PLENARY SESSION OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON 24 AND 25 JUNE

The plenary session will be held in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament, rue Wiertz, Brussels.

Session times :

June 24 : 14.30 - 20.30
June 25 : 09.30 - 13.00

Order of business:

1. Introduction by Vice-Chairman Dehaene

Mr Dehaene will present a summary of the contributions made in the Forum and his contacts with civil society.
(Only contributions made in the Forum before 7 June will be taken into account)

2. Reports by the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the social partners

The Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the social partners are closely involved with civil society. That is why they will be invited to present their views.

3. Reports by representatives of civil society

Representatives of civil society will be invited to speak to the Convention. In order to organise the discussions, speeches will be made on behalf of organisations active in seven main sectors: social sector, environment, human rights, development, academia and think tanks, culture, and regions and local authorities.

These speeches will be made by spokespersons nominated at meetings of the Contact Groups.

4. Situation reports on the national debates in the States participating in the Convention

National debates are being held in all the countries involved. A member of the Convention will sum up the state of play for each Member State and each candidate country.

In parallel:

· Meetings
During the two days of the plenary, meeting rooms will be made available to organisations so that they can hold their own meetings and have informal talks with members of the Convention.

· Exhibition areas
Stands will be made available to organisations which request them. This will give them a showcase for presenting their views, particularly to members of the European Convention.