Brussels, 23/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee (ESC) is meeting on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 May in plenary session under the chairmanship of Ms Beatrice Rangoni-Machiavelli. The Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs, Francisco Seixas da Costa, will present the results of the Portuguese Presidency on Wednesday, at 15h00. On Tuesday, European Commissioner for the IGC Michel Barnier spoke before the ESC Bureau, together with Italian MEP Giorgio Napolitano, Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Constitutional Affairs, to take stock of the situation of work relating to institutional reform.
The Committee is expected to adopt opinions on questions to which it pays great importance, namely: - the draft directive on "measures for combating discrimination" (Rapporteur Sukhdev Sharma, UK, Various Interests); - the White Paper on Food Safety (co-rapporteurs: Manuel Attaide Ferreira, Portugal, Various Interests, and Paul Verhaege, Belgium, Employers). There will also be three own initiative opinions on: 1) European Charter for small companies (Rapporteur: Antonello Pezzini, Italy, Various Interests); 2) Rural women and sustainable development (Maria Candelas Sanchez Miguel, Spain, Workers); 3) Migrant agricultural workers from non-EU states (Rapporteur Hans-Joachim Wilms, Germany, Workers).
The Committee will, moreover, give its stance on several legislative proposals or communications from the European Commission, including: air pollution/emissions from motor vehicles (Rapporteur Gafo Fernandez); family reunification (Ms Cassina); doping in sport (Mr Bedossa); global assessment of the 5th EAP on the sustainable environment (Mr Ribbe); towards a European research area (Mr Wolf).