Rural Link chief named as head of EESC committee in Brussels

Seamus Boland is to become president of the European Economic and Social Council's civil society committee, which deals with EU policy in various areas

The EESC was also working on the issue of rights for workers in “platform economy” jobs made possible by taxi-sharing apps and take-away delivery apps said Seamus Boland

A prominent rural development campaigner has become the first Irish person to head an influential European body in Brussels.

Seamus Boland, the chief executive of the Irish Rural Link group, will be taking over as president of a key committee at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels.

It is one of the advisory bodies that plays a role in the drafting of EU legislation, which in turn is implemented here by the government. Boland told the Business Post that the EESC was working at the moment on proposals for a standard minimum wage right across Europe.