Members

The Economic and Social Committee has twenty-eight members as follows:

The President of the Committee.   Nine members appointed by the most representative employer organisations in the Region, in accordance with the degree of representation set out in the Statute of Workers.   Nine members appointed by the most representative trade union organisations in the Region, in accordance with the degree of representation set out in the Statute of Workers.   Nine experts of renowned prestige in social and economic issues appointed by the Government Council (Consejo de Gobierno) of the Regional Government of Madrid.

Each one of the three groups shall avail of two substitute members.

Members are appointed for four years and can be re-elected.

Council’s structure

a) Collegiate members

The plenary assembly. The plenary is the superior decision-making body within the CES, composed of all members. Among its functions are: the debating and approval of reports, resolutions and opinions issued by the Committee; drawing up the Regulation of Internal Organisation and Operation of the Council; preparing the drafting of the Committee Budget that is sent to the Regional Government. The plenary assembly holds sessions at least once quarterly, and Meetings are validated if at least seventeen members are present in the first announcement and at least thirteen in a second announcement. Extraordinary sessions may also be convened at the initiative of the President or at the request of all the members of each of the groups represented in the Committee. Valid agreements must achieve an absolute majority of the members in attendance The Standing Commission It is composed by the President and two counsellors from each one of the three groups represented in the Council. Its main duty is to facilitate and simplify the Plenary’s work, getting to know in advance the reports’ proposals that will be submitted, planning the Council’s activities and coordinating its assignments. It is summoned by the President after a request or a petition by any of the Groups, forty-eight hours in advance. It is summoned at least once a month, except for in vacation periods. The Working Commissions These are study groups to write up the report’s proposals or reports on those matters that are competence of the Council and may be either permanent or provisional. Ten of them are permanent. The Plenary decides the number of members in each working commission that can have a maximum of nine members and should respect the same proportion as the groups that form the Council. They are legally constituted if there are present at least half of its members plus one. A speaker must be appointed among its members and agreements should be reached by a majority.

b) Unipersonal

The President He is elected by absolute majority by the Plenary of the Council among three persons appointed by the regional government, being all of them well acknowledged as being relevant individuals in the economic and social fields. Among its duties is to represent the Council, to chair debates, being responsible for the budget program and to issue the general guidelines of the internal management and good government of the Council. The Vice-presidents The Council chooses three vice-presidents among its members, each of them should be nominated by one of the industrial, trade unions and expert groups respectively. Its duties are those delegated by the President in addition to the substitution of the President itself in the event of a vacancy, absence or illness, rotating in the position of first vice-president each four months. The General Secretary The Council elects its General Secretary that will attend its meetings with a say but without the right to vote and it will belong to the budget of the Community of Madrid’s administration although it will operationally depends on the Council. Among its duties it can be mentioned to direct and coordinate the technical and administrative services of the Council; to technically assist to the Plenary, to the Standing Commission and to the President; to write up the Council’s minutes; and to issue certificates of the Council’s agreements.