TIANJIN: Civil societies in China and Europe must effectively use their influence in jointly combating financial crisis and other global challenges, said participants at forum held here yesterday.

"The European Union (EU) and China can now play much bigger roles in terms of countering any economic and social crises," said Mario Sepi, president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the EU consultative assembly.

Sepi, who is also director of Trade Union Institute for Development Cooperation in Italy, was speaking at the 5th China-EU Roundtable meeting of the EESC and the China Economic and Social Council (CESC), a Chinese research and advisory body on economic and social affairs.