Jaarlijkse bijeenkomst van voorzitters van de Economische en Sociale raden van de EU (en)

CES/06/110

Brussels, 22 November 2006

Annual Meeting of Presidents of the EU European and

Economic Councils

23 and 24 November 2006, Lisbon, Portugal

On 23 and 24 November 2006 Mr. Dimitris Dimitriadis, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, will participate in the annual meeting of the Presidents and General Secretaries of the National Economic and Social Councils of the EU Member States. This Annual Meeting will occur in Lisbon at the Assembléia da República (National Chamber) and will be hosted by Mr Alfredo Bruto da Costa, President of the Economic and Social Council of Portugal.

The Integration of immigrants in Europe will be the main topic of this summit.

The Presidents of the ECS's will debate on the important challenges of diversification and integration in the European Union, according to European values and the European legacy. In this perspective they will discuss the obstacles and the challenges arising from the hot issue of immigration. A consensual final Declaration on Europe named: 'The challenge of diversity and integration" will be issued after this annual meeting.

One of the top priorities of the agenda will also be the network cooperation between the National ESCs and the European Economic and Social Committee in order to boost and to foster the renewed Lisbon strategy. The Presidents and Secretary Generals will examine the progress of the National Councils and the EESC in promoting the Lisbon Strategy Agenda and for which the ESC Councils and the EESC are preparing a mid term report for the next Spring European Council.

Communicating Europe will also constitute one of the important topics to be discussed.

Finally, ESC Councils and the EESC will decide on the evolution of the 'CESlink' project. CESlink aims at creating one central point of information thus centralizing and disseminating important information regarding the whole European network of the national E.S.C's and their main respective activities.

For more information please visit:

CESlink: http://eesc.europa.eu/ceslink/index_en.asp

ESC of Portugal: http://www.ces.pt/