Brussels, 10/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - At the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels on 3-4 December, French Secretary of State for European Affairs Jean-Pierre Jouyet reviewed the French Presidency of the EU, highlighting that it was “a crisis management Presidency which needed the 27 member states to show solidarity”, whether in response to the Georgian conflict with Abkhazia or the global financial crisis. Jouyet also said that the Presidency had confronted the issues of energy and climate change head-on. EESC President Mario Sepi and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso spoke of the recovery plan for growth and jobs, agreeing that action taken must be “targeted, timely and temporary”. In addition to these speeches, the EESC adopted a series of reports, in particular in the areas of energy and transport.
Energy - the committee adopted three reports: - Future investments in the nuclear industry and the role of such investments in EU energy policy [report by Edgardo Iozia (Group II, Employees, Italy)]; - The social implications of transport and energy developments [Laure Batut (Group II, Employees, France)]; - Addressing the challenge of energy efficiency through Information and Communication Technologies [report by Bernardo Hernández Bataller (Group III, Various Interests, Spain)]
Transport - The EESC adopted the report by Marius Opran (Group I, Employers, Romania) calling for support for the European aeronautics industry, and the report on the air traffic management joint undertaking (SESAR) drafted by Ms An Le Nouail Marlière.
Lastly, with the adoption of the reports by Laure Batut and Wolfgang Greif (Group II, Employees, Austria), the EESC delivered its opinion on European Works Councils, saying that there has to be swift and definite improvement in information and consultation of workers in transnational companies. For further information on the session and the reports: http: //eesc.europa.eu (O.L./transl.rt)