Felipe González will discuss his vision for the future of Europe with the European Economic and Social Committee - Main contents

PRESS RELEASE No 50/2009

22 April 2009

Felipe González will discuss his vision for the future of Europe with the European Economic and Social Committee

Tuesday 28 April, 11 a.m. - 1.30 p.m.

European Economic and Social Committee, Room JDE 62

99 rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels

On 28 April, Felipe González, a former Spanish prime minister and chairman of the reflection group on the future of Europe, will discuss the long-term challenges ahead of the European Union with the EESC President Mario Sepi.

Mr Sepi will take the opportunity to present the EESC's recent "Programme for Europe: proposals of civil society", a tailor-made strategy for the European Union that the Committee will submit to the next European Commission and Parliament. The programme's long-term guidelines and concrete proposals will feed into the deliberations of the group of "wise men" chaired by Felipe González.

The presentations by Mr González and Mr Sepi will be followed by a debate involving the EESC's group presidents, as well as Professor Stefan C. Collignon (Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa, Italy), Maria Jepsen (European Trade Union Institute) and stakeholders.

Felipe González, who led his country into the EU in 1986, has been put in charge of the "Reflection Group horizon 2020-2030" by EU leaders. The group's goal is to put forward proposals on the EU's long-term priorities; its final report will be ready by June 2010 at the latest.

Journalists interested in covering the event are invited to contact the EESC Press Office: press@eesc.europa.eu .