Paris, 19/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Present European Realities (P.E.R,), chaired by Hartmut Marhold, Secretary General of the European Movement-Germany, is holding its next colloquium in Brussels on 22 and 23 June devoted to "The European Union on the Eve of the Belgian Presidency".
Friday afternoon, Mr. Marhold will turn to the "constitutionalisation of Europe: present European reality", and Jean-Pierre Gouzy, long-time President of Realities, now its Honourary President, will discuss current European issues. The Director General for Enlargement in the European Commission, Eneko Landaburu will then turn to accession negotiations, and the editorialist of Agence Europe, Ferdinando Riccardi to the debate in the European Parliament between Nice and Laeken, whereas the prospects for the Belgian Presidency will be sketched out by Francois Roux, deputy chef de cabinet for Louis Michel, future EU Council President, Annemie Neyt, Belgian Minister for European Affairs and Franklin Dehousse, Professor at the University of Liege and at the College of Europe. Bruno Bossiere, Secretary General of the Union of European Federalists and the R.E.P., will fuel the debate.
Saturday morning, Jean-Jacques Rey, former Director of the National Bank of Belgium, will discuss "The euro, Economic and Monetary Union, and the Markets", and there will then be a debate on "Which Europe"? Which Society?", introduced by Gorges Debunne (European Trade Union Confederation), Jacques Defay (European Left), Thomas Jansen (chef de cabinet of the President of the Economic and Social Committee), Ernst Piehl (advisor on enlargement in the European Commission), Andrea Pierucci (General Secretariat of the European Commission), Fancois Vincke (Federation of Belgian Businesses). The debate will be fuelled by Luc Rifflet (of Belgiium's Permanent Representation at the OECD). Speeches will reflect personal opinions.