Abstracts n°269

Each of the French regions has, in addition to a regional council (Conseil régional), which debates and votes on policies, a consultative body on economic and social matters (a Con· seil économique et social régional, CESR) which brings together representatives of pro· fessional and voluntary organizations, trade unions, as well as individuals with relevant knowledge and experience, 50 that it can in sorne sense be said to reflect the views of ci· vil society. The CESRs are indeed less obsessed with short-term considerations or involved in the jockeying for power that affects other bodies, and in recent years -following the example of the CESR for the Île-de-France (the area around Paris) and of the National Economic and Social Council- they have put considerable effort into thinking about the future.