Offaly farmer to be installed as head of major EU forum in Brussels

A FARMER and community champion from Offaly is to be installed as President of a major European Union forum this Thursday.

Seamus Boland, who is CEO of Moate based Irish Rural Link (IRL), will be installed as President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) at a ceremony in Brussels.

From the Island, Ballycumber, in Rahan parish, Mr Boland has an impressive career in the community and voluntary sector, spanning several decades.

The 69-year-old finished school before he was 14 and credits Macra na Feirme with providing him with a third level education.

He worked with the Travelling community before becoming CEO of IRL and also held positions as chairman of the Wheel, a national co-ordinating body representing charities.

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Mr Boland was also chairman of the Peatlands Council and of Pobal, the State body that administers funding to community groups.

He became involved with the EESC in 2011 through his work in comunity groups across the State.

Since then he regualarly attends meetings with European leaders, including the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The EESC is a consultative body of the EU established in 1958. It is an advisory assembly composed of representatives from employers' associations, trade unions and civil society organisations.

Established by the Treaty of Rome of 1957 in order to unite different economic interest groups to establish a Single Market, it is mandatory for the committee to be consulted on those issues stipulated in the Treaties and in all cases where the institutions deem it appropriate.

The Treaty of Maastricht considerably enlarged the committee's domain. Its influence now extends to matters such as social policy, social and economic cohesion, environment, education, health, customers protection, industry, Trans-European Networks, indirect taxation and structural funds. On certain issues the EESC works in partnership with the Committee of the Regions.

In latter years, the committee has taken up the challenge of civil society, opening up its forum to representatives of all sectors.

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Currently, EESC membership numbers 329 with the number of members per EU state varies according to the population of each state. Ireland has nine members, the same breakdown as for the Committee of the Regions.

Members of the EESC are divided into three groups of equal number, employers, employees and a third group of various other changing interests such as farmers, consumer groups, professional associations and so on.

Members are appointed by the council (by qualified majority) following nominations made by the government of the respective Member State. However, once appointed, the members are completely independent of their governments. They have a renewable term of office of five years.

The President of the EESC, is elected for a two and a half year term.