Brussels, 12/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - The 4th meeting of the EU/China Round Table, held at the seat of the French Economic and Social Council in Paris on 6 and 7 November, tackled three themes: - corporate social responsibility, trade and investment, and the recycling industry. The delegation of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) was headed by its president, Mario Sepi, and that of the Chinese Economic and Social Council (CESC) by its vice-president, Li Changjian.
On the theme of corporate social responsibility, the Round Table pointed out that this responsibility is based on respect and effective and dynamic application of fundamental rights and labour standards as well as on the principles of sustainable development, and includes voluntary commitment on the part of the company, going beyond the normative framework, an EESC press release states. On the subject of trade and investment, the Round Table highlighted the important potential of bilateral exchange and stressed the fact that trade and economic issues must be dealt with by taking social and environmental concerns into account.
During the debates, Mario Sepi expressed his concern about the serious consequences of the financial and economic crisis and urged the international community to strengthen financial cooperation. For Information: http://www.eesc.europa.eu (G.B./transl.jl)