This is the category for all things related to AER's structure and governance.

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...]

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...]

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...]

Assembly of European Regions (AER) in favour of peaceful solution to Iraq-crisis

30 January, 2003 By Editor

The AER, as one of the voices of the people in the regions of Europe, supports all initiatives that lead to a peaceful solution of the Iraqi-crisis. Lower Austria Vice-Minister-President Liese Prokop, in her function as AER-President declared that a predominant majority of the population definitely opposes a military intervention. This is also indicated by opinion … [Read more...]