The European Economic and Social Committee (ESC) has been invited by the Highlands Council to hold a meeting of the Study Group on the sixth periodic report on the social and economic situation of the regions in Inverness (Scotland - UK) on 15 and 16 June 1999. The reason for this meeting is to allow the members of the ESC - together with the regional and local authorities of the Scottish Highlands and Islands and the representatives of the main socio-economic organizations - to undertake a first-hand examination of the contribution of the Structural Funds to the social and economic development of the region, as well as its future prospe ...[+++]cts.

As part of its work on its own-initiative opinion on "The implementation of the Helsinki declaration - establishing concrete machinery for consulting the economic and social interest groups on the definition of a pan-European transport policy" (rapporteur : Mr Eulen, Workers'group, Germany), the Economic and Social Committee's section for transport and communicastions is carrying out a large-scale consultation of occupational interest groups in the countries of central and eastern Europe (CCEE).

The Leader approach The Community Initiative Leader II is intended primarily to make a Community contribution to "local action groups" which draw up their own integrated programme based on developing the local resources of a small and well- defined rural area (less than 100 000 inhabitants in general), by assembling all the local partners (local representatives, elected representatives, trade bodies, associations, etc). In general, these groups will receive a global grant from the competent authorities to cover all the operations under consideration in the area.

* As regards geographic mobility, the participants pointed out that completion of the internal market forms part of a policy of strengthening economic and social cohesion which will reduce the gap between regions and between socio-occupational groups in the Community/.

The LEADER approach The main aim of the LEADER Community Initiative is to provide Community funding to local action groups which, by bringing together the local partners (individuals representing the local population, elected representatives, socio-professional bodies, associations, etc.), have designed an integrated development plan based on making optimum use of the local resources in a small, well-defined rural area (usually with a population less than 100 000).