EESC chief in ‘listen to us’ plea to Parliament and Commission

By Martin Banks

Date: 16/10/03

THE secretary-general of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has issued a desperate plea to the bigger EU institutions: "Please listen to us."

Patrick Venturini freely admits that, in the past, the EESC, or ECOSOC as it is also known, has not been taken as seriously as it should be and that its opinions have frequently fallen on deaf ears.

But in an interview with European Voice to mark the start of his second, five-year term in office, the Frenchman says he is determined to make the institution more "effective and dynamic".

One of his chief priorities is to push through an ambitious programme of reform and modernization at the institution.

He said: "My message to the European Commission, Parliament and Council is: "As the bridge between the EU and civil society, ours is a unique organization. It is in your interest to listen to us, so do so"

The EESC, a 222-member consultative body set up in 1957, is due to move to the former European Parliament building on Brussels' Rue Belliard next June and Venturini says the switch is "highly symbolic".

"We are on the move in more ways than one," he said. "Physically, we will be nearer the main institutions, which is useful.

"But there's more to it than that," he went on. "It is true to say this institution has been somewhat overshadowed by the other EU institutions and there has been too much navel-gazing on our part. But I am determined to make this a thing of the past.

"Things are already changing with the process of reform and modernization that I have been steering through.

"The combination of our move, EU enlargement and the intergovernmental conference (IGC) should result in a quiet revolution as far as the perceived role and powers of the Committee are concerned," added the 54-year-old Venturini, who served in the private office of former Commission president Jacques Delors for seven years.

The Committee hopes to raise awareness of its functions by setting up a nine-strong communications group which will coordinate information policy.

It will also take on a more proactive role by increasing the number of own-initiative reports.

While generally welcoming the outcome of the Convention on the future of the EU, Venturini called on the IGC to clarify the Committee's future role.

The EESC has an 185-strong workforce and an annual budget of €79 million.

Of this, one third is strictly for the Committee itself and two-thirds goes to "joint services", that is, to officials such as translators, drivers and administrative staff, shared with the Committee of the Regions.

Interview with Patrick Venturini, Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).