EESC herdenkt val IJzeren gordijn en Europese uitbreiding van 2004 (en)
PRESS RELEASE No 079/2009
05June 2009
EESC plenary session to commemorate enlargement and the fall of the iron curtain
The EESC's plenary session on 10 and 11 June 2009 will commemorate the 5th anniversary of the enlargement in 2004 as well as the events of 1989 that led to the fall of the iron curtain in Europe. The EESC will also discuss and adopt a series of key opinions which directly concern consumers on topics such asnuclear safety and pharmaceutical products but also on air transport and the employment summit.
Location: Paul-Henri Spaak Building (European Parliament), room P3A050, 1040 Brussels.
Date: 10 June 2009, 3 p.m.
Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the iron curtain and the 5thanniversary of the enlargement to 25Member States
Key speakers at the commemorative plenary session will be Catherine Lalumière, former vice-president of the European Parliament, Jaroslaw Pietras, former Polish minister for European Affairs, and Olli Rehn, the Enlargement Commissioner. They will each look at different aspects of this wave of enlargement: social and economic changes that accession brought about in "new" countries, perceptions of the enlargement by citizens as well as future enlargement plans.
The EESC was particularly active in preparing the 2004 enlargement, by setting up joint consultative committees with the candidate countries, putting civil society organisations in touch with European Affairs, accompanying and monitoring the accession negotiations and process, and contributing to the creation of national economic and social councils in those countries.
Date: 10 June 2009, 3 p.m.
"Integration of minorities: The Rroma" - exhibition and debate
The EESC will host a photo exhibition by the Swiss photographer Yves Leresche. The opening will be followed by a debate between the artist as well as Mario Sepi, EESC President, Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Santino Spinelli, musician, artist and lecturer on Rrom culture and other EESC members. For registration, please contact: events@eesc.europa.eu
Location: EESC, Jacques Delors Building, Atrium 6th floor, rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels.
Date: 10 June 2009, 6.30 p.m.
Other key topics to be covered at the EESC's plenary session include:
Nuclear safety
Aviation sector - transatlantic relations
Employment summit results
Pharmaceutical products
To consult the agenda of the plenary session and the draft opinions, please visit:
http://www.toad.eesc.europa.eu/EESCAgendas.aspx?body=PLEN