On the seventh of June 2008. from 10AM until 6PM, an Open Day will mark the fiftith anniversary of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and highlight the role which the Committee has played since 1958 as a bridge between the European institutions and organised civil society.

The Committee is inviting the public to a unique day out: a day to educate, inform and entertain. Visitors will have a chance to meet EESC members and experience for themselves this key centre of European participatory democracy. A memorable programme of events is being planned this year, with games, guided tours and a wide range of entertainment of all kinds. This will be our opportunity to show you just what our work as a Committee entails.

The Jacques Delors building at 99 rue Belliard, Brussels – will be open from 10 a.m. offering a range of activities, with something for everyone, including:

• Entertainment and inventive games for our more daring visitors.
• A classical-music DJ-performer.
• A ball pool for toddlers and small children.
• A rope bridge for you to cross.
• A chance to abseil from the 6th floor of the building.

Less formal activities include:

• colouring workshop
• Professional make-up artists.
• Circus performers.
• A trio of musicians.
• Guests can watch screenings of short, animated films.
• Enjoy a game of skittles.
• Visitors will also be able to send postcards all over Europe free of charge.
• An interactive visitors' trail.
• A quiz, with a range of prizes and free drinks at the bar.

Lastly, to make this truly a day they will never forget, visitors can have their photograph taken against a retro 1958 backdrop – to mark the year the Committee was born.

What is the EESC?

Founded in 1957 under the Treaty of Rome, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is an advisory body representing employers, trade unions, farmers, consumers and the other interest groups that collectively make up ‘organised civil society’. It presents their views and defends their interests in policy discussions with the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament.