Open dag Europees Sociaal en Economisch Comité in het teken van de Europese verkiezingen (en)

PRESS RELEASE No 054/2009

5 May 2009

Quizzes, competitions, live debates with European capitals and more await you at the Open Doors event in the European Economic and Social Committee

On Saturday 9 May 2009, the EESC will open its doors to citizens and representatives of civil society all over Europe. The Open Day's leitmotiv is the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. Via these activities, the Committee will also celebrate the 5th anniversary of EU enlargement. Youth in Europe, education and cultural diversity will be the other major topic of the day.

This year's Open Day will be focussed on the 2009 European elections and the 5th anniversary of enlargement. Several activities for kids, family and adults are scheduled all day long in order to raise awareness on these topics in a funny and convivial atmosphere. Twenty-one EESC members will guide citizens towards the activities and the role of the EESC, answering their questions, discussing their vision of Europe, ideas, hopes and fears.

Among the different activities, music groups will sing in several languages and competitions, games and quizzes will entertain visitors. A rope bridge in the Atrium will represent the EESC's role as a bridge between Europe and organised civil society, while children's activities will link up with the role of the EESC and the June elections. As a way of embodying the bridge between civil society and Europe, pictures of various local events held in the Member States by national offices of the European Movement will be displayed in so called "local liveboxes" situated in the EESC.

At 2 p.m. EESC President Mario Sepi and Vice-President Irini Pari will invite everyone to take part in a video-chat "EU-vision!" with the EESC Members - dubbed "EESC special envoys" - in Ljubljana, Bratislava, Assisi and Paris; the members will answer citizens' questions on Europe in a live debate moderated by Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament.

The EESC's Open Day will be a unique opportunity for everyone to take part in a major debate on European issues in conjunction with several European cities and in cooperation with the international European Movement.

The Open Day will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.