Paris, 28/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - Nine French personalities, leaders or sponsors of the "Confrontations" association chaired by Philippe Herzog, former MEP, signed, on the eve of French Presidency, an appeal for building political Union in Europe, with active participation by society. France must take initiatives for developing the role of the civil society in Europe, state the signatories, who deplore the "shortcomings of a European public area for discussion of political choices" and who feel it would be wrong to see actors of the civil society solely as "supporting category interests", as, on the contrary, they "can and hope to take part in defining general interest". In particular, signatories recommend the creation of a "right to information and expression on European stakes, open to all citizens".
Those signing the appeal, in addition to Philippe Herzog and "Confrontations" Secretary General Claude Fischer, included Crédit Lyonnais President Jean Peyrelevade, President of the Surveillance Council of Suez-Lyonnaise des Eaux Jean Gandois, Usinor CEO Francis Mer, Deputy Studies Director of OFCE Jacky Fayolle, President of the Social Affairs Committee of the European Centre for Public Enterprise Robert Villeneuve and Sociologists Edgar Morin and Alain Touraine.