15th General Assembly of the Regions of Europe

Seinäjoki, South Ostrobothnia (FIN), 7 December 2000

Mrs Liese Prokop, Vice-Minister President of Niederösterreich (Austria) since 1992, has just been elected AER President for 2001-2003. She is therefore the 5th AER President following Edgar Faure (Franche-Comté – F), Carlo Bernini (Veneto – I), Jordi Pujol (Catalunya – E) and Luc Van den Brande (Vlaanderen – B).

For the last 30 years, Liese Prokop, Austrian, has been a front running political actor in her country. For the AER, the election of Mrs Liese Prokop represents an additional asset with Austria being the long standing geographical link between the Regions of Western, Central and Eastern Europe.

Liese Prokop is also an outstanding performer in the world of sport as a top athlete. She won a silver medal for the pentathlon at the Olympics in Mexico in 1968; was junior champion in 1967 and broke the world record in 1969, again in the pentathlon. She is currently President of the Austrian Union of Sports Organisations.

With the election of Liese Prokop, the AER efforts to encourage equal opportunities for men and women are given added impetus.

The new AER President will be assisted in her tasks by the Vice-President Jan Waszkiewicz, President of the Region of Dolnoslaskie – PL, Vice-President Lambert van Nistelrooij, member of the Regional Council of Noord-Braabant – NL and Vice-President Treasurer Claude Ruey, State Councillor from the Canton of Vaud – CH (second election).

The new Committee Presidents are:
– “Institutional Affairs and East-West Cooperation”: Willi Stächele, State Secretary for Baden-Württemberg (D)
– “Social cohesion, Social services, Public Health, Employment”: Ragnar Kristoffersen, President of Akershus (N)
– “Regional Policies, Spatial planning, Infrastructures, Environment, Tourism“: Brian Greenslade, President of Devon (GB)
– “Culture, Education and Training, Youth, Media, Sport“: Bruno Hosp, Minister of Culture of BozenSüdtirol/Bolzano-Alto Adige (I)

In addition, a special mandate concerning the participation of young people in public regional life and the development of interregional cooperation in the Balkans was given to Roberto Antonione, President of Friuli Venezia-Giulia (I).

For more information: [email protected]