Brussels, 21/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - Meeting for their plenary session on 15 and 16 September in Brussels, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted all the opinions on its agenda (see EUROPE of 8 September, p.15). The Committee thus pronounced itself in favour of the following opinions, according to a press release.
1) Action plan in favour of entrepreneurship (Ben Butters, employers, UK). This opinion recalls that for several years, political decision-makers and European and national civil servants have stressed the need to "think small first". In this opinion, the EESC calls upon politicians to put their words into deeds, "if the EU is to create an environment in which new and existing enterprises are to be able to flourish". Only in this case, states the Committee, will the EU be able to face its global rivals and meet its employment and growth targets.
2) Towards the 7th research framework programme: research needs in the area of demographic change- quality of life fore elderly people and technical needs (own-opinion initiative presented by the German Renate Heinisch, a pharmacist by profession). The Committee calls for: 1) measures to guarantee, within the European Constitution amongst others, elderly European citizens the right to live in dignity and actively participate in the decision-making process and in the exercise of citizenship; 2) the creation of a European monitoring centre to set up a European Agency on Ageing. The Committee noted that the need for research is particularly evident in the following areas: economic and financial policy, work and employment, the daily life of the elderly, life-long learning, process and collating of information.
3) The role of women's organisations as non-State actors in implementing the Cotonou Agreement (rapporteur: Italian trade unionist Susanna Florio). In order to boost the position of women in developing countries, who are more affected by poverty and privation, the Commission particularly recommends: 1) giving the European Commission's delegations a mandate to promote the mainstreaming of gender issues: 2) creating a line of funding specifically for women's and civil society organisations: 3) introducing measures for women's organisations in strategy documents for each country in question.
4) Peri-urban Agriculture (own-initiative opinion presented by Spanish farmer Joan Caball i Subirana):
The EESC proposes that impetus be given to European action on peri-urban agricultural spaces, in order to recognise their values and roles and to pave the way for each country to be able to draw up specific legislation on their protection and development, based on common fundamental criteria. The EESC would also like to see a European Observatory for peri-urban agriculture, to work as a reference centre for the follow-up, analysis and distribution of information on the situation of European peri-urban agriculture.
5) Tourism policy and co-operation between the public and private sectors. By adopting this own-initiative opinion proposed by Spanish Unionist Juan Mendoza Castro, the Committee is inviting the Commission to study the possibility of creating a European consultative council on tourism, whilst announcing its intention of making an annual contribution to World Tourism Day, which was initiated by the World Tourism Organisation.
(The results of the plenary session of the EESC and the opinions adopted can be consulted on the website http://www.esc.eu.int ).