Brussels, 04/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - "The results of the Convention's work are far from perfect, but better than anticipated" said Roger Briesch, EESC chairman and its observer to the Convention, at the June plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee. "Overall, this project is a vital step towards the creation of a Europe of the people and no longer only of the States, of a community of values with its own identity, whilst guaranteeing linguistic and cultural diversity, as the EESC asked for in its resolution of 19 September 2002 (see EUROPE of 20 September 2002, p.16)", highlighted Mr Briesch. He added that there was still much work to be done, for instance on part III on policies, which he insisted should also have "an article clearly specifying the functions of the EESC in the legislative process of the Union and in the context of dialogue with civil society within and outside of the Union".
Chairman Briesch regretted the fact that the Convention "was not completely up to the economic and social stakes of European integration", and referred "personally" to "the inadequacy of provisions on economic governance, keeping unanimity for taxation matters and in certain areas of social policy, or again the absence of new provisions on services of general interest and of any reference to poverty eradication among the objectives of the Union". He feels that it is also to be regretted that the Convention "has given up the idea of according a constitutional basis to the open method of co-ordination, which is an important instrument to move economic and social cohesion forward". Lastly, the EESC chairman said that "the absence of provisions allowing civil society organisations effectively to be part of Community politics and decision-making and to embody civil dialogue constitutes a major void in the draft Constitution".