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

Conclusions of AER-Hearing in Barcelona: 2004 New strategic alliance

23 April, 2004 By Editor

Low-fare carriers, regions and regional airports oppose strict EU guidelines Strasbourg (F), 23 April 2004 Wide support for a new strategic alliance between ELFAA (the European Low Fares Airline Association), the AER (Assembly of European Regions) and the regional airports, was expressed at a hearing organised by the AER on 21 April 2004 in Barcelona. The purpose of this … [Read more...]

Liberalisation of Services of General Interest: Regions claim the reinforcement of the principle of subsidiarity

7 April, 2004 By Editor

Zürich (CH), 7 April 2004 "Member States, regions as well as municipalities must continue to define the provision of Services of General Interest and to determine their concrete application. The competences of the regions and municipalities guarantee a provision of services which meet regional and local realities. Moreover, the municipalities’ responsibility … [Read more...]

Conflict between Georgia and Adjara: The ARE calls for peaceful negotiations instead of a military intervention

16 March, 2004 By Editor

Strasbourg (F), 16 March 2004 The Assembly of European Regions (AER) today has called upon the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and the leader of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Aslan Abashidze to start immediately an open negotiation in order to defuse the emergent crisis in the country. “We are alarmed by the escalating tensions between the central and regional … [Read more...]

New cohesion policy: still a long way to go – The AER calls for more pragmatic approach

19 February, 2004 By Editor

Strasbourg, 19 February 2004 The AER welcomes the Third report on economic and social cohesion which takes the majority of our proposals into account. The sharing of structural funds for the period 2006-2013 between regions from the new Member states and those from the EU 15, as well as the concentration of objectives on convergence, job creation and … [Read more...]

AER asks the European Transport Council to address the issue of regional airports and low-cost carriers

12 February, 2004 By Editor

EU ruling on the Ryanair/Charleroi Airport case Brussels, 12 February 2004 The regional representatives, meeting in Brussels today in the aftermath of the Commission’s Ryanair/Charleroi decision, have agreed on the following conclusions: 1. Regional airports cannot be submitted to the same uniform conditions, due to their great diversity. Therefore, there can be no … [Read more...]

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...]