11/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - In response to the invitation extended by the PES Group president of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Michel Delebarre, the President of the Socialist Group at the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, met Socialist members of the CoR before the plenary gathering of the CoR on 29 September. During this exchange of views, Martin Schulz hoped there would be strengthened cooperation between the two PES Groups and felt that the elected members should speak on common and targeted matters such as public services for example. Mr Schulz also hoped the CoR would henceforth meet as a political assembly (a call heard by the CoR plenary that voted for seats of local and regional representatives to be divided according to political group: see EUROPE of 2 October, p.16), and for joint meetings of the Conference of Presidents of the EP and CoR political groups to be rekindled. In the past, they were held at regular intervals, the secretary general of the PES Group of the Cor, Jordi Harrison, pointed out.