ISSN 0957-8657. PUBLISHED BY AURORA LTD. © 1996 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED BY EASTWAY OFFSET LTD. (TU ALL DEPTS). ON ANUARY 1 the Netherlands as:.. *e =esidency of the European - - arse the Dutch let are ==er campaign or pro...the weekend of the 26:27 Oc-i people met to launch the campaign. Those present included the (reen len Amnectv international Greenpeace, 'Defence of the Environment' (the Netherlands equivalent of Friends of the Earth), the former Maoist Workers' Party and the Socialist Party, Dutch section of the Fourth berna na be a era guests from France, Belgium, Mexico and Denmark.
The debate in the Netherlands, one of the countries at the heart of the Hiropean Union, Is not whether it should be in or out' of Europe, but about what kind of Europe. The meeting drafted a Dutch platform for a different Europe', for a social. ecological, feminist and democratic Europe. and intends to stimulate debate on how to get there.
A counter-summit is planned just before the meeting of the heads of government meeting in June, and at the meeting workshops discussed different aspects of an alternative. These groups are intended to be the embryo of future working groups during the Dutch presidency and the counter-summit.
An enthusiastic meeting declared support for the European march for jobs, although the campaign around this is semi-autonomous from the platform', given that it will be possible to win wider support from the labour movement. Protests are being prepared for the meeting of European transport ministers in January, and a Europe-wide anti-racist conference will take place during the counter-summit The Zapatistas ambassador to Europe was also present at the meeting and nointed out that the Mexican government is preparing various deals with the European Union. He said he would ask the Zapatistas to send delegates to the counter-summit