Brussels, 28/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Economic and Social Committee will be holding its plenary session on 29-30 May in Brussels. It will be chaired by Göke Frerichs. The Commissioner in charge of Enterprise Policy and the Information Society, Erkki Liikanen will be examining a number of current subjects.
During the session, advisers will be asked to adopt two draft opinions: 1) Social Indicators (rapporteur: Giacomina Cassina, Workers Group, Italy); 2) Future strategy for the outermost regions of the European Union (Margarita Lopez Almendariz, Employers Group, Spain). Three exploratory opinions will also be approved: Co-ordination of economic policies in the long-term (Ursula Konitzer, Workers Group, Germany); possible options for pension reform (rapporteur: Ms Cassina; co-rapporteur, Harry Byrne, Employers Group, Ireland); 3) Open method of co-ordination for the community immigration policy (Soscha zu Eulenburg (Various Interests, Germany).
The committee will also be making decisions on legislative proposals and Commission communications: 1) Minimum standards for determining refugee status of third-country nationals (Ann Le Nouail, Workers Group, France); 2) short-term residence permit issued to victims of action to facilitate illegal immigration (Luis Miguel Pariza Castanos, Workers Group, Spain); 3) Amendment of Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and packaging waste (Mr Adams, Various Activities, UK); rules applicable to motor vehicle sales (Giacomo Regaldo, Employers Group, Italy); 5) Towards a global partnership for sustainable development (Ernst Ehnmark, Workers Group, Sweden); 6) Computerising the movement and monitoring of excisable products (Clive Wilkinson, Employers Group, UK; 7) Sales promotions in the internal market (Mr Dimitriadis, Employers Group, Greece); 8) Specific programmes implementing the framework programme for the research/RTD programme 2002-2006 (Giannino Bernabei, Employers Group, Italy; 9) Approval of agricultural and forestry tractors (Philippe Levaux, Employers Group, France); 10) 25th amendment of 76/769/EEC on the harmonisation of legislative, regulatory and administrative provisions in Member States on dangerous substances and preparations (Sergio Colombo, workers Group, Italy); 11) Creation of a Community framework for classifying noise emissions - aircraft (Bo Green, Employers Group, Denmark); 12) Harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport (Gabriel Garcia Alonso, Employers Group, Spain); 13) guidelines for trans-European telecommunications networks (Daniel Retureau, Workers Group, France); 14) Ecopoints; heavy goods vehicles/Austria 2004 (Dethmer Kielman, Employers Group, the Netherlands); 15) Genetically modified food and feed (Sandra Thomas, Various Activities, United Kingdom); 16) Greenhouse gas emissions quotas (José Ignacio Gafo Fernandez, Employers Group, Spain); 17) Improving access to justice in cross-border disputes (Manuel Cavaleiro Brandao, Employers Group, Portugal).