PRESS
European Economic and Social Committee
CES/04/138
25 November 2004
Extraordinary EESC Bureau meeting in The Hague
at the invitation of the Social and Economic Council
of the Netherlands (SER)
New EESC president, Ms Anne-Marie Sigmund, yesterday chaired the Committee Bureau's
507th meeting in the Dutch city of The Hague.
The Committee Bureau regularly organises two extraordinary meetings a year in the
Member States holding the EU presidency.
On this occasion, the Committee's host was the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands
(SER), a sister organisation with which the EESC has developed strong cooperation. Like the EESC,
the SER is a member of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar
Institutions (AICESIS). The Bureau's normal working session was followed by a formal sitting, jointly
chaired by Ms Sigmund and SER chairman, Mr Herman H.F. Wijffels. The sitting was also attended by
members of the SER executive committee.
In her statement, Ms Sigmund spoke about the Committee's development prospects under the new
treaty. Mr Wijffels detailed the features and scope of the recent Dutch "social agreement",
highlighting the role played in that process by the SER and the Dutch Labour Foundation.
The EESC and the SER also took the opportunity to discuss three topical issues:
- the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe: participants discussed what the EESC and the
SER were doing or planning to do to "communicate Europe";
-the Lisbon strategy: all those who spoke on this issue felt that the Lisbon strategy was doomed to
failure without the active involvement of civil society organisations and networks;
- EESC-SER cooperation: everyone applauded the high standard of cooperation and relations
between the two bodies, not least during the Dutch presidency.
Editors requiring further information on this meeting should contact the EESC press office.
The 37-strong EESC Bureau is chaired by the Committee president. Its main task is to organise the
Committee's work.
For more details, please contact:
Vasco de Oliveira at the EESC press office
Rue Belliard 99, B-1040, Brussels
Tel.: 02 546 9396/9586; mobile: 0475 753 202
E-mail: press@esc.eu.int
Website: http://www.esc.eu.int/press/index_en.aspThe European Economic and Social
Committee represents the different social and economic interest groups of organised civil
society. Set up by the Treaty of Rome in 1957, it is a consultative EU institution. Its
consultative role allows its members, and thus the organisations they represent, to take part in
the Community decision-making process. Subsequent to enlargement the Committee has 317
members, who are appointed by the Council of Ministers for a four-year term.