[Check against delivery]   Delegates, colleagues, friends, First of all I would like to thank you sincerely for the support you have expressed for me, for the President, and for the Secretariat for the next 4 years. We've got a great new team now, and I'm really happy with that. We have succeeded in ensuring full gender equality, and all geographical areas of Europe are represented. We have brought in colleagues who are full of energy and enthusiasm, ready to deliver ETUC policy.

Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, this afternoon said "The hearts and thoughts of all trade unionists are with the dead and the injured of this  horrific attack in Ankara. We express our wholehearted solidarity with the victims, their families and loved ones." 

Today the Tunisian trade union UGTT was named as one of the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to the National Dialogue Quartet for its role in the country's peaceful transition to democracy. ETUC General Secretary Luca Visentini warmly welcomed the award. “The UGTT richly deserve the prize and the recognition it brings” he said.

Dear Readers, We have just published the Special Edition #ETUC15 Congress Highlights of the ETUC Newsletter. To read the document, please click here. Enjoy!

The European Economic and Social Committee starts its new term (2015-20) with the election of a new President, the long-serving European trade unionist Georges Dassis. Dassis has been involved in the trade union movement from a young age, starting with activism against the colonels in Greece, then as an official of FGTB Belgium, and then in different roles representing trade unions at the ILO, for Italian trade union CISL, and at the ETUC.

[Check against delivery]   Esteemed authorities, Members of the European Economic and Social Committee, Dear colleagues,   It’s a great pleasure to be here today celebrating with the newly elected President of the Committee, our comrade and friend Georges Dassis, and the Presidents of the three groups Jacek Krawczyk, Luca Jahier and our colleague and friend Gabriele Bischoff.   I warmly congratulate all of you on behalf of the European Trade Union Confederation and the whole trade union movement in Europe.

Leaders of Europe’s national trade unions today elected Luca Visentini as new General Secretary, and Rudy de Leeuw as new President, of the European Trade Union Confederation.  They also adopted a new Manifesto and Action Programme 2015-19 ‘for quality jobs, workers’ rights and a fair society’. 

Today national trade union leaders from all over Europe showed their support for an ambitious climate deal at the UN Climate Change Conference and called for the deal to include a ‘Just Transition’ for workers.  For photos of today’s climate action see https://www.flickr.com/photos/etuc-ces/sets/72157658916317060 For video of the climate action see https://youtu.be/VndM8pyFSso