  A microscopic calculation of near-threshold eta-meson production in the
reaction NN -> NNeta is presented. It is assumed that the eta meson is produced
via direct emission and via elementary rescattering processes MN -> etaN of
various mesons M = pi, rho, etc. As a novel feature the amplitudes for the
latter production mechanism are taken from a multi-channel meson-exchange model
of the pi N system developed by the Juelich group which contains explicitly the
channels pi N, rho N, eta N, sigma N, and pi Delta. Furthermore, effects of the
NN interaction in the final as well as in the initial state are taken into
account microscopically. Our results are compared with recent data from the
COSY and CELSIUS accelerator facilities. Reasonable agreement with available
near-threshold cross section data for the reactions pp -> ppeta, pn -> pneta,
and pn -> deta is found.
