Brussels, 06/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities Joëlle Milquet, Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Dacian Cioloº, and Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the EU Vladimir Chizhov will all address the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 December. EESC President Staffan Nilsson will chair the meeting.
European Economic and Social Councillors will be asked to vote on some 20 opinions, which include: (1) three own initiative reports on: - state aid - closure of coal mines (rapporteur-general: Antonello Pezzini, Employers' Group, Italy); - security of supply in agriculture and in the food sector in the European Union (rapporteur: Armands Krauze, Various Interests Group, Latvia); - EU-Russia relations (rapporteur: Ivan Voleš, Employers' Group, Czech Republic); (2) an exploratory opinion at the request of the Commission on the Energy Strategy for 2011-2020 (rapporteur: Bernardo Hernández Bataller, Various Interests Group, Spain). They will also adopt two opinions without debate: the first on a Digital Agenda for Europe (rapporteur: Thomas McDonogh, Employers' Group, Ireland), and the second, an exploratory opinion at the request of the Commission on Iceland as a candidate country (rapporteur: Liina Carr, Employees' Group, Estonia)
Joëlle Milquet will review the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers on Wednesday at 2.40pm. Dacian Cioloº will deliver his speech on Thursday at 10.00am. He will be followed by Vladiamir Chizhov at 11.00am. For further details, go to: eesc.europa.eu. (G.B./transl.rt)