The Spanish ESC consists of 61 members, appointed by the government, and which may be categorised as follows:

The President

Twenty Members, making up the First Group, designated by the most representative trade unions, in proportion to their membership, as provided in arts. 6.2 and 7.1 of Or-ganic Law 11/1985 of 2 August on the freedom to join a trade union.

Twenty Members, making up the Second Group, designated by the most representative employers' organisations, in proportion to their membership, as provided in the sixth additional provision of Law 8/1980 of 10 March on the Workers' Statute, in the revised wording given by Law 32/1984 of 2 August.

Twenty Members:

• Fourteen of which, belonging to the Third Group, are proposed respectively by the following organisations and associations:

  a) Three by the professional farming associations.

  b) Three by the fishermen's organisations.

  c) Four by the Council of Consumers and Users.

  d) Four by associations of cooperatives and worker-owned companies, on behalf of the social economy.

• Six experts, also belonging to the Third Group, appointed by central government and proposed jointly by the Labour and Social Affairs and Finance and Treasury Ministers, after consultation with the organisations represented on the Council. These are people with suitable credentials and recognised experience in the socio-economic and employment sphere.

The Council members carry out their functions with full autonomy and independence.

All members, including the President, are given a mandate of four years, renewable for periods of the same length. The mandate of Council members appointed to occupy early vacancies expires at the same time as that of the other members.