Brussels, 03/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - The conference organised at the end of June by the 'Réalités européennes du présent' association (REP, Current European Affairs) provided the occasion for a lively and detailed debate on the perspectives of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU and also provided the occasion for the long-standing REP President, Jean-Pierre Gouzy, to become Honorary President and hand over the Presidency itself to Halmuth Marhold, Secretary General of the European Movement in Germany.
Presentations were made at the conference by: Mr Landaburu, Director General at the European Commission on progress in the EU enlargement negotiations; Mr Gouzy on current EU and world events; Mr Marhold on the 'constitutionalisation of Europe'; Mr Jean-Jacques Rey on the Euro and the markets; and a panel of trade union and employer representatives and politicians and ambassadors looking at "What Europe for what Society?". Debates were then opened up to the floor, chaired by the Secretary General of the Union des Fédéralistes Européens, Bruno Bossière, and by Luc Rifflet, of the Belgian Permanent Representation to the OECD.