Brussels, 07/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee, held end May in Brussels under the chairmanship of Göke Frerichs, was marked by a speech by Commissioner Michel Barnier on the future of Europe. Mr Barnier explained his ideas to the members of the Committee in a clear, sincere and pedagogic way, and spoke of his own experience, which is greater than that of the Commission, commented Thomas Jansen, President Frerichs' chef de cabinet. Mr Barnier mainly called on members of the Committee and their respective organisations to take part in the debate on the future of Europe in their own countries. "The more people are involved [in the discussion], the more the outcome will be relevant to them", said Michel Barnier.
Members taking part included Anne-Marie Sigmund (Various Interests, Austria) and Roger Briesch (Workers, France), who said it is important that, as representatives of organised civil society, the members of the Economic and Social Committee should be present in the Convention to prepare the next IGC "as should the representatives of territorial communities" (for the requests made by the regional representatives, see EUROPE of 5/6 June, p.5). In response to this appeal, Michel Barnier stated that the Commission does not have a position on this issue but that, personally, "it would not shock me at all to see the ESC as a member of the Convention".