Headlines: 50 years' service for democracy Recognition of Local and Regional Authorities Towards a genuine “Council of Europeans” Reinforced cooperation between the AER and the CLRAE EU report on “Better Lawmaking” AER’s Action Programme for 1999 CoR report on subsidiarity Committee C “Regional Policy” >New methods and concrete action 5th … [Read more...]
1998 Activity Report
"The more European integration is reinforced, the more the Regions and regionalism in Europe will have an essential role to play. European integration and regionalism are two sides of the same coin: European integration unites the States, structures and economies; regionalism and interregional cooperation unite communities, cultures and people", Luc Van Den Brande, AER … [Read more...]
Newsletter Winter 1998: What is the role of the Regions in the Europe of the XXIst century?
Headlines: What is the role of the Regions in the Europe of the XXIst century? Putting subsidiarity into practice Promoting regional and local autonomy Developing cooperation to succeed in EU enlargement Allowing the media to play a linking role For a Europe with the Regions >AER Strategy 2000 for the Regions of Europe “The Regions’ contribution to EU … [Read more...]
Newsletter Autumn 1998: Focusing our activities on the promotion of regionalism and cooperation
Headlines: Focusing our activities on the promotion of regionalism and cooperation Editorial: welcome to Oberösterreich (AT) EU enlargement >The Hof Declaration The start of regionalisation in the Czech Republic A significant initiative carried out by Pest Institutional affairs >Committee I pursues the promotion of regionalism Jordi Pujol, winner … [Read more...]
Limburg, the ‘Flavour region of Europe 1998’
The Region of Languedoc-Roussillon (F) held the 2nd European Cup of Regional Flavours from 2nd to 4th February 1998. Created in 1995 by the region of Poitou- Charentes and sponsored by the AER, this event aims at promoting regional gastronomy in Europe, highlighting the diversity, the richness and quality of regional products and reviving traditional recipes. For this 2nd … [Read more...]
Comparative study on medical care in Europe
The region of Nordrhein-Westfalen (D) has just launched a comparative study on health services in Europe and is seeking partner regions, particularly in Italy, Spain and Denmark. The health services in Europe are called upon to carry out major structural reforms. In this context, the goal of the Nordrhein-Westfalen initiative is to evaluate existing systems, to propose … [Read more...]
Newsletter Summer 1998: The Regions play an important role in promoting Employment
Headlines: The Regions play an important role in promoting Employment Help for SMEs First steps towards decentralisation in Great Britain The Amsterdam Treaty >Ratification in progress 350 years of the Treaty of Westphalia East-West Cooperation >Preparing the regions for EU enlargement Social and employment affairs >The need for interregional … [Read more...]
Commentary: Reinforcing the Regions
European unification within the “Europe of the Regions” is one of the principles of the Baden- Württemberg Constitution, which has always given a particular importance to crossborder cooperation, especially with French and Swiss regions. The role of the regions in Europe is not sufficiently acknowledged by the public, which is more interested in activities of the state. The … [Read more...]
Regionalism in action: Poland
At the end of 1997, the Polish Government launched a work programme for the administrative reform of the country. The bills which are currently being discussed in the Parliament propose introducing a decentralised system similar to that in France. This would mean a distribution of competencies between three administrative levels (there are only two at present): municipality, … [Read more...]
Newsletter Spring 1998: Agenda 2000, employment and EU Enlargement at the heart of our work
Headlines: Agenda 2000, employment and EU Enlargement at the heart of our work Promotion of employment Regionalism in action: Poland M. Dammeyer, new President of the CoR Three seminars for promoting our ideas Regional Policy >The European Commission welcomes AER Resolution on the Structural Funds New President for the East-West Committee … [Read more...]
Eurodyssey’s contribution to the promotion of employment
The Eurodyssey programme, which aims at improving young peoples’ chances to integrate into the labour market, was opened to the regions of central and eastern Europe in 1997 and, this AER programme, will continue to develop in 1998. Its objectives are to increase the number of participating regions (contacts already made in the United States of America and Canada) and … [Read more...]
Information Technology for small rural businesses
The Regions of Dorset (GB), Arhus (DK), Hedmark (N) and Värmland (S), which created a working group within the AER, met in November 1997 in Dorchester to consider the question of how information technology could be used to support and develop micro enterprises in rural areas. Each of these regions which share similar economic structures - majority of companies being … [Read more...]
Agenda 2000, employment and EU Enlargement at the heart of our work
Under the presidency of Luc Van den Brande, President of the AER and Minister-President of Vlaanderen, the Presidium and the Bureau of the AER met on 12th and 13th February 1998 in Brussels for the first time this year. As a follow-up to the work of the General Assembly of Montpellier, some important decisions were made: Agenda 2000 for the regions The Bureau asked a … [Read more...]
Aquitaine – Euskadi – Navarra: over 350 Crossborder Projects
The regions of Aquitaine (F), Euskadi and Navarra (E) are geographically and historically close so it is quite natural that they got together. Aquitaine and Euskadi established a cooperation protocol in 1989 and Navarra joined them in 1992, thus sealing a fruitful institutional collaboration. The main objectives of this cooperation are: to exchange information on … [Read more...]
The European Commission welcomes AER Resolution on the Structural Funds
Adopted at the General Assembly in Montpellier, following a wide consultation of the regions, member and non-member states of the EU, the AER’s opinion on the reform of the Structural Funds was well received by the main European political bodies. The Prime Minister of Luxemburg and President of the EU Council for the second quarter of 1997, Mr J C Juncker, felt that this … [Read more...]