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European Economic and Social Committee

The activities of the
European Economic and Social Committee during the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union

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THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE –

A BRIDGE BETWEEN EUROPE AND ORGANISED CIVIL SOCIETY

The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is an institutional consultative body established by the 1957Treaty of Rome. The EESCs consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the Community decision–making process. With views occasionally being diametrically opposed, the EESC's discussions often require real negotiations involving not only the usual social partners, i.e. employers (Group I) and employees (Group II) but also - and this is the distinguishing feature of the EESC - all the other socio-occupational interests represented (GroupIII). This expertise, these discussions and negotiations and the search for convergence may improve the quality and credibility of the Community decision-making process, inasmuch as they make it more comprehensible and acceptable for Europe's citizens and increase the transparency which is so vital for democracy.Within the European institutional set–up, the EESC fulfils a specific role; it is the prime forum in which the organisations of civil society in the European Union can have their views represented and discussed. As a debating and consultative chamber, the EESC helps to strengthen the democratic credentials of the process of building the European Union, including the promotion of relations between the EU and socio-economic groupings in third countries. In so doing it helps to promote a genuine identification with Europe.

THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

The Council of the European Union brings together ministerial representatives of the governments of the EU Member States, meeting in various formations according to the policy area under discussion. The Council's legislative and political decisions are prepared by a large number of specialised working parties and are fed up through the Permanent Representatives Committee to the Council itself. Member State governments take it in turn to chair the Council's various meetings and to represent the Council vis-à-vis the EU's other institutions and the European Union vis-à-vis the larger world. These presidencies of the Council of the European Union traditionally establish a set of broad political priorities and a work programme.

Portugal holds the Presidency for the second half of 2007.Its priorities can be found at

This publication sets out some of the major activities of the European Economic and Social Committee during the period of the July-December2007 PortuguesePresidency.

CONTENTS

Introduction by President Dimitriadis1

Activities of the European Economic and Social Committee during3

the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Communicating Europe3

Organisedcivil society and the future of Europe

and of the Constitutional process4

The renewed Lisbon Strategy5

Economic and Monetary Union and Economic and Social Cohesion6

Single Market, Production and Consumption9

Single Market Observatory10

Employment and Social Policy11

Agriculture, Rural Development, Environment, Sustainable Development14

Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society15

Industrial Change19

The European Union in the World20

Priorities for the Portuguese Presidency of the Council, July-December 200723

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)27

The Economic and Social Council of Portugal29

Some Basic Facts about Portugal33

The Portuguese members of the European Economic and Social Committee35

Programme of Events in 200739

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INTRODUCTION BY PRESIDENT DIMITRIADIS

The Portuguese Presidency of the Council, which will begin on 1 July 2007, knows that it can count on the close cooperation of the European Economic and Social Committee and the knowledge that it gathers and shares through its members and the numerous organisations they represent. Indeed, the Presidency had already asked for the EESC's expert help even before its term had officially begun, requesting several exploratory opinions, such as "The role of the social partners in reconciling working, family and private life" (SOC 271), "Flexicurity" (SOC 272), "Employability and entrepreneurship – role of civil society and local and regional bodies from a gender perspective" (SOC/273). As my Presidency of the EESC stands under the Leitmotiv "Entrepreneurship with a human face", I will invite the Portuguese Presidency to launch a reflection on this theme.

Based on the principles of the "Berlindeclaration" adopted under the chair of their German predecessor, the EESC will fully support the efforts of the Presidency to carry on the debate and negotiations on the EU institutional reform.It will contribute as well to broad topical issues such as the renewed Lisbon Strategy and sustainable development, with a special attention to Energy policy and Climate change. The EESC will also support the Presidency's agenda with its own activities regarding the level of civil society.First of all, I intend to strengthen ties between the national Economic and Social Councils in Europe, by inviting them to a conference in Brussels.

External relations will be another important field of action and policy making. Europe’s foreign policy will be tilted from the east to the south during the Portuguese EU presidency, including a drive to improve relations with Africa. Portugal will preside over an EU-Africa summit. The EESC will accompany this event on its level. First of all, I intend to strengthen ties between the national Economic and Social Councils in Europe, by inviting them to a conference in Brussels. A meeting with MERCOSUL representatives in July in Brazil and the EUROMED summit in November in Athens will be other important events with an impact beyond EU borders. Finally, the newly established EU-China Round Table (after an inaugural meeting in June this year in Beijing) should meet for a second time in Portugal towards the end of 2007.

Contact:Mr Roberto Hayder, Head of President's Private Office

(+32.2.546.9741; )

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ACTIVITIES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE DURING THE PORTUGUESE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

COMMUNICATING EUROPE

At President Dimitriadis' insistence, and under the scrutiny of the EESC's Communication Group, in thesecond half of 2007 the European Economic and Social Committee will continue to pursue its role as a committed player in theEU communication context.The EESC willsupport an interinstitutional approach to Communication, basedon jointly approved priorities and based on the concerns of Europe's citizens. The EESC will give special attention to facing globalisation, including the challenges of Growth and Jobs, Climate change and Energy. It will focus on External relations and the Intercultural dialogue. It looks forward to ensuring that appropriateaction is taken as regards the European Commission White Paper on Communication follow-up foreseen for July 2007.In that same inter-institutional context, the EESC envisages responding to the Commission'sInformation note on the implementation of "Plan D"now giving a special focus on Youth and women. The EESC will be eager to participate in annual action plansand support the idea of a Community-wide Communication programme based on a proper legal base. Lastly, the EESC will seek to implement in practice the post-White Paper addendum to the November 2005 European Commission-EESC protocol of cooperation, signed in May 2007. That addendumputs focus on decentralised cooperation and synergies with the European Commission.

The EESC will continue to implement the operational recommendations contained in its opinions on "Plan D" and the White Paper.Everybody agrees that Europe/the European process should be closer to Europe's citizens. EESC members, through their privileged relationship with and knowledge of civil society organisations, can play an important role in this process both at local, national and European level. The EESC will continue to identify communication solutions for bridging the gap between the EU and organised civil society. The target groups are the other EU institutions, the national Economic and Social Councils, national administrations and those organisations providing members to the EESC.The EESC will also continue with its traditional inter-institutional dialogue on communication matters, for example by assistingin the meetings of the Council WorkingParty on Information, and theInterinstitutional Group on Information chaired jointly by the European Commission and the European Parliament. The EESC has already beeninvolved in theEU's celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Romeand will followup the various events, for example the Youth Summit in Rome in March 2007. This involvement will continue. The EESC also intends to mark its own fiftieth anniversaryon 19 May 2008.

Contact:MrPeter Lindvald Nielsen (+32.2.546.9888; )

ORGANISED CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE FUTURE OF EUROPE AND OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCESS

As the EESC stressed in its resolution of 14 March 2007 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome, the achievements of 50 years of European integration must inspire the European Union to take up new challenges, particularly in the areas of the social model, globalisation, climate change, energy supply, immigration issues and the fight against poverty and social exclusion.

To generate revival of European integration to give it fresh impetus and break out of the current political and institutional gridlock, reviewing the EU's operating rules will not be enough. New consensus still needs to be built regarding the EU's future role, and policies need to be drawn up and implemented which will give the public tangible results and meet their expectations, bearing witness to the fact that European integration is still a project for the future which younger generations, in particular, who have not been directly confronted with the integration process of recent decades, will be able to support.

In this perspective, the participation of civil society in public decision-making – participatory democracy – is a key instrument which reinforces the democratic legitimacy of the European institutions and the EU's work. It has an equally essential role to play in facilitating the emergence of new consensus on the goals of European integration.

The EESC is determined to continue with its initiatives, in close cooperation with the EU institutions and all other civil society players, with a view to contributing, on the one hand, to creating a real European public space of dialogue and debate and, on the other, to instilling new impetus into the European project built on a forward-looking vision of the future of Europe for its citizens.

The EESC also believes that the Constitutional Treaty is a key instrument in terms of enabling the EU to take up the challenges facing it and enabling the institutions to operate more effectively. That is why it feels both that the Treaty should remain the basis for the present negotiationsfor breaking out of the current political and institutional gridlock, and that its substance – in particular the democratic, institutional and procedural progress and the progress in the area of fundamental rights – must be preserved. The EESC therefore called, in its resolution of 30 May 2007 on the Roadmap for the constitutional process,for Part I (Objectives, Institutions, Framework of the Union), Part II (The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union) and Part IV (General and Final Provisions) to remain as they are. The institutional and procedural provisions of Part III should, where they go further than existing law, be incorporated into Part I.

The EESC will support the negotiations on the new Treaty by helping to make the voice of organised civil society heard, in line with its institutional role. In particular, it will be happy to hold, in cooperation with the Portuguese Council presidency, information and dialogue meetings with civil society organisations, as it did during the work of the European Convention.

Contact: MrPatrick Fève(+32.2.546.9616; )

The RENEWED Lisbon strategy

Since the Lisbon Strategy was launched by the European heads of state and government in Lisbon in 2000, the EESC has always considered this to be one of the most important projects for Europe. The summary report on the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy in the Member States, which was drawn up by the EESC and the national ESCs and similar institutions for the Spring 2006 European Council, was a great success. It was followed by a new explicit request from the European Council of 23 and 24 March 2006, of which the presidency conclusions (point 12) state that:

"12. Member States have made real efforts to involve national parliaments and representatives from regional and local authorities as well as social partners and other stakeholders of the civil society in the formulation of their NRPs (national reform programmes). [The European Council] also welcomes the initiatives taken up by the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee to increase the ownership on Community level. It encourages the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions to continue their work and asks for summary reports in support of the Partnership for growth and employment in early 2008."

The EESC therefore decided in June 2006 to set up an ad hoc Bureau Group: the Lisbon Group on the Renewed Lisbon Strategy – Spring 2006-Spring 2008, with a view to drawing up a new summary report for Spring 2008 in close cooperation with representatives of national ESCs and similar organisations representing civil society. At the same time, the EESC set up four study groups tasked with drawing up own-initiative opinions in the priority areas set by the March 2006 European Council:

  • Investment in knowledge and innovation
  • Business potential, especially of SMEs
  • Employment of priority categories
  • An Energy Policy for Europe.

With the involvement of the national ESCs, the ad hoc Bureau Group has a coordinating role, ensuring that the work of all four study groups proceeds smoothly, in parallel, in a complementary manner and creating synergies wherever possible.

In February 2007 the EESC drew up a resolution on "The implementation of the renewed Lisbon Strategy", which was an intermediate report to the 2007 Spring Council and is an integral part of the EESC's initiative to increase ownership of the Lisbon Strategy in the European Union .

During the Portuguese Presidency, the EESC will further deepen its work in cooperation with national ESCs and other partner organisations. Regular meetings of the Lisbon Group will be held, in cooperation with the key representatives in the presidency, with a view to drawing up the summary report for the 2008 Spring Council. During the EESC plenary session in July, in the presence of the Portuguese Presidency representative, the four own-initiative opinions will be discussed and voted on. The aim will be to identify the key measures and best practice in implementing the renewed Lisbon Strategy ensuring that the momentum is maintained in all of the pillars of the partnership for growth and jobs.

Contact:Mr Gilbert Marchlewitz (+32.2.546.9358; )

Mr Juri Soosaar (+32.2.546.9628; )

ECONOMIC AND MONETARY UNION AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COHESION

ECONOMIC AND MONETARY UNION

Broad Economic Policy Guidelines, European Monetary Union and the Euro

On 16 and 17 June 2005, the European Council, in the Presidency Conclusions, adopted the Broad Economy Policy Guidelines (2005-2008) as part of the Integrated guidelines for growth and jobs. As one of the main instruments of economic policy coordination, it reflects the new start for the Lisbon Strategy and concentrates on the contribution of economic policies to higher growth and more jobs. The EESC has expressed its views in several own-initiative opinions and will adopt an opinion identifying key policy priorities for strengthening the Euro area at the beginning of the Portuguese presidency.

The ECO section will also draw up an own-initiative opinion on the benefits and advantages of the euro. The opinion should help to highlight the benefits the euro has brought to the European economy ten years after the decisions taken in 1998, the practical, irreversible result of which are the binding monetary union mechanisms.

Integration of international financial markets

Recent years have highlighted the upheavals that have been affecting the financial sector of the economy over recent years. These are interpreted as being the result of the new information and communication technology revolution, exponential growth in the number of securities traded on the stock markets (which are moreover far more closely interconnected), the arrival of new players whose influence is considerable and a redefinition of their strategies. The EESC will examine the economic and social consequences of those financial market trends in an own-initiative adopted during the Portuguese presidency.

Economic Policy and Industrial Strategy

Given the scale of globalisation and competition between traditional and emerging industrial powers, the EU's economic and monetary choices have to be considered and efficient. They must be geared towards development yet based on the particularities of the European economic and productive fabric. If Europe wishes to stay abreast of competition and relaunch consistent and sustainable growth, it must develop an industrial policy that can meet the challenges presented by the United States, India and China. Needless to say, relaunching EU industrial policies does not mean relieving Member States of their authority in this area but rather coordinating efforts and choices in order to maximise living standards for European citizens.

The EESC will make proposals on "Economic Policies which promote the European Industrial Strategy" in an own-initiative opinion adopted during the Portuguese presidency.

Contact:Mr Gilbert Marchlewitz (+32.2.546.9358; )

Financial integration: stock markets

Financial integration is a key element of European economic and monetary union. All financial market-places carry out important public service roles. In view of the key role they play in domestic financial markets, stock markets are often effectively public institutions of national importance. As the European stock markets are dominated by traditional, often national, actors and despite a few stock market mergers and alliances, the market continues to be fragmented, and considering that the EU’s public authorities must remain firmly committed to furthering the process of integration, the EESC is drawing up an own-initiative opinion calling on European and national institutions to facilitate the process of integrating European stock markets