1

European Economic and Social Committee

PRESS RELEASE No. 45/2004 / 25 March 2004

DEBATE ON PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY IN BERLIN AS PART OF FRANCO-GERMANDIALOGUE

At the joint initiative of the French Economic and Social Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Berlin-Brandenburg Institute, representatives of civil society from the two countries will discuss Participatory democracy: the participation of economic, social and civic interest groups in public decision-making in Berlin from 25 to 27 March 2004. This meeting is part of long-standing talks about how civil society in each of the two countries can learn more about civil society in the other, and ways of promoting this.

The talks about civil society and its institutional representation resulted in two valuable Franco-German meetings held in Brussels on 22 November 2002, attended by the European Economic and Social Committee, and in Paris on 20 January 2003, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the 1963 Franco-German Treaty. Moreover, the Franco-German meeting held in Berlin from 25 to 27 March 2004 follows a key conference held by the EESC in Brussels on 8 and 9 March 2004 on Participatory democracy and the EuropeanConstitution.

The meeting in Berlin should first of all allow joint discussions between the two delegations whose membership will reflect the diversity of civil societies in the two countries. The French delegation will mainly be made up of members of the French Economic and Social Council, representing the major employers' organisations and trade unions, and representatives of civil society associations. As there is no similar structure in Germany, its delegation will be made up of representatives of the three EESC Groups (employers, employees and various interests), and representatives of German civil society put forward by the Berlin-Brandenburg Institute and the Franco-German Institute.

Meeting highlights include a reception at Genshagen castle by the President of the Berlin-Brandenburg Institute at 6.30 p.m. on 25 March and a conference/debate on participatory democracy at 9 a.m. on 26 and 27 March at the Berlin town hall (Luise-Schröder room). Members of the three delegations will also be received at the Bundestag at 2.30 p.m. on 26March and will discuss with German MPs the participation of economic, social and civic interest groups in public decision-making. Mr Roger Briesch,EESCPresident and MrGöke Frerichs, EESC Vice-President will deliver speeches on this occasion.

For more details, please contact:

Vasco de Oliveira or Tristan Macdonald, at the EESC Press Office.

Rue Ravenstein 2, B-1000; Brussels

Tel.: 02 546 9396/9586; Mobile: 0475 753 202

e-mail :

Website:

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 1957 Treaty of Rome. Its consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the Community decision-making process. The Committee has 222 members. Its members are appointed by the Council.