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European Economic and Social Committee /
Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation

Joint workshop on
Involving civil society in EU-Russia relations

organised by

the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation (CCRF)

Agenda

Brussels, 14 – 15 October 2009

Venue: meeting room VMA3

2 rue Van Maerlandt

Brussels

Interpretation: DE/EN/FR/RU – DE/EN/FR/RU

14 October 2009
1 – 2.30 p.m. / Welcome lunch (Atrium)
2.30 – 3 p.m. / Opening session
-  Mr Mario Sepi, President of the EESC
-  Dr Evgeniy Velikhov, President of the CCRF
-  Mr Vladimir Chizhov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the EC
-  Mr Knut Fleckenstein, Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee
3 – 6 p.m. /

First session: The role of the civil society in the framework of the strategic partnership between the EU and the Russian Federation

Topic 1: Current state of play of the negotiation process of new EU-Russia Agreement
Chair: Ms Mall Hellam, member of Various Interests Group, EESC

-  Mr Michael Webb, Deputy Head of Unit Russia and Northern Dimension (DG RELEX, European Commission)
-  Mr Alexander Krestiyanov, Deputy head of the Mission, Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU
Topic 2: What role for the civil society in the new EU-Russia Agreement
Chair: Dr Andranik Migranyan, member of the Commission on Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, CCRF
-  Mr Ivan Voleš, President of the EESC Eastern Neighbours Contact Group, member of the Employers Group, EESC
-  Dr Vyacheslav Nikonov, Chairman of the Inter-Commission Working Group on International Affairs, CCRF
-  Dr Olena Prystayko, Researcher, EU-Russia Centre
General debate
6.30 p.m. / End of the first session
7.30 p.m. / Dinner
15 October 2009
9.30 a.m. – 12 noon /

Second session: The economic crisis and its social consequences

Topic 1: Analysis of the crisis, the measures to be taken to overcome the crisis and the recovery plans adopted by the EU and Russia
Chair: Ms Evelyne Pichenot, member of the Various Interests Group, EESC
-  Mr Lucio Mauro Vinhas de Souza, Unit Economies of the Mediterranean countries, Russia, New Independent States and EEA (DG ECFIN, European Commission)
-  Dr Iosif Diskin, member of the Commission on Civil Society Development, CCRF
-  Ms Cinzia Alcidi, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
Topic 2: Special focus on the social consequences of the economic crisis
Chair: Dr Valeriy Tishkov, Vice-President of the Commission on Public Tolerance and Freedom of Conscience, CCRF
-  Mr Andrzej Adamczyk, member of the Employees Group, EESC
-  Dr Alexandra Ochirova, President of the Commission on Social and Demographic Policy, CCRF
General debate
12 noon – 12.30 p.m. /

Conclusions:

-  Dr Vyacheslav Nikonov, Chairman of the Inter-Commission Working Group on International Affairs, CCRF
-  Mr Filip Hamro-Drotz, President of the External Relations Section, EESC
12.30 p.m. /

Lunch (Atrium)

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