Athens hosts the 2007 Summit of Euro-Mediterranean Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions

Greek President Karolos Papoulias will inaugurate the 2007 Summit of Euro-Mediterranean Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions in Athens on 15-16 October 2007. The summit is organised by the Economic and Social Council (ESC) of Greece in cooperation with the European Economic and Social Council (EESC).

Some 120 representatives of Economic and Social Councils and similar institutions in the EU member states and the countries of the Mediterranean basin will attend the summit, the opening session of which will be addressed by the President of the Greek ESC, Christos Polyzogopoulos, the President of the EESC, Dimitris Dimitriadis, and former Egyptian Prime Minister Abd el Aziz Hegazy. Delegates will also see a recorded message from Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy.

The Euro-Mediterranean Economic and Social Councils and similar institutions have met every year since 1995. The summits address issues that are crucial to the future of the Mediterranean region and make many recommendations to the political authorities of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. One main objective of the annual summits is to promote a greater understanding of the main issues relevant to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and to strengthen the various partners’ awareness of their respective economic and social situations.

Civil society participation in implementing the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans is among the topics for discusión during the meeting’s working sessions which will also be considering Competitiveness and Social Cohesion as Factors in Building an Integrated Euro-Mediterranean area, The State of Play concerning the Establishment of Permanent Structures of Dialogue/National ESCs in three Southern Partner Countries, A Follow-up to the Euromed Ministerial Conference on the Role of Women in Society (Istanbul, November 2006), Euro-Mediterranean Networks of Economic and Social Partners and Civil Society Organisations and Initiatives in the Framework of Intercultural Dialogue.

Draft Programme: EN

EESC website: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/

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