Offaly man Séamus Boland will become the President of the European Economic and Social Committee today.
Mr Boland, who is CEO of Irish Rural Link, will be installed as President of the EESC this afternoon with the inauguration due to take place tomorrow.
He has been an EESC member for 13 years and has held various roles at the Committee, including the Presidency of the Civil Society Organisations' Group since October 2020.
For decades, he has worked across the community and voluntary sector and is currently the CEO of Irish Rural Link, the national network representing the interest of rural communities.
He previously worked with youth and traveller organisations across the Midlands.
The EESC is a consultative body of the EU established in 1958 and is made up of representatives from employers' associations, trade unions and civil society organisations.
It is comprised of 329 members from the 27 EU States and they are nominated by their national governments and appointed by the Council of the European Union.
Mr Boland has said his key priorities during his term as President of the EESC include strengthening member participation within the EESC, upholding civil society's role in promoting equality and inclusion, ensuring a fair and just climate transition across Europe while also championing a democratic EU, free from rising extremism.
He said he also intends to produce an opinion on proposed reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), reflecting his deep commitment to sustainable rural development.
"There are many challenges facing the EU at present; from decarbonisation, poverty, inequalities, increase in extreme ideologies and increase in security needs," he said.
"Civil society plays a key role in addressing these challenges and EU decision-makers must ensure that they engage with them," he added.
