European Economic and Social Committee
PRESS RELEASE No 70/2006 / 3 July 2006428th plenary session of the EESC
on 5 and 6 July 2006
at the European Parliament, Paul-Henri Spaak Building, at 4.30 p.m.
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Speech by
Ms Margot Wallström
Vice-president of the European Commission
A European Communication Policy (White Paper)
Ms Paula Lehtomäki
Finnish Minister for Trade and Development
The priorities of the Finnish Presidency’s programme
on behalf of the Council Presidency-in-Office
Ambassador Ali Hachani,
President of the UN Economic and Social Committee
Strengthening the role of the UN Economic and Social Committee
Thursday 6 July at 10 a.m.
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Key opinions to be adopted:
White Paper on a European communication policy
Regulating competition and consumer protection
A strategy for the simplification of the regulatory environment
Competition rules - cabotage and tramp services
Future of the Northern Dimension policy (exploratory opinion requested by the Finnish Presidency)
The contribution of civil society to European neighbourhood policy (exploratory opinion)
Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning
Social cohesion: fleshing out a European social model (own-initiative opinion)
Thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste
EU-Andean Community relations (own-initiative)
White Paper on Financial Services 2005-2010
Risks and problems associated with the supply of raw materials to European industry (own-initiative opinion)
The future of services of general interest (own-initiative opinion)
Speech by Ms Margot Wallströmduring the debate on the opinion on the White Paper on a European Communication Policy.
Commission Vice-President, Margot Wallström, will address the Plenary Assembly on the subject of the White Paper on a European Communication Policy. Her speech is scheduled to take place on Thursday 6 July at 10 a.m. and will be followed by a discussion with EESC members.
Speech by Ms Paula Lehtomäki, Finnish Minister for Trade and Development on behalf of the Council Presidency-in-Office
MsPaula Lehtomäki will present The priorities of the Finnish presidency’s programme to the plenary session on Thursday 6 July 2006 at 11 a.m.
Speech by Ambassador Ali Hachani, President of the UN Economic and Social Committee
His Excellency Ali Hachani will speak on the theme Strengthening the role of the UN Economic and Social Committee. His speech is scheduled for Thursday 6July 2006 at 12.30 p.m.
Key opinions to be adopted:
White Paper on a European Communication Policy
Rapporteur: Ms Van Turnhout (Group III – Various interests, Ireland)
In its draft opinion, the Committee draws attention to a twin resource problem; lack of funds and discouragingly complicated bureaucratic procedures for paying them out. It also highlights the lack of a legal basis for communication policy. On the other hand, the Committee applauds the practical proposals concerning such issues as civic education. The EESC urges the Commission to reflect further on how genuine synergies and interinstitutional cooperation can be facilitated at the decentralised level. The Committee proposes that the promised post-White Paper addendum to the cooperation protocol between the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee should focus on this particular issue.
Regulating competition and consumer protection (own-initiative opinion)
Rapporteur: Ms Sánchez Miguel (Group II – Employees, Spain)
Free competition offers benefits to all market participants, especially consumers. Nevertheless, in the main liberalised sectors, real restrictions on free competition have arisen, (with a trend towards protection for national businesses), resulting in competitors being excluded from the market and clearly limiting consumers' economic rights. The Committee urges that systems for informing and consulting consumers be strengthened. It also urges that, if DG Competition retains its liaison officer, he should be given the resources necessary to perform his duties and that DG SANCO must involve all the bodies with which it works, in order to have a greater impact on competition-related matters directly affecting consumer interests.
A strategy for the simplification of the regulatory environment
Rapporteur: Mr Cassidy (Group I - Employers, United Kingdom)
The Commission has embarked on the process of simplifying EU and national legislation, which is a priority both for the EU and its citizens. The Committee has drawn up an opinion on the strategy for simplification in which it regrets the failure of many Member States to ensure that EU measures are properly transposed into national law and enforced. It wants socio-professional players to be associated with the "comitology" procedures of simplification of regulation and would like to see more consultation between the Commission and stakeholders.
Competition rules - cabotage and tramp services
Rapporteur: Ms Bredima-Savopoulou (Group I - Employers, Greece)
The Commission proposal seeks to liberalise services in the liner sector. The users are predominantly in favour of the proposal, whereas the ship owners are against it. The opinion stresses that, in the long term, this decision will have detrimental and counterproductive effects, potentially resulting in a decline in the quality of maritime services, a decrease in the number of SMEs, job losses and worsening labour conditions.
Thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste
Rapporteur: Mr Buffetaut (Group I - Employers, France)
For further information, please see press release No 067/2006.
EU-Andean Community relations (own-initiative)
Rapporteur: Mr Moreno Preciados (Group II – Employees, Spain)
For further information please see press release No 068/2006.
Future of the Northern Dimension policy (exploratory opinion requested by the Finnish Presidency)
Rapporteur: Mr Hamro-Drotz (Group I - Employers, Finland)
The EESC supports the guidelines for the continuation of the Northern Dimension policy (covering the EU, Iceland, Norway and Russia) adopted in November 2005 and calls on Finland, as the country holding the EU presidency, to press for the achievement of the new policy. The EESC proposes strengthening civil society and civil society cooperation networks and improving public information. It also proposes that that civil society be involved in a consultative capacity in the formal mechanisms for administering the Northern Dimension, along the lines of the Barcelona Process for the Mediterranean.
The contribution of civil society to European neighbourhood policy (exploratory opinion
Rapporteur: Ms Cassina (Group II – Employees, Italy)
In this draft opinion, the EESC stresses the need to ensure consistency between Member States’ foreign and domestic policies and the European neighbourhood policy (ENP). The Committee stresses that it is vital to apply the principle of differentiation and to use the opportunity to create synergies both within the area itself and between different areas. The Committee calls for systematic involvement of civil society organisations, and social and socio-occupational players in particular, whose consultative role and negotiation skills need to be explicitly recognised and promoted.
Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning Rapporteur: Ms Jerneck (Group I - Employers, Sweden)
The aim of the Commission’s proposals, which come under the Lisbon Strategy, is to encourage the adoption of more systematic approaches to entrepreneurial training and to strengthen the role of education in creating a genuine entrepreneurial culture. The Committee welcomes the Commission’s initiative and proposes measures aimed at further developing entrepreneurial mindsets in Europe, stressing aspects such as the importance of evaluating progress, the exchange of good practice and the launch of a European Year for Entrepreneurship.
Social cohesion: fleshing out a European social model (own-initiative opinion)
Rapporteur: Mr Ehnmark (Group II – Employees, Sweden)
In the comments and analysis after the two "No's" in the referendums on the Constitution, one recurrent observation is that the public said no to what they regard as risks to the values inherent in the European social model. In other words, a significant proportion of the public have found it important to refer to the values of the European Social Model. However, it is difficult to define what exactly is meant by this term, though some themes are recurrent: greater competitiveness, strong social solidarity and a high level of environmental responsibility. The aim of this own-initiative opinion is to clarify the import of the term "A social model for Europe" both as a reality and as a vision for the future.
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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 317 members. Its members are appointed by the Council.