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European Capital of Culture: “Let’s nominate regional capitals in the new Member states”

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The AER Committee on Culture encourages the nomination of regional capitals in the new Member states as European Capital of Culture

Besançon, Franche-Comté (F), 15 September 2005

In view of the forthcoming selection of the European Capital of Culture (ECC initiative), the AER Committee on Culture, who held its plenary meeting in Besançon (Franche-Comté/F) on 15th September, calls upon the European Commission and the Member states to encourage the nomination in the new Member states of regional capitals as European Capitals of Culture.

The AER recommends “to increasingly consider the aspect of the balanced social and economic regional development during the decision making process and to take into account the modest financial resources of regional capitals in the new Member states’.

In recent years the regional and interregional character of the cities’ applications for the ECC initiative has become dominant. One of the reasons is that, in metropolises, the ECC year normally vanishes and the message of the event does not reach the targeted audience, as Robert Palmer’s report conducted by the EU in connection with Paris has shown. The nomination of stagnating or declining cities in the Europe’s regions can not only boost their economies but also present to the European audience the regional cultural diversity.

For more information: [email protected]

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Reforming State Aid – The European Regions say ‘yes’

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“So long as this reform supports the objectives of economic, social and territorial cohesion”, stated President Illy

Trieste, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia (I), 11 September 2005

Presidium of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), meeting today in Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia (I), has declared itself overall in favour of the European Commission’s proposed ‘State Aid Action Plan’.

‘We share the opinion of the European Commission and of the Member States that the reform of national aid policies, both in terms of scope and procedures, is necessary in order to better meet the challenges of competitiveness and cohesion. We also feel that this reform must consider the increasingly important role of public-private partnerships. The AER supports the Commission in its attempt to simplify and rationalise State Aid policy as suggested in the Action Plan,’ declared Riccardo Illy, President of the AER and of Friuli Venezia Giulia (I), at the end of the meeting.

‘However, the AER wishes to reiterate that this reform must not hamper the principles of economic, social and territorial cohesion. We regret that the territorial aspects were not clearly mentioned in the Commission’s presentation of State Aid in the context of the Lisbon Strategy (p. 7-8 of the Action Plan),’ added Riccardo Illy.

‘In order to avoid a geographical concentration of assistance, which would have the negative effect of artificially distorting competition between regions eligible for State Aid and those non-eligible, we propose the introduction of regional differentiation in the context of horizontal aids ,’ he concluded.

The AER further declares itself satisfied with the measures relating to the financing of public services, as suggested by the Commission, in particular the exemption from the requirement of prior notification for smaller airports. ‘These provisions will facilitate the sound functioning of smaller airports, which have less human potential than bigger airports to face the administrative burden created by prior notification requirements, but which nonetheless play a key role for economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU,’ stressed Håkan Sandgren, Vice-President of the AER’s ‘Regional Policy’ Committee and Regional Councillor of Jönköping (S). ‘We are pleased the Commission has followed our repeated proposals on this issue. We request, however, that regional airports with a higher number of passengers also benefit from this exemption. We should therefore continue to work on the Commission’s guidelines on regional airports, published on 6th September 2005. It is imperative that the final text takes into account the special role of regional airports,’ he added.

The AER is also closely following the Commission’s revised proposal on land public transport services and awaits the announced additional proposals regarding social and health services of general interest.

For more information: [email protected]

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Sustainable energy policy: Renewable energy and rational management are crucial for European Regions

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County of Norrbotten (S), 30 June 2005

“With the rise in global energy consumption, the need to set up sustainable and long-term energy policies is becoming all the more essential. This should be done by developing alternative energy sources and by promoting more rational behaviour towards energy consumption.” This was the statement by Hakan Sandgren, Vice-President of the ‘Regional policy’ Committee of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) during the Seminar held in the County of Norrbotten in Sweden. “That is why it is crucial for all regional actors to improve their knowledge in terms of technologies and management methods and to define strategies promoting these new policies among the public and in every sectors of the society,” he added.

About 60 regional representatives, experts and private stakeholders from all over Europe were gathered in Porjus, Norrbotten (S) to discuss and share best practice. Representatives of the European Commission and European Economic and Social Committee presented the current EU energy policy and the co-financing opportunities for innovative projects in the field.

Three round tables allowed the delegates to go into more details on several key aspects of the topic, i.e. green electricity production, sustainable heating and clean transport solutions. ‘Energy is at the core of all elements of all sectors of sustainable communities. Sustainable energy issues [therefore] need to be addressed through a partnership of a public and private sector organisations’, stated Tim German, Manager, Cornwall Sustainable Energy Partnership, during the concluding session.

At the end of the meeting, the participants expressed their willingness to go further and set up a plateform for ccoperation and experience-sharing on sustainable energy policies within the AER framework. The seminar ended with a visit to the Energy Technology Centre in Pitea.

For more information: [email protected]

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Promoting Sustainable Development: Learning From Regions’ Experience

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Azores (P), 10 May 2005

“The regions of Europe have to take up the new challenges of a rapidly changing European and global context. Growth and competitiveness depend on the capacity of the regions to enhance their self-development based on sustainability. To achieve this goal, the AER Centurio-Interreg III C Programme, gathering almost 50 regions, provides the best interregional platform for exchange of know-how and experience in three key areas of regional sustainable development: sustainable economic development, environmental protection and sustainable quality tourism. The program also offers an opportunity for developing initiatives in these priority fields.” stated Mr Carlos César, President of the Regional Government of the Azores at the Conference on “Promoting Sustainable Development: Learning From Regions’ Experience”, organised by the AER in Ponta Delgada, Azores-P.

Disseminating experiences and information gained during the first stage of Centurio (2004-2005) was the main target of the Conference, which was organised within the framework of the Programme. More than 100 participants – regional politicians, officers, experts, from Regions within and beyond the EU- focused on the following issues:
•    Public-Private-Partnership as a tool for regional development,
•    Environmental Protection: our environment, our capital,
•    Regions’ economic potential and human resources for sustainable development,
•    Sustainable quality tourism as a key for regional development.

“The Conference allowed some leading regions showing proactive approaches in the field of sustainable development” said Mr Klaus Klipp, Secretary General of the AER.

The successful projects of Public-Private-Partnerships presented by Gloucestershire (UK) and Vejle (DK) were particularly useful for the regions of the new EU Member states. The Gloucestershire initiative involves local authorities, actors from the private sector and regional partners and their main aims are to identify the needs of employers and investors, to promote the region’s economic potential, to form concepts, strategies and to establish partnerships. Vejle’s Green Network is a public private network on sustainable development with focus on continuous improvements within environmental and social responsibility. The network gathers 280 companies, Vejle Region and 9 municipalities from the region.

The examples on clusters presented by Upper Austria (A) and the Canton of Zurich (CH) were also welcomed by the participants as tools for sustainable development. The Upper Austria’s clusterland is one of the best examples how to improve the competitiveness and innovative strengths of companies, particularly SMEs, in the regional industrial and technological agglomerations through co-operation in networks. Clusters operate in the field of automotive, drive technology, plastics, wood, eco-energy, food health, technology, and mechatronics with more than 1600 partners. Zurich’s strategy on economic development also focuses on the growing importance of clusters, concentrating on the industry sectors, on the significance of knowledge and on creating networks between universities, businesses, research and development, the government and the community.

Presentations on different approaches in the field of environmental protection among others by the Region of Valencia (ES), as well as in the field of quality tourism by the Region of Azores (P) or Lapland (FI), gave a unique overview how to focus on sustainability in these areas of development. The Region of Valencia implemented the regional sustainable development strategy in the framework of the Programs LIFE, IEE, e-TEN and Leonardo as well as the projects like Ecobus, Urbanbat or Ecorice cover the priority fields of sustainability and environmental protection.

The closing presentation at the Conference was the integrated approach of tourism development in Lapland. The tourism industry’s most important feature in Lapland is offering all year round attractions with various tourism products and services. To secure controlled and sustainable development, the tourism and public sector are in close cooperation and one of the most important strategic goals are high quality and customer satisfaction.

For more information: [email protected]

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Regions of Europe back the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy

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Ponta Dalgada, Açores (P), 9 May 2005

‘The ambitious objectives of the Lisbon Strategy will only be reached through coherent European policies and the EU budget adapted to the challenges emerging from the last enlargement and globalisation’, stated Onno Hoes, Regional Minister of Noord-Brabant (NL) and Chairman of ‘Regional policies’ Committee of the Assembly of European Regions (AER).

Over 45 European regions, who attended the plenary meeting of the AER ‘Regional policies’ Committee on 6th May in Ponta Dalgada (Açores-P), highlighted the key role played by the EU cohesion policy in implementing the Lisbon Agenda and the need for true co-ordination between this policy and other major EU policies, such as competition and transport policies.

‘The Ryanair/Charleroi Airport case has served as an example of the impact of such a lack of coordination. The European Commission heard our arguments and thanks to our active lobbing, the draft EC guidelines on the financing of airports, which represent driving force behind regional development, are currently under revision’, pointed out Klaus Klipp, AER Secretary General, while reporting on a meeting with the Commissioner Barrot’s Head of Cabinet on 3rd May in Brussels.

Concerning the EU financial perspectives 2007-2013 currently under negotiations, the AER ‘Regional policies’ Committee underlined that a step back from the EC initial proposal based on 1,24% of GDP would jeopardize the EU cohesion policy, and in particular the new competitiveness objective. ‘The efficiency of this objective in implementing the Lisbon Agenda will also depend on the capacity of the European Union to enhance potentials of economic development that exist in the regions’, said Onno Hoes, while insisting on the commitment of the European regions to make Europe more competitive, with better growth and more jobs.

In this context, the AER ‘Regional policies’ Committee decided to set up, within its structure, a new Working Group on ‘Regional economic development’. Its vocation: to allow the AER member regions to identify the key factors of regional competitiveness today and to establish genuine regional development strategies which respond to the Lisbon objectives, by promoting best practices and a common work at European level. The Group will be supported by a co-operation with other acknowledged stakeholders such as the European Association of Regional Development Agencies (Eurada).

For more information: [email protected]

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Scenario Europe 2010 – The AER launched its work on the White Paper on the role of the regions

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Dubrovnik (HR), 29 Aprile 2005

‘EU enlargement and globalisation have created new opportunities and challenges for the European regions. The Constitutional Treaty currently in the process of being ratified in the Member States and the Lisbon Strategy imply the greater involvement of regions in all aspects of European governance in the next future, especially if we want to bring the European project closer to the citizens’ stated Lars-Gerhard Westberg (Västra-Götaland-S), Vice-President of the AER ‘Institutional Affairs’ Committee, at the conference on ‘The role of the regions in Europe: a Scenario for 2010’, organised by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in Dubrovnik on 29th April.

‘European competitiveness and entrepreneurship will not improve unless they can build on existing conditions and opportunities in Europe’s regions, towns and municipalities’, said Mrs Catarina Segersten Larsson, Chair of the Värmland County Council Executive Committee (S). In her contribution “The Lisbon Strategy: the role of the regions in creating the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010”, Mrs Segersten Larsson pointed out that it is crucial for achieving the ambitious goals of the Lisbon Agenda, that the EU develop more grass-roots perspectives in all European policies and that the regions accept their responsibility in this process. Referring to the discussion paper by Mr Anders Gustâv, Chair of the ECOS, Committee of the Regions, which will be presented next week, Mrs Segersten Larsson insisted on a two-way approach to the implementation of the Lisbon Agenda on the regional level: improving regional competitiveness and developing public-private partnerships.

The conference also allowed regions to have an in-depth discussion on the impact of the Constitutional Treaty on the role of the regions in European governance, on new opportunities for regional participation in European policy making and on how the regions can contribute to the goal of bringing Europe closer to the citizens.

The conference was held in Croatia, a country where the issue of EU membership is currently at the forefront of the citizens’ minds. If the current stalemate between the EU and the Croatian government over co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ITCY) is settled, it will be the regions that will have a leading role to play in preparing the country for EU membership. Through drawing upon the expertise of its 250 member regions, the AER will assist the Croatian regions in preparing for this challenge.

For more information: [email protected]

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What role for the regions in a Europe of 2010?

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Dubrovnik (HR), 29 Aprile 2005

“European competitiveness and entrepreneurship will not improve unless they can build on existing conditions and opportunities in Europe’s regions, towns and municipalities”, said Mrs Catarina Segersten Larsson, Chair of the Värmland County Council Executive Committee (S), at the conference on ‘the Role of the regions in Europe: a Scenario for 2010’, organised by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in Dubrovnik on 29th April.

In her contribution “The Lisbon Strategy: the role of the regions in creating the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010”, Mrs Segersten Larsson pointed out that it is crucial for achieving the ambitious goals of the Lisbon Agenda that the EU develop more grass-roots perspectives in all European policies and that the regions accept their responsibility in this process and contribute in practical terms to its implementation.

Mrs Segersten Larsson insisted on a two-way approach to the implementation of the Lisbon Agenda on the regional level: improving regional competitiveness and developing public-private partnerships (PPP). Referring to the discussion paper by Mr Anders Gustâv, Chair of the ECOS, Committee of the Regions, which will be presented next week: “Europe needs more entrepreneurs and successful small businesses. Most new companies start out as small-scale local businesses. As public players and democratic institutions, the local and the regional authorities have an important influence on the soil that companies take root in and the climate that helps them to flourish” she highlighted.

Among other solutions, Mrs Segersten Larsson put forward:
-the development of cooperation with universities and colleges in order to promote higher education and disseminate research results,
-encouraging educational institutions, companies and employees to pull together in order to advance life-long learning,
-the promotion of public procurement an active, transparent instrument for promoting competition,
-the promotion of a culture of enterprise by introducing entrepreneurship in schools both as a specific subject and as an integral part of the curriculum
-the improvement of public communications in order to facilitate labour mobility,
-to ensure ease of access to local and regional transport systems as well as to broadband services.

Regarding the development of Public-Private Partnership on which Mrs Segersten Larsson has been rapporteur on behalf of the Committee of the Regions, she said that “public and private parties can no longer view themselves as conflicting parties, but on the contrary new forms ofr collaboration must be given scope to develop where both parties can participate and assume responsibility, share risks and simultaneously develop services in the best interests of the citizens”.

For more information: [email protected]

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Creating the conditions for effective regional democracy

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A challenge for the States and Regions of Europe

Novi Sad, Vojvodina (SRB), 2 March 2005

‘European democracy must be built from the bottom-up. The regional and the local authorities are the levels of government closest to the citizen, providing key services and acting as the main interface between the citizens and the state. However, regions cannot operate effectively unless they are provided with adequate financial resources and a legal and constitutional framework that assists them in exercising their rights and carrying out their responsibilities in an optimal manner’, declared Riccardo Illy, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and of Friuli Venezia Giulia-I.

This was the key message of the conference organised by the AER in partnership with the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in Novi Sad (Serbia and Montenegro), on 1 and 2 March. The conference, which also featured contributions from the Council of Europe, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), explored how an effective framework for regional democracy could be created in Europe. The focus was upon the financing of regional authorities, the elaboration of regional competencies and the national legal and constitutional framework for regional and local democracy.

The conference was attended by 120 top-level representatives of regions and other interested parties from 15 countries, who compared the effectiveness of the financial and legal frameworks for regional self-government in their respective countries. Specific emphasis was placed upon using best practice in Europe to improve the conditions for regional democracy in Serbia and Montenegro. President Illy met with Bojan Kostres, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of Vojvodina, and a number of preeminent academic experts and practitioners to discuss the way in which the Serbian Constitution can best protect and promote regional democracy. Drawing upon the expertise of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe’s body of experts on constitutional matters, these key players were able to undertake an in-depth exploration of constitutional issues and explore ways in which the new Constitution can ensure the proper functioning of regional democracy in Serbia. Participants will now try to identify concrete ways in which to implement the recommendations developed during the conference.

‘Regions must be provided with adequate financial resources and a proper constitutional framework within which they can exercise their competencies and serve their citizens’ concluded President Kostres. ‘We have seen today that, both in Serbia and in the rest of Europe, regional democracy is the key to the creation of vibrant, democratic societies in which citizens can exercise their rights and participate fully in political processes’.

For more information: [email protected]

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We need exemption of small airports from EU Guidelines

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Riccardo Illy, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), meeting today with the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, welcomed the new EU guidelines on aviation and regional airports, as well as the Commission initiative to launch a consultation before adopting a final regulation. ‘The AER, who called for the publication of EC guidelines in order to remove the legal uncertainty created as a result of the EC decision in the Ryanair/Charleroi case, recognises that the new guidelines adopt a flexible approach, acknowledging the vital role of regional airports for citizens’ mobility and the economic development of many regions of Europe’ he said. ‘More specifically, they clarify the role of national, regional and local authorities in the provision of key infrastructure and offer an improved set of conditions for public funding to assist the development of regional airports and interregional air connections’ he highlighted.

However, Riccardo Illy pointed out that ‘small airports, e.g. up to one million passengers a year, should have the choice to decide which measures they want to take to attract airlines. A European guideline should not reduce their bargaining power when negotiating with airlines. This may also create a legal problem for existing agreements, in larger airports, usually concluded for an average duration of 10 years’.

On behalf of the AER and the European Forum of Regional Airports (FARE), who share the same position, Riccardo Illy called upon the Commission President to ensure that such obstacles for the future development of regional airports and the obligation of prior notification of start-up aids, especially for small regional airports, are removed from the final regulation.

The exponential development of low-cost carriers in Europe has significantly contributed to the development of regional airports and of a network of interregional air connections, supporting citizens’ mobility, regional economic growth and job creation, as well as increasing the accessibility of peripheral regions in Europe. The new EU guidelines, currently under consultation, must aim at creating a favorable climate for further development of regional airports. To do so, they should not impose rigid rules regulating a market which is constantly evolving, but help to clarify the legal provisions regarding state aid in this field and reconcile the Market Economy Investor Principle with the need for the regions to secure their own development.

For more information: [email protected]

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Building bridges between Regions: The AER explores new opportunities for interregional cooperation

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Palma de Mallorca, 4 October 2004

Developing its key role of bringing the European Regions closer together, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) has risen to a new challenge: to develop North-South cooperation between the regions of the European continent and their neighbours in the Southern Mediterranean. The Region of Illes Balears-E, living up to its geographical role as a link between Europe and the Southern Mediterranean, hosted 80 political representatives of the regions of the AER‘Institutional Affairs’ Committee.

North-South cooperation, a new way to build stable societies

The AER, always convinced of the importance of developing links between the regions of the European Union (EU) and their neighbours, is keen to support the development of democratic processes in the Southern Mediterranean. “Our goal is to support each of our Member Regions in building bridges with other regions. The AER will place its network of 250 regions from 30 countries at the disposal of the regions in the Southern Mediterranean, in order to support these regions in building democratic structures that meet the needs of their citizens. It will achieve this through the development of concrete programmes of exchange of experience and know-how, working together with key partners such as the Untied Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The EU’s new neighbours will benefit from the dissemination of examples of best practice in regional government, and the subsequent strengthening of subsidiarity will benefit all their citizens” stated Peter Straub, President of the AER’s ‘Institutional Affairs’ Committee and President of the Committee of the Regions. “This initiative will build upon the hard work that the AER has undertaken for many years on the issue of EU enlargement. We will now use our expertise to the benefit of its new neighbours in the Southern Mediterranean, Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans”.

Structural funds: the AER appeals to the EU for continued support

The AER welcomes the intention of the EU to support regional development in the new Member States through a reform of its Structural Funds programmes. However, the AER highlights the importance of ensuring that continued support is given to the least developed regions of the old EU Member States (EU 15), which are currently classified as “Objective 1”. The AER, through its 20 years of work with the European Regions, understands the specific difficulties that many of these regions still face. The AER will therefore continue to lobby the European institutions to ensure that support is provided to regions from the “EU-15” that are facing specific handicaps in their development, resulting, for example, from their situation as peripheral or island regions.

Let’s ratify the Constitutional Treaty

At the same time that the EU plays a key role in regional development, the regions have an increasingly important part to play in the development of the EU. The AER has strongly influenced the development of the Constitution. “We have had great success in ensuring that the interests of the regions and their citizens were reflected in the final text of the treaty. We must now ensure that citizens fully understand the significance and relevance of the new Constitution for them, so that they are able to make informed decisions during the ratification process” highlighted Klaus Klipp, Secretary General of the AER. “The AER will assist its member regions in successfully informing their citizens about this important issue. At the beginnig of the making of the institutional treaty in the so call Convention, lead by Valery Giscard d’Estaing, we would not have dreamt of only achieving half of what regions and citizens have achieved now with the Constitutional Treaty”.

For more information: [email protected]

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The AER calls upon the European Commission to stop flooding the Common market with new GM-seeds

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Strasbourg (F), 7 September 2004

Since the European Commission decided to lift the ban on new GMOs last May, two new GM maize (BT11 and NK603) were authorised for sale within the EU and 17 new GM varieties of maize are likely to be authorised soon. During its meeting tomorrow, the European Commission will also tackle the sensitive question of the tolerance level for accidental contamination of seeds in conventional and organic harvests for which Commissioner Fischler’s proposal has already fixed a threshold of 0.3%.

The Assembly of European Regions condemns this headlong rush of the European Commission into transgenic agriculture, without any European general regulation on coexistence between traditional and GM-crops. “This European Commission new step forward on the GMO issue, if taken, puts the very future of the European traditional agriculture at stake” stated Brian Greenslade, President of the AER Committee on regional development. “Among the Member States, so far only Denmark has coexistence rules based on the Community precautionary and polluter-pays principles. Germany has just started adopting a genuine coexistence law. Other Member states are not really prepared to cope with a likely widespread dissemination of GMOs to conventional and organic crops” he underlined. “According to several governmental and independent studies, the risks are very high. More controversially the economic consequences rest with farmers whose conventional or organic crops were damaged ” he pointed out.

Moreover, nearly two thousand regional and local authorities across Europe have declared themselves GMO-free areas, challenging the European law on the single market. By their decisions, supported by consumers, traditional producers and environmental associations, they want to confront the risks of contamination by GMOs and to protect their territory’s traditional agriculture as well as products of designated origin. The European Commission has not yet taken into account this move which is now spreading across a majority of EU Member states. The AER supports them by launching a joint campaign with Friends of the Earth for GMO-free zones and regions in Europe. This campaign will be presented to the European media on the 14th September, in the European Parliament in Strasbourg (4.00 pm).

For more information: [email protected]

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AER Summer School 2004: Regional Representatives from across Europe

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Olomuc (CZ), 27 August 2004

The 9th annual AER Summer School, which is taking place in Olomouc, Czech Republic, from 22-27 August, brings together 163 representatives of regional authorities from 68 regions and 25 European countries, not only from the new EU but also from its neighbouring countries.

Liese Prokop, President of the AER, stated, “It is particularly significant that we are holding this year’s AER Summer School in one of the EU’s new regions. EU membership has led the regional authorities in the new Member States to undergo a process of adjustment in many areas of their competences, in order to adapt to the rigours of EU legislation. At the same time, it has given them access to many new opportunities, to European Funds and programmes. This AER Summer School provides a practical opportunity for regional representatives from the new Member States to share their experiences with one another and their counterparts in the old Member States”.

‘Interregional Project Management and Lobbying’, the main topic of this 9th edition, will give participants the possibility to improve their project management skills and to discover a range of European programmes designed to support regional development. Participants will also learn how to lobby the European Union institutions in Brussels to ensure that the needs of their regions are taken into account in EU decision-making.

Summer School participants will also have the opportunity to benefit from the advice of a number of prominent speakers, not only from AER member regions, but also from institutions and organisations such as the European Commission, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which are important partners for the AER and the regions in their efforts to work together towards a democratic, stable and prosperous Europe.

The 3rd AER Youth Summer School, which is taking place, as usual, in parallel with the AER Summer School is being attended by 29 young people, between the ages of 18 and 24, from 12 European countries. Nominated by their regional authorities, they represent the next generation of regional politicians and civil servants who can make a difference in regional politics. They will work on the issue of ‘the participation of young people in regional life’, in order to develop new ideas for the increased involvement of young people in decision-making on issues that affect them.

At the end of the programme, participants from both Summer Schools will meet to pool together their conclusions and initiate concrete projects. This meeting will be a unique opportunity for both regional representatives and young people to deal directly with the fundamental issue of youth participation in public life.

Through the AER Summer School and Youth Summer School, the representatives of the regions will have the opportunity to work together to take advantage of the realities of the new Europe for the benefit of all their citizens.

Summer School Organising Committee: Olomouc-CZ, Brussels-Capital-B, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia-I, Istra-HR, Noord-Brabant-NL, Thüringen-D, Vestfold-N, Wallonie-B, Wien-A and Zurich-CH.

For more information: [email protected]

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Thematic dossier n°6 on How to become a GMO-free region – Summer 2004

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How to become a GMO-free region

Table of contents:

  • Editorial by Brian Greenslade, President of AER’s regional development Committee
  • GMOs: the European Union as the sorcerer’s apprentice
  • A beginner’s guide to GMOs
  • “There is scant European legal basis to become a GMO free area” by Cllr Bill Hobman (UK)
  • “Imposing GMO crops on the regions is against the principle of subsidiarity” by Gerald Lonauer
  • Regional action on GMOs

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AER Inter-ministerial Conference: What future for rural areas in Europe?

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Bari, Puglia (I), 18 May 2004

120 people, among whom Regional Ministers for agriculture and rural development, political authorities as well as academic and regional experts have met in Bari, Puglia-I, under the aegis of the Assembly of European Regions, in order to discuss the problems of rural areas and to identify the most suitable instruments to solve them. Some particularly representative associations, such as “Ruralité, Environnement Développement”, “Friends of the Earth” and Greenpeace were associated to these debates, whose main conclusions are:

Rural areas, as factors of competitiveness and economic, social and territorial cohesion

Rural areas having a strategic importance, they can no longer be treated according to a mere logic of assistance, but have to be provided with appropriate services, such as transport, access to education, health care, the development of rural tourism and of small and medium enterprises.

Regions have a major role to play to encourage rural development. Their action requires suitable financial instruments and an important margin for public investment. The competition rules and the state aid regime must therefore be implemented in a more flexible way.

Furthermore, a major support should be ensured in the framework of the new cohesion policy and of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). “The new convergence and competitiveness objectives should explicitly include priorities of rural development and encourage a better coordination between both urban and rural dimensions. In addition, the implementation of the new CAP criteria must respect the principle of subsidiarity and encourage, consequently, the direct management of the aid by the regions. A better partnership between the Regions, farmers and sectoral associations is thus indispensable”, Roberto Ruocco, Regional Minister for General Affairs and Local Authorities in Puglia Region, underlined.

The preservation of traditional agricultural products must become a priority for the European policy of rural development

The Regions have the right to refuse the introduction of genetically modified products (GMO) in their agriculture and to define these areas GMO-free. Their farmers should be granted an appropriate financial support in order to guarantee the traceability of their products. “We regret the lack of real consultation in the matter and we notice that GMOs are introduced while a majority of European citizens are opposed to it and on the basis on controls that are not always sufficient. For all these reasons, the AER launches an European Information and Action Campaign to promote the preservation of regional traditional agricultural products.” Brian Greenslade, Chairman of the AER Committee on “Regional Development”, concluded.

For more information: [email protected]

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The European Union of 25: it’s up to us!

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Kralovehradecky (CZ), 7 May 2004

1st May 2004: the enlargement of the EU became a reality. The political Bureau of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), in order to welcome this event that it prepared since 1989, chose to celebrate it by holding its very first meeting in 2004 in the new EU 25 in the Czech Region of Kralovehradecky. The following decisions were taken:

Cohesion

The Bureau, referring to the third Cohesion report, affirmed the key role of the regions in shaping and delivering the future cohesion policy. “A stronger programme and appropriate funds are needed for interregional and cross-border cooperation in a wider Europe. The regions oppose a new legal instrument which is too strict and binding. Regions do not need a new EU framework to develop cooperation.” said Peter de Martin, Secretary General of the Arge Donauländer.

Regional Aviation

“There is urgent need for non-discrimination and equal opportunity in airport-airline negotiations. Strict guidelines would be damaging to the sector”, analysed Liese Prokop, “because regional airports are of great importance, notably for the isolated or disadvantaged regions which are highly dependable on this kind of infrastructure to boost their economic development. We decided – added Liese Prokop – to create an alliance which will encompass the representative European organisations of low-cost carriers with EFLAA, the regions within the AER, the regional airports and their regional authorities. This Alliance will be pushing regional and local development and aims to prevent the EU from imposing inflexible guidelines on the field of regional aviation”.

Services of General Interest

“Respect for the subsidiarity principle is essential” said Liese Prokop. “Regions are responsible for the provision of the majority of Services of General Interest, including health, transport, culture and education. Moreover, no in-depth study into the long-term implications of liberalisation of services has been carried out to date. The AER will continue to closely monitor developments in this area” she concluded.

Draft Constitutional Treaty

The AER Bureau expressed its full support for the current efforts to adopt the draft Constitutional Treaty for the newly enlarged Union. The regions raised their concerns, however, towards the draft provisions on the common commercial policy. “These may lead to the liberalisation of cultural, educational, health and social services by a majority vote”, noted Liese Prokop. “The Union should respect the current debate on Services of General Interest in Europe and should not move to the further liberalisation of these services under the GATS”, she stated.

Food

The European Regions have the right to remain non Genetically Modified (GM-free); they need appropriate legal means to make this right true. “Authorising the introduction of GM-crops that have been rejected by 80% of the European citizens is totally illegitimate” underlined Brian Greenslade, President of the AER Committee on ‘Regional development’.

Bureau members are set to agree on the first opinion on the European Commission’s Green Paper on Services of General Interest and the corresponding new directive. They are expected to express reservations about the liberalisation of sectors such as culture, health, social affairs and transport.

For more information: [email protected]

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