[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 7.12.2006

COM(2006) 792 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

appointing members of the European Social Fund Committee

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

Renewal of the membership of the European Social Fund Committee

1 Article 104 of Regulation 1083/2006 of 11 July 2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 provides that the Commission shall be assisted by a Committee set up under Article 147 of the Treaty.

2. The provisions relating to the organisation and tasks of this Committee are also laid down in the same Article of this Council Regulation.

3. This Article provides that the Committee shall be composed of one government representative, one representative of the workers' organisations and one representative of the employers' organisations from each Member State. For each Member State, an alternate shall be appointed for each category of representative. The members and alternates are appointed by the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission for a period of three years.

4. The Council decided, on 24 September 2004, to appoint the members and alternate members of the European Social Fund Committee, on a proposal from the Commission for the period from 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2007. Under the previous Regulations, the Committee was composed of two members and one alternate for each category of representative.

During this period, additional decisions have been taken by the Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, to replace members and alternate members of the Committee. The term of office of these replacements also expires on 30 April 2007.

5. Given the change in the composition of the Committee, and the revised mandate of the Committee for the period 2007-13, and having consulted the Member States, the Commission submits to the Council the present proposal for a Council Decision appointing members and alternate members of the European Social Fund Committee for the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009.

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

appointing members of the European Social Fund Committee

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 147 thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999[1], and in particular Article 104(3) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) Under Council Decision 2005/C 252/01 of 24 September 2004 renewing the membership of the European Social Fund Committee (hereinafter – "the Committee"), the term of office of the members expires on 30 April 2007.

(2) Article 104(2) of Regulation (EC) No. 1083/2006 sets out different requirements for the nomination of representatives and their alternates from those laid down in Article 49(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down provisions on the Structural Funds[2], therefore, the composition of the Committee should be respectively adjusted.

(3) It is however appropriate that the Committee continues to carry out its tasks under its present set up till the end of the 2000-2006 programming period and the new set-up becomes operational only as from 1 January 2007.

(4) Pending nomination of a representative and/or an alternate member for one of the categories referred to in Article 104(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 by Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece and the United Kingdom, already nominated representatives and alternate members for the Committee should nevertheless be appointed in view of the start of the 2007-2013 programming period.

(5) The members and alternate members of the Committee should therefore be appointed for a period of three years,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The persons listed in the Annex are hereby appointed members and alternate members of the European Social Fund Committee for the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009.

Article 2

Decision 2005/C 252/01 is repealed from 31 December 2006.

Article 3

This Decision shall be published, for information, in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

ANNEX

Member State | Representing | Member |

Austria | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Michael FÖRSCHNER Mrs Ulrike REBHANDL Ms Margit KREUZHUBER Mr Wolfgang TRITREMMEL Mr Franz FRIEHS Mrs Silvia HOFBAUER |

Belgium | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Louis VERVLOET Mr Guy DESMEDT Mrs Sonja KOHNENMERGEN Mr Werner ABELSHAUSEN Vacant Mrs Vera DOS SANTOS COSTA |

Cyprus | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Alexandros ALEXANDROU Mrs Antzela DROUSSIOTOU Mr Giorgos PANTELIDES Mr Emilios MICHAEL Mr Andreas MATSAS Mr Nicos GREGORIOU |

Czech Republic | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Ms. Iva ŠOLCOVÁ Ms. Markéta PĚCHOUČKOVÁ Mr Jiří SVOBODA Mr Miloslav ŠOLC Mr Pavel JANÍČKO Ms. Hana MÁLKOVÁ |

Denmark | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr. Preben GREGERSEN Mrs. Pernille VON LILLIENSKJOLD Mr. Henning GADE Vacant Mr. Klaus FARNOV Mrs. Lisbeth WILSTER |

Estonia | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mrs Merlin ORGLA Mrs Mari VÄLI Mrs Aire MILL Mrs Eve PÄÄRENDSON Mrs Liina CARR Mrs Mare VIIES |

France | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Bertrand GAUDIN Mr Henri NGUYEN Vacant Vacant Mrs Huguette BRUNEL Mrs Marie-France BOUTROUE |

Germany | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Günter WINKLER Mrs Inken KLASSEN Mrs Alexandra-Friederike Prinzessin zu SCHOENAICH-CAROLATH Mrs Ilka HOUBEN Mrs Inge KAUFMANN Mr Hans-Detlev KÜLLER |

Greece | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr George ZERVOS Mrs Chrisoula ΒRAVOU Mr Labros PAPAIOANNOU Mr Petros GIANNOULOPOULOS Vacant Vacant |

Hungary | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mrs Renáta TÓTH Mrs Ágnes GERZSÉNYI Mr Ákos NÉMETH Mr. László KRIZSÁN Ms Erzsébet HANTI Mr László KOZÁK |

Ireland | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Vincent LANDERS Mr Tom WHELAN Ms Heidi LOUGHEED Mr Arthur FORBES Mr Dan MURPHY Ms Noirin GREENE |

Italy | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Ms Vera MARINCIONI Ms Alessandra TOMAI Mr Bruno SCAZZOCCHIO Ms Silvia CIUFFINI Mr Roberto PETTENELLO Ms Milena MICHELETTI |

Latvia | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Ms Inta GEIBA Ms Kristine DORTANE Mrs. Daiga ERMSONE Mr. Marcis DZELME Mrs Linda ROMELE Mrs Liene LIEKNA |

Lithuania | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mrs Ana STANKAITIENĖ Mrs Nijolė MACKEVIČIENĖ Mr Edmundas JANKEVIČIUS Mr Vaidotas LEVICKIS Mrs Irena PETRAITIENĖ Mrs Janina ŠVEDIENĖ |

Luxembourg | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Jeannot BERG Mrs Maryse FISCH Mr Romain LANNERS Mr François ENGELS Mr Nico CLEMENT Mrs Viviane GOERGEN |

Malta | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mrs Alison MIZZI Mrs Helga DEPASQUALE Mr Joe FARRUGIA Mr Vincent FARRUGIA Mr Willam PORTELLI Mr Geitu MERCIECA |

Netherlands | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Robert WESTER Ms Korrie LOUWES Mr Hans KOOLE Mr C. HOOGENDIJK Mr A. PLOEGMAKERS Mr. T. VAN DIJK |

Poland | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Pawel CHORAZY Mr Piotr STRONKOWSKI Mr Leszek KARWOWSKI Mr Wiesław SINKIEWICZ Mrs Agata BARANOWSKA GRYCUK Mr Andrzej NIDERLA |

Portugal | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr António VALADAS DA SILVA Mr Luís COSTA Mrs Clara GUERREÍRO Mr António ABRANTES Mrs Catarina MACHADO MORAIS de OLIVEIRA Mr António Luís FERRERA CORREIA |

Slovakia | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Miloslav HETTEŠ Ms Miriam KOVÁČIKOVÁ Mr Peter REINER Mr Juraj BORGULA Ms Naile PROKEŠOVÁ Mr Milan BUŠO |

Slovenia | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Gorazd JENKO Ms Urška KOVAČ ZLOBKO Ms Janja MEGLIČ Ms Grit ACKERMANN Mr Jure SNOJ Mr Stane KOŠIR |

Spain | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Carlos TORTUERO MARTÍN Mr David GARCIA LÓPEZ Mr Roberto SUÁREZ SANTOS Mrs Patricia CIREZ Mr Luis GALIANO RÁBAGO Mrs Ana HERMOSO CANOURA |

Finland | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Ms Eeva-Liisa KOIVUNEVA, Ms Merja NIEMI Mr Heikki SUOMALAINEN Mrs Riitta WÄRN M. Auli KORHONEN Mr Tom HOLMROOS |

Sweden | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mrs Mari MILD Mr Johannes WIKMAN Mr Kent BRORSSON Mr Gunnar ANDERZON Mrs Charlotta KRAFFT Mrs Sofia ARKELID |

United Kingdom | Government Government Employers Employers Trade Union Trade Union | Member Alternate Member Alternate Member Alternate | Mr Gordon PURSGLOVE Mr Ken LAMBERT Mr Martin MORTON Vacant Mr Alan MANNING Mr Joe FEARNEHOUGH |

[1] OJ L 210, 31.7.2006, p. 25.

[2] OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p.1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No. 173/2005 (OJ L 29, 2.2.2005, p.3).