Brussels, 29/09/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will be meeting in plenary in Brussels on Wednesday 30 September and Thursday 1 October 2009, chaired by Mario Sepi. The meeting will start on Wednesday at 2.30pm with a debate on employment and professional training against the backdrop of the economic crisis. The speakers will include Sweden's Secretary of State at the Employment Ministry Eva Uddén Sonnegard, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Employment Committee, Director of CEDEFOP Aviana Bulgarelli, Director of EUROFOUND Jorma Karppinen and Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at the OECD, John Martin. A second debate will be held on 9.00am on Thursday on the EU's employment policy and social issues, to be addressed by EU Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimir Spidla.
Economic and social advisors will be examining own initiative reports on the Northern dimension of disadvantaged regions, work and poverty, the de Larosière Report, the impact of the global crisis on major EU manufacturing and services industries and the impact of hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds and investment funds on industrial change. The agenda can be found at http: //http://www.eesc.europa.eu (G. B/transl.fl)