the single market observatory
at the European Economic and Social Committee, first introduced himself and the purpose of
the conference room, in which we sat. The room was well-equipped with cameras,
microphones, screens, recording tools and headphones. Furthermore, the conference room
provides enough space for interpreters and translators. After the introduction, he told us about
his profession, explained the operations of the single market observatory operates, the
influence of regulations on the single market and about the BREXIT. Additionally, he explicitly
outlined the history of the European Union and the European Economic and Social Committee.
Subsequently, he explained us the budget, primary functions, consistency, ethics and the
purpose of the European Economic and Social Committee from his point of view.
It was a fascinating speech, in which he included the audience. Unfortunately, the meeting
ended very quickly, and we have not had time for questions since he subsequently had an
urgent meeting. Previously, he suggested us to do a traineeship at European institutions. It
was a fascinating day, and we strongly recommend everybody to visit the European
institutions.
Our Impressions
We are very pleased with the opportunity to attend the Brussels field trip. Due to the
participation, we could attend all the open, interesting and friendly discussions in the EESC
and other institutions located in Brussels. The visit in the European Economic and Social
Committee was very impressive. Jean-Pierre Faure conveyed us a very positive impression
about the European Union which are very helpful and necessary for our further business
development. Further on, all institution visits supported us in our learning progress
successfully.
The trip also improved the relationship to our fellow students, and we gained significant
knowledge about many cultures. Since we were responsible for organizing the leisure time on
our own, as well as accommodations and journey, we had cool activities after the visits of the
EU institutions.
All in all, we heartily enjoyed the official visits and the interconnection with our fellow students.
If you have the opportunity to participate in a field trip, we highly recommend in doing so.
Best regards
Tiina, Justin, Carl
