Third Meeting of the Eu Brazil Civil Society Round Table

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THIRDMEETING

OF THEEUROPEAN UNION – BRAZIL CIVIL SOCIETY ROUND TABLE

ANTWERP, 9 and 10 September, 2010

SHORT DESCRIPTION

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC[1]) and the Brazilian Council for Economic and Social Development (CDES[2]) will be holding theirthird meeting of the European Union – Brazil Civil Society Round Tablein Antwerp, at the Sint-Felixpakhuis, on 9-10September 2010.

The general objectives of the Round Table:

The EU-Brazil Civil Society Round Table implementsthe provisions included in the EU-Brazil Strategic Partnership as concerns civil society dialogue between both parties. Such institutional dialogue has been encouraged by the EU-Brazil Head of State Summits that were held so far and is included in the Joint Action Plan agreed by the parties.

The general objectives of the Round Table include:

to reinforce civil society dialogue, communication and mutual understanding between Brazil and the EU

to provide a concrete civil society contribution to the implementation of the Brazil-EU Strategic Partnership by conducting frank discussions and extensive exchanges of views and research on topics of mutual concern on all issues covered by the Partnership, so as to promote economic growth and social progress in Brazil and in the EU

to complement the political dialogue and the parliamentary dialogue between the EU and Brazil

to highlight the role that civil society consultative bodies can play in relations between the EU and Brazil

to have its own input into the EU-Brazil Head of State Summits.

The third EU-Brazil Round Table:

Participants

The Round Table permanent delegations will be made up of 26 members, of whom 12 will be members of the Brazilian CDES, and 12 will be EESC members. Each delegation will be led by the President of both institutions, who will also co-chair the Round Table meetings. For this meeting, cochairs will be Mr Sepi, President of the EESC, and Mr Padilha, Brazilian Minister for Institutional Relations andExecutive Secretary of the CDES.

In addition to its two institutional components, the Round Table will also involve the presidency of the Council, the European Commission, the economic and social councils of Belgium, sociooccupational partners at European level, as well as European civil society organisations with which it has ongoing contacts. The press will also be invited to participate.

Topics

Working sessions will be held on the following subjects:

The participation of civil societyas a factor for social cohesion (in-depth debate)

The Brazilian and European food security policies – the position of civil society (preliminary debate)

On the basis of these debatesand of the reports that both sides have drafted, the CDES and theEESC will draft a joint Final Declaration to the attention of the next EU – Brazil Summit.

Structure

The event will involve an opening session plus two working sessions. The first one, in the afternoon of the first day, will be devoted to the theme The participation of civil society as a factor for social cohesion, the second one, in the morning of the second day, to a preliminary debate on The Brazilian and European food security policies – the position of civil society.

The first session will involve European and Belgian organised civil society representatives in a large debate.

A special session before closing will be devoted to joint approval of the Round Table Final Declaration.

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For further information please contact:

; tel. +32 2 5469131

; tel. +55 61 3411.2210

See also:

The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is a consultative body of the European Union three main institutions. It was 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 344 members, who are appointed by the EU Council of Ministers. Its members are organised in three groups: the employers, the workers and the "various interests" group, gathering other economic and social actors (farmers, consumers, SME, social economy, cooperatives, free professionals, etc.).

The Committee is chaired by a President, assisted by two vice-presidents and a Bureau. It organises its work through monthly plenary sessions, six permanent thematic Sections and temporary study groups.

The Brazilian Council for Economic and Social Development was created by President Lula da Silva in 2003 as an advisory body to the Brazilian President on economic, social and environmental issues; it provides consensus positions on Government policiesaimed at coupling economic growth and social justice. It gathers 102 members, who are appointed by the Brazilian President, including Government ministers, employers, trade unionists, social organisations, NGOs, and representatives of academic, religious and cultural areas.

It is chaired by President Lula and has an Executive Secretary that is also the Brazilian minister for institutional relations. Under the guidance of a Steering Committee (Comitê Gestor), it organises its work in thematic working groups and monthly plenary meetings.

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