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No 5/2015 / 22 January 2015EESC Plenary: Latvian presidency unveils its priorities
At the EESC's 504th Plenary session, Ms Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Parliamentary Secretary at the Latvian Foreign Ministry, presented the working programme of Latvia's presidency of the EU. Its priorities include growth, the digital era, globalisation, climate change and a special emphasis on EU-Central Asia relations.
EESC President Henri Malosse stated: "To achieve these goals, the EU must move forward with all Europeans. This is part of a strong and much needed democratic process that will enable European action to meet citizens' expectations on the ground. This is what our Committee stands for and we will live up to this commitment."
The priorities presented by Ms Kalniņa-Lukaševica included the following measures:
• Growth – the source of job creation: industrial policy and energy policy must lie at the heart of EU action for the five years ahead,
• Digital era: in terms of current and future opportunities for growth, and also of its impact on other sectors, Europe must remain in the vanguard and ensure it does not leave any of its regions behind,
• Globalisation: Europe must be involved in the major meetings that will take place, boosting a genuine African policy and strengthening its partnership with the Mediterranean countries – immigration in the Mediterranean and the daily tragedies taking place there urgently require a collective and comprehensive response by the European Union. At the same time, Europe is currently paying the price for its lack of a common immigration policy and a truly common asylum system, a problem that will be tackled during this presidency,
• Climate change: Europe should be at the forefront of the major meetings and, in particular, play a leading role in the preparations for COP21 in Paris in 2015.
Lastly, Ms Kalniņa-Lukaševica underscored the importance of cooperation with the EESC during the Latvian presidency. EESC members Mr Vitālijs Gavrilovs (Employers' group), Mr Pēteris Krigers (Workers' group) and MrPavel Trantina (Various interests group) took the floor to welcome and express their support for the Latvian presidency's programme.
After the official presentation by the Latvian EUPresidency, former President of the Republic of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga addressed the EESC plenary and took part in a debateabout economic growth and social solidarity in Europe.
Further information and pictures of the debate can be found onthe EESCwebsite and official Twitter account.
For more information, please contact:
EESC Press Unit
E-mail:
Henry Borzi - Tel: + 32 2 546 9779
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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 EU decision-making process. The Committee has 353 members from across Europe, who are appointed by the Council of the European Union.
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