The President of the Azorean Government has convened a meeting of the Regional Strategic Concertation Council in Ponta Delgada next Friday for the presentation and analysis of the proposals for the 2019 Plan and Budget.
 
The meeting of this advisory and coordination body for the areas of economic, social and environmental policies, which includes representatives of regional social partners, will take place following the meeting of the Council of the Government in Angra do Heroísmo next Thursday to approve these documents.
 
As part of the preparation of the proposals for the 2019 Plan and Budget, Vasco Cordeiro invited political parties represented at the Legislative Assembly and social partners for a round of hearings earlier this month in order to prepare these documents.
 
Next month, the proposals, after being approved by the Council of Government, will be delivered to the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores for debate and vote in plenary.
 
The Regional Strategic Coordination Council includes representatives of workers, employers, fisheries and agricultural sectors, local authorities, private social solidarity institutions as well as associations in the areas of consumer protection, environmental protection, equality of opportunities for women and men. In addition to the University of the Azores, this body also includes representatives of the Azores in the Economic and Social Council and three personalities with expertise in the areas of competence of this Council.
 
This will be the last meeting in this format, seeing that the Legislative Assembly has recently approved a proposal presented by the Regional Government towards the creation of the Economic and Social Council of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. This new body will replace the current Regional Strategic Coordination Body, giving shape to various proposals presented by social partners.
 
The new Council will become an independent collegiate body with assigned advisory and supervisory responsibilities for self-government bodies in economic, labour, social and environmental matters. It will be chaired by a person elected by two-thirds majority at the Legislative Assembly.