European Economic and Social Committee
PRESS RELEASE No 118/2006 / 8 December 2006431st plenary session of the EESC
on 13 and 14 December 2006
at the European Parliament, Paul-HenriSpaakBuilding,
at 2.30 p.m.
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Presentation of new EESC President, D. DIMITRIADIS's work programme 2006-2008
on 13 December 2006 at 2.30 p.m.
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The establishment of the EU-Croatia Civil Society Follow-up Committee
on 13 December 2006 at 2.30 p.m.
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Main opinions to be adopted:
Voluntary activity: its role in European society and its impact(exploratory opinion)
Corporate social responsibility
EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child
Wine CMO reform
Europe's research, development and innovation potential(exploratory opinion requested by the forthcoming German presidency)
EU and national administration practices and linkages (own-initiative opinion)
A renewed EU Tourism Policy: Towards a stronger partnership for European Tourism
Enhancing supply chain security – transport of goods
Voluntary activity: its role in European society and its impact(exploratory opinion)
Rapporteur:Ms KOLLER (Group II –Employees, Hungary)
Co-Rapporteur: Ms GRÄFIN ZU EULENBURG (Group III –Various interests, Germany)
The EESC urges the Commission to announce a Year of Volunteers, and to publish a White Paper on voluntary activity and active citizenship in Europe at the earliest opportunity. The EU can provide a framework and encourage greater exchange of best practice between Member States. In all the Member States a legal framework must be drawn up to guarantee the right to carry out voluntary activity independently of an individual's legal or social status. The governments of the Member States should be encouraged to frame national policies on voluntary activity and strategies. Other stakeholders such as parliaments, regional and local bodies, civil society organisations should recognise the importance of voluntary activity. The EESC therefore recommends that all the MemberStates and the EU itself design a policy on voluntary activity.
Corporate social responsibility
Rapporteur: Ms PICHENOT (Group III - Various interests, France)
The Committee takes the view that people in the EU should have access to the most reliable and comprehensive possible information on the declarations made by enterprises and territorial authorities and the practices which they pursue. The provision of high quality reports would make it possible for European citizens, in their capacities as consumers, savers and residents, to make guided choices. To that end, the citizen needs tools such as social accounting and traceability of products, as well as the contribution of the associative movements concerned. An information portal on CSR could thus be established in connection with the Action plan to improve communicating Europe. The EESC proposes to the Commission that one of the next few years be designated the "European Year of Corporate Social Responsibility".
EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child
Rapporteur:Ms VAN TURNHOUT (Group III - Various interests, Ireland)
The Committee supports the proposal to develop an EU strategy to effectively promote and safeguard the rights of the child in the European Union's internal and external policies and to support Member States' efforts in this field. The EESC regrets however that the Communication does not indicate that the strategy will commit to minimum standards and include comprehensive objectives with clear targets and timelines. The EESC welcomes the proposed structures to be established, including a Children's Rights Unit within the Commission and a Coordinator for the Rights of the Child; a Commission Inter-service Group; a European Forum for the Rights of the Child; a web-based discussion and work platform; activities to directly involve children in the process and a communication strategy on children's rights. The EESC will be seeking to play an active role in these important fora. The Committee suggests that the European Parliament considers establishing a specific measure to finance the Strategy and its proposed actions.
Wine CMO reform
Rapporteur: Mr. KIENLE (Group I - Employers,Germany)
The EESC welcomes the fact that the Commission proposes the maintenance of a specific wine market organisation. The Committee opposes total liberalisation of the planting rules as this would jeopardise the achievement of the economic and social objectives of the reform of the wine market and its objectives in respect of environmental policy and maintenance of the landscape. Shifting wine production from man-made wine-growing landscapes to areas which are cheaper to cultivate cannot be supported. The EESC advocates a general continuation of the existing provisions governing the use of sucrose and the aid for must concentrate.
Europe's research, development and innovation potential(exploratory opinion requested by the forthcoming German presidency)
Rapporteur: Mr. WOLF (Group III - Various interests, Germany)
Following the request from the German Education and Research Minister, EESC has produced a draft opinion on unlocking and strengthening Europe's research, development and innovation potential. In this respect, the Committee highlights the need to strengthen the competences of the citizens as well as the necessity of investing in research and development and reinforcing the will and the capacity of innovation among industries.
EU and national administration practices and linkages (own-initiative opinion)
Rapporteur: Mr. VAN IERSEL (Group I - Employers,the Netherlands)
In its own-initiative opinion on EU and national administration practices and linkages, EESC argues that well-defined and effective national political and administrative procedures in Member States are, together with better lawmaking and implementation and enforcement, an integral part of EU good governance. Apart from enhancing transparency and clarifying the impact of EU law and policies towards society at large, the exchange of best practices among member states, which could address the urgent problems of the Union, can lead to winning back the confidence of EU citizens. Moreover, the EESC advocates a continuous study on national administrative practices and procedures, a publicly supported virtual knowledge centre, which can be created with the participation of EU, state and non-state actors.
A renewed EU Tourism Policy: Towards a stronger partnership for European Tourism
Rapporteur: Mr. MENDOZA CASTRO (Group II –Employees, Spain)
Co-rapporteur: Mr. BARROS VALE (Group I - Employers, Portugal)
EESC's draft opinion on the renewed EU Tourism Policy welcomes the Commission's intention to involve all players through various means of collaboration and competitive collaboration, and highlights this involvement as the cornerstone of the new tourism policy. The Committee proposes the creation of a European Tourism Board or even a European Tourism Agency and states its willingness to continue working on tourism along the lines set out in the Commission communication. It also proposes setting up a network of tourism observatories that would not only reflect sectoral data, but also provide a strategic and forward-looking vision and anticipate future action.
Enhancing supply chain security – transport of goods
Rapporteur: Mr. SIMONS (Group I - Employers, the Netherlands)
The opinion of the EESC on the proposal for a regulation on enhancing supply chain security welcomes the proposal to make Member States responsible for adopting security measures through the creation of a special authority in each Member State; nevertheless, given the key role of this special authority, the Commission's proposal is seriously lacking in detail, while in terms of the Lisbon strategy, the proposal is inadequate as it is very bureaucratic. Moreover, EESC supports that EU must free up adequate resources so that non-EU countries will also be in a position to take the requisite action to attain the same level of security.
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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 317members, who are appointed by the Council of Ministers.