Laatste plenaire zitting Europees Economisch en Sociaal Comité in huidige samenstelling (en)
With the two-year mandate of the current EESC members coming to an end, the President and two Vice-Presidents bade farewell to the assembly on the first day of the September plenary session. The plenary is also an opportunity to bid farewell to outgoing members with a warm thank you for work well done. The first plenary appointing the new presidency will take place in Brussels on 19-21 October.
Outgoing President Mario Sepi (Employees' Group, Italy) stressed that the Committee is instrumental in helping overcome today's prevailing public attitude, often characterised by a certain passivity and even hostility towards public participation in democracy. "We have great potential for involving people in democratic decision-making," he said in an emotional farewell address.
The Vice-President in charge of the budget, Mr Seppo Kallio (Various Interests Group, Finland) recalled organisational improvements in finance management and better spending control systems as some of his mandate's main achievements. Confirming the robust financial management, he continued that "It is clear that with the crisis, budgetary negotiations are going to be even more difficult in the coming years", but he stressed that the Committee would continue to bring its special authenticity to the EU decision-making process.
Ms Irini Pari (Employers' Group, Greece), Vice-president in charge of communication, went over some of the previous years' communication peaks, in particular the Committee's success in targeting new audiences and the stronger cooperation and synergy with the other EU institutions: "Together," she declared, "we communicate Europe, not our institutions". She expressed her satisfaction with the enthusiastic involvement of EESC members in "going local" and communicating with people in their constituencies.
At a special event after the plenary, the President Mario Sepi and the Secretary-General Martin Westlake personally thanked the EESC members leaving their seats, 98 of the total 344 members.
The statements of the outgoing leadership may be accessed here:
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.home#/boxTab1-2
The September session agenda may be accessed here: