The Committee’s services are busy preparing for a conference on another theme dear to our President, the Europe 2020 Strategy, where he has been working closely with the EESC’s Europe 2020 Steering Committee, Joost Van Iersel. The 25 September conference, entitled Step Up for a Stronger Europe! will be a major opportunity for constructive debate on the Compact for growth and jobs, Europe 2020 strategy and on its policy levers, as well as on the involvement of civil society in the implementation of the strategy. Several high-level European and national decision-makers have confirmed their participation, as well as civil society representatives, national economic and social committees/councils, regional/local authorities and other key stakeholders who will thrash out ideas intended to help re-launch growth in the EU. The European Parliament’s President, Martin Schulz, European Commission members Michel Barnier and Laszlo Andor, and Italian European Affairs Minister, Enzo Moavero Milanesi, are among an impressive number of high level policy-makers and politicians who will participate in a closing exchange of views with the Committee’s representatives and with representatives of the network of economic and social councils in the member states.