Opening speech by Henri Malosse

Dear colleagues,

First of all, I would like to thank all my colleagues, members of the secretariat but also external staff working at the Committee, who have expressed their sympathy to myself and to all my compatriots in the wake of the horrific attacks that have plunged France into mourning.

Every one of us is aware that this cowardly attack set out to destroy our democratic values, our ideals and our freedom of expression. A murderous attempt has been made on European civil society.

Unfortunately, these attacks in Paris are only the most visible part of a terror that is spreading everywhere. Look at what happened on the same day in Lebanon, where an attack killed more than 30 people, and in Nigeria where more than 2000 people, including many children, were massacred on 9 January. Not to mention Iraq, Libya, Syria and so many others.

As an EESC event to commemorate the holocaust approaches, on 27 January, the day on which Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet troops, a new form of ideological fanaticism is threatening our freedoms. And let no-one dare confuse this with Islam - more than 95% of the victims of this new fascism are Muslim!

Faced with this cowardly violence, our democracies must act firmly and in unison. We must also speed up the process of integration in the fields of security and justice. Our citizens expect the European Union to contribute to their protection and the defence of their values.

Cooperation with neighbouring countries is crucial, especially in the Euro-Mediterranean setting. In this respect, I am proud that, on 13 January, we signed a cooperation agreement between the EESC and the Union for the Mediterranean.

We must not only deal with the effects of this evil, we must strike at its causes. We know only too well what they are: poverty, lack of development, frustration and a feeling of injustice and exclusion - these are our real enemies.

This is the real meaning of the values upheld by the Economic and Social Committee - striking a balance between economic progress and social justice, tackling all forms of inequality or discrimination that breed frustration, backing entrepreneurship and working to support each other day-by-day.

Organised civil society also bears a special responsibility to build dialogue between different beliefs concerning our values, respect, and our European identity. We have decided to work to this end in the coming days.

I therefore ask you to observe a minute's silence in memory of the victims of these barbaric acts which, under the banner of an outdated religious fundamentalism, is attacking the very foundations on which the European venture is built.