While welcoming the French Presidency, Rainer PLASSMANN, Secretary General of CEEP, expressed his wish for a Presidency built on the concept of partnership and dialogue.

The Presidency has already shown its “listening attitude” at least in the social field as regards the organisation of extraordinary Comité du dialogue pour les questions européennes et internationales (CDSEI) meetings with the inclusion of the European Social partners.

Ministers of health from the 53 countries of the WHO European Region today signed a new charter on health systems, committing themselves to concrete and measurable action on strengthening health systems that will allow both their own people and the international community to hold them to account.

“The European Parliament’s adoption of the long-awaited road infrastructure safety management directive is a positive step” said Werner Kraus, Chairman of the FIA
Eurocouncil. The set of non-binding guidelines annexed to the directive on how to manage road infrastructure safety provide a viable implementation tool for member states.

IRU Members held an emergency meeting today to discuss solutions to the growing unrest in the road transport industry worldwide due to the fuel price crisis and called upon competent authorities to heed the concerns and demands of the road transport industry.

COOPERATIVES EUROPE welcomes the Commission announcement calling for dialogue regarding tax regimes for cooperatives operating in the retail, distribution and banking sectors in Italy, and is pleased that the Commission recognises the equity and efficiency of the cooperative model of enterprise in the retail market and their contribution to serving economic and social objectives in the common interest.