Brussels, 24/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - In a press statement, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) expressed its delight in its conclusions that the European Council of 22-23 March “welcomed the important contribution made by the EESC to the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy”. The press release also explains that the European Council is “encouraging the EESC to set up an interactive network of initiatives from civil society, in collaboration with the economic and social committees of Member States”. It added that this network would aim to promote the Lisbon strategy and bring the debate to European civil society. The Committee elaborated a simple exploratory Opinion at the request of the Spring Summit of March 2004 entitled, “For a Better Implementations of the Lisbon Strategy and adopted in November 2004, with the economic and social committees of Member States, a declaration on this subject.