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Assembly of European Regions

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You are here: Home / Archives for Event 2016 Autumn Bureau

This is the tag for all posts relating to Event 2016 Autumn Bureau.

AER Bureau brings answers to a post-Brexit Europe

25 October, 2016 By Editor

The last time Bureau members met, it was the eve of the long-awaited UK referendum; AER was gathered in Bodo (Nordland-NO) for its General Assembly. Words of hope but also concerns were shared by two British politicians, Cllr Roy Perry from Hampshire (AER Vice President for Institutional Affairs) and Mr Brian Greenslade from Devon (Honorary AER member) also long-time AER friends and true Europeans. Numerous Bureau members took the floor show their support in the final countdown. After the initial shock of the results subsided the next day, AER was quick to point out the value of the democratic process and the importance to respect the voice of citizens.

Almost 4 months later, the aftermath of Brexit is still to be fully revealed. But one thing is cristal clear; the European Union model has reached some sort of limit and the growing concerns of Europeans need to be addressed. Although the EU is a (non-negligeable) factor in the lives of Europeans, it is but part of a larger process in the development of (continental) Europe. Bringing together EU and non-EU regions, AER is the first to recognise that the European construction does not stop at the EU-28 borders. So regardless of the disappointment to see the UK leave the EU, British regions will still have opportunities to build a future by other means, AER being one of them.

In the Bureau meeting and conference “Europe after Brexit: is status quo an option”, Bureau members chose to address three main parameters for the future of Europe; (1) vision and values, (2) patterns and institutions, (3) communicate and promote. They worked in the spirit of the “world café” methodology to define their common position and adopt a declaration to voice their ideas and proposals to make the necessary changes in Europe.

Cllr Roy Perry, AER Vice-President for Institutional Affairs and Leader of Hampshire County Council (UK) set the scene with a presentation on the history of EU-UK relations and an analysis of the referendum results.

Two other speakers brought closure to the discussions, including Mr Maximilian Huck, Advisor Press and Information, Austrian Ministry for Europe who spoke about “Europe begins in your municipality“and Mr Jorg Wojahn, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Austria who gave a visionary speech “Europe is dead ? Long live Europe !”

 

 

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Bureau members drive AER to aim for “a strong Europe”

25 October, 2016 By Editor

The AER Bureau is the highest political voice in AER. It provides the political direction and impetus for the work carried out in the network. The Bureau is responsible for launching the work on the political priorities and gathering the inputs of the different bodies in the network. The next political priorities will be adopted in June 2017 at the AER General Assembly.

At the Bureau meeting in Vienna on 24 November 2016, members agreed on the direction of AER for the next years, summarised in a nutshell by the notions of “a strong Europe”. This will be the overarching priority for AER’s work. The notion of strength covers a wide range of issues, including strength in unity: political and economic cohesion to strengthen the position of Europe in the world. A strong Europe will act as a leader in various domains including social inclusion, the environment, innovation but can also respond to common challenges such as youth unemployment, migration and climate change.

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AER declaration: status quo is not an option

25 October, 2016 By Editor

Political declaration
Status quo is not an option for the European regions

Adopted by the AER Bureau on 24 October 2016 in Vienna (AT)

 

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) was deeply impacted by the results of the referendum held on 23 June 2016 on the United Kingdom’s membership to the European Union. Although AER expresses major concern over the outcome, it also acknowledges the results of this democratic vote and respect the decisions of the British citizens to leave the European Union.

The outcome of this referendum embodies the numerous problems we are facing in Europe today, from which it can only recover with sound and major changes. The current politically and institutionally stagnant period, which is exacerbated by the economic crisis, has to come to an end. The consequences of the British referendum must therefore be heard, understood and exploited by the political forces to emerge strengthened.

What should be well considered as a difficulty of the European project must now be turned into an opportunity to implement true changes. We are all responsible of breathing life into a new bill for a sustainable, green and inclusive continent, recognising our diversity as a strength. European leaders must focus on policies that will ensure territorial cohesion and the concrete implementation of the principle of subsidiarity, equality for all citizens and generations, and increasingly innovative systems. Europe must bestow a bright future upon its youth.

The whole European continent needs to learn from the current difficulties of the EU and reacts swiftly. The regions of Europe call upon the European institutions, national governments and regional authorities within and outside the European Union to take the following recommendations into account:

Vision and values

We should relaunch the political reasons founding the European integration, based on common and shared values of democracy, human rights, peace, social dimension and rule of law. This should be done first at local level, entrusting citizens and giving answers at all levels, enhancing European identity. We need to improve the effectiveness and the accountability of the political leadership, we need to enhance European vision in education, media, politics. We need an effective management of public affairs, rebuilding trust on our systems, able to respond to the present questions, threats and the opportunities of an emerging future, giving confidence and sense of stability and integrity for candidates and neighbouring countries.

Patterns and institutions

Europe has different types of regions (according to their administrative division), hence it is important to understand the different cultural and administrative differences. Institutions like the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee have a greater role to play in order to represent local and regional interest at the EU level. They should have a more proactive attitude in order to represent local and regional interests at the EU level. Subsidiarity is not just a word but a concept that is really implemented. Tax authority at the local level brings the benefits and costs directly to citizens, and it makes them more responsible by deciding how to use the money, and being accountable. The institutions at national and EU levels need to be re-evaluated: they should be more accountable, transparent and more focus should be put on economic growth. To have better subsidiarity and accountability there should be more attention to local and regional governments. Growth and social care should be based on a bottom-up approach; as a result, the needs of communities would be better satisfied. AER has the power to act in this field, and to build knowledge and responsibility among its members.

Communicate and promote

In order to better promote the European project and to make it clearer to the citizens, communication should be made on the level where it belongs, therefore the implementation of the principle of subsidiarity is key. Decision-makers should explain how the political process takes place before it becomes a concrete decision, thus enforcing the idea that Europe is also a political project endorsed by political leaders. Peace and democracy are Europe’s greatest achievements and should not be taken for granted; all actors are responsible to take responsibility and to exchange with citizens. We need to involve young people in the visions and values of Europe. There is a need for stronger leadership to endorse the European project and to promote its ideas and touch the citizens’ emotions. The EU regional policy remains one of the important tools to promote the concrete outcomes of European cooperation.

 

The European regions take their share of responsibility and will keep on working together, within the European Union, within the Council of Europe, and other forms of cooperation. The Assembly of European Regions will pursue its missions of promoting the regional interests in Europe and fostering an increasing interregional cooperation at all relevant levels. Supporting the idea of a united Europe in diversity, we call upon the European and national bodies to provide the most effective means, such as a strengthened EU regional policy, to meet the needs and concerns of the citizens and revitalise the hope of a democratic, prosperous and peaceful Europe.

Download the declaration (pdf)
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Roy Perry – “A post-Brexit system: How will Europe be reshuffled?”

24 October, 2016 By Editor

On 24 October, Cllr Roy Perry, AER Vice-President for Institutional Affairs and Leader of Hampshire (UK) gave a speech during the Bureau Meeting in Vienna, in the part “Europe after Brexit, is status quo an option?”.

Mr Perry gave a historical overview of the relations between the UK and the European Economic Community (EEC), that later became the European Union (EU). The Douglas-Home Conservative Government applied to join the EEC in 1963, and then the Wilson Labour Government too (1967). However, they both failed because of French President De Gaulle’s refusal. The UK finally joined the former 6 EEC members in 1973, when the Conservative Edward Heath was Prime Minister, together with Ireland and Denmark. In 1975, PM Harold Wilson (Labour Party) organised a referendum on Britain’s membership in the EEC, and 66% of voters decided to keep it.

In 1992, when John Mayor (Conservative Party) was PM, the UK ratified the Maastricht Treaty, which established the EU, but opted out the common currency. In 2009, following the euro-crisis, it was more evident that the UK would not have adopted the euro. In 2015, PM David Cameron (Conservative Party) proposed a referendum on the British EU membership, mainly for internal reasons (the Tories were divided on the issue). In 2016, the British voted to leave the EU.

Who voted to leave the EU? England and Wales, but not the cosmopolitan London, nor Scotland nor Northern Ireland. The British decided to leave the EU because they perceived it too bureaucratic and wasteful, and they were concerned about immigration influx in their country. The UK’s insular and historical conditions also played a role. Nationalism, which is currently growing in other European countries as well, can be added to the list.

The Remain camp essentially focused on economics to preserve the UK membership in the EU, pointing out especially to trade (10% of EU exports directed to the UK, 45% of UK exports directed to the EU). It is true that the UK has always had special relationships with other countries (USA, Canada and Australia, for example), but its historical ties with Europe cannot be underestimated.

Which perspectives for the post-Brexit? It could be soft or hard. The UK could acquire a status similar to that of Switzerland or Norway, but for Mr Perry it would be worse than the previous situation. In alternative, it could just be an ordinary WTO member.

Mr Perry hopes in young people concerning the UK future links with the EU, considering that perhaps there will be a reasonable relationship. In the end, he warned other countries not to do the same mistake of Britain.

Presentation slides.

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