All day today the European Economic and Social Committee and, in particular, its ‘ECO’ Section has been holding a high-level conference on the theme of a possible fiscal union in Europe. The conference, opened by our President, Staffan Nilsson, and chaired by the ECO Section President, Michael Smyth (Various Interests Group, United Kingdom), truly was at a high level. Indeed, at times it felt like a really good and deep university seminar, except that many of the guest speakers were not just experts but practioners. Thus, we had Frank Moss, a European Central Bank Director; Antonio Vitorino, President of Notre Europe (a think tank), Enzo Moavero Milanesi, the Italian Minister for European Affairs, Sylvie Goulard, MEP, Professor Stuart Holland, Coimbra University, Debora Revoltella and Raymond Torres, Directors at the European Investment Bank and the ILO respectively, and the conference culminated with a key-note address from Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg Prime Minister and Finance Minister and President of the Eurogroup. It is simply impossible to summarise the rich debates and discussions. One ‘soundbite’ stuck in my mind. Sylvie Goulard, recalling the Marshall Aid Plan and American leadership in that period, called for a ‘leadership of generosity’. Meanwhile, in the margins of the conference, EESC President Staffan Nilsson released a press statement calling for a fiscal stability union backed by Eurobonds. Then, for me, it was quickly off to Zaventum for the evening flight to Sofia.