Brussels, 23/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - At the plenary meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels on 25 and 26 February, to be chaired by Roger Briesch, Vice-President of the European Commission, Loyola de Palacio, will take stock of inter-institutional relations and transport policy. On the sidelines of the session, President Briesch, together with the President of the Bulgarian Economic and Social Council Lalko Dulevski will talk about the EESC's increasing role in the context of participative democracy.
Amongst other things, those taking part will discuss the role of scientists in the European Research Area, the exploitation of fish resources, social cohesion in Latin America and the Caribbean, the reform of the tobacco, cotton and olive oil sectors, the passage to digital in the broadcasting sector, and equal opportunities for disabled persons. They will pronounce themselves on four own-initiative opinions: 1) budgetary policy and types of investment (rapporteur: Susanna Florio, worker's group, Italy); 2) employment support measures (rapporteur: Renate Hornung-Draus, employers' group, Germany; co-rapporteur, Wolfgang Greif, workers' group, Austria); 3) repercussions from free-trade agreement of the Americas on EU/Latin America/Caribbean relations (rapporteur: Mario Soares, workers' group, Portugal). The own-initiative report on what nuclear has to offer electricity production (rapporteur: Claude Cambus, workers' group, France), which was to have been put to the January plenary after some forty amendments were presented, has been postponed to the February session. Despite the rapporteur's attempts to reach a compromise position, a counter-opinion will be presented to Wednesday's plenary, as opponents of nuclear refuse to give any ground (see EUROPE of 31 January, p.17).