European Economic and Social Committee

PRESS RELEASE No 085/2008 / 13 October 2008

European Economic and Social Committee

Euro-Mediterranean organised civil societycalls for greater involvement of civil society organisations in the "Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean"

Economic and social councils and similar institutions from the Euromed region met in Rabat on 14-16 October 2008 at the Euro-Mediterranean summit. The summit was cohosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Moroccan civil society organisations, with the support of Morocco's Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the European Commission.

The summit brought together economic and social councils and similar institutions from theEU Member States and partner countries as well as representatives of trade union, employer and agricultural cooperative organisations, consumer groups, and human rights, environmental and development organisations from Morocco and other countries in the region which do not have a national economic and social council. The EESC was represented by a 17 member delegation headed by its president, Mr Dimitriadis.

The summit provided an opportunity to discuss a range of issues, such as the role of civil society in the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean.This provoked a lively debate and the formulation of a number of strong recommendations for presentation to the Euromed Summit of Foreign Affairs Ministers, to be held in Marseille on 3 and 4 November 2008. It was proposed that the network for cooperation between economic and social councils and similar institutions play an active part in defining, promoting and monitoring projects falling under the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean and that it be effectively represented on the bodies of the process.

Another important subject discussed was the social dimension of relations between the European Union and the partner countriesand it was recommended that all the initiatives, programmes and projects carried out under Mediterranean policies, in particular the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean should reflect the social dimension, a key element for the sustainable development of the partner countries.In this context, the president of the EESC expressed his regret that "the social aspects of Euromed cooperation were not sufficiently developed under the new initiative"and warned against committing the same mistakes that had been made since 1995 under the Barcelona process.

Other key issues for civil society in the region addressed at the summit included the prospects for the creation of a free trade area in 2010, the access of women to economic and social life, intercultural dialogue, freedom of association and consolidating participatory bodies in the region. In this context, the participants particularly welcomed the message from His Majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco, read out by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, stating that an economic and social council would soon be set up in Morocco.

For information

The 1995 Barcelona Declaration mandated the European Economic and Social Committee to forge links with its counterparts in the Euro-Mediterranean region in order to further relations between civil society organisations and thus help to strengthen the Barcelona process. The economic and social councils and similar institutions of the European Union and its Mediterranean partner countries have held regular summits since 1995.

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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 344members, who are appointed by the Council of Ministers.