Brussels, 09/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will be meeting for a plenary session on Wednesday and Thursday 11-12 May under the presidency of Anne-Marie Sigmund. The Commissioner for taxation and customs union, Laszlo Kovacs will be speaking on Thursday on the theme of “EU Taxation and Customs Policy: a Plan for Advancing”. A debate with councillors will follow and the EESC is then expected to adopt an opinion on taxation, “Simplifying and Modernising VAT” for which the rapporteur is former Secretary General of the EU Banking Federation, Umberto Burani. Changes to working time, the system of own resources, money laundering, European funds for fishing and EU/India relations will be at the heart of the Council members' work. During this session, the commits is also expected to adopt an exploratory opinion, at the request of the Luxembourg presidency of the Council of the EU on the role of sustainable development within financial perspectives rapporteur: Ms Sirkeinen, Confederation of Industry and employers, Finland; co-rapporteurs: Lutz Ribbe, Euronatur, Germany; Ernst Erik Ehnmark, White Collar Workers HQ, Sweden). The main opinions in the session agenda are as follows according to an EESC press release:
1) Changes to working time (Ursula Engelen-Kefer, vice president of the German Trade Union Federation DGB-: adopted on 21 April by the “Employment, Social Affairs, Citizenship” section of the EESC. This opinion considers that it is up to social partners at a national level to elaborate flexible working hours and to highlight the four key points: the priority role of social partners; an approach in compliance with the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice on stand-by hours; appropriate measures for organising working hours to better reconcile professional and private life; re-examination of the individual opt-out. A draft counter-opinion was elaborated which the Bureau will have to ratify on 10 May. EUROPE will be returning to this issue.
2) System of own resources (Umberto Burani): the opinion investigates the rationality of maintaining VAT as part of the Union's own resources and proposes to replace it with an adjustment on rates of Gross National Income. The EESC is still opposed to a tax on energy pollutants and to any increase in taxes.
3) Money Laundering (John Simpson, consultant and advisor in economics, United Kingdom): the opinion underlines the need to clarify provisions on confiscation of criminal funds and the request to aid third countries in the fight against organised crime and to cooperate in specific domains such as tax evasion abroad.
4) European fund for fishing (Gabriel Sarro Iparraguire, vice president of Spanish fisheries organisations): the opinion calls on the Commission to extend the subsidiarity principle as much as possible to allow Member States more room for manoeuvre. It suggests an additional objective for funds interventions in order to “safeguard good quality of workplaces and to improve living conditions, hygiene and the working environment”.
The EESC will also be called on to give a verdict on the three own initiative opinions on the themes of: 1) Measurement and information instruments on social responsibility of enterprise in a global economy; 2) the multilateral trade system: what road after Cancun? 3) EU/India relations. Other opinions submitted for adoption concern legal protection of designs or models and paediatric medicines.