You will find in this section all the articles published in our news section on our home page.

Ryanair/Charleroi: the Regions reaction to the Commission’s decision

3 February, 2004 By Editor

The Assembly of European Regions (AER), as a first reaction to the decision, is pleased to note that the Commission has suddenly taken into consideration the importance of regional airports for the economic development of the Regions. The AER regrets, however, that the promise contained in the title of the Commission Communication - “The Commission’s decision on Charleroi … [Read more...]

AER questions political sense of expected ruling of the European Commission on Ryanair

29 January, 2004 By Editor

Strasbourg, 29 January 2004 Next week's expected ruling of the European Commission on illegally received state subsidies of Ryanair has raised deep concern by regional authorities throughout Europe. Mr. Onno Hoes, member of the Executive of the region of Noord-Brabant and Coordinator of AER's working group on regional aviation regards the verdict of the … [Read more...]

The AER welcomes the European Parliament decision in favour of cultural diversity

26 January, 2004 By Editor

Strasbourg(F), 26 January 2004 The Presidium of the Assembly of European Regions welcomed today during its meeting in Strasbourg the adoption by the European Parliament of the “Report on preserving and promoting cultural diversity: the role of the European regions and international organizations such as Unesco and the Council of Europe (2002/2269 (INI))” which … [Read more...]

The New Challenge for Democracy: regions engaging citizens in a changing Europe

18 November, 2003 By Editor

Strasbourg (F), 18 November 2003 Is European democracy failing its citizens? What role can the regions play in increasing civic participation? To address these questions, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) will hold its 6th General Meeting the 27th-28th November 2003 in Poznan (Wielkopolska Region-Poland). 500 high-level regional politicians and civil servants from … [Read more...]

CoR Seminar on “Cultural diversity: Europe’s wealth” in Graz

17 October, 2003 By Editor

Graz (A), 17 October 2003 The Committee of the European Regions (CoR) organised in Graz -the 2003 European Capital of Culture - a Seminar on "Cultural Diversity: Europe's Wealth" the 17 October 2003. Ms Liese Prokop Deputy Governor of Lower Austria and President of the Assembly of European Regions has also been invited and pronounced a speech. Download Mrs Prokop … [Read more...]

Anchoring regions in the European Constitution

4 July, 2003 By Editor

Strasbourg (F), 4 July 2003 The Presidium of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), meeting in Strasbourg today, evaluated the work of the European Convention and expressed satisfaction on its initial results. In effect, Part I of the Constitution regarding the Definition and Objectives of the Union took into consideration a large number of the amendments … [Read more...]

Sustainable Quality Tourism: Involvement of the European regions

12 June, 2003 By Editor

Strasbourg (F), 12 June 2003 "Regions and Tourism: new strategies for sustainable quality tourism" will be the theme of the seminar organised by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) on the 26th and 27 of June in Porec, Istria, Croatia. The seminar will focus on the notion of exchange with the aim of promoting an integrated approach to sustainable tourism. … [Read more...]

Simplifying the management of structural funds

2 June, 2003 By Editor

Strasbourg (F), 2 June 2003 The current system of managing structural funds is too complicated and excessively centralised, from the planning phase to the payment, monitoring and control phases. A decentralisation of procedures and a new definition of objectives and programmes are thus needed. Well aware of these challenges the Assembly of European Regions … [Read more...]

The AER welcomes the revised draft of the Constitutional Treaty presented by the Convention

26 May, 2003 By Editor

The latest draft of the EU Constitution includes three key positions of the AER, which we have consistently brought to the attention of the Convention members. These are: Subsidiarity: this principle has been extended and now explicitly refers to both “the regional and the local level” [Article I-9(2)] – the new extended definition now requires the Union to assess … [Read more...]

Respect for cultural and educational diversity within the future Constitution: J. Chirac’s response to the AER

22 May, 2003 By Editor

In a letter to President Chirac on May 6th, the AER President Liese Prokop called on him and his government to maintain their "firm position in defending cultural diversity". In an answering letter to the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the President of the French Republic Jacques Chirac fully supports the AER position on the necessity to maintain a firm stance in the area … [Read more...]

Public Private Partnerships (PPP) as an essential tool in sustainable transport policies

7 May, 2003 By Editor

Proposals from European regions Strasbourg, 7 May 2003 The Commission came out with a communication titled "Developing the trans-European transport network: Innovation funding solutions, Interoperability of electric toll collection systems" on April 23rd. An essential component of this paper is Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). The AER had held numerous … [Read more...]

AER warns that Convention articles endanger diversity in culture and education

7 May, 2003 By Editor

Strasbourg, 7 May 2003 The President of the AER, Vice Minister-President of Lower Austria Liese Prokop, expressed to the European Convention the firm opposition of the European Regions against any move that gives the European Union exclusive competence when negotiating and concluding agreements on trade in cultural and educational services, in the context of the … [Read more...]

Does the Draft European Constitutional Treaty meet the expectations of the regions?

4 April, 2003 By Editor

Brussels, 4 April 2003 With the theme – Governance closer to the citizens of an enlarged Europe – the political Bureau of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), which brings 50 regional representatives from 28 countries together, is meeting today to examine the first draft articles of the Constitutional Treaty. While acknowledging the progress the Convention has … [Read more...]

European Constitution: regions express some reservations on the first draft

21 February, 2003 By Editor

Strasbourg (F), 21 February 2003 At its meeting on 21st February in Strasbourg, the AER Presidium made some reservations on the sixteen draft articles of the European Constitution, although a global vision of the text is not yet available. "The common roots of the European diversity constitutes one of the Union values. Therefore, the cultural diversity should … [Read more...]

EU/GATS/Cultural Diversity: Regions rally behind Jacques Chirac

4 February, 2003 By Editor

Strasbourg, 4 February 2003 The Assembly of European Regions (AER) supports the recent proposal of French President Jacques Chirac, who argued for the adoption of an international Convention on Cultural Diversity. For the South-Tyrolean Minister Bruno Hosp, chairman of AER's Culture and Education Committee, the French initiative reiterates the demands of the 2002 Brixen … [Read more...]