Brussels, 14/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee will be meeting on 16-17 January in Brussels under the Presidency of Göke Frerichs. Two high-level speakers have been invited for the first session of the year - Philippe Maystadt, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), who will provide a round up of his institution on Wednesday, and Ramon de Miguel, Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs, who will be setting out the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU on Thursday at 10h.
During the course of this initial session of 2002, the Committee will make known its views on: 1) fertilisers (Mr Bento Goncalves from the General Affairs Group, Portugal); 2) Training and recruitment of seafarers (Mr Chagas, Workers Group, Portugal); 3) New Impetus for plant protein crops in the Community (additional opinion) (Mr Sabin, General Affairs Group, France); 4) Indication of ingredients present in foodstuffs 'Ms Davidson, General Affairs Group UK); 5) Conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals (Mr. Pariza Castanos , Workers Group, Spain); 6) Jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgements in matters of parental responsibility (rapporteur: Ms Carroll Employers Group, Ireland; co-rapporteurs: Ms Zu Eulenburg, General Affairs Group, Germany and Mr Retureau, Workers Group, France; 7) Administrative co-operation in the field of VAT (Mr Walker, Employers Group, UK); 8) Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Paper (Rapporteur: Ms Hornung-Draus, employers Group, Germany; co-rapporteurs: Ms Engelen-Keferr, Workers Group, Germany and Mr Hoffelt, General Affairs Group, Belgium; 9) Protection of forests against atmospheric pollution and fire (Mr Kallion, General Affairs Group, Finland); 10) Quota system for potato starch (Mr Donnelly, General Affairs Group, Ireland); 11) Measures for the smaller Aegean Islands concerning agricultural products (M Papamichaïl, workers Group, Crete); 12)Prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading (Mr Levitt, Employers Group, UK); 13- Insider dealing and market manipulation (Mr Levitt; 14) Helping SMEs to Go Digital (Mr Dimitiadis, Employers Group, Greece).
The Committee is also expected to give its opinion on the future of the Trans-European inland waterway network (Mr Levaux, Employers Group, France) and an additional opinion on the PRISM 2001 (SMO) Single Market Organisation (Ms Sirkeine Employers Group, Finland).