Brussels, 11/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - This Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels, the Committee of the Regions will hold its 33rd plenary session, the first under the presidency of Jos Chabert. During a meeting with the press, the new President of the Committee of the Regions announced his ambition that the Committee be "much more political than before," that it gains a statute of separate institution and so gain "political influence and importance for the citizens." Jos Chabert also called for greater cooperation with other institutions: during this session, the Commissioners responsible for research Philippe Busquin from the IGC and for regional policy Michel Barnier will come to speak before the representatives of the regions and local authorities of Europe. Another participant, member of the Committee of the regions, should draw particular attention: the Austrian Jorg Haider, former President of the extreme right party the FPÖ, should be present on Wednesday.
During the plenary session, the Committee should adopt several opinions notably concerning: the Community action programme fighting against all forms of discrimination (rapporteurs: Mrs Agneta GRANBERG and Mr. Peter MOORE); the new "Tobacco" Directive (rapporteur: Mr. Tommaso SODANO); the labelling of beef (rapporteur: Sir Simon DAY); the Commission communication: "Towards a European Research Area" (rapporteur: Mrs. Marie-Christine BLANDIN); the sixth periodic report on the socio-economic situation and developments of the European Union regions (rapporteur: Mr. Jean-Francois BAZIN).