Brussels, 16/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee will meet in plenary session on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 July in Brussels under the presidency of Göke Frerichs. The session will be marked by the presence of Social Affairs Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, who will take stock, on Wednesday at 15h30, of EU policy on employment and social affairs; and Danish Employment Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen, who will present the Danish Presidency's programme in this sector on Thursday at 11h30.
The agenda of this plenary session is particularly full. After the speech by Ms Diamantopoulou, the Committee will discuss modernisation of its Rules of Procedure (General Rapporteur: Mr de Paul de Barchifontaine, Various Interests, Belgium; Joint rapporteur: Mr Little, Employers, UK) as well as the Council's proposal of regulation for adjustment of the provisions relating to other committees assisting the Commission (General Rapporteur: Mr Hernandez Bataller, Various Interests). The Committee will then have to give its stance on some thirty legislative proposals and on Commission communications. In particular: (1) services of general interest (exploratory opinion with Mr Hernandez Bataller, Various Activities, Spain, as rapporteur; (2) action programme for the realisation of the European single sky (Rapporteur: Mr Tosh, Employers, UK); (3) future of cohesion policy in the prospect of enlargement (Mr Malosse, Employers, France); (4) White Paper on European transport policy in the run up to 2010: time to choose (Mr Garcia Alonso, Employers, Spain); (4) Green Paper on review of the "mergers" regulation (Mr Lagerholm, Employers, Sweden); (5) environmental responsibility with a view to prevention and repair of environmental damage (Ms Sanchez Mighel, Workers, Spain); (6) protection of geographic indications of farm products (Mr de las Heras Cabanas, Various Interests, Spain); (7) new Community health and safety strategy 2002-2006 (Mr Etty, Workers, NL); (8) right to family reunification (Mr Mengozzi, Various Interests, Italy); (9) guidelines on trans-European networks in the energy sector (Mr von Schwerin, Workers, Germany).
The Committee is also to adopt six own initiative opinions: (1) the future of mountainous territories in the EU (Rapporteur: Mr Bastian, Various Interests, France); (2) direct corporate taxation (Rapporteur: Mr Malosse, Employers, France); Co-rapporteur: Ms Sanchez Miguel, Workers, Spain); (3) integration of the disabled in society (Mr Cabra de Luna, Various Interests, Spain); (4) Romania on the road to membership (Mr Bedossa, Various Interests, France); (5) strategy of EU's economic and social cohesion (Mr Christie, Workers, UK); (6) Slovenia on road to accession (Mr Confalonieri, Various Interests, Italy). The ESC will also have to give its stance on an additional own initiative opinion on the future of cohesion dialogue in the prospect of enlargement and mutation towards the knowledge society (Mr Malosse, Employers, France).