The chief executive of Irish Rural Link (IRL) Séamus Boland has been elected as a designated candidate for the next presidency of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
The EESC is made up of 329 members from the 27 EU member states who are nominated by their national governments and appointed by the Council of the European Union for a period of five years.
Members of the committee work independently in the interests of all EU citizens.
They include employers, trade unionists and representatives of various sectors of society, such as farming, consumer and environmental organisations, professionals, and associations representing persons with disabilities, the voluntary sector, gender equality, youth, academia, and others.
The current term of office for the committee will come to an end in September 2025.
EESC
This week, Séamus Boland was elected as the Civil Society Organisations’ Group of the EESC designated candidate for the next EESC Presidency.
At the first meeting of the renewed EESC in October 2025, the entire EESC assembly will be called upon to elect its president for the term 2025-2028.
Séamus, who is also a farmer, is currently serving his second term as president of the Civil Society Organisations Group, has represented Irish rural and community development on EESC for 13 years.
If elected president of the EESC in October, he would become the first Irish person to hold this position.
Commenting on his candidacy, Boland said that “EU decision-makers must close the current innovation gap, develop decarbonisation plans and meet increased security needs, involving civil society organisations at all times”.
Under the heading ‘Europe A Safe Place for Freedom and Democracy’, he announced four priorities:
- Strengthening the participative role of members within the EESC;
- Defending the right of civil society to advocate for equality and social inclusion;
- The delivery of a fair and just transition for climate change;
- The promotion of a European Union that is free from extreme ideologies.
During Boland’s presidency, the Civil Society Organisations’ Group prioritised the fight against poverty and the role of civil society organisations in combatting poverty.
The group concentrated on areas such as empowering vulnerable groups of people, resilient health and care systems, climate change and the Just Transition, and strengthening civil society, civic space and democracy in the EU.
Boland has worked in civil society for over 40 years, including with young people, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and people living in rural isolation.
His policy and political interests include the eradication of poverty, social exclusion and inequality.
Irish Rural Link has a membership of nearly 600 rural community groups dedicated to sustainable rural development and represents rural communities at a national and international level.