The European Economic and Social Committee is composed of representatives of civil society organisations in the member states. In order to help bridge the gap between such member-state-based organisations and pan-European organised civil society, the Committee decided to create a Liaison Group composed in part of EESC members and in part of representatives of European civil society organisations and networks. This afternoon I attended a meeting of this Liaison Group co-chaired by the EESC’s President, Staffan Nilsson, and by the President of the European Civic Forum, Jean-Marc Roirant. On the agenda were, firstly, the follow-up to the Rio+20 Conference – the ‘road from Rio’ as Staffan Nilsson described it, secondly, the European Year of Citizens (2013), where the Group held an exchange of views with the EESC’s Vice-President for Communication, Anna Maria Darmanin, and with the Director in the Commission with specific responsibility for the year, Ylva Tiveus (an old friend), and lastly a first exchange of views on preparations for the 4th Civil Society Day in March 2013.