Connecting regions, inspiring Europe since 1985
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“The more European integration is reinforced, the more the Regions and regionalism in Europe will have an essential role to play. European integration and regionalism are two sides of the same coin: European integration unites the States, structures and economies; regionalism and interregional cooperation unite communities, cultures and people”,
Luc Van Den Brande, AER President.
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Follow AER!European unification within the “Europe of the Regions” is one of the principles of the Baden- Württemberg Constitution, which has always given a particular importance to crossborder cooperation, especially with French and Swiss regions. The role of the regions in Europe is not sufficiently acknowledged by the public, which is more interested in activities of the state. The future of European integration however, also depends on a construction from the bottom (regions, municipalities) up (states, EU). The words of the sociologist, Daniel Bell “the state is too small to solve the big problems and too big to solve the small ones” are still valid today. This does not mean that the states are superfluous, but internationalization leads to problems that can only be resolved through supranational cooperation. The fields of action for the states, therefore, tend to be reduced, their structures being, often, too rigid to solve the essential problems facing the citizen (education, infrastructure, culture, health etc.)
The future belongs as much to the European supranational community as to the regional and municipalunities. Reinforcingonedoesnot mean weakening the other; the best sollution would be to have a good combination of both.
Crossborder cooperation plays a key role in European integration because each experience can become a model to be followed at Europeanlevel. Common agreements and successes reinforce the regions. Regionalism leads to a greater proximity to the citizen. Regionalism and European integration form two sides of a coin and it is, therefore, crucial that crossborder cooperation be supported by the European Union.
At the end of 1997, the Polish Government launched a work programme for the administrative reform of the country. The bills which are currently being discussed in the Parliament propose introducing a decentralised system similar to that in France. This would mean a distribution of competencies between three administrative levels (there are only two at present): municipality, district, voivodeships as well as the creation of regional councils made up of elected members. In this context, the competencies of the municipalities will remain practically unchanged, the districts would cover inter-municipal administration responsibilities and a large part of those of the voivodeships. The voivodeships would then carry out the standard administration for the State at regional level.
The Regional Council would be elected through direct suffrage, which represents major progress when compared to the present system. It would be made up of an elected Assembly (legislative and control body) and an executive body. It would be responsible for the regional strategy and development policy and its implementation. The competencies of the Council would include: education and higher education, health, culture, social services, regional planning, the environment, management of water resources, infrastructures and transport. It would have its own financial resources (30% from income tax and 15% from VAT, collected at regional level etc.) and would prepare and vote its own annual budget.
The bill envisages that the voivode would supervise the Regional Council in legislative fields and foreign policy. It also envisages the suspension of activities or dissolution of the Council by the President of the Council of Ministers should the Constitution not be respected or if public commitments are not carried out.
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The regions of Aquitaine (F), Euskadi and Navarra (E) are geographically and historically close so it is quite natural that they got together. Aquitaine and Euskadi established a cooperation protocol in 1989 and Navarra joined them in 1992, thus sealing a fruitful institutional collaboration. The main objectives of this cooperation are:
Over 350 transborder projects, 50 of which were introduced in 1997, have in this way been set up in a variety of fields: higher education, scientific research, the environment, economic development, tourism, agriculture, culture, training, social care, diffusion of the Basque language etc. These projects are financed by a common intervention fund. The three regions invest each year close to 300 million Pesetas so that this collaboration may realise an even greater number of common projects on both sides of the border.
Follow AER!The “Declaration on Regionalism” in Europe was adopted by the AER in 1996 during the General Meeting of European Regions in Basel (CH). It is a reference document for new regions or those undergoing expansion. It defines the norms and criteria for regional development and fixes the different steps to be undertaken so that the region can beacknowledged as a fully-fledged political entity. There is currently awide range of different regional structures in Europe. The “Declaration” has not chosen to promote a specific type of regionalism but sets out ageneral framework within which the regions may develop.
“The Assembly of European Regions strives to have regionalism recognised not only within the European Union but also beyond. At a time when, within Europe, the strengthening of the European Union is being reflected upon, the role of the regions in the unification process is gaining importance. Themes such as the distribution of responsibilities and the cooperation through partnerships between the various policy levels have consequently come to the fore, subsidiarity being the basic principle to define everyone’s role. The movement for regionalism is strong within the European Union as well as beyond. It is fuelled by the belief that the powers vested in the European Union, the (Member-) States and the regions are complementary.Regions, federated states and autonomous communities are above all mainstays of democracy; they strongly support cultural diversity in Europe and they are major partners in socio-economic development. This is why they should be able to take responsibilities in the policy areas where they have a competitive advantage, amongst others, in economics (employment), culture, the environment, regional and country planning, scientific research etc.The Declaration on regionalism adopted by the Assembly of European Regions offers a reliable guide for regions on the way to enlargening and strengthening their powers. It is a document of norms and standards, an entity of beacons and stepping stones. It is not a charter that fixes the minimum norms for recognition of a region. The rich diversity of regions in the AER yields a great number of models and structures to streamline regional development. The Declaration on regionalism sets out the guidelines within which the AER member regions develop. Thus they endorse the AER objective: strengthening regional development.
By this Declaration the AER wants to show what it, together with its members, strives for. They can enrich and strengthen the AER. This is why the Declaration is distributed, presented and discussed within the AER as well as beyond. In our capacity as former and current Presidents of the AER, we want to further promote regionalism in Europe, thereby enabling regions to take up more responsibility in a Europe that is closer to the citizen”.
As part of its activities on cultural heritage, AER published the second volume of its Guide to the Cultural Itineraries of the European Regions in 1992. Like its predecessor, this volume contains information on the rich, diverse cultural history and traditions of the European Regions. A copy of the edition is available online and can be accessed for download here. We hope that you enjoy reading it and feel inspired by each region’s unique culture.
Follow AER!As part of its activities on cultural heritage, AER published the first volume of its Guide to the Cultural Itineraries of the European Regions in 1990. The first volume contains information on the rich, diverse cultural history and traditions of the European Regions. A copy of the edition is available online and can be accessed for download here. We hope that you enjoy reading it and feel inspired by each region’s unique culture.
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