578th Plenary session 26-27 April 2023

Renewal session

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Plenary Session
26/04/2023 27/04/2023
Brussels
Belgium

578th Plenary session, with the mid-term elections of the Committee Bureau, President, Vice-Presidents, presidents of sections and CCMI and other EESC bodies

Mid-term inauguration ceremony on Wednesday 26 April at 2 p.m.

14:00 – 14:30

  • Start of the Ceremony and Welcome by Moderators Shada ISLAM & Petra PINZLER
  • Video – Expectations for the next half-term of office
  • Inauguration speech by Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President

14:30 – 15:10  Institutional speeches

  • Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission (Video message)
  • Evelyn REGNER, Vice-President of the European Parliament
  • Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight
  • Pedro SÁNCHEZ PÉREZ-CASTEJÓN, President of the Spanish Government (Video message)
  • Vasco ALVES CORDEIRO, President of the European Committee of the Regions (Video message)
  • Emily O’REILLY, European Ombudsman

15:10 – 15:25  Presidency of the Council of the EU

  • Paulina BRANDBERG, Swedish Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life
  • Joaquín PÉREZ REY, Spanish Secretary of State for Employment and Social Economy

15:25 – 15:40 EESC Group presidents

with moderators Shada ISLAM & Petra PINZLER in Talk Show Format

  • Stefano MALLIA, EESC Employers’ Group President
  • Lucie STUDNIČNÁ, EESC Workers’ Group President
  • Seamus BOLAND, EESC Civil Society Organisations’ Group President

15:40 – 16:45 Round table 1
Strengthening democracy and European values together with Civil Society in the EU candidate countries

Moderator: Shada ISLAM + Video intro

Round table Chair by EESC Vice-President Krzysztof PATER

  • Olha STEFANISHYNA, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, responsible for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
  • Besart KADIA, Deputy Minister,  Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania
  • Siegfried MUREŞAN, MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee
  • Zulfi ISMAILI, Ambassador and Head of Mission of North Macedonia to the EU
  • Saška RADUJKOV, President of Youth of the Movement for Change and Ambassador of the European Democracy Youth Network
  • Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President

Active participation of the audience

16:45 – 17:50  Round Table 2
Future of EU: Bringing together the social, economic and environmental dimensions

Moderator: Petra PINZLER + Video intro

Round table Chair by EESC Vice-President Laurenţiu PLOSCEANU

  • Nicolas SCHMIT, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights
  • Ana MENDES GODINHO, Portuguese Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security
  • Markus BEYRER, Director General of BusinessEurope
  • Esther LYNCH, General Secretary of the ETUC
  • Seán HEALY, Director, Social Justice Ireland
  • Diandra NI BHUACHALLA, EESC Youth Delegate to the COP Delegation
  • Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President

Active participation of the audience

17:50 – 18:00  Closing remarks

  • Video – Expectations expressed by EESC staff
  • Closing remarks by Oliver RÖPKE, EESC President
  • European Anthem