European Economic and Social Committee

The Voice of Group III Va r i ou s I n t e re s t s MARCH 2007 NO. 2

• Group III: Past - Present - FutureContinued from page 1

• Sustainable Development Observatory (SDO)Liaison Group‘s first meeting this year

• Our Group’s StrengthFarmer’s Category – Should we grow food or fuel?9th European Consumer Day

• Group III members coordinating the work onopinions

• Group III Members’ Organisations In The Spotlight

• News from European Agreed Organisations

• Highlights of our Members’ Work

• An Insight Into Group III Leadership

Manifesto of Estonian Non-governmentalOrganisations

The 50th anniversary is a cause for celebration but also an opportunity to reflecton what is required for the EU to progress from the economic union of the Treatyof Rome to a citizens’ union. EU initiatives such as plan “D”, the White Paperon European communication policy and proposals to improve transparency showthat reaching out and involving citizens is now a priority. Indeed this was also theintention of the authors of a Treaty which innovated by being not just aninstrument for governments, but also for citizens.

With similar aspirations in mind Estonian civil society organizations, under theleadership of the Network of Estonian Non-profit Organisations (NENO)started to work out the Estonian Civil Society Concept (EKAK) back in 1999.After extensive consultations with NGOs across the country and debates with allpolitical parties, EKAK was finally approved by the Estonian parliament Riigikoguin 2002. EKAK defines the complementary roles of the public and non-profitsector in developing and implementing public policies and describes the principlesand mechanisms of cooperation in building up strong civil society in Estonia.

However, the inability of the public sector to effectively implement the measuresforeseen by the EKAK four years after since its adoption has led to the frustrationand disillusionment among a number of NGOs. Given the upcomingparliamentary elections in March 2007 and the obvious need to consolidate andstrengthen the voice of the non-profit sector NENO launched an initiative thattogether with other NGOs sought to work out a so-called Manifesto of Non --governmental Organizations www.ngo.ee/11854 (for the upcomingparliamentary elections ). Over the course of several months a number ofconsultations were held with NGOs and political parties.

During a public hearing of political parties on their platforms on civil societydevelopment it became clear, however, that although all parties do mention theimportance of strong civil society in their platforms they all lack a clear andcomprehensive vision and in some cases their understanding of the concept ofcivil society emphasises the importance of arts and culture societies as well asvillage associations but fails to recognize the work of advocacy groups andwatchdogs. As if to prove that the Constitutional Committee of the Riigikogudecided to cancel a parliamentary session (a public hearing) on theimplementation of EKAK as a nationally important strategic issue that EKAKsets forth as one of the monitoring instruments of EKAK’s actualimplementation and that was originally scheduled to be held in mid-February.

Now, after the elections, NENO together with its partners is working to ensurethat measures foreseen by the Manifesto will be in the agenda of the incominggovernment.

1000 days in the European Union with its trends to hear and consult its citizenshave been one of the main triggers for even the typically reserved Nordic peoplein Estonia.

It is every citizen’s duty to make a stand if necessary and not to wait for beingasked for their opinion.

EditorialMall HellamVice-president of Group IIIRepresentative of the Network of Estonian Non-Profit Organisations (NENO)

Interview of the month

Group III: Past - Present - Future

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary we askedMr Ceballo HERRERO for an interview to sharewith us his thoughts now, after having lived throughall phases of the EU construction. Mr FranciscoCEBALLO HERRERO, Chairman of GeneralAssociation of Consumers (ASCEGO) in Spain, isthe doyen member of Group III, serving at theCommittee since 1986.

EUROPE III – What are your thoughts on the 50th

anniversary of the Treaty of Rome? How do you see theevolution of the EU and how important was the role of thecivil society organisation in this process?

For me, 50 years of peace is a fundamental and mostwelcome fact. And the Union has played a critical rolein achieving this. Europe has done a lot at economiclevel, but it is necessary to go deeper towards politicalintegration so that we could carry much more weight inthe process of globalisation. Being Spanish, becomingpart of Europe meant winning the fight for democracy.Spain’s presence in Europe has contributed to a greatextent to its modernisation.

EUROPE III – As a consumer organisation representative,how do you see your work back home influenced by theCommittee’s role in the EU decision-making process?

The EESC has contributed a lot to the work of ourorganisations and it has helped them in modernisingour working practices. The EESC has gradually drivenus to think in European terms, understand howimportant it is to be rallied by a European organisation/ network, understand and apply social dialogue andpromote participatory democracy. But, above all it hastaught us to act together, as a single voice of civil society,in spite of all the various interests that we represent.

EUROPE III – How do you see the Committee’s role inthe future and in consolidating the EU democraticgovernance?

It is important that the Committee develop its role asa builder of consensus at all levels of acceptability ofnorms and policies. The Committee should be the

“Being Spanish,becoming part ofEurope meantwinning the fightfor democracy.”

vehicle of civil society and take a strong stand on itsbehalf and in respect of major issues of concern, suchas the environment, that we have to deal with seriouslyat the moment.

EUROPE III – What would be your message, as asenior, to other members of the Group?

The members of Group III should be leaders engagedin social and civic endeavours, such as the consumers’movement; should be the driving force in organisationswhich act with integrity and, above all, are independentfrom the rest of the market operators and, at the sametime, stand out on the associative environment.Therefore, they should prove their independence,representativity and militancy in affairs such as, amongother things, sustainable development, corporate socialresponsibility and responsible consumption.

To get a broader perspective of what our members’thoughts and ideals are about the EU, when wecelebrate it, we also interviewed the youngest memberof our Group, Mr Martin CHREN, representative ofthe F. A. Hayek Foundation, Bratislava, Slovakia.

EUROPE III – It’s less than half a year since you becamea member of the EESC, Group III. You joined theCommittee at a moment when Europe undergoes a lot oftransformations. Also your country has gone throughmany transformations after the collapse of communismand towards EU accession.

On the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, howdo you see the future of Europe and the role of civilsociety organisations in the EU construction?

The quote that Europe is currently standing at acrossroads is more than just a phrase. The EuropeanUnion, growing in size, is on the one hand, accumulatingmore and more political power, while, on the other hand,it is perceived that it is drifting farther and farther awayfrom its citizens. As a liberal, in the classical sense of theword, I see the key to prosperity lying in the soundness

“I see the key toprosperity lyingin the soundnessand smartness ofour economic andsocial policies”

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and smartness of our economic and social policies. Sound policy leadsto sound politics - and the civil society organisations at the Europeanlevel could do a very good job in shaping these sound policies throughthe good management of active communication between the EUinstitutions and its citizens. We need to focus on the problems ofgeneral interest of the European population, not just on those of someinfluential interest groups. This would mean that civil societyorganisations should sometimes come out of the shadows, because,eventually, each civil society organisation is an interest group itself.However, civil society organisations can set the best example of howan active dialogue should work.

EUROPE III – What was your first impression of the Committeeand of Group III, in particular? Was there much difference fromthe way you perceived it from the outside?

Probably the most impressive hallmark of Group III is its diversity,arising from the variety of different backgrounds its members arecoming from. Discussions within the Group are sometimes more

diverse, deeper, and intellectually enriching than discussions amongthe three Groups within the plenary.

EUROPE III – What is the impact of the EESC’s work on youractivities back home? Do you feel that the interests of those yourepresent reach the EU decision-making process?

Coming from a public policy think-tank, I consider it as a greatopportunity to be a small part of the European policy makingprocess. Considering such a background, what I can see nowadaysis a small “clash of civilizations” among the young, ambitious EUmember countries, such as my homeland - Slovakia – and the oldmember states. A poorer country than most of its Westernneighbours, Slovakia is trying hard to improve the welfare of itscitizens through a set of progressive reforms. However, such effortsoften create competitive pressures on the older EU countries. Ihope, for the future, to be able to explain to other EESC membersthat economic and social reforms do not necessarily representnegative competition, to convince them that helping increase theprosperity of their eastern neighbours is also in their interest, andthat such competitive pressure could actually be the very muchneeded impetus for the necessary changes in the policies, on a

broader scale, at the EU level.

EUROPE III – While celebrating the 50th anniversary of theTreaty of Rome, let’s allow ourselves to be daring with Europeangoals. How do you see the ideal role of the EESC in the EU decision-making process?

The time is coming for Europe today to extensively review itspolicies, with a goal to maintain - or sometimes try to gain back - itscompetitiveness and economic and social sustainability. From myyet short experience, I feel that first of all, the EESC needs toimprove its own impact and visibility in the policy making process.Once it succeeds in this, the EESC could become the one Europeanbody that will shape the discussion and divert the focus away frompolitical skirmishes and scuffles to the real problems of the citizensin the different European countries.

Our Group’s StrengthThe Farmer’s Category

The Farmer’s category met on 7 March where anofficial from the European Commission, Ms Summa,Head of Bio-energy Unit (DG Agriculture) gave apresentation on the topic Should we grow food or fuel.

Members of the category expressed many concernsabout the consequences of taking arable land out offood production and converting it to growing cropsfor fuel production. Many speakers felt that adequatefunding or preferential financial incentives should bemade available to farmers from the EU budget, to helpthem cope with any change-over in land usage. It wassuggested that an observatory should be set-up tomonitor best practices in the EU and elsewhere in theworld, to provide information on the costs ofproduction and monitor environmental management.A large bone of contention was competition withother large scale bio fuel producers such as the USA,

where vast territories are available and the markets aremuch protected and Brazil, where environmentalcontrols could not be guaranteed and labour andproduction costs are very low, by comparison withthose in the EU. The Commission is convinced that“food security is not in conflict” with fuel-crops. It wasnecessary that EU politicians should take a firm andclear decision on bio-fuels and stick to it long term,even if oil prices were to tumble.

A second representative of DG Agriculture, Mr JohnBensted-Smith, gave an overview of the “Health

Check 2008”. A number of members of the categorypointed to the lack of trust in the Commission, giventhat the de-coupling of farm payments system wasintroduced despite promises that the “Agenda 2000”scheme would last untouched until 2007. TheCommission assured the members that the “HealthCheck” would not involve any major reforms, butwas to see if the CAP funding was functioningproperly. Group III President Mr Nilsson pointedout that the current system of cross-compliance wastoo burdensome and bureaucratic and theCommission should look at ways of simplifying thesystem. He also said that the current system inoperation of the penalisation of farmers for lateregistration of animals was unfair.

Many members complained about past and currentWTO negotiations and said that the EU should

resist vigorously giving any more ground onagriculture. The Commission, conversely, saw theWTO as an opportunity to open up newagricultural markets elsewhere for EU farm produce.

Consumers and Environment Category9th European Consumer Day

The Consumers and Environment Category (CEC)held its meeting on 28February. The ten newmembers, who have recentlyjoined this structure, werewelcomed and the maintopics discussed were: howto improve the exchange ofrelevant informationbetween CEC members andto reach out and develop

closer contacts with relevant European environmentaland consumer organisations. They also beganplanning for a joint meeting with the Farmers’category, which will take place later in the year.

The EESC organised the 9th European Consumer

Day (celebrated every year on the 15th of March), incooperation with the Federation of GermanConsumer Organisations, in Berlin, on 16 March2007. The conference had as a main theme Financial

Services in the EU and enjoyed a high levelattendance: Mrs. Meglana Kuneva (Commissioner

for Consumer Protection), the German Minister ofJustice Mrs. Brigitte Zypries, Mr. Walter Momper(the President of the Berlin House ofRepresentatives), Mrs. Edda Müller (executiveDirector of the Federation of German ConsumerOrganizations) and our President Mr. DimitrisDimitriadis. Mr Dick Westendorp, co-spokespersonof the Consumer and Environment, briefed us onthe works of the conference. While in the past thefinancial industry was a closed market, now anexchange of views and information is absolutelynecessary to come to a fair, transparent andcompetitive market. Constructive negotiationsbetween consumer organisations and/or consumerrepresentatives and the suppliers of financialproducts (self-regulation) must lead to arrangementsand contracts in which the relevant parties come tofair model contracts and/or standard clauses. A codeof conduct for the financial institutes, i.e. self-regulation, would lead to much more flexibility ofrules and deals to monitor the market developmentsthan what is possible with laws and directives.During the conference, a lot of attention was given todistance selling as well, for which conditions have tobe settled before it becomes a common sellingmethod in all EU countries.

More information on the categories’ work can be foundon our website, by contacting the Secretariat of GroupIII or the spokespersons the categories.

Other news thatmatters

The Sustainable Development Observatory (SDO) islooking at the possibility of drawing up an own-initiative opinionon Climate Change and the Lisbon Strategy. The reasoning behindthis proposal is that the Lisbon strategy should contain a strongsustainable development dimension. Consequently, it would beappropriate to integrate climate change issues into the strategy.Since the EESC’s ongoing work on the Lisbon strategy, on issuesconcerning sustainable development and particularly on climatechange are hardly visible, it is time to integrate these issues in theEESC work programme, and to make the EESC a very visible actorin the fight against climate change. The opinion could highlightthe role of the European institutions and of civil societyorganisations in integrating sustainable development and climatechange aspects into the Lisbon strategy. The idea is that theCommission could then have adequate time to take note of theEESC’s views, in preparation for the review of the Lisbon strategy,which will take place in March, 2008.

Liaison Group‘s first meeting this year

The Liaison Group with civil society organisations and networksheld its 12th meeting on 1 March 2007. The Liaison Group had todiscuss and adopt an operational work programme for 2007-2008.Based on the findings and recommendations in the Liaison Group’sevaluation report, on the discussions held between the LiaisonGroup’s co-chair, Jean-Marc Roirant, and the three GroupPresidents, the representatives of European civil societyorganisations and networks agreed on a number of proposals aspriority issues defining a work programme for 2007-2008. Theproposed themes are in line with the political priorities of theEESC and of other EU institutions such as the EuropeanCommission: re-launching the Constitutional Treaty, interculturaldialogue - immigration and enlargement, social reality in Europeand the Lisbon strategy, European governance and civil dialogue,EU budget reform, follow-up to the White Paper on EuropeanCommunication Policy, sustainable development, spirit ofenterprise with a human face.

During the meeting, Mr Mario SEPI, president of the EESCEmployees’ Group, presented a report on the state of the EESC

work, followed by an exchange of views on the Liaison Groupcontribution to the synthesis report, prepared in collaboration withnational Economic and Social Councils, to be presented to the2008 Spring European Council. This will concern theimplementation, at national level, of the Lisbon Strategy, and thethematic reports related to the four areas for priority actionsidentified by the 2006 Spring European Council: investment inknowledge and innovation, business potential, employment ofpriority categories and the definition of an energy policy forEurope.

The Liaison Group is made up of representatives of European civilsociety organisations and networks and of members of the EESC.The Group III members in the Liaison Group, after its recentenlargement, are: Mr Miklos BARABAS, Mr BernardoHERNÁNDEZ BATALLER, Mr Jan OLSSON, Mr SukhdevSHARMA, Mr Staffan NILSSON and Mr János TOTH.

One piece of news that also matters for Group IIISecretariat is the recent birth of Victoria, daughter of our colleagueIrina Jancová. We wish Irina and Victoria good health and a longand happy life.

Group III: Past - Present - FutureContinued from page 1

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Not Such a Happy Birthday for theEuropean Youth Pact at the SpringSummit

This year’s Spring European Council marks thesecond anniversary of the European Youth Pact, as it

was adopted by this body in 2005, and reaffirmed by theEU Heads of State and Government last year. However,the European Youth Forum believes this is not really aday of celebration, as the European Youth Pact has yetto deliver any tangible results at either European ornational levels, as illustrated in the EuropeanCommission’s Lisbon progress report published inDecember 2006.The Pact represents a cross-sectoral policy initiative,which was inscribed in the Lisbon Strategy and aims toachieve the better integration of young people inemployment and society in general; to adapt educationto the needs of a knowledge-based economy; and tobetter respond to the vulnerable situation of youth in thecurrent demographic context – notably through policiesto reconcile family and work life and encourage greateryouth autonomy. The European Youth Forum still trulybelieves in the potential of the Youth Pact for addressingthe cross-sectoral nature of the challenges facing youngpeople. The Forum also warns on the undesirablesituation that the Youth Pact become obsolete anduseless rather than youthful and effective.

For more information about the European Youth Forumadopted in EU Spring Summit 2005, please visit theEuropean Youth Forum website www.youthforum.org

COPA – COGECA pleads forsimplification of CAP

COPA and COGECA have adopted a position ontechnical simplification of theCommon Agricultural Policy(CAP), commenting on theCommission’s proposal for the

single Common Market Organisation (CMO) and itsaction plan on simplification. COPA and COGECAhave also made 50 specific proposals of their own for amore simple and effective CAP, guided by 5 principles:more clarity, less form-filling, greater co-ordination,reasonable inspections and revised sanctions. Accordingto COPA and COGECA, the Commission hascommitted to technical simplifications only. Theproposals of COPA and COGECA come directly fromthose who have to deal with red tape in agricultural policyevery day and are the first to suffer from it. The position paper is available on COPA –COGECA’swebsite:http://www.copacogeca.be/pdf/pr_07_19f_1e.pdf

EUPS commits for quality services

The European Union of Social Pharmacies hasundertaken 6 commitments for quality pharmaceuticalservices in order to facilitate patient’s access to clearlydefined and needs based quality pharmaceutical services.We only mention the social pharmacies’ commitments toknow patient’s need in order to adapt their services, toupdate the skills of pharmacists and their staff and toimprove consultation between pharmacists and otherhealth care providers in the patient’s interest. The EUPSalso has made recommendations on the methods ofpayment for pharmaceutical services, with a view toencouraging the development of services that patients andsociety expect of the pharmacist, in other words, thepromotion of an effective and safe use of medicines.

The social pharmacies can be found in Belgium, France,Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Switzerland andthe United Kingdom. Their aim is to seek to introducethe concept of all-round health care, covering not justdispensing but all the various elements which go with it,in terms of receiving customers, advice and information,prevention etc. To find out more about the EUSP’s initiatives, pleasevisit the organisation’s website at:http://www.eurosocialpharma.org

Mr Heiko STEFFENS will chair the study group of theopinion on A Competitive Automotive RegulatoryFramework for the 21st Century. Commission’s position on theCARS 21 High Level Group Final Report. A contribution tothe EU’s Growth and Jobs Strategy (INT/351).

Other Group III members of this study group: Mr JurajSTERN and Mr János TÓTH.

Mr Roberto CONFALONIERI will chair the studygroup of the exploratory opinion on Radio FrequencyIdentification – RFID (TEN/293).

Other Group III members of this study group: MrLucien BOUIS and Mr Bernardo HERNÁNDEZBATALLER.

Mr Frank ALLEN, Mr Corrado ROSSITTO, MrsElzbieta SZADZIŃSKA and Mr Gerd WOLF aremembers of the study group of the exploratory opinionon The contribution of information technologies tosustainability (TEN/294).

Mr Bernardo HERNÁNDEZ BATALLER has beenappointed Rapporteur of the exploratory opinion on

Future e-Accessibility legislation and ageing in particular(TEN/295).

Other Group III members of this study group: Mr PoulLÜNEBORG and Mrs Renate HEINISCH.

Mr Jorge PEGADO LIZ will chair the study group ofthe opinion on Requirements for accreditation and marketsurveillance relating to the marketing of products/Commonframework for the marketing of products/National technicalrules for products lawfully marketed in another MemberState. (INT/352/353/354)

Other Group III members of this study group: MrTomasz CZAJKOWSKI, Mr DickWESTENDORP and Mrs Pirkko RAUNEMAA.

Mr Javier SÁNCHEZ ANSÓ will chair the studygroup of the exploratory opinion on

Health and future of the CAP after 2013 (NAT/359).

Other Group III members of this study group: MrHervé COUPEAU, Mr Seppo KALLIO, Mr MartinNOSE and Mr Lutz RIBBE.

Mr Kaul NURM will chair the study group of theadditional opinion on The agricultural employmentsituation in the EU and the accession countries: options foraction for 2010 (NAT/175).

Other Group III member of this study group: MrLudvik JÍROVEC.

Mr Hubert GHIGONIS will chair the study group ofthe information report on A Competitive AutomotiveRegulatory Framework for the 21st Century. Commission’sposition on the CARS 21 High Level Group Final Report.A contribution to the EU’s Growth and Jobs Strategy(CCMI).

Other Group III member of this study group: Mr JánosTÓTH.

Mrs Teresa COSTA MACEDO, Mr StaffanNILSSON, Mr Sukhdev SHARMA, Mrs Jillian vanTURNHOUT and Mr Dick WESTENDORP arehave been nominated as members of the Round TableEU/CHINA (REX).

Highlights of MARCH 2007 EESC Plenary Session

Group III members coordinating the work on opinions

On 21 March, the European Commission decided toopen a public register for all interest representativesworking to influence decisions taken in EUinstitutions. While registration will be voluntary, thereare clear rules on what information subscribers wouldhave to supply: In whose name am I speaking? What aremy goals? How am I funded, and by whom? Theinitiative offers an opportunity to all interestrepresentatives to underscore that lobbying the EUinstitutions is a legitimate and useful activity, and one thatcan stand up to full public scrutiny. All documents as wellas the contributions to the Green Paper are available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/kallas/transparency_en.htm.

Best Practices of Combating Discrimination in Spain

Fundación ONCE, represented by Mr Miguel AngelCABRA de LUNA, member of Group III, hasrecently launched a study Faces against discrimination.It relates nine stories of people with disabilities: three ofwhom have been employed by an ordinary company bythe Programme, three others who have developed a self-employment project, also supported by the Programme,and the last three stories are businessmen and womenwho are developing a staff recruitment policy, favouringpeople with disabilities. “Faces against discrimination“has been co-funded by the ESF in the framework of theOperational Programme to Combat Discrimination.For more information on the study in question and onother works elaborated and published by ONCEFoundation, please visit the website of ONCEFoundation: www.fundaciononce.es

Fairtrade Festival in the UK

Photo: Richard Adams (right) outside the new Sage MusicCentre on the Gateshead / Newcastle Quayside

Mr Richard ADAMS, member of Group III (UK),briefed us on the Fairtrade Fortnight, in early March,

the UK’s nationwide festival celebrating the range of2,500 products on sale which carry the Fairtrade Mark.250 towns, cities and villages have ‘Fairtrade’ status,which means they meet tough commitments to use andsell fair trade products. Richard ADAMS, who was akey person in founding Britain’s fair trade movement inthe 1970s, has awarded Fairtrade status to MaureenGoldsworthy, the mayor of Gateshead, in north-eastEngland. The UK has seen massive growth in Fairtradesales – now at an annual €450 million and growing byover 40% a year. The UK is the world’s biggest marketfor fair trade goods, though Mr ADAMS says he wouldbe delighted if it was overtaken by as many EU countriesas possible. In 58 developing countries around the world,580 primary producer organisations, usually agriculturalco-operatives, benefit from selling on fair trade market.

The Economic and Social Council inFrance – an active contributor to theEC consultations

Mrs Evelyne PICHENOT briefed us on the latestinitiatives taken by the Economic and Social Councilin France, with respect to EC public consultations. Atthe beginning of each year, the French CES, through itsDelegation for the European Union chaired by MrsPICHENOT, member of Group III, makes aninventory of the public consultations opened by theEuropean Commission. The document, which she sentto us, is a comprehensive guide to the consultativeprocedure of the European Commission for themembers of the French Economic and Social Council.It includes details of the consultations opened by theCommission in 2007 structured by areas of activity(transport, environment, health and consumerprotection, etc.), the green papers and the white papersto be launched by the Commission in 2007, theselection of the consultations that the French CES hasmade in order to prepare its own opinions for theconsultations in question. The French Economic andSocial Council has recently contributed to theconsultation launched by the Commission ondemographic change (Green Paper), European YouthPact (Communication) and on the EUCommunication Policy (White Paper).

This guide, elaborated by the Delegation for theEuropean Union of the Economic and Social Council,could be taken as an example of good practice for thosemembers involved in the works of the various nationaleconomic and social councils.

Group III Members’Organisations In The Spotlight

Your Europe – Your Future – national youthdebate on EU issues in the Czech RepublicEuropean Youth Summit 23-25 March 2007

On 3 March, the Czech Council of Children andYouth, whose chairman is Mr Pavel TRANTINA,member of group III, organised a national youth debate,in Prague, with the support of Representation of theEuropean Commission, to prepare for the “Rome YouthDeclaration”.The Youth Summit on 23-25 March 2007 wasorganised in Rome, on the occasion of the 50thAnniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The main objectiveof the event is to develop a youth input for the debateon the future of Europe. Before the summit, nationalyouth debates were organized in EU countries. Therewere six main themes of the Youth Summit which weredebated at the national level before the event: the futureof the EU, a social and economic model for Europe,sustainable development, Europe´s role in a globalisedworld, building democracy and civil society in Europeand youth and education in the EU.

The results of the national youth debate in Prague (andin other EU countries) and copies of the “Rome YouthDeclaration” are available on the website of theEuropean Youth Forum:http://www.youthforum.org/youthsummit.htm.

Group III Romanian Members to RaiseAwareness on the Importance of PublicConsultations

Pro Democracy Association, represented by MrCristian PIRVULESCU, Group III member, and theCivil Society Development Foundation (CSDF)represented by Mr Ionut SIBIAN, Group III member,are carrying out a project on public consultation in thelaw making process ( January – June 2007), with thesupport of the Centre of Resources for PublicParticipation. The project aims at changing the currentRomanian law regarding the elaboration of normativeacts, by introducing the public consultation procedureat the level of both Chambers of the Parliament,through a strong advocacy campaign.

At the same time, advocacy itself is being debated inRomania at the moment.

Pro Democracy Association and Advocacy Academy,represented by Mr Radu NICOSEVICI, member ofGroup III, have recently organised a public consultationon the lobbying activity in Romania. As it is at theEuropean level, opinions on regulating lobbyingactivities are contentious and the debate remains open.

News from EuropeanAgreedOrganisations

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Mr Leif Erland NIELSEN, member of Group III,representative of the DanishAgricultural Council, was theRapporteur of the exploratoryopinion on Animal welfarelabelling (NAT 342, CESE247/2007). The EESC wasasked by the Germanpresidency to look into the

feasibility of introducing a specific labelling regimeat EU level for livestock products based oncompliance with animal welfare standards. It isproposed that the present mandatory minimumanimal welfare standards should be backed up byvoluntary labelling rules that can be used incombination with both general commercial labelsand more quality-based labels, not least among them“quality schemes”. This will underpin market forcesand will not place an unnecessary burden on thepolitical system in the EU or on national inspectionbodies. Such a market-based system will be moreflexible, effective and future-oriented than politicallyimposed criteria.

The contribution of research in the EU in the fieldof animal welfare is crucial in determining whetherit will be possible in the future to integrate animalwelfare into the agriculture and subsequentproduction and trading chain on a scientific andobjective basis.

The exploratory opinion will serve as a basis for ahearing, jointly organised with the GermanPresidency, which will be held on 28 March 2007 atthe EESC premises.

Mr Angelo GRASSO, member of Group III, arepresentative of Conf -cooperative and member ofCECODHAS, was theRapporteur of the exploratoryopinion on Housing andregional policy (ECO/192CESE 42/2007). At therequest of the European

Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development,drawing up a report on housing and regional policy,the European Economic and Social Committee ispreparing an opinion on the matter.

The EESC thinks that in view of the importance ofthe housing dimension, there is a need to encourageand assist Member States and regions in planning therestructuring of urban districts and improving housingwithin the framework of the Structural Funds.

The EESC welcomed the initiative by the EuropeanCommission and the European Investment Bank(EIB) to create a new financial instrument,JESSICA, specifically to provide support for thedevelopment of disadvantaged urban areas, includingsocial housing in these areas. The JEREMIEprogramme also offers opportunities for players inthe social housing field who work to create pleasantneighbourhoods to live in for everyone.

The guidelines which the European Commission isto publish on the integration of immigrants throughhousing must mark the first step in this process,which should also involve better support for projectswith a housing dimension in the PROGRESSprogramme.

A Group III member in the UN Committee onthe Rights of the Child

Mrs Maria Herczog, member of Group III andrepresentative of the National Institute of Familyand Social Policy, was elected to the UN

Committee on the Rights ofthe Child, at the 11thMeeting of States Parties tothe Convention on the Rightsof the Child, 21 February2007, United NationsHeadquarters, New York.Through the UN Convention

on the Rights of the Child, States Parties shall takeall appropriate measures to ensure that the child isprotected against all forms of discrimination orpunishment on the basis of the status, activities,expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child’s parents,legal guardians, or family members.

Ms Herczog is a member of the SOC and ECOsections of the EESC, and has already supported ourcommittee with her expertise as a Rapporteur andstudy group member of different opinions related tochildren’ rights, equal opportunities for women, ‘silverage’ and family. She is also active member of theHungarian Economic and Social Council andchairwomen of the HESC’s Standing Committee.

The EESC and Civil Society in the Balkans

Mr Miklos BARABAS,Vice-President of GroupIII, in his capacity asPresident of the WesternBalkans Contact Group,attended an international

conference entitled “Changing conditions in theBalkan countries - challenges for future cooperation withthe EU and Central European countries” in Ljubljana,Slovenia. The participants were representatives of80 NGO and governmental bodies from CzechRepublic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Sloveniawith experience in the Balkan countries, as well asresource persons from the target countries (Bosniaand Herzegovina, Monte Negro, Macedonia,Albania, Serbia and Kosovo).

During the conference, there was an exchange ofinformation on actual and future cooperation plansbetween the Balkan countries, the five participatingcountries and the European Union and the needsand priorities of the target groups have been shared.Recommendations for the future cooperation of thedevelopment actors were drafted.

The conference constituted a good forum topromote the EESC and the Western BalkansContact Group, as an active player in the region, andit helped the EESC representative build contactswith a view to the preparation of the 2nd WesternBalkans Civil Society Forum (2008).

Gerd WOLF & Renate HEINISCH celebratedEuropean Research

On 7 March, Mrs Renate HEINISCH and MrGerd WOLF, members of Group III, participatedas distinguished guests in the ceremony ofDescartes Prizes for Research. This is awarded bythe European Commission to teams of researcherswho have achieved outstanding scientific ortechnological results through collaborative researchin any field of science, including the social sciences,humanities and economics.

This year the awards were given at a ceremony inBrussels, attended by the German Federal Ministerfor Education and Research, Dr Annette Schavanand European Science and Research Commissioner,Dr Janez Potočnik.

This year three Excellent European ResearchProjects share €1m Descartes Prize for Research.The High Energy Stereoscopic System is a telescopesystem that has revolutionized existing astronomicalobservation techniques and increased ourknowledge and understanding of the Milky Wayand beyond. The Hydrosol project has developed amethod of producing hydrogen from water-splitting, using the energy of the sun, which couldlead to environmentally friendly production ofhydrogen for energy purposes. The third project,APOPTOSIS, has made great strides in ourunderstanding of apoptosis (programmed celldeath), which will lead to new developments infuture treatment of cancer and AIDS.

Seppo KALLIO and Staffan NILSSON activelyinvolved in forestry matters

The Bureau of Nordic FamilyForestry and the Con -federation of European ForestOwners organised togetherwith European Economic andSocial Committee a seminar

on “European Family Forestry – Northern Dimension”on 27 February in Brussels.

The purpose of the seminar was to introduceforestry and forest industry in Nordic countries andalso give an overview of EU’s forest politicalsituation. The presentations generated a widediscussion on current forest policy issues in the EUwith bio-energy, climate change and research beingthe most dominating themes. Approximately 100visitors, with many decision makers from theEuropean Commission and the EuropeanParliament, participated in the seminar and thefollowing reception. Mr Seppo KALLIO, memberof Group III and representative of the CentralUnion of Agricultural Producers and ForestOwners in Finland (MTK), moderated the seminar,and Staffan NILSSON, President of Group III,was a keynote speaker in the conference.

The presentations of the seminar can be found onthe website of the Nordic Family Forestry:http://www.nordicforestry.org/article.asp?Data_ID_Article=2383&Data_ID_Channel=44

Highlights of our Members’ Work

An Insight Into Group III LeadershipOn 30 March 2007 Group III will hold an extraordinary Bureau meeting in Berlin. Coming less than a week after theinformal Heads of State and Government (24-25 March), where the Berlin Declaration was adopted, a chief advisor tothe German Chancellor, Dr. Uwe Corsepius, Director of European Affairs at the Federal Chancery will give a debriefingon the Berlin Declaration and the Priorities of the German Presidency. The meeting is being co-hosted by the German

Civil Service Federation (DBB Beamtenbund und tarifunion) and it constitutes a forum where Group III Bureaumembers will engage in a constructive and information dialogue with German civil society organisations, eitherrepresented in the EESC or not. More than 100 representatives of a wide cross-section of civil society organisations areexpected to attend the meeting. Subjects such as the social Europe versus globalisation and competition and the role ofcivil society in communicating Europe and the way forward for the Constitution, will be debated.

Group III Presidency

Editors of this edition: Liam Ó Brádaigh, Coralia Catana Editor-in-chief: Marc Beffort e-mail: gr3@eesc.europa.eu

Secretariat of the Various Interests’ Group, European Economic and Social Committee, 99 Rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels

EUROPE III will reach you in electronic format via e-mail as well, so please feel free to forward it to your member organisations and / or partners. EUROPE III is also available on our website at www.eesc.europa.eu/groups/3/index_en.asp

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