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This tag is for all posts relating to Brexit. The United Kingdom's decision to exit the European Union.

AER task force on cohesion policy

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In AER, we put a strong emphasis on the future of cohesion policy and look for our members to jump in the process!

A bit of background…

In the last years, AER took part to a number of debates and workshops aiming at a necessary re-thinking of the European cohesion policy and its delivery mechanisms, as well as objectives, tools and assessment criteria. In a first meeting with Commissioner Corina Cretu, AER President Hande Özsan Bozatli higlighted the lack of involvement of the regions in the shaping of the future cohesion policy and the absolute necessity to maintain it as a strong mechanism of investments for all regions in Europe.

At the 2016 AER General Assembly in Nordland (NO), the members decided to get the grips with the future of EU regional policy and appointed Mr. Michiel Rijsberman, Regional Minister in the Province of Flevoland (NL) and AER Bureau member, as Rapporteur on the future of cohesion policy. In the next weeks and months, AER took an active role in the initiative for a “Strong renewed regional policy post 2020 for all regions“, signed by more than 300 Presidents of regions.

At the occasion of an AER Breakfast Briefing on 28 September, various paths were explored to align positive thoughts and stand united for the future of cohesion policy, followed by a conference and the handover of the Book of Signatures to Corina Cretu (EU Commissioner for Regional Policy), Iskra Mihaylova (Chair of the European Parliament’s REGI Committee), Peter Javorcik (Permanent Representative for the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union) and Markku Markkula (President of the European Committee of the Regions).

The AER Bureau gathered in Vienna on 24 October discussed the consequences of the Brexit for the European project, and dedicated a wide part of their declaration “status quo is not an option for the European regions” to the importance of regional policy to avoid populism and bring the citizens closer to Europe. On 9 November, in the framework of the Committees’ Autumn Plenary in Izmir, members decided to set up a task force on cohesion policy post-2020, chaired by Michiel Rijsberman.

Moving on with concrete proposals

A questionnaire (still possible to answer!) has been set up to get a comprehensive overview of the elements at stake for the AER members, and the first results will be discussed and assessed during the first meeting of the Task Force in the framework of the Committees’ Spring Plenary in London, on 23 March 2017.

Four main areas have been identified for the work of the Task Force:

  • Simplification & audit
  • Cohabitation with other fund and programmes
  • Multi-level governance & gold plating
  • Philosophy of the Regional Policy and long term vision

Some of these topics have already been partly addressed and introduced to Commissioner Corina Cretu. You can also find her latest speech on the topic here, which was presented to the head of regional offices in Brussels on 20 february 2017.

How can you take part?

  1. It is still possible to take the questionnaire to voice your region’s interests, objectives and ideas
  2. You can join the Task Force and take an active role in drafting the AER position on the future of cohesion policy
  3. Bring some innovative ideas with you and join us for the meeting of the Task Force in London (23 March 2017)
  4. Take part in the Bureau meeting in Lower Austria (AT) and join the discussions for the political declaration (1 June 2017)

Contact

For any question, please contact us!

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Call for Proposals for Migrants Entrepreneurship Support Schemes by EASME

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Against the backdrop of economic crisis, terrorism, rising populism, and Brexit, Europe is faced with an unprecedented influx of migratory flows. This dramatic increase in the number of migrants and refugees arriving at Europe’s borders poses a great challenge to its member states, especially in terms of integration.

This migration issue is not only affecting the member states, but also the regional territories that compose the member states. Indeed, AER grasps the importance of this phenomenon and has contributed to finding solutions in various ways. AER focused on the migration challenge during the 2015 AER General Assembly & Autumn Bureau, and since then, has taken actions and disseminated information towards its member regions on Calls for Proposals in the field of integration, social inclusion, and the intersection between culture and inclusion.

During the 2016 Committees Spring Plenary Meetings, AER member regions showed great interest in the issue, and a workshop was dedicated to the specific topic of migrant entrepreneurship and integration in the labour market. Consequently, as it may be of interest to many of you, we wish to draw your attention to the Call for Proposals for Migrants Entrepreneurship Support Schemes by EASME from the European Commission.

This Call aims to help migrants become self-employed and build a successful enterprise (profit-generating and/or with social objectives) by supporting the creation, improvement and wider dissemination of support schemes for migrant entrepreneurs. The initiative will bring together shared approaches and lessons learnt among a trans-national network of relevant actors at the national and regional levels to work together and achieve better impact based on what is effective.

If you wish to share your project idea, start a project on this issue, or get in contact with other regions potentially interested in working on this topic, just get in touch with AER Secretariat!

The deadline for this Call for Proposal is 20 December 2016.

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Democracy at play in EU-Turkey relations

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The stakes of the EU-Turkey relation at this extremely crucial point in time bring us to the very relevant “Turkey and the EU: Shared Challenges and Common Opportunities” panel discussion that was held on 18 October by the Istanbul Policy Center – Sabanci University – Stiftung Mercator Initiative and Friends of Turkey in the European Parliament. The panel was composed of Mr. Fuat Keyman, Mr. Artis Pabriks, Ms. Nilgün Arisan Eralp, Ms. Kati Piri, Ms. Alexandra Stiglmayer, Ms. Senem Aydin-Düzgit, Ms. Nathalie Tocci, and Ms. Ilke Toygür.

Just as the European Union has been facing extraordinary challenges in recent years, so too is Turkey undergoing difficult times of its own. While the European Union deals with the economic crisis, the refugee crisis and Brexit, Turkey is confronted with its Kurdish issue, terrorism, and deteriorating democratic standards. The failed coup attempt earlier this year has not only brought upon a new examination of human rights and freedoms in Turkey, but also a test for democracy in the country.

What is at stake: summary of the panel discussion

The panellists highlighted that ever since democracy in Turkey was gravely challenged, EU-Turkey relations have become increasingly taut. Trust to engagement issues between the two sides have not only come to light, but have also highlighted the stalemated state of play. Furthermore, the EU-Turkey Agreement has become even more a source of tension than when it was signed. As both sides are facing their own challenges, and are suffering from a lack of trust towards each other, it may be difficult to imagine them collaborating towards shared resolutions on the Cyprus issue, the refugee and migrant crisis, and the fight against terrorism. However, it is precisely these shared challenges that, if turned into common opportunities, could provide the basis for strengthened EU-Turkey relations.

Cyprus dispute

Regarding the decades-long Cyprus dispute, Mr. Fuat Keyman – Director of Istanbul Policy Center – is convinced that if there is trust between the Greek Cypriots and their Turkish counterparts, a renewal of EU-Turkey relations would be possible. However, he also remarked that despite a good amount of good will, political will, and trust between leaders of the northern region and the southern region of the island, a resolution to the dispute is still out of reach. Since it isn’t even possible to discuss a resolution to the dispute yet, it is even less possible to engage in a dialogue on the implementation of the resolution. To add fuel to the fire, the window of opportunity to resolve this issue is becoming smaller and smaller. Nevertheless, if a resolution were to come into focus, it would have a positive impact on Turkey-EU relations, as it would provide a new narrative for the EU and strengthen the rule of law and democracy in Turkey.

Visa liberalisation

Concerning the visa liberalisation issue, Ms. Kati Piri – MEP – stated that despite the genuine political will on the part of EU political leaders to provide Turkey with this deliverable, they are unwilling to lower the standards of the criteria, as it would spell political suicide. If Turkey is willing to adapt itself to the EU’s criteria, there is a possibility that the path towards visa liberalisation would be opened. Nevertheless, the issue would have to pass through the European Commission and the Council first, which could prove to be difficult. Regardless of the difficulty of the issue, Ms. Kati Piri believes visa liberalisation could be more than symbolic. Mr. Fuat Keyman echoed his agreement with Ms. Kati Piri’s statement and put forth that visa liberalisation could change the Turkish people’s perspective towards the EU, through which EU-Turkey relations could be revitalised.

The role of the Turkish people in EU’s global strategy

The people of Turkey also play an important role in the EU’s global strategy, as one of its main goals is to increase resilience in not only the state of Turkey, but also in the people. According to the definition of increasing resilience in the global strategy, it entails the EU’s support in political reforms, the rule of law, and economic convergence, which would thus allow Turkey to withstand and recover from internal and external crisis in this case.

Principled pragmatism in Turkey-EU relations

A broad philosophy of the aforementioned global strategy is principled pragmatism, according to Ms. Nathalie Tocci – Special Adviser to the EU HRVP. Principled pragmatism could be defined as not compromising on principles because of pragmatic considerations. Indeed, it may seem as if there was a dichotomy between pragmatism and principles, as pointed out by Dr. Thomas Grunert – EP Fellow; however, Ms. Nathalie Tocci argues that the term should not be regarded as contradictory, but as a concept in which the principles and the pragmatism go together, especially in Turkey-EU relations.

The deployment of principled pragmatism can be seen in Turkey-EU relations, in regards to the refugee crisis. The EU doesn’t wish a weakening of democracy and rule of law upon Turkey, which would treat Turkey solely as a buffer zone and be too pragmatic an approach; instead, the EU strives to employ the principles of security, democracy and economy together towards Turkey as part of its global strategy. Indeed, principled pragmatism is a good solution to the stalemate in EU-Turkey relations on the EU side.

The panellists were optimistic that EU-Turkey relations would finally be able to move forward and contribute to create a more democratic world, with the help of tools such as trust and principled pragmatism. In their expert opinion, these two tools could facilitate the collaboration of the EU and Turkey, turning shared challenges into common opportunities.

AER delegation to Ankara

Concerned by the attempted coup and the aftermath, AER organised a visit to Ankara, Turkey from 19 to 20 September headed by AER President, Dr. Hande Ozsan Bozatli and a delegation of AER members and representatives from various partner organisations. As a true representative of the regions of Europe, and in turn an advocate for multilevel governance, democracy and subsidiarity, AER’s goal was to demonstrate solidarity with Turkey in the wake of the failed coup attempt on 15 July. Along with this goal, AER also aimed at safeguarding the constructive dialogue on democracy, peace and welfare between the regions of Europe and those of Turkey. These goals of AER fall under the larger framework of EU-Turkey relations, whose success very much depends on cooperation between the two sides.

AER will continue to follow EU-Turkey relations as well as the situation in Turkey in the same way it has done so in the past in order to reach out to other countries in similar difficulties. Regional democracy and thereby, its ability to contribute to peace and cooperation, are a top priority for AER. The role of the regions at this stalemated point of EU-Turkey relations at this moment in time is more important now than ever.

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AER Bureau brings answers to a post-Brexit Europe

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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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Roy Perry – “A post-Brexit system: How will Europe be reshuffled?”

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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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Building new ties with the French regions

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On 10 and 11 October, a delegation from the Assembly of European Regions (AER) traveled to France to meet with four regions which are currently not members of AER: Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Normandy and Ile-de-France. This field visit took place in the framework of this year’s territorial reform in France, that reduced – by merging – the number of metropolitan regions from 22 to 13, while giving them more competences, notably in the field of economy, employment and transport, three key topics for AER. As a result of this reform, coupled with the regional elections of 2015 and many new majorities arising, the AER Executive Board decided to put a strong focus on France this year, and build new ties with the regions. The AER delegation was led by the AER Vice-President for Institutional Affairs and Leader of Hampshire County Council (UK) M. Roy Perry, accompanied by member of the AER Executive Board and regional councillor from Grand Est (FR) M. Christian Debève, and the AER coordinator for membership and institutional relations M. Alexandre Brecx.

AER is very proud to count seven French regions among its active members (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Corse, Grand Est, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique) and ambitions to strengthen this presence in the months to come.

Bretagne

AER Vice-President Roy Perry had a lively working lunch in Rennes with M. Jacques Le Vagueresse, Director of European and International affairs of Bretagne. They extensively discussed about the consequences of the Brexit for the European regions. Bretagne is indeed very much connected to the United Kingdom, be it in terms of economy, tourism, maritime issues – but also in terms of history and culture. They both expressed clear wishes and commitments to maintain strong binds over the English Channel and to keep interregional cooperation alive. The rise of extremisms and populisms in Europe was also at the heart of the meeting, and Mr. Le Vagueresse stressed the responsibility of the regions to communicate more and better about Europe to the citizens. Among other things, they identified various areas of common interest for regional development, exchange of practices and connections with the European institutions to voice the interests of regions.

Pays de la Loire

The second visit of the trip of AER Vice-President Roy Perry led him to Nantes in the Région Pays de la Loire, where he was welcomed by M. François Pinte, 1st Vice-President, Mrs. Vanessa Charbonneau, Vice-President for European affairs, and M. Stéphane Labonne, Director of European policies. After presenting the work and activities of the Assembly of European Regions, Mr. Perry shared experiences as a former Member of the European Parliament. He also gave some very concrete examples of interregional cooperation which were built thanks to AER, and underlined how his County benefited from the AER membership. The representatives of Pays de la Loire showed their interest in cooperation with the European regions and in enhancing their presence on the European stage. They also shared the new European strategy of the region “A more useful Europe for a more efficient Region“ with the AER delegation, which will serve as a basis for further discussions.

Normandy

Priollaud Debeve PerryFor the third meeting of the trip, M. Roy Perry was joined by M. Christian Debeve. They paid a visit to M. François-Xavier Priollaud, Vice-President in charge of European and international affairs for Région Normandie, in the Parisian office of the Régions de France. Normandy is a “new region“ from the reform, made up of Lower and Upper Normandy. The delegation exchanged on the new structure and new competences hold by the regional council, and more generally about the state of decentralisation in Europe, a very important topic for AER. M. Priollaud then introduced the region’s European and international strategy to the AER delegation. He stressed in particular the importance of keeping strong links with the South of England, a message well heard and shared by M. Perry, Leader of Hampshire County Council. Building on the history of the region and its ties with Europe, they extensively discussed about the contribution of Normandy to the process of peace and democracy, a topic at the very heart of the AER priorities.

Île-de-France

img_4075For its final meeting with the French regions, the AER delegation met with M. James Chéron, President of the committee for European affairs in the regional assembly of Ile-de-France. M. Chéron addressed the issue of the UK referendum with M. Perry, expressing their fears about the coming months and years, and the long negotiation process ahead. After an informative discussion about the structures and missions of AER, they got back the very long history of Ile-de-France within the network, and the key role it has played over the last decade. M. Chéron gave some insights on how the regional council is now working, its main driving forces and how it envisages its presence in the European arena. This very useful meeting was an important opportunity to re-create links with the region, and launch ideas for future cooperations. As stated by M. Chéron: “exchange, share, build, mutualise, succeed!“

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2016 Regions and Cities Magazine explores visions for future cities

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The fifth edition of EUobserver’s Regions and Cities Magazine explores visions for future cities and learns lessons from the past.

“The EU is grappling with difficult problems – Brexit, migration, and the economy to name a few – but despite the gloomy pall over EU affairs, lots of European cities are investing and reinventing themselves.”

Cities are an important part of European regions and AER often tackles the interlinkages between urban and rural ares. The EU observer magazine illustrates many of the challenges facing Europe’s cities and how they are shaping their future.

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Field mission to the French regions after the territorial reform

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On 10 and 11 October, the AER Vice-President for Institutional Affairs and Leader of Hampshire County (UK) Cllr. Roy Perry will pay visits to various French regions, in order to re-engage and rebuild ties with them. France has indeed seen significant changes in 2016 with a major territorial reform that has led to less regions with more competences. From 22 metropolitan regions, there are now 13 new entities.

frenchregionsIt is therefore key for AER to get to know those new regions (many of them being a merge of members with non-members), to understand their true needs and priorities, and to inform them about the numerous activities and services offered by AER.  In his mission, Mr. Roy Perry will be supported by Mr. Christian Debève, the new AER representative of Grand Est (FR), the new region gathering Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine.

It will also be an opportunity for Vice-President Roy Perry to discuss with his French counterparts about the future of regions in Europe and the consequences of the Brexit for the British regions and Europe as a whole, topic that will be addressed at the AER Autumn Bureau meeting in Vienna on 24 October.

After successful field missions to meet AER members and non members in the North of Italia and in the East of Spain earlier this year, members of the AER Executive Board will continue this important work to go and meet the representatives of the regional authorities across Europe. After this week’s trip to Northern and Western France, similar missions are planned before 2017 in Switzerland, Italy (centre) and Spain.

Agenda of the meetings

  • 10 October: Bretagne (in Rennes) with Mr. Jacques Le Vagueresse, Director of European and International Affairs
  • 10 October: Pays de la Loire (in Nantes) with Mr. François Pinte, First Vice-President and Mrs. Vanessa Charbonneau, Vice-President
  • 11 October: Normandie (in Paris) with Mr. François-Xavier Priollaud, Vice-President
  • 11 October: Île-de-France (in Paris) with Mr. James Chéron, President of the Commission for European Affairs
  • 11 October: Hauts-de-France (in Paris) with Mrs. Valérie Letard, First Vice-President (TBC)

You can follow the mission on AER’s Facebook channel.

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Key decision from the Executive Board meeting in Batumi

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The Executive Board met on 15 September 2016 in Batumi (Ajara-GE) in the context of the AER 6th Black Sea Summit. The busy agenda raised many key issues with decisions taken on several fronts.

Key decisions of the Executive Board in more details:

The future of the Black Sea Summits

AER was the first to organised a coordinated effort in the Black Sea area to support regions around the Black Sea to better coordinate and drive their common policies. Many other organisations and institutions have picked-up on this trend and a number of conferences and events have flourished over the past years. “Although we believe Black Sea regions have not yet reached their full potential, we are confident that the tools and structures are now in place and going in the right direction and I am proud of the AER contribution to this development” confirmed AER President Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli. “As we always strive to detach ourselves from what others are doing, it is natural that we look beyond the Black Sea Summit to where else AER is needed” concluded the President. The Executive Board has opted to focus on AER’s role in interregional diplomacy with an annual Summit that will focus on bringing around the table regions from a specific geographical area to work together on common policies. To implement this, the EB has decided to convert the current Vice-President position on Mediterranean issues (not currently occupied) to a Vice-President on Interregional Diplomacy.

The Summit of the Regions, 28 September 2016, Brussels

This event will be a milestone for the future of the European regional policy. Over 160 regions and interregional organisations have been working behind the scenes to stand united and push for a strong cohesion policy for all after 2020. They will gather in Brussels on 28 September for the Summit of the regions at which time the book of signatures will be handed over to the Presidents of the EU institutions. AER has always closely followed the development of regional policy in Europe as an action at the heart of its core mission to “Promote regional interests in Europe and beyond” and will continue to do so for the next programming period.

AER Bureau in Vienna on “Europe after the Brexit: is status quo an option”

On 24-25 October, the AER Bureau will meet in Vienna to discuss the future of Europe. This political exchange is key as it falls within the 2016 theme of “revitalising democracy“. In the aftermath of Brexit, cleavages and tensions between European countries, political groups and citizens have been brought to light and the very nature of the European Union is more than ever questioned with tendencies to move away from common projects and values. AER is more than ever relevant for regional actors to continue dialogue and exchanges. The Bureau will analyse what values and visions Europeans share for a common project, dream of new models and institutional frameworks, make suggestions to improve the communication and promotion of the European project and, finally, look at the involvement of different stakeholders their common projects.

Autumn Committee meetings, 8-10 November, Izmir

More information will be available on our event page.
The topic addressed will be “sustainable mobility: a brand new world?”

Stay tuned!

Calendar of activities 2017 – host the next Summer Academy

Discussions are ongoing with several regions to confirm all dates and venues for 2017 to be communicated by the end of the year. We are still looking for a region to host our 2017 Summer Academy, one of AER’s flagship events. The Summer Academy is a highly interactive, innovative and dynamic event gathering regional politicians and young people for a series of workshops and study visits in a specific field. The event attracts high visibility for the host region due to the number of workshops, speakers and participants. Check out the 2016 Summer Academy hosted by Østfold (NO). In addition, the AER Summer Academy is the only AER event for which the costs are shared with the members of the Summer Academy Organising Committee and thus quite inexpensive for the host region. If you are interested in hosting the next edition, please contact the AER team.

All confirmed events are visible on our website. Check it out regularly for updates.

New resources for better services

The EB has decided to allocate additional resources to the AER team and to support the work on two important fronts. First, the “member relations” position will once again be a full-time position to capitalise further on the link with all member regions. Second, a part-time position will be open to support the work on European projects and funding.

Feedback from the first meeting of the Political Election Committee

On 2 September, the Monitoring and Evaluation Group, together with representatives from Värmland discussed the process of establishing the Political Election Committee. The proposal was made by Värmland (SE) at the 2016 General Assembly Bodo (NO) to establish a political election committee (EC) to prepare the elections at the coming General Assemblies. The proposal stated that, during the year prior to an election, the political election committee should explore amongst the members of the AER who may be suitable for AER assignments. In collaboration with the regions, the committee should discuss and generate data for identifying the skills and formal requirements to be associated with the various assignments.

Following this meeting, the Executive Board adopted the proposal to:

  1. Announce a call for nominations to an Election Committee of five politicians. Each of the members should be supported by one or more officers from their regions.
  2. Adopt the Elections Committee Procedures at a coming Executive Board meeting, preferably adjunct to the Bureau meeting in Vienna. The final EC Procedures should include a schedule, any upcoming amendments to the AER Statute and Procedures etc.
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“Revitalising democracy” remains top choice of the Executive Board

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In their meeting in Batumi on 15 September, the Executive Board reviewed the annual theme that naturally took its place from AER’s new year’s resolution last December.  Chosen for 2016, the issue of “Revitalising democracy” is ever more relevant and topical in the current political context and the Executive Board has given the network a strong political impetus by maintaining the theme for 2017.

The issues that led to choosing this topic in 2015 included the refugee and migration crisis, the continued rise of unemployment, terrorist attacks and weaker economic growth. Unfortunately, a new set of severe and alarming factors have given “revitalising democracy” a more pronounced and profound reason for being in the past months.

In the aftermath of Brexit, cleavages and tensions between European countries, political groups and citizens have been brought to light and the very nature of the European Union is more than ever questioned with tendencies to move away from common projects and values. The backstage discussions on the EU regional policy and funds also question some of the core European principles such as solidarity and cohesion. AER is acting on both fronts to safeguard the principles of democracy in our societies; the AER Autumn Bureau meeting in Vienna will question (24-25 October) will question “Europe after Brexit: is status quo an option?” and AER is also playing a pivotal role in the pushing for a Cohesion policy post 2020 for all regions. The latter point will be materialised at the Summit of the Regions on 28 September in Brussels.

The attempted coup in Turkey has shaken the essence of the democratic process. AER is showing support and concern to its member regions via a Delegation with government and opposition officials in an attempt to contribute to the necessary constructive dialogue with Turkey.

AER will continue to develop concrete projects and actions to bring its own building block for the revitalisation of our democracies in 2017.

 

 

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AER meets EU institution leaders

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One week after the Brexit, AER President Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli and Secretary General Mathieu Mori met with Mr Timmermans, first vice President of the European Commission. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the 2017 work programme of the European Commission but also to enquire about the steps the Commission will take following the loss of one of the key EU members. After restating the key AER messages on current key topics such as renewal of cohesion policy, urban agenda while also calling for the Commission to produce a white paper on rural areas that would lead to a post-2020 rural development policy. The implementation of the European fund for strategic investment as well the future of asylum policy where also raised.
AER regretted that no strong signals in favour of a broad debate on the future of the European Union were given after the European Council that finished a few hours before our meeting with Mr Timmermans. AER is ready to take part in this needed debate, by brining forward ideas from its member regions.
Many questions still pending that will need a follow up with the European Commission over the next months.

Following this meeting, the AER President and Secretary General, accompanied by Laurent of Belgium, special adviser to the President met with Mr Markku Markkula, President of the Committee of the Regions. The meeting was the occasion to restate the good cooperation between AER and the CoR. The CoR was encouraged to make the most of the trusted partner that is AER, especially when it tries to reach out to non-EU members. Given the profile of AER membership and of AER President, there are many formal and informal links that can be put in place to work towards a more inclusive Europe.

IMG_0735 IMG_9091 IMG_9086

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Brexit: about time to react

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AER experiences everyday the need for solidarity, mutual understanding and joint action among its elected members across Europe. We therefore regret but respect the outcome of the U.K. referendum. We urge the EU institutions to act upon the strong message sent by the people of the United Kingdom and to take the necessary measures to adapt and improve its core mechanisms. The EU must find ways to better communicate the added value and concrete benefits of its existence. Despite often cumbersome administrative procedures, Regions are great beneficiaries of EU policies through cohesion policy and structural funds. AER and regions in general are willing to do their part in better communicating the benefits of EU policies to its citizens. Closer to the citizens, regions must be given a stronger role and hurdles must be reduced for them to implement solidarity and efficiency in a Europe questioned by many citizens.

More than ever today, AER stands proudly to promote its values of peaceful cooperation, openness and diversity. Working with regions from EU and non-EU countries, we will continue our action to build a strong Europe with our regions.

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Strong voices for voting “remain”

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The AER Bureau took the opportunity of its meeting today to talk about the UK referendum. For obvious reasons, AER Vice-President Cllr Roy Perry (Hampshire-UK) could not take part in events in Nordland (NO) but addressed the assembly on the eve of the UKs referendum. Cllr Perry insisted on the two top achievements of the EU: peace and economy. He remarked on the difficulty of the campaign and confirmed his unwavering belief that being part of the EU is the only way forward.

Brian GreensladeBrian Greenslade, AER Honorary member, added to Cllr Perry’s intervention with more arguments in favour of the UK remaining in the EU and shared his distaste for the lies and twisted arguments in that have been put forward by Brexit advocates, on issues such as immigration. He concluded by saying “If you join a club and accept the rules, you need to abide by these rules. There is tremendous evidence the UK has greatly benefitted from being in the EU and I hope that I will be able to celebrate on Friday morning.”

The delegates shared their concern for the possibility of the UK leaving the EU and unanimously offered their support and encouragement in the final hours of the campaign.

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Cllr Roy Perry (Hampshire-UK) on UK referendum

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Cllr Roy Perry (Hampshire-UK) could not attend our General Assembly in Bodø last June due to his responsibilities in the Remain campaign for the UK referendum. However, he sent this video to be presented at the Bureau meeting on June 22 2016. The Bureau was focused on the possibilities that new technologies offer to regional authorities to imporve governance, but was closed with a brief but intense discussion on the possible scenarios after the referendum the day after.

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