Brussels, 30/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - Th Austrian Green, Johannes Voggenhuber, member of the European Convention, welcomed the accession of new members at the request of setting up a Convention working from on Social Europe and of holding a debate in plenary on Social Europe (see EUROPE of 28 September, p.4, for the next plenary, and 20 September, p.5 for the press conference by Belgian Socialist Anne van Lancker). Mr. Voggenhuber, who notes that the request was also signed by Pierre Moscovici, representative of the French Government, and Louis Michel, Belgian Foreign Minister, says in a press release that this initiative is a "reaction to the block" of the Convention's presidium on the social policy front.. This block, which "it seems stems from certain governments, threatens the Convention's integrity and independence", says Voggenhuber, accusing Valery Giscard d'Eataing of having denied the interest of the "social issue" for the Convention.