EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMITTE

ECONOMICS OF EUROPEAN UNION

Alba Charquero

• The celebration of the European Economic and Social Committee's 50th anniversary is not only about its past but also and mainly about its future and, in particular, its commitment to its 'life donors', Europe's citizens and their organisations.

• For, in this new era, I have no doubt that the European Economic and Social Committee will be called upon more than ever before to help in ensuring the continuity of the European project

• Increasingly, Europe's institutions and its citizens and their organisations will see the Committee as a bridge, bridging the gap between 'Europe' and the 'Europeans' and thus acting as a lever for progress.

PRESIDENT

Dimitris Dimitriadis

VICE PRESIDENTS

Ms Jillian van Turnhout

Alexander-Michael Graf von Schwerin

SECRETARY GENERAL

Patrick Venturini

ECO SECTION• The field of economic and monetary union (EMU), the ECO Section covers coordination of

economic and monetary policy, broad economic policy guidelines, stability and growth pact, enlargement of the euro zone and other issues relating to economic governance.

The remit of the ECO Section covers the financial perspectives, own resources and the budget of the European Union and statistical questions.In the field of taxation, the ECO Section is responsible for dealing with problems relating to tax harmonisation and the approximation of laws in this field.

Responsibilities:Macroeconomic and monetary policies Growth and employment Own resources and EU budget Statistics Taxation Financial markets Regional and structural policies (Structural Funds, implementation of Art. 130 B [Art. 159 of the Amsterdam Treaty], Cohesion Fund) Urban policy - land-use planning Peripheral regions

INT SECTION• The main task of the INT Section (Section for the Single Market,

Production and Consumption) is to prepare opinions for the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

• • This area includes:• Industrial competitiveness, industrial and sectoral policies • Services, including trade, financial services and insurance, as well as tourism, but

excluding services of general interest • Businesses, especially SMEs • Cooperatives • Crafts • The professions • Research and Technological Development (RTD) • Health and consumer protection • Consumption policy • Market policies • Competition policy • Company law

• The Section also has a 'Single Market Observatory ', which is a specific unit that monitors how the Single Market is operating and proposes ways of eliminating obstacles or making improvements.'

TEN SECTION The Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information

Society (TEN) covers the full range of issues relating to the various transport modes, the different forms of energy production, major infrastructure networks, the information society and services of general interest.

In particular, the section has long been involved in the promotion of structured dialogue with regard to the pan-European transport corridors. This dialogue involves public debates and closer cooperation between the management committees of these corridors.

NAT SECTION• The NAT Section is responsible for the EESC's work on policies

related to agriculture and environment. This includes large future-oriented issues such as reforms of the Common Agriculture Policy, the revision of the Sustainable Development Strategy, and proposals for a EU Forestry Strategy, as well as more specific and technical issues such as waste management, animal health standards and aquaculture measures

The policy areas treated in the NAT Section are the following:agriculture

rural development environmental protection sustainable development

fisheries forestry

food safety animal welfare

land-use planning

EXTERNAL RELATIONS SECTION

• The principal activities of the Section for External Relations (REX) include monitoring relations between the European Union and the majority of countries in the world, in particular the countries and regions with which the European Union has structured relations. The Section also seeks to encourage contacts with civil society organisations from these countries and regions. Moreover, the Section addresses issues relating to trade and to development.

SOCIAL SECTION

• The SOC Section covers a broad range of policy formulation including employment, working conditions, occupational health, social protection, social security, social inclusion, gender equality, combating discrimination, improving free movement, immigration/integration and asylum, education and training, citizens' rights, and participatory democracy in the EU.

GROUP I

• The Employers' Group is composed of 112 Members. They are drawn from private and public sectors of industry, small businesses, chambers of commerce, wholesale and real trade, banking and insurance, transport and agriculture from the 27 Member States of the EU. In contact with daily realities on the ground, these women and men involved in business life put their experience at the service of the European construction.

GROUP II

• The EESC's Employees Group (Group II) is made up of members with a background in national trade union organisations, both confederations and sectoral federations.

• Subsequent to the new 2006-2010 mandate and the very recent enlargement to Bulgaria and Romania, Group II currently comprises 120 members (approximately a third of whom are women), representing the 27 Member States of the EU and almost 90 national trade union organisations.

GROUP III• The composition of the European Economic and Social

Committee reflects the changing face of European society. The presence of the Various Interests Group, alongside the Employers' Group and the Employees' Group, ensures that the Committee is able to give full voice to the concerns of the various social, occupational, economic and cultural organisations that make up civil society.

• The unique feature which forges Group III's identity is the wide range of categories represented within its ranks: its members are drawn from farmers' organisations, small businesses, the crafts sector, the professions, cooperatives and non-profit associations, consumer organisations, environmental organisations, associations representing the family, persons with disabilities, the scientific and academic community and non-governmental organisations