European Economic and Social Committee

Interview of the month with

Mr Georg Toifl, President of the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME)

• Interview of the month with Mr Georg Toifl, President of the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME) (continued from page 1)

• Highlights of the October 2007 EESC Plenary Session

• News from European Organisations close to Group III

• Group III Members in the Spotlight playing a Key Role

• Highlights of our Members’ Work

• Other news that matters

Read inside:

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NOVEMBER 2007 No. 7

Luca JAHIERVice-President of Group III and a memberof the EESC ad hoc Group on “Consititutional Questions”.

EU treaty reform must make room for civil society

The agreement reached on 18 October by the 27 Heads of State and of Government on the draft Reform Treaty has brought the European Union out

of a complex institutional knot. Naturally there are many good reasons to consider the result rather modest, if we think back over the work done since Nice, with the Laeken process, the Convention, the signing of a Constitutional Treaty in Rome in October 2004, ratified by 18 countries. And there are doubtless many signs of indifference, starting with the serious weakness in discussion within civil society networks and by the main opinion leaders in individual countries.

Nevertheless, we must sincerely hope that the next European Council on 13 December will see the solemn signing of the new Lisbon Treaty and launch the ratification stage, which will certainly not be a stroll in the park, with not much more than a year before the deadline for the 2009 European elections.

For three good reasons, the Lisbon Treaty closes one chapter and paves the way for opening another.

The first is that taking a step back to the intergovernmental conference stage enabled a solution to be found to the crisis, preserving the substance of the principal institutional reforms contained in the 2004 Rome Treaty.

The second is that it contains many very positive and innovative elements needed by Europe, within a balance that we would have preferred to see more advanced, but which nevertheless won the agreement of all 27 countries, with a few slight differences: the end of the three “pillars” with the single legal personality of the European Union, the binding nature of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; the extension of qualified majority voting, the strengthening of the European Parliament, subsidiarity control of national parliaments, the revision of voting arrangements within the Council and the reduction of the number of Commissioners, from 2014, the permanent presidency of the Union and the high representative for foreign affairs, the protocol for services of general interest and the new horizontal social clause, the new powers in the field of climate change and energy solidarity, and lastly the new measures on participatory democracy and the right of popular initiative (Art 8b).

The third is the fact that these new elements, which have grown out of: (a) the extension of European integration to increasingly political spheres and (b) the 2004-2007 enlargement process, are in practice paving the way for an increasingly political development of the decision-making process, in terms both of the institutions and of the bid to boost public participation. And it is this process that will require both Parliaments and Governments and consultative institutions to review, strengthen and extend their own functions, finding new and advanced balances between the procedural dimension and that of political initiative.

It will first and foremost be necessary to work on procedures designed to open up new areas of participatory democracy and this will require careful work both by the institutions concerned and by the networks and representative associations of civil society.

Secondly, there will inevitably be a renewal of the discussion already underway regarding the representativeness of these bodies and their diversity with regard to what is usually referred to as lobbying and the difficult but essential task of finding appropriate ways of bringing national and regional levels of organised civil society into the process, given that they are currently quite a distance from the European process.

The EESC will be called upon to play a three-pronged role in this process: expanding its consultative role, accompanied by the definition and establishment of new rules for participatory democracy, turning a new page towards greater involvement of national civil society.

The first test bench for this will be in the next 18 months, with the duty and desire to play a pro-active role in the process of ratifying the new Treaty and the European Parliament elections in Spring 2009.

Starting with the optimal outcome of the conference held on 27-28 October, the EESC’s ad hoc group on Constitutional Affairs therefore is already working on a complex work programme that it will submit to the Bureau for discussion in January. We are keenly aware that the European project is far from complete and that there is still a very long way to go.

UEAPME is the employer’s organisation representing the interests of European crafts, trades and SMEs at EU level. UEAPME is a recognised European Social Partner. It is a non-profit seeking and non-partisan organisation. As the European SME umbrella organisation, UEAPME incorporates 84 member organisations consisting of national cross-sectorial SME federations, European branch federations and other associate members, which support the SME family.

UEAPME represents more than 11 million enterprises, which employ around 50 million people across Europe. Georg Toifl is President of UEAPME since January 2007. He is s a successful entrepreneur leading a SME in the laundry business in Vienna. In 1972 in the middle of his studies of international trade at the University of Vienna he took over the family business with 15 employees at that time and led the company to be one of the biggest in its sector in Austria. The company currently employs a workforce of 155. From 1995 to 2000 Georg Toifl acted as Vice President of the Vienna Economic Chamber. In June 2000 he has been appointed as Chairman of the Crafts and Trades Division of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and is as such the highest representative of the Austrian Crafts and Trades.

EUROPE III – What are the coming challenges for SMEs in the EU-27? What activities has UEAPME carried out in support of SMEs and what difficulties do the latter continue to face?

“It is always difficult to predict the future, all the more so when it comes to business forecasts! However, I guess I can safely say that most of the future challenges will be the same European crafts and SMEs face already, on which I will elaborate below. To put things in perspective, the average small business in Europe has 4 employees, and more than half of all SMEs in the EU27 are one-person enterprises. Size is therefore a challenge in itself: the small entrepreneur is often required to deal on his or her own with different business aspects such as production, administration, marketing, innovation, not to mention training and human resources in case the SME employs staff. However, size is also what makes European SMEs so flexible and adaptable to change – in one way, SMEs transform challenges into opportunities. As far as our role in supporting SMEs is concerned, UEAPME brings together national SME federations, European branch federations and other associate members, which support the SME family. Our goal is to cover all European policy areas that have an “SME angle”. We do so by actively monitoring the EU legislative developments that have a direct or indirect impact on European crafts and SMEs. Our Secretariat analyses the legislative proposals made by the EU institutions in the different areas it covers and submits it to its national association experts, which then recommend the actions to be taken. Regardless of the policy area, we strive to promote the “think small first” principle in all our activities. This means assessing initiatives from the point of view of smaller businesses and ensuring that SME needs are prioritised.”

EUROPE III – EU and national institutions are often perceived as remote from the citizens’ needs and expectations, especially with regard to SMEs: What role might be played by SME organisations that represent and believe in a more participatory and simpler future for SMEs and their stakeholders?

“I am convinced that representative SME organisations play a key role as intermediaries between single enterprises and the European institutions.

Indeed, their role is not simply to register or collect the opinion of their members, but also to find a common position that reflects the opinion of the different countries or economic sectors. As such, their opinions are more than a simple sum of all the opinions from single enterprises. However, there is definitely a need to further strengthen the European culture of dialogue and consultation. Good consultation helps to improve the quality of the policy outcomes, enhances the involvement of the parties concerned and helps in closing the gap between the European institutions and citizens’ needs and expectations. SME organisations are in the right position to act as a “trait d’union” between small businesses and the EU – and I believe that this must be their role. As you can easily imagine, it is much more difficult to organise a large group of small businesses, than a small group of large ones. However, it is all the more rewarding when, as it is the case for UEAPME, an organisation is capable of speaking with one voice for the whole economy or important parts of it and not only for specific interests.”

EUROPE III – The EESC, not least of all thanks due to its renewed commitment towards SMEs, could play a facilitating role in dialogue with national institutions and the European representatives of economic and social interests that are committed to the development of SMEs and their environment: How could such action be facilitated and enhanced at European and national levels?

“I see the EESC as a bridge between European and national politics. It is undeniable that the expertise of EESC members, who represent Europe’s social, occupational, economic and cultural organisations, is crucial in ensuring that legislation is better suited to Europe’s needs. This has been repeatedly proved. But EESC members also act as a link with the national level they are issued from: they relay information and they have the arguments to explain and support the choices made in Brussels. In this sense, the EESC is already acting as a facilitator at EU and national level.”

EUROPE III – UEAPME is the spokesperson for SMEs in the EU today and its member organisations are fully involved in social dialogue in their respective countries: What new challenges do you expect in this framework and how might you contribute to new areas of European commitment, such as “flexicurity”, energy efficiency, self-employment, immigration, trade policies, the competitiveness and efficiency of the internal market, the simplification of the regulatory framework, innovation?

“The issues you mention are indeed crucial for SMEs and very much in the spotlight at the moment. Only weeks ago, for instance, the European Social Partners released their joint analysis of the challenges facing European labour markets, which debates in detail issues such as “flexicurity”. It is a great step forward that we were able to agree with the trade unions on the core topic of the social dialogue, namely on labour market challenges and on how to improve the labour markets functioning in Europe. In this respect, “flexicurity” can create a win-win situation for enterprises and workers, a fact that was acknowledged by all European Social Partners. If I were to comment on the contents of the text from an SME perspective, I would single out undeclared work as a key concern. SMEs operating in labour intensive sectors are particularly hard-hit by the unfair competition created by the “shadow economy”, which is clearly one of the major challenges SMEs face at present.

When it comes to energy-related questions, I must admit I feel involved twice, both as President of UEAPME and as an entrepreneur in an energy-intensive business sector myself. I believe that it is high time to complete the internal market in the energy sector – that is why UEAPME wholeheartedly backed the initiatives taken recently by the European Commission to try and enforce

Editorial

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Highlights of the October 2007 EESC Plenary Session

Group III members co-ordinating the work on opinions

Our Group’s Strength

(continued from page 1) an effective separation of distribution and transmission from production and supply of energy. In the majority of the EU Member States, crafts and SMEs are still confronted with energy giants dominating the market and leaving no real choice on contractors for electricity and gas supply to small businesses. On energy efficiency, the EU objective to increase energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 will only be achieved if SMEs are put in a position to fully use their energy savings potential. For instance, information campaigns should be put in place to clearly demonstrate to SMEs the advantages and benefits of energy efficiency.

Space constraints do not allow me to comment on all the other policy aspects you mention, but I would like to briefly comment on better regulation. Despite the difficult regulatory conditions in which they have to operate, European crafts and SMEs have reconfirmed their role of driving force of the EU economy by providing the vast majority of the 3.5 million new jobs that were created in the last two years. It is now high time to reward their hard work by making a serious attempt to cut bureaucracy and red tape, which generate compliance costs that can be from 6 up to

Mrs Pirkko RAUNEMAA (FI) is the Group III member of the drafting group on: “Marketing and use of certain dangerous substance” – INT/385.

Mr Panagiotis GKOFAS (EL) will chair the study group for the opinion on: “Setting up the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking” – INT/386. The other Group III members of this study group are: Mrs Christine FAES (BE), Dr. Renate HEINISCH (DE), and Mrs Elzbieta SZADZIŃSKA (PL).

Mrs Lavinia ANDREI (RO) will chair the study group for the opinion on: “Type-approval of hydrogen powered motor vehicles” – INT/387. The other Group III members of this study group are: Mr István GARAI (HU), Mr Zbigniew KOTOWSKI (PL), Mr Corrado ROSSITTO (IT) and Mr Zenonas RUDZIKAS (LT).

Mr István GARAI (HU) and Mr Krzysztof PATER (PL) will sit on the study group on: “Protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users” – INT/389.

Mr Claudio CAPPELLINI (IT) is the Rapporteur for the exploratory opinion on: “The different policy measures, other than suitable financing, that would help SMEs to grow and develop” - INT/390. The other Group III members on the study group are: Mr Miguel-Ángel CABRA DE LUNA (ES), Mr Arno METZLER (DE) and Mr Radu NICOSEVICI (RO).

Mr Jan OLSSON (SV) will chair the study group for the opinion on: “Overcoming the stigma of business failure – for a second chance policy. Implementing the Lisbon Partnership for Growth and Jobs “– INT/391. The other Group III members are: Mr Claudio CAPPELLINI (IT) and Mr Radu NICOSEVICI (RO).

Mr Arno METZLER (DE) will chair the study group for the opinion on: “Small and medium-sized enterprises - Key for delivering more growth and jobs. A mid-term review of Modern SME policy” – INT/392. The other Group III members are: Mrs Christine FAES (BE), Mr Angelo GRASSO (IT) and Mr Jacques REIGNAULT (FR).

Mr Jorge PEGADO LIZ (PT) will chair the study group Single Market Observatory for the information report on: “Impact of the new treaty on the functioning of the Single Market” – INT/SMO/393. The other Group III members are: Mr Miguel-Ángel CABRA DE LUNA (ES), Mr Claudio CAPPELLINI (IT), Mr Martin CHREN (SK), Mrs Rose D’SA (UK), Mrs Benedicte FEDERSPIEL (DK), Mr István GARAI (HU), Mr Nikolaos LIOLIOS (EL), Mr Krzysztof PATER (PL), Mrs Inger PERSSON (SV) and Mrs Donka SOKOLOVA (BG).

Mr Bernardo HERNÁNDEZ-BATALLER (ES) is the Rapporteur for the opinion on the Green Book: “Towards a new culture for urban mobility” – TEN/320. The other Group III members are: Mrs Gunta ANCA (LV), Mr Derek OSBORN (UK) and Mr Lutz RIBBE (DE).

Mr Roberto CONFALONIERI (IT) will chair the study group on the Green Book on: “An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union” – TEN/321. The other Group III members are: Mr Krzysztof KAMIENIECKI (PL), Mr Nikolaos LIOLIOS (EL), Mr Staffan NILSSON (SV) and Mr Derek OSBORN (UK).

Mr Roberto CONFALONIERI (IT) will also chair the study group on: “Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan” – TEN/323. The other Group III members are: Mr Frank ALLEN (IE), Mrs Lavinia ANDREI (RO) and Mr Hubert GHIGONIS (FR).

The Group III members on the study group on “Towards a rail network giving priority to freight” TEN/324 are: Mr Angelo GRASSO (IT), Mr Krzysztof KAMIENIECKI (PL), Mr Staffan NILSSON (SV) and Mr Lutz RIBBE (DE).

Mr Staffan NILSSON (SV) will chair the study group on: “Communication on a European Ports Policy” – TEN/325. The other Group III members are: Mr Roberto CONFALONIERI (IT), Mr Bernardo HERNÁNDEZ-BATALLER (ES) and Mr Stylianos STAIKOS (EL).

The Group III members on the study group on “Small, clean and competitive - A programme to help small and medium-sized enterprises comply with environmental legislation” – NAT/378 are: Mr Panagiotis GKOFAS (EL), Mr Krzysztof KAMIENIECKI (PL) and Mrs Ludmilla TODOROVA (BG).

Mr Gabriel SARRÓ IPARRAGUIRRE (ES) is the Rapporteur for the opinion on: “Eliminating illegal fishing” – NAT/380. The other Group III members are: Mr Seppo KALLIO (FI) and Mr Lutz RIBBE (DE).

Mrs Renate HEINISCH (DE) is the Rapporteur for the opinion on: “Action Plan on Adult learning” – SOC/291.

Mr Pavel TRANTINA (CZ) will chair the study group for the exploratory opinion on: “The role of the social partners in improving the situation of young people on the labour market” – SOC/292. The other Group III members are: Mrs Grace ATTARD (MT), Mrs Teresa COSTA MACEDO (PT) and Mr Tomasz CZAJKOWSKI (PL).

Mrs Maureen O’NEILL (UK) will chair the study group for the exploratory opinion on: “How to guarantee universal access to long-term care and the financial sustainability of long-term care systems for the elderly” – SOC/293. The other Group III members are: Mrs Soscha GRÄFIN zu EULENBURG (DE) and Mrs Marzena MENDZA-DROZD (PL).

Mr Lucien BOUIS (FR) will chair the study group for the opinion on the White paper: “Health strategy” – SOC/294. The other Group III members are: Mr Meelis JOOST (EE), Mrs Maureen O’NEILL (UK), Mr Sukhdev SHARMA (UK) and Mr Dick WESTENDORP (NL).

Mrs Jane MORRICE (UK) is the Rapporteur for the own-initiative opinion on: “The Role of the EU in the Northern Ireland Peace Process” – SC/029. The other Group III members are: Mr Miguel-Ángel CABRA DE LUNA (ES) and Mr Michael SMYTH (UK).

If you have any enquiries or questions regarding the above please do not hesitate to contact the Group Secretariat on gr3@eesc.europa.eu

EUROPEAN YOUTH FORUM

Representatives from National Youth Councils across Europe and International Youth Organisations -all of them members of the

European Youth Forum (YFJ)- got together to hold the seminar “Youth mainstreaming: get everyone involved”. The event, hosted by the Finnish Youth Co-Operation - Allianssi, took place in Helsinki ( Finland ) on 25-28 October.

Youth mainstreaming is a challenge for youth organisations as it needs to bring together not only those actors involved in the youth field but also other stakeholders with whom youth was not used to work together, such as Ministries of Infrastructure and Transport or Ministries of Environment. The participants attending this seminar came up with new ideas and methods to work on youth mainstreaming which will be the basis for an upcoming YFJ publication.

For further information please contact: European Youth Forum, Angela Corbalan - Tel: + 32 2 286 94 17. Mobile: + 32 485 57 47 68. Email: press@youthforum.org

BEUC

The BEUC hold on 11 October a conference on “Group Action: taking Europe forward”.

Representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee, national and European consumers, industry and SMEs organisations as well as academics gathered together to ref lect on the possible improvements of consumers chances of getting redress through group actions.

The BEUC also published a document presenting its ref lections on future European collective redress scheme for individual damage claims “Private group actions – taking Europe Forward" Ref.: X/049/2007 - 08/10/07.

For further information please contact: Cornelia Kutterer – BEUC, 36 avenue de Tervueren, 1040 Bruxelles - +32 2 743 15 90, E-mail: legal@beuc.eu

COPA-COGECA

The COPA-COGECA held a seminar on “Biomass: challenges and opportunities” on 29 and 30 November 2007 in Brussels.

The seminar was attended by representatives of European and national organisations of farmers, bio fuels, bio mass producers and suppliers, energy research centres and representatives of the European Commission. Participants discussed the EU Biomass Action Plan and the EU Strategy on bio fuels and how the reformed CAP and the rural development policy 2007-2013 contributes to sustainable development in the field of renewable energy.

The agenda is available on the following link: http://www.copa-cogeca.be/PDF/ip_07_164a_1e.pdf.

For further information please contact Dominique Dejonckheere - COPA/COGECA, Rue de Trèves, 61 B-1040 Brussels,: Tel. +32 2 287 27 30, Fax: + 32 2 287 27 00,E-mail: dominique.dejonckheere@copacogeca.be

EURO COOP

On 17 October in Brussels the EUROCOOP held an international conference on “Fair Trade: a lever for change”

discussing how the EU can successfully combine its international development objectives with the growing consumer interest in Fair Trade. Speakers included representatives of national and European Institutions, national consumer’s organisations and fair trade producers.

For further information please send an email to sjolund@fairtrade-advocacy.org

European Disability Forum

After only 9 months of campaign (www.1million4disability.eu), the EDF

managed to collect more than one million signatures in favour of stronger disability legislation in Europe, following Art 47 of the revised EU Treaty on participatory democracy. On 4 October, a symbolic cheque of the signatures was handed over to Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission, in the course of a multitudinous citizens’ gathering held in the streets of Brussels. The signatures were collected in the 27 Member States and the exact number was legally certified by a Belgian bailiff. The 24 boxes containing the 1.294.997 signatures, addressed to President Barroso, were taken to the central mail services of the European Commission on 22 November.

For more information, please contact: Helena González-Sancho Bodero,EDF Communication and Press Officer; Tel: +32 2 282 46 04;Mobile phone: + 32 485 64 39 93; E-mail: communication@edf-feph.org

News from European Organisations close to

Group III

“First of all thank you very much for your kind words. It is true that UEAPME has acquired a wealth of experience over the years, but on the other hand I believe we should not rest on our achievements and always look forward to the next challenges. You rightly point out that the world of crafts and SMEs is quite heterogeneous – in addition, the last twenty years have seen a shift in Europe’s economy, which is more and more depending on services. In this ever-changing environment, I believe that we must ensure continuity on one hand and support change on the other. This means keeping an eye on all SMEs, from the more traditional to the more innovative, and tailoring our policy message accordingly. For instance, UEAPME has recently sponsored the creation of a pan-European network of SMEs active in the ICT field, something unheard of twenty years ago! “

More information is availableon the UEAPME website:http://www.ueapme.co

30 times greater for smaller businesses. This must be done at European and national level. There are some promising signs in both cases. However, entrepreneurs have not felt any improvement yet, so it is time to move up a gear to unleash the economic potential of crafts and SMEs. For instance, UEAPME has been calling for years for the introduction of the “once only” principle at EU and national level: enterprises should not be obliged to provide again information that the authorities have already received by another route!”

EUROPE III – As the representative of such a diversified world of SMEs and the European craft industry, UEAPME has a wealth of experience and a new class of leaders capable of influencing the choices of European institutions through realistic but bold proposals while, at the same time, pursuing Europe’s general interests and founding values. How might your twenty years’ history and heritage be transferred to support new businesses in the internal market and associations intending to avail themselves of the opportunities presented by globalisation?

Report of the second meeting of the ‘Farmers’” and “Consumers and Environment” Categories

On November 26th the two categories organised their second meeting, which proved to be of great interest to the members of the both categories. Th e members discussed the consequences of climate change and the responsibility of producers and consumers. Following a series of interesting presentations by

Hilkka SUMMA, Head of Unit, Bioenergy, biomass, forestry and climatic changes, DG Agriculture, Ingrid RYDBERG, from the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF), Pekka PESONEN, Secretary general of COPA/COGECA and various members of the EESC of the environmental and consumer category, it was concluded that we face a very serious problem that can’t be denied. Th e main message was that all relevant stakeholders, national

and international governments and institutions must take their responsibility seriously. Th e WTO, Doa rounds, etc produce many reports and make declaration of intent, but not many concrete substantial measures and stimulating actions are taken. Th e agricultural sector has made some important progress but, there still remains an enormous task resting on their shoulders in the forthcoming years. Among the main issuer are: advanced management and planning; use of renewable energy; careful reduction or expansion of production; more effi ciency and informing the consumers with relevant information. Moreover, taking into account the regional diff erences worldwide and also on regional and even national basis they should make their knowledge and expertise available for countries that need their support. Th e consumersalso bear, of course, great responsibility in their consumption habits. Th ey need to realize that fair and relevant information on the consequences of production methods is essential so that well informed consumers can take the right decisions and can change their consumption paterns. Consumer organisations have

the responsibility to strengthen this process and stimulate awareness amongst consumers. One of the consequences could be the raising of prices. Surveys were referred to that made clear that many consumers in developed countries are willing to accept an increase in prices when they are convinced that it leads to more durability and a reduction in environmental problems and the limiting or delaying of climate change. Environmental labeling was also mentioned but, unfortunately, didn’t get much support. Th e mood amongst the participants was that there are already so many labels on products, some of which are not always viewed as having great authority, accuracy nor acceptance by the general public. All this points towards the urgent need for proper communication and information programmes aimed at the production sector and consumers worldwide, but also in their immediate direct surroundings. Finally, a proposal was made to set up a small group of a few members of both categories to monitor the developments in the fi eld of climate change, to report to future joint meetings of the categories and to advise when action must be taken in the EESC. Th is will be discussed by the spokespersons of both categories in order to get this group off the ground in the immediate future.

Dick WestendorpSpokesperson for the

“Consumers and Environment” Category

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their hands symbolically connecting the split towns of Gorizia and Nova Gorica. 15 September, 2007 - In Udine (I) the Europa Labyrinth was set up in the middle of the festivities of Friuli Doc which is a major annual attraction inviting local producers from the region Friuli-Venezia Giulia to present their – mainly food – products. It is against this background that the Labyrinth and info stand had a high visibility and attracted several hundred visitors during the day who were first surprised by this unexpected presence but then it was easy to engage them in discussing various issues in a real Italian style under the hot sun. The most popular issues were in a real “down-to-earth” approach: immigration, climate change, education and mobility for the young and local/regional culture vis-à-vis globalisation. The reception of the Europa Labyrinth, as an innovative tool to put Europe on the everyday agenda of people was definitely positive. The possibility to voice ideas on and reactions to EU policies with a most diverse personal approach and content in written and video forms were appreciated. 5-10 short video messages were collected at each Labyrinth location. These will be made available on the project website and a film prepared. The project partners are seeking to set up the Europa Labyrinth in Lisbon on 7-9 December, 2007 within the frame of “The message from European citizens” conference.

Report on the first phase of the Bus Tour online: http://www.ourdebate.eu/index.php?olda l=hirek&id_hirek=78

Project website: www.ourdebate.eu

Report of the Conference on: “Economic Migration in the European Union – Problems and Challenges” held in Warsaw on 24th September 2007.

Maureen O'Neill (UK) attended an international conference organised by the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection in Poland in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the European Commission Representation in Poland and the Polish American Freedom Association.

It was attended by a wide range of representatives from both the member states and other countries and hosted in the Royal Castle in Warsaw. It was extremely well organised in beautiful surroundings and the Polish Government was very generous with its hospitality including a delightful short concert to close the day. However, the conference addressed the very serious challenges of economic migration in the European Union both from within the member states and from third countries and considered the issues of language, skills, contribution to the economy, cultures and the potential for exploitation. It is important to view the mobility of workers between member states in the context of the principle of the free movement of people for the purpose of labour enshrined in the Treaty in relation to European citizenship and also in relation to the enormous increase in migration and the targets set out in the Lisbon Agenda. The movement of labour in search of better wages, although not always in combination with better working conditions, had the consequence of reducing the skilled labour force, a brain drain, in the country of origin which will have long term effects on the development of that economy. It also has the potential to deskill the migrant worker who may well take on employment which does not use the technical or professional skill that had been acquired. There needs to be a much more coherent approach to migration which takes into account administrative co-operation between member states, retention of social security rights, continued learning and development and agreed labour standards. It is critically important for the EU to collect and disseminate examples of good practice and to expand the knowledge base on the migration trends and immerging issues. There was a strong emphasis on the potential for the exploitation of migrant workers where proper labour standards were not implemented and the rights and responsibilities of migrant workers and their families were not recognised. These included health and safety at work, the working time directive and proper wages and also the social conditions in which migrant workers lived. There were concerns about the availability of decent housing and access to health services and in addition the potential for workers to be exploited by unscrupulous agencies which demanded extortionate fees for placing workers in often ‘dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs’. The speakers stressed the importance of viewing migrants as individuals with their own identities and cultures but who brought skills and a work ethic to other countries. National Governments needed to work to

Group III Members in theSpotlight playing a Key Role

As promised in our last edition, here is the full report on: “Our Europe–Our Debate–Our Contribution” a 5-country regional initiative called “Get on Europe!” Bus Tour 2 – Europa Labyrinth - Zalaegerszeg (HU)-Ljubljana (SL)-Klagenfurt (A)-Nova Gorica (SL)-Gorizia (IT)-Udine (IT) 11-16 September, 2007

After the success of its first phase in July 2007 the bus tour with young project participants on board together with the 100 m2 Europa Labyrinth moved on tour in Hungary, Slovenia, Austria and Italy on 11-16 September, 2007 as part of the EU communication campaign of the regional initiative of civil society organisations from Austria, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia. The street action involved the setting up of a 10 m by 10 m labyrinth on the streets of the different locations with the aim to attract the attention of the public, collect views on Europe from them and create an atmosphere of ownership among citizens towards European issues. Project activities – among others – included the serving of huge cakes with the logo of the project and the European Union to the interested citizens and handing over certificates to local notabilities who assisted the project or took part in its activities. 11 September, 2007 - In Zalaegerszeg (H) the information booth of the project was set up in the main square in front of the building of the local municipality where the certificate was handed over to Dr Endre Gyimesi, Mayor by Mr Sándor Czuczor, Hungarian Goodwill Ambassador of the project. In line with the main characteristics of the region participants were mainly interested in EU agricultural matters and how the recently started implementation of the Hungarian National Development Plan will inf luence their lives and how they can benefit from it. A significant number of visitors were young people with a definite pro-European attitude. The event was broadly covered in the local media. 12 September, 2007 - In Ljubljana (SLO) a conference was organised in the Europe Centre in the city centre with the participation of Ms Mihaela Zupancic, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia and Anton Kokalj, President of the Committee of European Affairs of the National Assembly of Slovenia. Parallel to the conference the promotion of the project was carried out in front of the Europe Centre inviting people to participate in the public outdoor event later in the day in Tivoli, the city park of Ljubljana. The main attraction of the Tivoli activities included the arrival of the Europe sky jumpers to the park waited by over 200 children from local schools. The weather conditions were perfect and the sky jumpers touched down safely from 1500 meters high. The event was reported on the national TV channel. 13 September, 2007 - In Klagenfurt (A) the Europa Labyrinth was set up in the walking street area of the town centre in front of an ancient building hosting the regional office of Carinthia. A press conference was given with the participation of Dr Gaby Schaunig, Vice-Governor of Carinthia and the Austrian Goodwill Ambassador of the project with massive media coverage including ORF. During the day participants of the bus tour had the opportunity to discuss women’s issues in an informal round table with the participation of Ms Barbara Lesjak, member of Carinthia Council and interested visitors. The importance and usefulness of such a public event should not be underestimated in Carinthia as it is considered a traditionally eurosceptic region of Austria. The Europa Labyrinth attracted not only locals: a group of cyclists from the Czech Republic and a busload of retired teachers from Germany were also among the visitors. 14 September, 2007 - In Nova Gorica (SLO) the event was opened by Mr Mirko Brulc, Mayor of the town and the Europa Labyrinth was set up again and joined by the Representation of the European Commission to Slovenia with an information booth. Other information booths were run by civil society organisations and schools who presented the work of their students introducing different countries and their cultures of the European Union. A youth orchestra was also invited to make the event even more lively with their sing. During the day participants of the Bus Tour went to the Italian-Slovenian border, lined up and held

ensure that a stronger effort was made to enable integration by ensuring that there was access to language classes and that labour laws were properly implemented. There needed to be a particular emphasis on improving the ability of different regions to absorb migrants into their local communities in relation to housing, health and education. At EU level it was critical that a framework for qualifications was in place in order to best utilise the skills that were available; to improve the collection of data on the movement of migrants including the reasons for migrating, the rates of mobility across member states and the barriers encountered by those migrating. The conference echoed many of the themes discussed and contained in the opinions produced by the EESC, which were emphasised by Mrs Brenda King, the President of the EESC SOC Section, and it is clear that this is an issue which deserves continued attention by governments and civil society organisations and one which the EESC should continue to promote and to use its influence on EU and national institutions.

Report on the “Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Economic and Social Councils in Athens – The Gender Dimension”

At the Euro-Mediterranean Summit of the Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions which took place on the 15-16 October 2007 in Athens, delegates jointly called for the strengthening of structures for the participation of Civil Society in the southern partner countries. Civil

Society should be given an active role in the implementation of National Action Plans in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP. Participants were pleased with the positive changes in Jordan, Morocco and Egypt in promoting the introduction of structures of dialogue of organised civil society or the establishment of national Economic and Social Councils. They also stressed that the freedom of association must be respected in order to facilitate social and civil dialogue. The commitment by the EU and the Mediterranean countries to strengthen the role of women in society which was expressed in the 2006 Istanbul Ministerial Conference was given high priority. In particular, it was stated that the development of entrepreneurial activity by women should be closely monitored and programmes to promote female entrepreneurship should be integrated into national action plans in the context of ENP. Participants also underlined the importance of gender mainstreaming in all policy areas. They also called for improved access for women to economic and social opportunities in all countries of the Euro-Med region. Measures were recommended to specifically targeting women in the context of implementing the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise. Recommendations were made for specific funding to be allocated to countries which commit themselves to positive action aimed achieving improvements in women’s status including their legal status were also made. Grace Attard (MT), representing the EESC External Relations on Gender Equality in the EuroMed region, made a presentation on ‘Promoting Entrepreneurship for Women in the EuroMed region’. The presentation highlighted specific recommendations to address the needs of women in rural and urban areas, where women encounter particular difficulties in economic activity. It also dealt with the needs of women in education, legal status in economic activity, and employment. The opinion emphasised the significant role of women’s entrepreneurship in this region in creating an active and dynamic economy geared for globalisation. The 2007-2008 work programme will work on the theme ‘Factors facilitating access by women to economic and social life and higher qualifications in the context of national, regional and global challenges’. The final declaration will be presented to the ninth Foreign Affairs Ministerial Conference to be held in Portugal on 5-6 November 2007. The participants agreed that the 2008 Summit will be held in Morocco, which will further deal with women’s access to economic and social life among others

Report on the international conference on: “Fair Trade: a lever for change”

On 17th October 2007, the EESC hosted the international conference “Fair Trade: a lever for change”, organized by the Fair Trade Advocacy Office and EuroCoop . After a welcome from Group III member, Richard Adams (UK), himself active in the fair trade movement since the early

1970s, speakers from academia, the retailing sector, developing country producers and consumer organisations explained how the engagement with Fair Trade has improved lives and business practices. Geraldine Labradores from the Philippines Southern Partners for Fair Trade Corporation spoke about the difficulties for small producers to produce and trade under

conditions of poverty and landlessness. Thanks to the support and market opportunities, provided by Fair Trade importers, SPFTC has managed to triple their production and processing capacities within ten years, thus helping the producers and workers involved with the company to significantly improve their working and living conditions. Prof. Ruben from the Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, presented the results of long-term impact studies of Fair Trade which found significant benefits, particularly in terms of stable incomes and employment security for producers and workers involved in Fair Trade. Brad Hill from the Cooperative Group, a British retailer with over 2200 shops across the UK, recognized that Fair Trade meant a “cultural change within the business”. The growing demand for Fair Trade over the last years shows that consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of their purchasing on developing country producers and on the environment. According to Gudrun Grosse Wiesmann from the German Ministry for Development the EU should step up their support to “the drivers” of change. The German Ministry has supported public Fair Trade campaigns over the last years and achieved impressive results: Fair Trade sales have been grown by 25% in 2005 and 50% in 2006.

For more details about the conference consult: www.fairtrade-advocacy.org

Report on the seminar: “Social Sciences for Scientific and Technological Advancement: Dialogue on governance and development policies of the European Research Area” – European Parliament, Brussels on 16 October 2007

In the last decades Science and Technology have acquired an ever increasing importance within the social life and the political agenda of the European Union and its member states. Furthermore science and technology are presently acknowledged as the foremost factor of economic

competitiveness and development in contemporary societies, able to profoundly influence the “social fates” of a local, national or trans-national community. This makes the issue of governance of scientific and technological research a major concern of decision making at all levels as well as of society at large. Profound changes are also occurring in the scientific and technological production which tends to involve more and more actors different from researchers. At the same time there is a growing social pressure for a higher accountability of and a public control on the research as well as a more effective social and economic exploitation of its results. In this framework, a primary question seems to be that of the ”socialisation” of science and technology, that is the overall capacity to identify, to understand and to treat the social factors involved in all the components of the research process: scientific practices, evaluation, innovation, technology transfer, management, research policies, communication. Taking into account the indications coming from the Seventh Framework Programme, the seminar offers to all concerned stakeholders an occasion to debate on the specific contribution of social sciences to an effective science governance as well as on fostering stronger and more stable relationships between social sciences and natural sciences, making the European Research Area a really unique “scientific field” shared by all disciplines and all researchers. Group III member, Prof. Gerd Wolf (DE) made a presentation at this seminar which included an overview of the EESC own-initiative opinion “Investment in knowledge and innovation” INT/325 (EESC opinion 983/2007), for which he was Rapporteur. During his speech he made two statements: “Society needs to become better aware of the huge progress achieved, and this by comparison with the life conditions which existed before” and “Society needs to become familiar with the purpose, the working methods, the working conditions, the potential and the limitations of science and technology”. This provoked considerable debate amongst the participants.

More information on this seminar can be found on the website of the main organisers:

Laboratorio di scienze della cittadinanza / Laboratory of Citizenship Sciences – LSC:

www.scienzecittadinanza.org

Editor’s note: Prof. Wolf also attended a high-level conference entitled “The Future of Science and Technology in Europe” which was organised in Lisbon jointly by the European Commission and the Portuguese Presidency, on 8-9-10 October 2007. Details and extensive background information on the event can be found on: http://ec.europa.eu/research/conferences/2007/fst/index_en.htm

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Highlights of our Members’ Work

Editors of this edition: Liam Ó Brádaigh, Fausta Palombelli, Enrica Nardello e-mail: gr3@eesc.europa.euMarc BeffortEditor in chief:

Secretariat of the Various Interests’ Group, European Economic and Social Committee, 99 Rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels

EUROPE III will reach you in electronic format via e-mail as well, so please fell free to forward it to your member organisations and / or partners.Europe III is also available on our website at www.eesc.europa.eu/groups/3/index_en.asp

THE EESC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF EXTERNAL WEBSITES

At its plenary session on 24-25 October 2007 the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted the following opinions for which Group III members were Rapporteurs or Co-Rapporteurs.

Mr Gerd WOLF (DE)INT/358 “Green Paper on the European Research Area: new perspectives“(EESC opinion 1440/07)

The Committee welcomes the Commission’s intention to strengthen and expand the European Research Area. The objectives defined and proposals made are broadly correct and worthy of support, but

they need to be supplemented and in some cases clarified or corrected. It endorses the objective of creating an attractive European labour market for researchers which also provides for and rewards mobility, and therefore calls on Member States and on the relevant social partners to offer young researchers attractive career prospects that can compete with alternative career opportunities for top-flight academics. The Committee urges the Council, the Parliament and the Member States to take all the necessary steps to again make Europe the global leader in research and development and to put in place the requisite measures needed to achieve this goal. The Committee reiterates its recommendation that the European Community should raise its contribution to the total target R&D spending to at least 3%, in order to boost the multiplier effect of Community research funding on required research investment by the Member States and industry. The Committee endorses the goal of opening the European Research Area to the world. But the crucial criterion here is its attractiveness: this task can only be considered to have been accomplished when the current “brain drain” has been halted. In order to achieve this, all the key factors must be right: job position, facilities, working conditions, political situation, career development prospects and autonomy, personal income and social recognition.

Mr Jorge PEGADO LIZ (PT)INT/372 “The protection of consumers in respect of certain aspects of timeshare, long-term holiday products, resale and exchange” (EESC opinion 1445/07)

The EESC broadly agrees with the thrust of the Commission proposal as regards extending the directive’s scope, defining

and clarifying the nature of new products, strengthening requirements for pre-contractual and contractual information, standardising the withdrawal period and prohibiting any payment, for any reason whatsoever, during this period. Whilst welcoming the light-handed approach of this proposal, the Committee considers this to be an area that would justify maximum harmonisation, as suggested in the Green Paper on the Review of the Community Acquis, because of the unique nature of the right in question and because of the discrepancies in the specific characteristics of its legal nature.

The EESC is, therefore, critical of the Commission for only addressing a limited number of aspects relating to these rights. Once again, an entire range of situations is left to the discretion of the Member States, and this does almost nothing to remedy the problems listed in the proposal. The Committee considers that the bar for measures protecting consumers’ rights has been set too low. It therefore calls on the Commission, with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity, to regulate other, equally important aspects in the proposal, taking as its premise a higher level of consumer protection.

Mrs Renate HEINISCH (DE)SOC/279 “Abuse of the elderly”(EESC opinion 1465/07)

Article 25 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union recognises and respects the rights of older people to lead a life of dignity and independence. The challenge of the future will be to tackle the demographic change in an

affirmative way. Part of this challenge includes tackling elder abuse – a much-neglected issue that still tends to be trivialised and pushed into the background. Particular risks are faced by older people who are dependent on care and/or are isolated within their own homes or resident in care facilities. The Committee would therefore urge the EU Council presidencies, the European Commission and Member State governments to address the issue of elder abuse, particularly within a care setting. The onus for preventing elder abuse lies mainly with the Member States. Since elder abuse is a breach of human rights and a violation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the Committee would ask the Commission to draw on existing treaty arrangements to put in place a comprehensive strategy to combat this problem. This pan-European strategy must be underpinned by an EU-wide study of elder abuse, particularly within a care setting. This report should seek to take stock of the current position, setting out prevalence rates and providing information on the various kinds of abuse involved, as well as causes and risk factors. The study should

cover care provided both at home and within an institutional setting. Elder abuse, particularly within a care setting, can only be effectively prevented by action at the appropriate national level. Thus, to combat abuse of this kind and as part of moves to forge a pan-European strategy, a national action plan must be drawn up – and the requisite funding made available – in each Member State. The opinion goes on to list a number of points which it recommends should be an integral part of the national action plans. In conclusion, the Committee considers that a national and EU-wide exchange of good practice procedures and models is absolutely vital both to securing quality assurance and to promoting the development of care standards.

Mrs Anne-Marie SIGMUND (AT)REX/237 “Croatia on the road to accession”(EESC opinion 1468/07)

The Committee welcomes the speedy progress of the negotiations and the broad-based participation of Croatian civil society in this process but stresses that the contribution of all the representative civil society organisations concerned is needed,

and in particular the comprehensive involvement of the social partners in the negotiation of all the relevant chapters.

This opinion will refrain from making another analysis of existing statistical material, but will instead concentrate on assessing the situation of organised civil society in Croatia, assessing its foundations, opportunities and challenges. For historical reasons countries like Croatia needed to catch up in areas that are key to civil society activity such as trust, solidarity, transparency and autonomy. The Committee considers it important to create a favourable environment for business – especially for SMEs, which are drivers of growth and job creation, notably in disadvantaged regions. Moreover, it considers agriculture to be a key area of the accession negotiations. Suitable structures are urgently needed to implement the common agricultural policy and to introduce the politically independent representation of interests.

In line with internal and external evaluations, the fight against corruption is placed high on the agenda for accession to the European Union. Organised civil society continues to play an important role and contributes to the fight against corruption. The protection of minorities requires further efforts. These efforts should encompass promotion and protection of minority rights and lead to the practical integration of minorities. A change in Croatian civil society can also be observed in the activities of NGOs. With the previous predominant orientation of civil society towards the protection and promotion of human rights and humanitarian work, today there is a shift towards the realisation of social policy and social rights. In the context of civil society activities in Croatia, the dialogue between the social partners at various levels merits particular attention. The institutional framework for a tripartite social dialogue (employers and trade unions as partners of government) is formally well developed through the Croatian Economic and Social Council. So far, however, it has produced few concrete results. As in many European countries, in Croatia there is a lack of understanding of the various forms of civil dialogue. Finally, the Committee stresses in this connection that a structured civil dialogue, as a complement to social dialogue, is an essential aspect of participatory democracy.

Mr Derek OSBORN (UK)NAT/354 “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions - road transport”(EESC opinion 1454/07)

The EESC strongly supports the Union’s plans to tackle climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the transport sector the Committee believes that action

must start at the fundamental level of tackling the pressures that have led to a continuous growth of traffic of all kinds over many years. The Committee also believes that there is still substantial scope for improving energy efficiency in the performance of all kinds of transport. It deplores the apparent weakening of the Commission’s original intentions in relation to efficiency of car engines, thus relieving the pressure on the car industry to achieve higher standards. However, it endorses in principle the expansion of biofuels in the Union. It believes however that the overall CO2 impact of biofuels needs very careful assessment, and that the pace and balance of expansion needs to be kept under review. Specifically, the European Commission should specify how it expects to achieve the target for 10% use of biofuels by 2020 bearing in mind the conditions attached to the achievement of that target by the Council, and should be prepared to modify the approach if it appears to be less effective in carbon reduction than has been hoped, or is having other undesirable effects on the structure of world agriculture or on biodiversity. The EESC accepts that it is nevertheless appropriate that the fuel specification rules should be altered as proposed in the present Directive so as to enable a new high biofuel petrol to be produced and marketed, provided that concerns about potential pollution impacts are met. In conclusion, the Committee strongly supports the proposal to require

the fuel industry to monitor and report the life-cycle GHG emissions from the fuels it places on the market, and that they should be required to reduce those emissions by 1% per annum from 2010 to 2020. The Committee sees a strong case for this to be operated at European level, rather than being left to the member states.

Mr Jan OLSSON (SV)SOC/267 “Entrepreneurship mindsets and the Lisbon Agenda”(EESC opinion 1460/07)

In this opinion, the EESC supports the transfer of good practice and highlights the examples of the Norwegian Government Strategy, and Junior Achievement Young Enterprise ( JA-YE) for entrepreneurship

in education and training as valuable models which could inspire other countries. Public and private actors should be mobilised to develop the entrepreneurial mindset in its broadest sense; within communities, organisations and individuals. The European Commission should develop a framework for reviewing progress and disseminating best practice, as well as promoting the value of the entrepreneurial mindset to EU citizens in the context of the Lisbon Agenda. Exchange of best practice is important and progress could be monitored through annual “stocktaking” conferences. The social partners should consider the benefits of fostering an entrepreneurial mindset as one of the factors which may lead to more and better jobs. They should intensify their efforts and strengthen social dialogue to find common ground for holistic action. The social economy and non-governmental organisations’ role in developing the entrepreneurial mindset for societal purposes and social innovations must be promoted. The specific role of these enterprises should be recognised at European level in the new employment guidelines for 2008-2010. The EESC supports the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities initiative to launch an “Inclusive Entrepreneurship Strategy” and intends to participate in it actively. To shape a Europe with an entrepreneurial mindset it is crucial that the media also publicise examples of activities that create a positive image of schools and/or educational strategies that promote the development of creativity and the foundations of innovative behaviour, as well as a positive image of businesses and entrepreneurs operating in this spirit. Entrepreneurial mindsets must be mainstreamed into as many EU policies and programmes as possible if it is to have an impact on the Lisbon goals.

The EESC would encourage Commissioner Figel and Commissioner Verheugen in a joint venture of DG Education and Culture and DG Enterprise and Industry to promote the benefits and value of the entrepreneurial mindset skills and attitudes in the context of the Lisbon Agenda by making 2009 the “Year of Creativity, Innovation, and the Entrepreneurial Mindset”.

Mr Jorge PEGADO LIZ (PT)SOC/265 “Credit and social exclusion in an affluent society”(EESC opinion 1459/07)

This opinion reviews the main issues raised by the phenomenon of over-indebtedness, weighs up the solutions found at national level, describes the difficulties encountered and errors detected, assesses the overall scale

of the problem and reflects on gaps in knowledge and shortcomings in the methods used. The opinion also seeks to identify approaches and pinpoint areas for possible action at Community level.

The Committee’s intention is to identify and implement Community measures aimed at precisely defining, monitoring and dealing with the problem in all its different aspects – social, economic and legal. The diversity of the systems established, together with the fact that some countries do not have any such systems, is encouraging the development of “unequal” opportunities, creating social injustice on the one hand, and distortions in the move towards completion of the internal market on the other; all of this warrants urgent, proportionate action by the European Union, for which the necessary legal basis exists in primary law. The opinion suggests that a European Indebtedness Observatory be set up to monitor developments in the phenomenon at European level, providing a forum for dialogue between all the parties concerned, and proposing and coordinating measures to prevent and limit it, then assessing the impact thereof. The Committee is aware, however, that coordinating steps of this nature and scope can only be achieved if the Commission, European Parliament and Council – in close dialogue with organised civil society, representing the bulk of those concerned by the issue (families, workers, consumers, financial institutions, etc.) – decide to make this a priority for action. Recent indications of the Commission’s thinking on this matter are therefore to be welcomed and it is strongly recommended that the necessary follow-up be given in terms of basic research, consultations and legislative and other relevant proposals, starting with the publication of a Green Paper defining and identifying the terms of the issue and giving a voice to all the parties concerned, by means of extensive public consultation. Furthermore, the EESC calls on the European Parliament and the Council to take on board the major concerns that this opinion attempts to address on behalf of civil society and make them a priority in their respective political agendas.

NOTE: All EESC opinions are available in various language versions on the Committee’s website:

http://eesc.europa.eu/documents/opinions/avis_en.asp?type=en

Other news that mattersOn 18 October 2007 the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) organised the Youth Forum “Your Europe: Your Say” in Dublin, together with its partners, the National Forum on Europe and the National Youth Council of Ireland. Young citizens voiced their opinion in four workshops animated by members of the EESC on the Commission’s Communication on Youth Policy and debated the future Reform Treaty, active citizenship as well as employment and education. Th e afternoon was devoted to a plenary session in which the results from the workshops were presented and discussed. While the discussion on the Reform Treaty touched upon questions of national and European identity, participants made specifi c proposals on how to enhance youth participation, upgrade voluntary service and enhance the chances of youth on the job market through better education.For further information on the forum please refer to the following link: http://eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/docs/2007/communique-presse-eesc-102-2007-en.doc

On Monday 12 November 2007 in Brussels the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) brought together around 150 communication professionals and members of national economic and social councils and civil society organisations to set up a framework for discussion and action to improve communication on Europe. Jillian van Turnhout, EESC Vice-president responsible for communication, opened the conference saying that this initiative aimed to establish a network of ambassadors in the Member States and to reinforce compatibilities and synergies so as to provide the public with access to better information on Community policies. Representatives of the European Commission, of the Committee of the Regions and of the Portuguese Presidency contributed to the debates that allowed participants to exchange good practices in order to capitalise on areas of expertise and networks, as well as to use the new forms of communication to make EU current aff airs accessible, relevant and attractive to the general public.For further information on the conference please refer to the following link:http://eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/docs/2007/communique-presse-eesc-109-2007-en.doc

On 3 December 2007 the EESC held a seminar on “Social Economy: a key sector for growth and jobs”. Th e event was opened by Staff an Nilsson, President of Group III, who welcomed Commissioner Verheugen. A study commissioned by the EESC on “Th e Social Economy in Europe” served as the background for the speeches and debates on the challenges for the social economy by representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, diff erent European organisations and Academics. For more information about the study and the seminar please refer to the following links:http://eesc.europa.eu/groups/3/categories/soceco/A_DI_CES97-2007_DI_en-rev.doc and http://eesc.europa.eu/groups/3/categories/soceco/di_ces96-2007_di_en.doc

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