Institución > The Institution
Functions
a) Issuing a mandatory opinion on the bills related to social and economic policy, except for the draft Budget of the Autonomous Community. 

b) Issuing a mandatory opinion on the draft decrees related to social and economic policy and the General Plans of the Government. 

c) Submitting proposals to the Government on the areas referred to in the above sections. 

d) Preparing opinions, rulings or reports, on its own accord or at the request of the Government, in the areas referred to in sections a) and b) above. The Parliament must also submit consultations. 

e) Participating in the planning of the economic activities of the public sector of the Autonomous Community that the Government prepares. 

f) Preparing and submitting a report to the Basque Government and Parliament annually that sets out the opinions of the Council on the social and economic situation in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. 

g) Moreover, the Council collaborates and cooperates with other CCEESS of European regions and has work lines in place with the Aquitaine Regional Environmental, Social and Economic Council and with the CCEESS of the Atlantic Corridor through the RTA (Network of Social and Economic Stakeholders of the Atlantic Corridor).

Acerca del CES Vasco

El Consejo Económico y Social Vasco constituye el ente consultivo del Gobierno Vasco y del Parlamento Vasco para hacer efectiva la participación de los distintos intereses económicos y sociales en la política económica y social del País Vasco

 

Consejo Económico y Social Vasco
Euskadiko Ekonomia eta Gizarte Arazoetarako Batzordea

Gran Vía, 81 - 7ª
48011 Bilbao
Tel. 944 792 150 - Fax 944 169 505
Email: cesegab@cesegab.com
Mapa

Location and contact
Where are we? 
The offices of the Basque CES is at Calle Gran Vía, 81, 7th floor, Bilbao.

The work session of its bodies will be held at those offices, unless the Plenary session agrees for them to be held at another location within the territory of this Autonomous Community.

 

Email: cesvasco@cesvasco.es

 


COUNCILLORS THAT MAKE UP GROUP A
Appointed by the trade union organisations and confederations
Proposed by the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras de Euskadi (CC.OO.) trade union
Members

Mari Cruz Vicente Peralta

Felisa Piedra Gao

Dolores García García

Arantza Martínez Tobalina

Santiago Martínez Pérez



Substitues

Goyo Martín Benito

Antxon Tomasena Alzuri

Eduardo García Elosua

Jone Robledo Zapatero

Oskar Arenas Velasco



Proposed by the Unión General de Trabajadores de Euskadi (UGT) trade union

Members

Maribel Ballesteros Martínez

Esperanza Morales Quicios

Raúl Arza Vélez



Substitues

Felipe García Miravalles

Arantza Ruiz Huidobro

Carlos Trevilla Acebo

COUNCILLORS THAT MAKE UP GROUP B
Appointed by Basque Business Confederations
Members

Pablo Martín Goitia

Aitor Otaola Diaz de Alda

Manuel Guerreo Igea

Jaime Fernández Alcedo

Patxi Sasigain Sáez de Buruaga

Gonzalo Salcedo Bilbao

Yoana Arambalza Zalbidea

Virginia Múgica Conde



Substitues


Jon Bilbao Saralegui

Juan Ugarte Aguirrezabal

José Miguel Ayerza Mendiburu

Luis Bernaola Iturbe

Nerea Zamacola Garate

Ana García Polanco

Fernando Raposo Bande

Eduardo Arechaga Cilleruelo

COUNCILLORS THAT MAKE UP GROUP C
Appointed by each of the sectors, institutions, entities or associations of the CAPV.
Proposed by the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Navigation
Members
Juan Luis Martínez Ordorica 

 

Substitues
Izaskun Astondoa Sarria

Proposed by Savings Banks and Financial Institutions
Members
Pedro Mtnez. de Alegría Pinedo

Substitues
Rafael Aranguren Ilardia

Proposed by the Cooperatives
Members
Javier Goienetxea Urkaregi 

Substitues
Agustín Mendiola Gorospe

Proposed by the Worker-owned Companies
Members
Javier Muñecas Herreras

Substitues
Olatz Jaureguizar Ugarte

Proposed by the Fishing Organisations
Members
Juan Pablo Rodríguez-Sahagún González

Substitues
Miren Garmendia Ceberio

Proposed by the Agricultural Organisations
Members
Iñigo Bilbao Rekagorri

Substitues
Yolanda Urarte Alonso

Proposed by the Consumer Organisations
Members
Mikel Larrea Azpeitia

Substitues
Ana Collia Posada

Proposed by the Organisations of the Social Action Third Sector
Members
Mikel Ruiz Martínez

Substitues
Gonzalo Rodríguez Aguirregoitia


COUNCILLORS THAT MAKE UP GROUP D, EXPERTS
Members

Inmaculada Gallastegui Zulaica

Pedro Luis Ustarroz Moleres

Miren Edurne Terradillos Ormaetxea

Angel Toña Guenaga

Lander Beloki Mendizabal

Miren Lorea Bilbao Artetxe

Jon Barrutia Guenaga

Maíra Carmen Agoués Mendizabal

Introduction

 

The Basque Economic and Social Council (CES) is the entity of the institutional framework of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) tasked with ensuring the involvement of the different social and economic stakeholders in the social and economic policy of the Basque Country. It is set up as an advisory body, which seeks to mainstream the widest representation of the different social and economic interests of the Basque socio-economic situation.

Even though it was legally incorporated in the 1980s, the Basque CES did not start its advisory work until 1988, after the appropriate legal amendments due to the collateral legislative changes and the very dynamics of the social and economic stakeholders. Act 8/2012 marked the end of the reform process and regulates, along with Decree 433/2013, the current system governing the functions, composition and operating of the Council. 

Fifteen years down the track, the Basque CES has become an increasingly more influential and active entity.  It is a meeting point for reflection, cooperation and smooth dialogue among the different stakeholders, which contribute with their opinions and proposals to a more participative and integrating decision-taking process.   
The CES issues its mandatory opinion on the Government Bills and General Plans relating to the social and economic policy, and also on the Draft Decrees and other administrative rulings that the government deems to be particularly relevant.  Even though the opinions are not binding, they are of considerable value as they contain the consensus of an extensive and varied range of stakeholders from Basque social and economic life.


The CES also prepares a mandatory socio-economic report that sets out its opinion on the social and economic situation of the Basque Autonomous Community, which is now considered as a benchmark document in the field given its quality and scope. 

Apart from the mandatory advisory activity, the Council issues its own rulings on its own accord, and the preparation of reports and studies to address in depth areas of specific importance for the Basque socio-economic situations, is a recognised and well-established line of activity.

Furthermore, for more than a decade, the Basque CES has been working with its counterparts in the regions of the Atlantic Area and of the neighbouring Region of Aquitaine, by addressing on an appropriate institutional and geographical scale issues whose impact or problems go beyond the territorial-political sphere of the BAC. With the Social and Economic Councils and similar organisations of the regions along the whole Atlantic seaboard, the Basque CES is part of the Atlantic Transnational Network, and its contributions, recommendations and opinions are submitted to the European, national and regional authorities. With the setting up of the Basque Country-Aquitaine Euro-region, collaboration with the Aquitaine CESER (Regional Environmental, Social and Economic Council) has expanded and consolidated their sphere of influence, and since they were set up, both CESs are often consulted by the common decision-making authorities of the Euro-region.

After this brief overview to the Basque Social and Economic Council, I would ask you to visit the different sections of this website and to learn more about the institution that I have the honour to chair and its different work and activities. 


 

Standing

The Basque CES is an advisory body for the Government and the Parliament to ensure the involvement of the different social and economic stakeholders in the social and economic policy of the Basque Country.

The Council has its own legal standing, different from that of the Administration of the Autonomous Community, and is fully empowered to carry out its functions pursuant to its own regulating legislation and is independent from the Government and Parliament when carrying out its functions.

REGULATING LEGISLATION:

  • Basque Economic and Social Council  / EuskadikoEkonomia eta GizarteArazoetarakoBatzordea Act 8/2012, of 17 May  (Basque Official Gazette - BOPV No. 101 of 24 May 2012)
  • Basque Economic and Social Council  / EuskadikoEkonomia eta GizarteArazoetarakoBatzordea  Decree 433/2013, of 29 October  (Basque Official Gazette - BOPV No. 209 of 4 November 2013)
  • Basque Economic and Social Council / EuskadikoEkonomia etaGizarteArazoetarakoBatzordea Operating Regulations (Basque Official Gazette - BOPV No. 232 of 22 November 2013)

 

Composition

The Council is made up of thirty-two members: 

a) Eight people representing the most representative and representative trade union confederations and organisations. 

b) Eight people representing the business confederations. 

c) Eight people representing the chambers of commerce, industry and navigation; savings banks and financial institutions, cooperatives, worker-owned companies, fishing organisations, agricultural organisations, consumer organisations and organisation from the social action third sector. 

d) Eight experts in areas related to the functions of the Council. 

The Council has a Chair and a General Secretary, along with Administrative and Technical Services. 

The members of the Council are appoint for four-year periods and may be re-elected. 

The Plenary is the highest decision-making body. Its functions include recommending to the Lehendakari (the Basque Premier) the person who should chair the Council, adopting the relevant agreements with regard to exercising the functions attributed to the Council, creating and abolishing the work committees and approving the Council budget, its workforce, the annual Socio-economic Report, the Activities Report and the draft Opinion, Rulings and Reports submitted by the different committees. 

Its current composition is as follows: