Brussels, 24/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will be meeting for its plenary session in Brussels on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 April, chaired by Dimitris Dimitriadis. On request from the German Presidency of the EU, the EESC will be voting on three exploratory opinions on (1) European metropolises, (2) the EU's territorial agenda and (3) transport in urban and metropolitan areas. Debates in the afternoon of Wednesday 25 April will be attended by Englebert Lütke Daldrup, Secretary of State at the German federal ministry for transport, building and urban development, explains an EESC press release.
In the exploratory opinion on (1) European metropolises, Joost van Iersel (Employers' Group, the Netherlands) calls for the Commission to draw up a Green Paper on metropolitan areas to supplement the territorial agenda and the strategic cohesion guidelines and stimulate European debate; (2) the EU's territorial agenda, Luis Miguel Pariza Castanos (Workers' Group, Spain) suggests that the Council of Ministers applies an Open Coordination Method for the territorial agenda with detailed guidelines as a first step in integrating these issues into the EC method following approval of the constitutional treaty, and asks the Commission to suggest to the Council that progress is made in implementing the territorial agenda based on the current legal framework; (3) transport in urban and metropolitan areas, Lutz Ribbe (Diverse Activities Group, Germany) urges the Commission to put forward as part of the planned Green Paper on urban transport a series of measures following on from the guidelines and drawing up action programmes with a view to meeting the objectives.
Other opinions to be submitted for approval by the EESC include 1) promoting cycling; 2) completing the internal market in postal services; 3) the EU's maritime policy; 3) the common port policy in the EU; 4) guidelines for Member States' employment policies; 5) the report on competition policy in 2005; and 6) cat and dog fur. Info: http://www.eesc.europa.eu (gb)