Brussels, 04/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - In a meeting on 3 May chaired by Gustav Anders (EPP, Sweden), the Committee of the Regions' Economic and Social Policy Committee examined the new European Social Agenda for 2006-2010 with the rapporteur of the European Parliament, Ria Oomen-Ruijten (EPP-ED, Netherlands), and the rapporteur of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Linetta Serri (PES, Italy). In her draft opinion, Linetta Serri welcomed the Commission's proposals for social affairs based on full employment and the arrival of a more solidarity-oriented society. She noted, however, that it was vital to pursue large-scale objectives and make immediately noticeable improvements in living and working conditions in the Member States, adding that this would also require great involvement of local and regional communities.
During the meeting, Chairman Gustav Anders presented his own initiative opinion on 'competitiveness and decentralisation' (which Europe will be returning to). The executive director of the La Baule Forum, Patrick Lefeu, spoke about the role of the regions in the Lisbon Strategy (the La Baule Forum is an important arena for debate for hundreds of leading figures from industry, politics, academia and the media, which aims to make a tangible contribution to implementing the Lisbon Process).
The Committee also discussed the draft opinion by Alvaro Ancisi (EPP, Italy) on the Green Paper on economic migration with the participation of the Mayor of Rotterdam; the President of the Eurocities' Migration/Integration working group Harry Van Onna, and a Spanish trade unionist member of the European Economic and Social Committee (ESC), Luis Miguel Pariza Castanos.