Economic and social, environmental Council, consultative chamber, usefulness debated

The Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) has an advisory, optional or mandatory function in the legislative process.

The building of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE)

The building of 1937, was first the "Museum of Public Works". The building is original by the rotundity of the facade where the columns flare towards the top.

It is to the architect Auguste Perret, helped by his brothers Gustave and Claude that we owe this building. They used concrete without camouflage because they knew how to make a fine concrete of good quality, which has aged well.

The two wings of the building use several forms of concrete: colored concrete, sandblasted concrete.

National representation of professional organizations: the CESE

This assembly allows the representation at the national level of the professional organizations and the communication between the various actors of the economy.

This socio-professional representation at the national level is transposed at the level of each regional territorial authority which also has a consultative assembly of the same type, the Regional Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESER).

There is also a European Economic and Social Committee (CESEE) at the European Union level.

Changes in the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE)

• The constitutional law of July 23, 2008 adds environmental competence to this assembly
• Allows for referral by petition.
• While the constitutional revision is not adopted, the organic law of January 15, 2021 reduces the number of advisors to 175,
• Removes the "associated personalities".

Members of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE)

• The members of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council are appointed for five years.
• They cannot serve more than two consecutive terms.
• They must be at least 18 years old (25 years old before July 31st 2010)
• and have belonged for at least two years to the category they represent;
• for the representatives of each organization, for the appointment of qualified personalities, gender parity must be respected.

The number of advisors increased from 205 in 1958 to 230 in 1984, then to 231 in 1990 and 233 in 2007. Since 2021, the number is fixed at 175.

The appointment of the Councillors of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council:

• 52 representatives of employees, each designated by the unions, each union having a number of seats according to its importance
• 52 representatives of companies, farmers, craftsmen, liberal professions, mutual societies, cooperatives and consular chambers
• 45 representatives for social and territorial cohesion and associative life, including eight representatives from overseas
• 26 representatives for the protection of nature and the environment

Role of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (EESC)

• Opinions on bills referred by the government
• Governmental or parliamentary referral by the Prime Minister, etc.
• Referral by a petition. The petition must be written in French and signed by at least 150,000 people aged 16 or over, of French nationality or legally resident in France.
• Referral of any question of an economic, social or environmental nature. It cannot be seized on a bill under discussion.
• Referral to it on its own initiative, to draw the attention of the Government and Parliament to the reforms it deems necessary.

The report of the Court des Comptes (Court of Auditors)

The Court of Auditors is very critical of the way in which the CESE carries out its work. In a report published in February 2015, it denounced numerous irregularities: inflation of bonuses and allowances, privileged working regime (54 days of leave with paid vacations) of its agents, and asked that its budget be better controlled.

The allowances of the members of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE)

The members of the CESE receive an allowance equal to one third of the parliamentary allowance, i.e. 1 866,60 €. Adding €1,922.60 in expense allowance and €56 in residence allowance, the total is €3,845.20 gross per month.

The CESE President receives an additional special allowance (equal to twice the remuneration of a member) for representation expenses, i.e. €6,330.32 net per month (€1,866.60 allowance, €56 residence allowance, €1,922.60 allowance to represent expenses of the Councillor, €3,845.20 allowance to represent expenses of the President, for a total gross monthly amount of €7,690.40).