On 2 December 2003 the CESI committee "Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities" (SOC) held a meeting in Brussels. There, Klaus Dauderstädt was unanimously elected president by the members of the committee. Dauderstädt is also one of the vice-presidents of the "dbb beamtenbund und tarifunion", the most important trade union organisation of the German public administration sector. He is well known in Germany as an expert on social affairs and employment. Since May 1999 he is president of the trade union "Gewerkschaft der Sozialversicherung" (Social insurance).
 

During the meeting the members exchanged views with a representative of UEAPME (European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) on the important issue of the portability of occupational pension rights. Following this discussion the committee adopted a draft opinion of the CESI concerning this topic.
 

Two representatives of the Directorate-General "Employment and Social Affairs" of the European Commission presented the main findings of the report "Employment in Europe 2003". The discussion resulted in a draft resolution of the CESI on employment policy.
 

Finally, the SOC committee discussed in detail the outcomes of the last meeting of the "Network of Parliamentary Committees for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the European Union" (NCEO) which was held at the Senate of the Italian Republic in Rome on 21 November 2003.

Klaus DAUDERSTÄDT