Brussels, 21/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - The new president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Anne-Marie Sigmund has every reason to be satisfied: the work programme for her two year mandate that she presented to the EESC on 185 December got the overall support of all forces represented at the EESC.
The president of the "various activities group", Swedish farmer, Staffan Nilsson, kicked off the debate by quoting a proverb, " the hard part consists in deciding what we're going to do. This applies to your programme, Madam, which I fully support". He stressed the points that his group found important and highlighted social dialogue. The president of the workers' group, Italian trade unionist Mario Sepi was pleased to point out that the programme was on the lines of the "Göke Frerichs and Roger Briesch presidencies". Continuity, explained Mr Sepi, is important for getting things moving, "You are responding to the challenges of our era. We agree entirely on the economic and social contents, as well as your objectives, notably in connection with the internal organisation of the committee". Mario Sepi also highlighted the need for a social pact and in this context explained that financial perspectives should express the EU's general interest. He also said that they had to push forward strong policies. The Managing Director of Confcomercio (Italy) Giacomo Regaldo, told Ms Sigmund, with much enthusiasm, that her programme was ambitious and "so it should be", adding that, "it is Europe's future being played out today. I'm nostalgic about values that built Europe but this Europe needs a new renaissance…civil dialogue needs to be developed but a distinction between civil and social dialogue needs to be maintained as well…We will be credible if economic and social cohesion is one of these values that we nostalgically recall".
During the presentation of her programme (EUROPE 3 November p 15 and 15 December p 18) Ms Sigmund highlighted the challenges and priorities facing the EU, which are on the EESC's agenda, namely: 1) the Lisbon strategy: civil society is not involved in this strategy, said Ms Sigmund. It was therefore up to the Committee to work together with social partners and NGOs at a European level, to meet the challenge of presenting and putting into practice a ""rescue plan" for this strategy; 2) Communicating Europe: to get civil society involved, which therefore needed motivating, pointed out the new president. Ms Sigmund said that ratification of the Constitutional Treaty would be an opportunity to launch a campaign in this direction. She also called on Committee' members to be the most proactive proponents of this campaign; External Policy: Ms Sigmund said that the Commission had provided an intelligent signal by explicitly including neighbourhood policy in the competencies of Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Ms Sigmund also sees a new priority for the Committee in this arena. She considers that contacts with representatives of civil society in the Balkans has to be increased. She welcomed the success of the EESC's relations outside Europe, notably in the context of the EU/India Round Table. The president will strive to obtain a mandate for establishing a round table with China on the same model as that obtained with India.
In connection with the objectives and values of Europe, Ms Sigmund highlighted the close link between the Lisbon strategy and the strategy for sustainable development. The principle of sustainability is a European trump card and objective. She also declared that this principle aimed "to preserve the world's resources for future generations" and at the same time represented a solidarity pact between different peoples and countries in the world. Anne-Marie Sigmund announced the EESC's launch of a "Civil Society Prize", which reward outstanding achievements in aid of civil society. She concluded her speech by quoting the great Austrian writer Joseph Roth, dating from 1934 but which was still "pertinent", "It still exists, even today, of a desire, a nostalgia for European solidarity, a solidarity of European culture".