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AER adopts Recommendations on the Conference on the Future of Europe

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The Assembly of European Regions (AER) has adopted its Recommendations on the Conference on the Future of Europe.

The Conference on the Future of Europe aims to give citizens the chance to shape the European Union’s priorities. Through a series of open dialogues and debates across EU Member States, the Conference aims to give voice to ‘the silent majority’ of Europeans, and put people back at the centre of policymaking.

At the Assembly of European Regions, we want to make sure that citizens feel their feedback counts. This demands a citizen-led approach starting in Europe’s towns, villages and cities, with a strong role for local and regional authorities as a channel for citizens’ ideas and aspirations. This is why on 1 April 2021, the AER’s Executive Board formally adopted our Recommendations on the Conference on the Future of Europe. AER President, Magnus Berntsson welcomed the timely adoption of the Recommendations, and underlined the need for a strong role for local and regional authorities:

“For the Conference to succeed, politicians have to take the lead from our citizens – starting in our regions. They must have a key role to ensure citizens have a real say in Europe’s future.”

The Conference on the Future of Europe is a unique opportunity for regions to push for institutional reform, and put power back in the hands of our citizens. Given their uniquely close relationship with citizens on the ground, regional and local authorities must be meaningfully involved in the EU’s decision-making process. This requires us to remodel the EU architecture in a way that it truly delivers on the principles of subsidiarity, partnership and multi-level governance. This can be achieved by creating a permanent structure of consultation that will give a stronger voice to regional authorities and our citizens.

The AER will continue working to ensure the perspectives of European regions are an integral part of the Conference’s discussions. In this regard, we make the following recommendations to guarantee an inclusive and participatory Conference on the Future of Europe where regional authorities play a key role. We call for:

  1. Local and Regional Authorities to be viewed as equal partners in the Conference on the Future of Europe;
  2. A citizens-led Conference that reaches all corners of Europe, not only of the Union;
  3. The highest standards of inclusiveness both in participation and facilitation methods to be ensured throughout the process;
  4. Democratic legitimacy to be respected through the establishment of an open mandate for clear proposals, with structured involvement of citizens in discussions at all phases and at all levels – local and regional;
  5. Continuity of the Conference and the establishment of a permanent consultation structure for the EU.

You can view the recommendations below:

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Advocating for Youth Participation at Regional Level

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Do you want to learn more about the European Youth Goals and its Youth Strategy, the opportunities and challenges for youth participation at local and regional level, and how to develop and effective advocacy plan?

Read the Y-FED Training Handbook!

In 2018, as a result of a Structured Dialogue with young people, decision-makers, and other stakeholders, the European Union developed the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027. This youth strategy set out to achieve eleven European Youth Goals. These aim to overcome main challenges that young people face in their daily lives, and present a vision of Europe that empowers young people to reach their full potential. 

Promoting the active participation of young people in decisions and actions at local and regional level is essential if we are to build a more democratic, inclusive and prosperous society. Active citizenship is understood as participating in democratic life with the main purpose of playing an active role in the development of society and contributing to the improvement of the well-being of its citizens. However, it is relevant to bear in mind that participation in democratic life is more than voting, hence, active citizenship is fostered by having the right, the resources, and the opportunity to participate and influence in decision-making processes, as to be engaged in actions that contribute to building a better society.  

In this regard, the project “Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme aims to bring the EU closer to its young citizens by developing a proposal for an improved institutional framework of the Union in line with the European Youth Goals. It supports their implementation by embedding them in the reformed EU institutional model and transposing them from the European to the local level.

Within the framework of this project, the Assembly of European Regions together with JEF Europe, organised an advocacy training seminar which aimed to empower young people to advocate for meaningful youth participation at local and regional level. Over three days in early March, 24 young activists from Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Spain, Malta and Poland learned the skills needed to advocate for their rights and priorities.

The training seminar kicked-off on Thursday 4 March 2021 with an introduction to the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals.

Following the European module, the main focus of the second session was on enhancing participants’ understanding of active youth participation in democratic and political life at regional and local level. Trainees got to learn about examples of best practices and non-formal education activities, which facilitated the identification of youth participation challenges as outlined in the European Youth Goals.

The last day of the training seminar aimed to build participants’ advocacy skills and provide them with the right tools to lobby for better youth participation. The trainees were split into 8 groups in which they had to develop an advocacy strategy based on the challenges for youth participation identified during the previous session. They also had to design a timeline of advocacy activities to be implemented at local and regional level to push for change. The challenges were the following:

  • young people’s lack of engagement, and critical thinking in decision-making processes on local and regional level
  • creating more inclusive communities for young people with fewer opportunities
  • instrumentalisation of young people for political goals by decision-makers
  • lacking opportunities for active participation for young people on local and regional level
  • difficulties in accessing organised groups and activities for rural/suburban youth
  • lack of information and networking amongst young people regarding current mechanisms for youth participation
  • lack of transparency in consultation processes with young people
  • financial and educational obstacles to empowering young participation

What’s next?

Following the training seminar, the trainees will implement their advocacy actions in European regions, which will be part of the follow-up activity within the Y-FED project.

Stay tuned to hear how the young activists will overcome the obstacles identified and improve youth participation at regional and local level.

Photo by UX Indonesia on Unsplash

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EXTENDED – Call for Participants: Advocacy Training for Young European Activists

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APPLICATION STILL OPEN: The call for participants for the Advocacy Training for Young European Activists organised by the Assembly of European Regions and the Young European Federalists (JEF) has been extended! Submit your application by Friday 26th February 2021 via the online form!

APPLICATION EXTENDED TO YOUTH FROM ALL OVER THE EU: The application has been opened to young citizens that are member of JEF Sections and/or the AER Youth Regional Network and/or representative a Youth Regional Council within the European Union! Priority (not exclusion) is given to applicants belonging to one of the above organisations/networks that are located in one of the country covered by the Y-FED project, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

The Assembly of European Regions, in partnership with JEF, is organising a training seminar on advocacy that will offer 30 young Europeans the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of the European Institutions and the Youth Strategy, as wells as develop advocacy plans to promote their rights and priorities among local and regional authorities.

The training seminar is being organised as part of the “Y-FED: Europe is what we make of it” project. The Y-FED project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the EU with the aim of empowering youth in the European and regional political dialogues and, in turn, building an Europe that it is closer to its young citizens.

About the Training Seminar

The training seminar will be held from the 4th to the 6th of March 2021 (dates to be confirmed) in an online learning format and will be conducted in English.

It will adopt methodologies from non-formal education to provide young citizens with the necessary competences and resources to boost their active citizenship. It includes sessions on the European Youth Strategy and its Youth Goals leading to the development of regional and local advocacy plans focused on one out of the eleven European Youth Goals, ideally goal 9, Space and Participation for All.

Throughout the training seminar, young citizens will develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become Youth-Ambassadors in their local and regional contexts. At the same time they will design, organise and implement advocacy actions at a local and regional level. As a result of the training, participants will:

  • Strengthen advocacy skills; 
  • Strengthen advocacy tools;
  • Become acquainted with the European Youth Goals;
  • Develop knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity;
  • Develop the skills to interact with decision-makers;
  • Develop an advocacy plan.

The training seminar will be composed three modules that will be completed throughout 10 hours:

1. European Module: The European Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals (Thursday 4th March, 18:00 – 20:00 CET)

The training seminar will start with the introduction to the European Union Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the European Youth Goals, which outline the main challenges that young people face in their daily lives and present the vision for a Europe that enables young people to realise their full potential. 

2. Module on Youth and Regions: How can young people be engaged in the political development of their region? (Friday 5th March, 18:00 – 20:00 CET)

This session will focus on enhancing participants’ knowledge on the principles of multi-level governance and subsidiarity and deepening the understanding of active youth participation in the democratic and political life at regional and local level. 

This session will be accompanied by some practice examples on how young people can be engaged in the political life of their regions. The module will analyse and present several examples from across Europe about how local and regional authorities have been involving their young citizens in the development, implementation and evaluation of youth policies, and other policies that are most relevant to them. These good practices will serve as the ground for the development of participants’ advocacy plans.

3. Module on advocacy: Introduction to advocacy and development of an advocacy plan (Saturday 6th March, 10:00 – 16:00 CET)

The objective of this module is to build participants’ competences and provide them with the tools required to advocate for youth participation at local, regional, and European levels. Trainees will work in groups of four and each group will jointly develop an advocacy strategy to advocate for one of the previously presented European Youth Goals and address the action to a regional authority from the following countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

The developed advocacy strategy will serve the participants as a basis for the implementation of local and regional actions, activity which will follow the training.

Following the conclusion of the training seminar, participants will have the chance to engage with local and regional authorities across Europe by participating at the AER Spring Bureau Meeting and implementing local advocacy actions. Additionally, participants will be invited to submit the developed local advocacy plan and apply for micro-grants to actually implement the advocacy plans among their local and regional authorities with expert mentoring and under the coordination of the AER.

Profile of the Participants

The participants of the training course will be a group of 30 young citizens keen to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become Youth-Ambassadors in their local and regional contexts and design, organise and implement advocacy actions at a local and regional level. 

In the selection of the participants, priority will be given to members of one of the Young European Federalists’ (JEF) national Sections, and members of the Assembly of European Regions-Youth Regional Network (YRN). The rest of the participants will be young representatives from Regional Youth Councils.

The application is open to young citizens affiliated to and/or representatives of one of the organisations/networks listed above from allover Europe. Priority (not exclusion) is given to young citizens within the country covered by the project, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain.

Gender balance will be ensured in the selection process of the participants, as well as the geographical balance. 

Specific requirements for the participants:

  • Be aged between 18 and 30 years old;
  • Be a member of JEF sections and/or member of the AER-YRN and/or representative of a youth regional council in Europe (priority is given to young citizens belonging to one of the above organisations/networks located in one of the countries covered by the Y-FED project);
  • Be able to work and communicate fluently in English;
  • Have some knowledge about the EU institutions;
  • Be passionate about politics;
  • Be willing to engage in the political dialogue at the regional and European level and advocate for youth priorities.

How to participate?

Participation in this training seminar is free of charge and all those who meet the specific requirements of the call shall send their applications online via the link below before the 26th of February!

Apply Here!

If you have any question concerning the training seminar and the application procedure, please contact [email protected] and [email protected] !

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Apply for the 2021 Emperor Maximilian Prize

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Are you undertaking a project or initiative in your region that puts European cohesion into practice? The AER invites you to apply for the 2021 Emperor Maximilian Prize!

Instituted in 1997 by the Land of Tirol and the town of Innsbruck, the prestigious ‘Emperor Maximilian Prize for European Service at the Regional and Local Level’ is awarded biennially to pioneering projects that stand for European cooperation beyond local, regional and national borders. The prize celebrates those that have shown outstanding commitment to strengthening the role of the regions and local government at European level. It consists of a cash prize worth €10,000, a medallion of Emperor Maximilian I and a certificate.

Role of the AER

We are delighted to announce that the 2021 edition of the Emperor Maximilian Prize will take place under the patronage of AER President, Magnus Berntsson.

Announcing the news, the President said “the Assembly of European Regions is delighted to take up patronage of the Emperor Maximilian Prize in 2021. This award embodies the values of the AER; recognising outstanding projects that strengthen bonds of friendship across borders, and bring the European project closer to its citizens.”

The AER shares patronage of this year’s award with the Presidents of the European Committee of the Regions, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).

Selection criteria and how to apply

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s motto is “Facing challenges together – for a stronger Europe“. The 2021 prize is therefore aimed at initiatives and projects that have “found a way to live the European bond”, notwithstanding these challenging circumstances. Particular consideration will be given to projects that make a special contribution to European harmony, European integration as well as peaceful coexistence and cohesion in Europe.

There must be a reference to the local and regional level. Submitted projects must also demonstrate potential to develop best practices that can be transferred to other communities and regions. You can read the criteria in the call for applications here.

The application period ends on January 31, 2021. The winners will be selected in March 2021 by an expert jury composed of representatives of the City of Innsbruck, the Region of the Tyrol, the Assembly of European Regions, the University of Innsbruck, the European Committee of the Regions, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, as well as the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). The award will be presented to the winners at a special ceremony taking place in Innsbruck in Autumn, 2021.

You can submit your application using the application form on the official website: https://www.kaisermaximilianpreis.at

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European regions, implementing the SDGs through Cohesion Policy

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One more year the Assembly of European Regions took part in the European Week of Regions and Cities with the organisation of a webinar together with its partners: Regions 4, ORU Fogar, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Catalan Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (ACCD), and the European Union EUROsociAL+ Programme.

The webinar which took place last 15 October addressed the question of “How cohesion policy can make regions deliver for a sustainable and fair Europe, and progress on the implementation of the SDGs“.

Magnus Berntsson, AER President, moderated the workshop and introduced the relevance of bringing cohesion policy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development together.

Local and regional authorities play a crucial role in achieving a sustainable future and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Stefano Marta, OECD, estimated that the achievement of 65% of the 169 targets of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals depends on the regional and local action. Yet, municipalities and regions are not always meaningfully engaged in the implementation, follow up and review of the global goals.

Increasing the pace and scale of implementation efforts of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has become ever more important at this time of crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the structural inequalities within and among countries, bringing to the fore the urgent need for further cooperation, stronger solidarity and resolute actions to build a more fair, sustainable, prosperous and resilient society. Regional inequalities aggravated by the pandemic have consequently under met prospects for realising the SDGs. In this regard, Agustí Fernández de Losada from the EUROsociAL+ Programme from the European Commission, stated that territorial cohesion is key to address regional disparities in Europe, and an indispensable element to allow sustainable development in an integrated regional perspective.

Javier Sánchez Cano from the Directorate-General of Development and Cooperation at the Catalan Government considered how the implementation of the 2030 Agenda can benefit from the policy capabilities of regions to strengthen the effectiveness and legitimacy of localized policy processes, and therefore, generate the necessary support to design and implement policies that will further enhance cohesion. Moreover, he emphasized the relevance to commit enhanced support to local and regional authorities for the localisation of the SDGs through a stronger cohesion policy and other relevant EU funding programme, which leads to a close alignment of the national programmes with the 2030 Agenda. 

When it comes to the implementation of the SDGs, cohesion policy plays a central role. As Marta Marín, Delegate from the Basque Country to the EU, stated during the debate, cohesion policy through its multi-level and multi-stakeholder implementation approach and investments in strengthening people’s skills, creating job opportunities, fighting poverty and social exclusion, supporting small and medium enterprises, as well as in addressing major global issues such as climate change and migration; it will be an essential EU instrument for countries, regions and municipalities to make progress towards the SDGs.

The Sustainable Development Goals should be met leaving no one and no place behind. Regional and local governments must ensure cohesion policy programmes bring about the best outcomes for sustainable development and the localization of the SDGs, turning the 2030 Agenda into reality across Europe. The Secretary of Economy from the Government of Catalonia, Natàlia Mas, showcased how Catalonia has implemented the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development through cohesion policy. 

Rewatch it now!
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AER Appoints Christian Spahr as Secretary General

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The Executive Board has appointed Christian Spahr as the Secretary General of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), which represents regional governments in wider Europe. A former European Commission Spokesperson for Regional Policy, Spahr will lead the work of the AER Secretariat, which has offices in Brussels and Strasbourg and also includes the AER’s Southeast Europe Hub in Alba Iulia, Romania. He takes over the role in November from his predecessor Mathieu Mori, who led the daily work of AER from 2013 until 2020.

Christian Spahr, a German national, has held a number of key management roles in the fields of European policy, communications and media. Between 2018 and 2020, he was in charge of the European Commission’s media relations on issues of economic governance and Cohesion policy, among other topics. From 2012 to 2018, Spahr led a ten-country programme of the German think tank Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Southeast Europe, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Earlier in his career, he worked as a spokesperson for Germany’s digital business association Bitkom, and was business editor for a large regional newspaper. He is also a founder and board member of a non-profit association for government communication, serving in an honorary capacity.

Announcing Mr Spahr’s appointment as Secretary General, AER President Magnus Berntsson first thanked his predecessor, Mathieu Mori: “for his strong dedication to building stronger regions and successfully managing our ambitious and transformative organisation with 150 member regions.”

“The Executive Board is very happy to welcome Christian Spahr as our new Secretary General”, Berntsson continued. “With his knowledge of European policymaking, management experience in member-driven organisations, and an excellent working knowledge of the EU and its neighbourhood, Christian will be a key player to overcome the challenges for regions ahead.” Some of the AER’s current and ongoing priorities are to strengthen subsidiarity in times of crisis, to ensure sustainable development including in rural areas, and to equip regional governments so they can successfully transition and use EU funding. 

Speaking of his appointment, Spahr said: “It will be a great privilege to work for the hopes and ambitions of Europe’s regions. Many of them need to reinvent themselves for the future, to strengthen their economy and develop better living conditions in difficult times. In line with AER’s inclusive and bridge-building approach, I am committed to offer the regions an even greater package of support.”

His predecessor Mathieu Mori explained: “In the past decade, AER could play its part in building stronger regions and striving for more solidarity in Europe. I am grateful for this inspiring experience and would like to thank the AER President and Executive Board for their support and trust; the team for their professionalism, and all the AER members and partners for their engagement and passion.”

Spahr will formally take up his role on Monday, 2 November 2020.

***

The Assembly of European Regions is the political platform of regional governments in wider Europe, with direct membership of public authorities from 30 countries. As the largest independent network of its kind, AER promotes the regions as key players in the European project, as well as democracy and good governance.

For press inquiries, please contact our Communications & Events Officer, Justin Sammon via email at [email protected]

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“The Future We Want, the UN We Need”- AER Reactions

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The United Nations 75th Anniversary consultation on “The Future We Want, The UN We Need”, is an ambitious UN exercise in crowdsourcing priorities and solutions. The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments facilitated the drafting of a Visioning Report on behalf of the constituency to which the Assembly of European Regions is part of.

On 21st of September, world leaders of the United Nations General Assembly gathered virtually to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the UN. On 8th of October, the constituency of Local and Regional Authorities met to not only celebrate but to also share the future United Nations they envision for 2045. On this occasion, the AER President, Mr Magnus Berntsson, will be representing the Assembly of European Regions.

The year 2020 will mark a turning point for our societies. Local and regional authorities found themselves at the forefront of the health crisis, having to coordinate a quick response to protect their citizens and their economy from the pandemic. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance for a renewed system, “multilateralism is not an option, but a necessity, as we build back better for a more equal, more resilient and more sustainable world”, as claims the statement from the adopted declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary. 

At the Assembly of European Regions, we consider this to be the right time to advocate for a new model of governance in which the Local and Regional Authorities have the opportunity to be represented at the global level and are welcomed to seat at the global decision-making table. 

In the next forty-five years, the Local and Regional Authorities Constituency hopes to see a structural shift towards a territorially integrated multilateral system, which promotes a bottom-up approach. A structural shift that is achieved through the principle of subsidiarity, collaborative governance and effective decentralization. 

Global challenges are also the local and regional challenges, as a matter of fact, we all have interconnected problems, hence we should ensure interrelated solutions. “Think globally, act locally” this should be the concept of the new system. 

In 2045 we expect to see Local and Regional Authorities sitting on the same table with global leaders, and confronting together global challenges from a local and regional approach to guarantee the wellbeing of the world citizens. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and widened the profound inequalities that exist among our regions and cities. We have just entered the decade of delivery and we can not let this global crisis undermine our joint efforts and achievements reached so far. The AER envisions a future in which through stronger collaboration and enhanced dialogue across generations are found alternatives to deliver on sustainable development. It is our shared responsibility to advocate for the structural shift towards a community-driven multilateralism, and we should do it hand in hand, unifying forces and coordinating responses and actions to ensure that no one is left behind.

Local and Regional Authorities are in charge of bringing the voice of their citizens to the global level and placing citizens at the core of governance. However, this can only be achieved with the establishment of partnerships and with the support of key stakeholders, such as the Assembly of European Regions. Together we will fight inequalities and ensure that all groups of the population are listened to. 

Image credits: The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Authorities

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A youth voluntary response to COVID-19!

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On the 14th of May, AER participated in the webinar Euro-Mediterranean Youth Voluntary responses to the COVID-19 hosted by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). AER programmes coordinator, Andrés Muñoz, joined a discussion panel on the role of regions and municipalities mobilising young volunteers to contain the spread of the virus. Two examples from AER member regions were featured in the discussions: Lepoglava municipality in Varazdin County (HR) and Ajara region (GE).

Regions mobilising youth voluntary work!

Regional and local authorities are at the frontline of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic engaging with communities to avoid the spread, delivering healthcare and other essential services and supporting the most vulnerable population, including young people. But youth has also proven to be a highly effective partner to respond to such sanitary emergencies and a valuable asset to the frontline actors for vital livelihood support.

Regional and local authorities rely on the contribution of the organised civil society and community groups, including young volunteers, together with international or private organisations to respond to the challenges of the pandemic. Many young activists and volunteers across the globe have embarked on exemplary initiatives and are generating innovative ideas to save countless lives within their communities and help in the longer-term recovery process.

AER examples of youth voluntary work

Lepoglava, Varazdin County (HR): 

The region allocated resources and organized lots of young volunteers for food and medicines delivery, prioritising the most vulnerable segments of the population. Starting from helping the elderly people in bringing them groceries, medicine and other essential goods to include people in self-isolation into such a solidarity campaign. Special attention was paid to very poor communities who were delivered free warm lunch every second day.

The organised youth took also an active part in “patrolling” the streets to inform the local stores, retailers and businesses about the distancing rules, disinfection and hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Besides that, during the “patrolling” the young volunteers distributed free masks and gloves to those citizens in need of prevention equipment.

Regional Youth Centre of Ajara (GE)

With the pandemic outbreak, activities of the Regional Youth Center of Ajara region (GE) shifted from planning and executing youth projects to coordinating young volunteers in the crisis management strategies to respond to the COVID-19.

The youth centre launched a call to recruit volunteers and, in cooperation with the Georgian Red Cross Society, trained over 400 volunteers who delivered food and medicines to over 10.000 families. As a result, the Ajara’s Youth Regional Centre has successfully acquired new skills in the field of crisis management. This solidarity youth response reaffirms the commitment of the Ajara region towards young people’s inclusion in public life.

The Eurodyssey example:

Eurodyssey’s joint actions to contain the COVID-19 crisis were also featured in the discussions as an example of interregional response to protect young people in mobility.

Share your success story!

AER is mapping further youth voluntary initiatives from member regions to give visibility to the role being played by young activists in addressing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The main goal is to showcase more success stories and, ultimately, organise an online workshop to exchange lessons learnt and best practices in this area.

Please, just answer a brief survey to share your story and upload any relevant pictures or files for social media purposes:

FILL IN SURVEY



Thanks in advance for contributing to this initiative!

Photo credits: @Lepoglava municipality / @Ajara

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Join AER’s New Taskforces!

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Two new Taskforces are set for launch: Democracy, and Sustainable Mobility and Connectivity. Read below for more information on the work of these new taskforces, and find out if it might be of the interest of your region to join them!

AER Taskforce on Democracy

At the AER Bureau meeting, in Larnaca (CY), the Bureau members decided to establish the Taskforce on Democracy under the proposal of Örebro (SE).

The establishment of this Taskforce will advocate for ensuring one of AER’s Political Priorities 2020-2025: Promoting Democracy and good governance.

Human rights are at the very core of European values and AER believes that citizens’ interests must be at the centre of all decisions. They must be involved in clear ways in decision-making and must have access to all public information which will help them keep track and contribute to public authorities’ work. Decisions must be made according to the will of the many while the rights and interests of minorities and excluded groups must be respected. Government and public authorities must continuously seek new innovative solutions to foster greater involvement of citizens and more efficient governance, and decentralisation and subsidiarity must be promoted as a mean to achieve this. For instance, the work of this Taskforce should seek to find a way to greater involve regions in the development of the Conference on the Future of Europe and raising awareness among European citizens.

Should the work of this Taskforce be of any interest to your region, please fill in this form.

AER Taskforce on Sustainable Mobility and Connectivity

At the AER Bureau meeting, 5 December 2019 in Brussels (BE), the Bureau members decided to establish the Taskforce on Sustainable Mobility and Connectivity under the proposal of the Region of Sardinia (IT).

The establishment of this Taskforce will advocate for ensuring one of AER’s Political Priorities 2020-2025: Nurturing territorial cohesion and fostering cooperation all around Europe.

With reference to nurturing territorial cohesion, there is a need to stress the importance of transport connections in order to allow distant and marginal territories, such as islands, to stay linked to the rest of Europe, to allow mobility, synergies and economic development.

Should the work of this Taskforce be of any interest to your region, please fill in this form.

How to apply?

In order to join any of these task forces, or both of them, you just have to be a member of AER, doesn’t mind if you’re a Bureau member or not. Please, fill in the form below for each of it:

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Gisela Guari, Institutional Relations & Advocacy Officer

Contact Us

Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash

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Road-to-the-Future final project conference on youth and democracy!

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After a good number of training workshops, advocacy activities at national and local level, an inspiring bus tour and many other successful lobby actions aimed to encourage youth participation and democratic engagement towards the 2019 European elections and beyond, the Road-to-the-Future / European Youth Together project is coming to an end.

The “I Choose Europe” campaign has been led by civil society organizations, aiming to strengthen young people’s public participation before and after the European Elections 2019. Before May 2019, Les Jeunes Européens fédéralistes (JEF, project leader) and partners organized debates and public events intended to raise awareness of the European Elections and send a clear message to current and future decision-makers that young people’s voices matter.

With the new Commission just taking office, this final conference will be now the perfect moment to assess the success of the “I Choose Europe” campaign and also look at the future of how youth and civil society organizations can make their voice heard in European-level decision-making in the next cycle of reforms the European Union.

The closing ceremony will take place between 20-21 January 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. It will bring together young Europeans from all over the continent, civil society organizations, as well as representatives of the European institutions.

During the conference, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on the “I Choose Europe” electoral campaign, as well as the role of youth and civil society in shaping Europe’s future. Furthermore, a discussion on the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe will take place. It will be followed by a simulation workshop where participants will be able to discuss their proposals for the future of Europe together with civil society organizations and Members of the European Parliament, as well as representatives from the European institutions.

The outcomes of the discussion will be compiled into a set of policy recommendations addressed to European decision-makers, creating synergies with the upcoming “Y-FED” project aimed at bringing the EU closer to its citizens – in which AER will be also a partner.

Objectives of the Final conference:

  • Assess the success of the “I Choose Europe” campaign.
  • Reflect and debate about the upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe, while exploring the role and expectations of youth and civil society organizations.

Why this project conference is so important? Youth policies – an AER priority: Young people in community engaging and organising on the regional level for social change and for better EU-level youth policies.

There are plenty of synergies between the RTF project and the AER Youth Regional Network (YRN). Both aimed to networking, influencing policy by involving young people in decision-making processes at regional and European level and by exchanging best practice and experience by bringing together youth activists and experts on the topic, i.e young representatives from AER member regions. Moreover, the project conference could serve as an opportunity to strengthen the AER vision of regionalisation and the promotion of sustainable governance by broadening the scope of the network to include other regional stakeholders from civil society partners as well as from governments/institutions. In addition, this conference could provide some insights to inspire further other AER youth-led programmes such as the Most Youth Friendly European Region Award – an innovative initiative which greatly succeeds in highlighting the importance of youth policies at the regional level. Noteworthy is also the Eurodyssey programme, that is a flagship and prestigious exchange programme which allows young people from AER member regions to have professional experience and gain European democratic citizenship skills, through a traineeship abroad.

Interested to participate in the final conference?

 Are you between 18 and 30 years old?
 Keen on youth and democracy topics at European level? Have you been somehow involved in this project or in any other activity related to the European Elections 2019 in your region or city?  Would you be willing to share your views or experience about the role of young people within European policies-making processes?
 Are you resident of one of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, North Macedonia, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, or Spain?

Then, please do not miss the opportunity to attend this unique and inspiring conference and REGISTER NOW since places are limited (first-come, first-served!) All costs related to your participation (incl. accommodation, travel and meals) would be reimbursed!

Registration is now open until 20 December 2019, so please fill in the registration form as soon as possible: https://www.federalists.eu/activities/eytroad-to-the-future/reg-raising-young-peoples-voices-for-the-future-of-europe/

In case that you need more information about this participation opportunity, please have a look at the call for participation and the official conference programme.

For more information, please contact directly:

Eduardo Nadal – Projects Manager:

Phone: +32 2 400 10 12
E-mail: [email protected]

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Bureau signs off on Political Priorities 2020-2025

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During the Autumn 2019 Bureau Meeting that took place on 5 December in Brussels (BE), Bureau members adopted AER Political Priorities for the upcoming 5 years (2020-2025).

AER Political Priorities 2020-2025 were drafted by the appointed Taskforce from the Spring 2019 Bureau Meeting and identified the challenges that AER should address over the next five years.

Among the priorities established in the position paper can be found:

  • Ensuring good governance.
  • Promoting decentralisation and subsidiarity.
  • Respecting and protecting social cohesion and cultural diversity, as well as strengthening intercultural dialogue.
  • Advocating for a stronger cohesion policy that ensures an enhances interregional cooperation.
  • Reaffirming regional commitment towards reaching the pre-established goals in the Agenda 2030.
  • Fostering a society that is based on the promotion and protection of equality.

Read the political priorities in full at the link below:

Political Priorities 2020-2025

About the Political Priorities

AER Political Priorities are developed by the Bureau, which is in charge of providing the priority areas for its mandate and general orientations for the work of the organisation. 

Every 5 years, at the Autumn Bureau Meeting, Bureau Members will set out the AER Political Priorities, outlining the critical issues AER will need to prioritize to achieve its mission. 

By establishing longer-term priorities, AER will be provided by a common vision and focus, with agreed-upon priorities, for a clear direction and longer-term drive of operational priorities.

Photo by Giannis Skarlatos on Unsplash

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Tool released to aid search for town twinning

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Are you interested in town twinning or finding a sister-city? The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate for EU Affairs has released a town twinning tool, which can help you find the best match for you. This tool was developed in close collaboration with the Union of Municipalities of Turkey.

Why town twinning?  

The purpose of town twinning is to bring cities and communities closer to each other on a long term basis. It is a democratic and participatory approach to bring different communities closer on basis of common values and principles. The twin cities seek to facilitate joint solution of common problems, enabling the more efficient and effective utilization of resources through experience-sharing. The end goal is to increase the level of satisfaction of citizens, raise living standards and contribute to socioeconomic development and thus promoting sustainable development and world peace.

There can be a thematic approach to town twinning, which allows the local authorities to have a central focal point. Some examples of these thematic approaches include:

  • Decentralisation (subsidiarity, devolution etc.)
  • Inter-cultural exchange (language, history, arts, youth, sports etc.)
  • Technical know-how exchange (efficiency and effectiveness in public services, financial management, leadership, human resources etc.)
  • Good governance (participation, openness, accountability, rule of law etc.)
  • Policy development (planning, analysing, monitoring and evaluation etc.)
  • Local economic development (sectors including agriculture, tourism, commerce, transportation, infrastructure etc.)
  • Social development (sectors including education, employment, health, gender equality, social services etc.)
  • Protection of the environment (sectors including energy, climate, natural resources etc.)
  • Crisis management (disasters, emergencies, migrants etc.)
  • Exchange of know-how (innovation, management technologies etc.)
  • Research & development (technical cooperation, management and service laboratories etc.)

On 13 November, representatives from the municipality of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) and Canakkale municipality in Turkey met with the Assembly of European Regions in Brussels. These representatives including the mayor of Canakkale, deputy mayor of Tarragona and CEO of The Turkish Informatics Foundation visited Brussels as part of the town twinning project with focus on smart city. Study visits, such as this one to Brussels, is one of the activities that can be done as part of the town twinning project. However, there can be other activities such as personnel exchange, regular events, capacity building activities and project implementation.

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AER to represent SCIROCCO Exchange project consortium in the European Parliament Healthcare Conference

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On 9 October 2019, nine EU umbrella health organisations held a debate: ”EU 2019-2024: Health Champions Wanted” on the health policy challenges for the European Union in the coming years. The goal of the event was to raise awareness on the main public health priorities including universal access to high quality and sustainable healthcare, disease prevention, the fight against cross-border healthcare threats and health inequities, as well as a continued supply of medicines for EU citizens. Indeed, these challenges require urgent EU action and appropriate budgets. More in particular… “When we wish people something good for their anniversary or for the New Year, we always say that health is the most important. That is why politics at all levels should make health a priority. While many areas are in the responsibility of the Member States, there is a lot of responsibility for the European Union too, according to the treaties.” (MEP, EPP, Dr Peter Liese) … “My ambition is to have health in all policies, and for strong health policies we need discuss together what we want and how can we achieve a healthier Europe. This debate is an excellent opportunity to share visions with different stakeholders and define how we can address the main public health challenges” (MEP, S&D, Dr Sara Cerdas).

Eduardo Nadal represented the SCIROCCO Exchange project consortium #SCIROCCOxchange – , coordinated by the Scottish Government, at the #EUHealthchampions conference in the European Parliament. He presented briefly the project mission and goals and linked it to the importance of quality, equity and sustainable healthcare systems. 

One of the key conclusions, importantly for regional healthcare institutions, is MEP Peter Liese’s remark about the principle of subsidiarity as a shared responsibility between the EU and Member States in terms of funding accountability and policy measures for a more inclusive and efficient healthcare eco-systems on regional and national level.

AER, along SCIROCCO Exchange project partners, are looking forward to contributing to the multi-stakeholder dialogue processes with new MEPs on EU healthcare and public health issues. The consortium, led by the Scottish Government, encourages the European Parliament to join its effort to ensure that health policy remains high on the European Union agenda for the next five years. In line with the debate’s conclusions, the healthcare community believes that, when working together, the EU Member States along the regions, can add genuine value to regional efforts to improve the effectiveness of health systems and deliver patient-centered-care to their communities, making the most of integrated-care good practices for more efficient, sustainable and equity healthcare systems on the regional level.

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REGIONerating Europe

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As part of the European Week of Regions and Cities, AER hosted an event entitled “REGIONerating Europe” focusing on the role regions can play in regenerating the European Project as well as how citizens in the regions of Europe benefit from EU membership through Cohesion Policy, structural and development funds.

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance.

The timing of this event was particularly pertinent given that new European Parliament has recently been elected and a new Commission is currently being formed.

The goal of the workshop, moderated by AER Vice-President for Democracy, Nina Björby, was to stimulate debate around key challenges facing the EU today and how regions can help to create a more democratic, inclusive and sustainable Europe.

Speaking on the value of cohesion policy and its uses, Anna Wagner, Deputy Head of Unit of the European Commission’s DG Regio stressed the importance of the partnership principle as well as the territorial dimension of cohesion policy. She welcomed the emphasis on a territorial approach and the move away from looking at cohesion purely through a sectoral lens.

Ms Wagner also highlighted the importance of “cross-fertilising” or sharing best practices between regions. She recognises the work done by AER in this field and affirmed the importance of policy learning between regions as a means to promote a bottom-up approach to governance.

Anna Casini, Vice President of the Marche Region, Italy, intervened on the subject of subsidiarity and called for a common language and common narrative when communicating on European affairs. Instead of ‘subsidiarity’, we should speak about a Europe closer to citizens.

Ms Casini gave examples from the Marche Region on how Rural Development Funding has been employed both to increase awareness about the EU’s support to regional development in rural areas and also to tackle knock-on effects of climate change. She underlined that addressing climate change is not just a matter of ethics, but also economics, citing the example of viticultural harvests which have been destroyed as a result of drought or floods in her region. Access to European funding can help to offset dramatic consequences for local farmers, businesses and supply chains in Europe’s regions.

Thomas Andersson, AER member and Rapporteur on ‘Partnership between civil society and local and regional levels’ of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, spoke about threats to democracy faced by the existing gap between institutions, citizens and civil society. He outlined the work done by the CoE Congress in cataloguing methods to improve citizens’ engagement and told the participants about an upcoming toolkit which, when published, will be an excellent resource for all local and regional authorities wishing to further the involvement of citizens in multilevel governance and European affairs.

Mr Andersson, too, asserted the importance of avoiding “top-down” approaches to communicating on European affairs, favouring instead the empowerment of individuals and groups to speak up and make their needs known.

Christopher Glück, President of the Young European Federalists (JEF), continued this thread, outlining the work done by JEF and AER on the EU-funded project “Road to the Future“, which involved a bus tour across the EU in advance of the 2019 European Parliament elections to engage young people and encourage them to get out and vote.

Mr. Glück shared his experiences of speaking to young Europeans across the continent, in both capital cities and more remote areas, and told of a feeling of lost trust in democracy and scepticism towards the European Union, partly as a result of disinformation. He concluded by providing concrete examples of how Europe’s local and regional leaders can counter this trend; by making changes that inspire hope in the European project, by tackling disinformation through education & media scrutiny, and speaking openly and passionately about the many advantages of European Union membership, including the positive impact Cohesion Policy has on citizens’ everyday lives.

Takeaways

Advice for regions on Communicating Cohesion Policy

  • Thomas Andersson: don’t be afraid to ask hard questions. Constructive criticism is needed to grow and develop. Keep an eye out for the CoE Congress toolkit on engaging civil society!
  • Anna Wagner: explore how Cohesion Policy programming is conducted in your region and establish what role you can have in shaping it.
  • Anna Casini: listen to critics & teach citizens to verify news. Regions need to speak up when the next Cohesion Policy package is designed to ensure it is shaped in their best interests!
  • Christopher Glück: inclusiveness doesn’t just happen. Resources need to be allocated to facilitate genuine exchanges between institutions and citizens to bridge the gaps. Regions need to be smart in how they interact with citizens, bearing in mind, language aptitudes, the level of info citizens have and their socio-economic circumstances.

Cohesion Policy is a central element of AER’s work. Within the Bureau, we have an active Task Force on Cohesion. In addition, we are currently leading an EU-funded project “Together4Cohesion” on communicating cohesion policy in the regions of Europe.

If you would like to learn more about either of these initiatives, please do not hesitate to contact the AER secretariat.

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European Committee of the Regions and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe celebrate 25th Anniversary

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On 27 June, AER marked the 25th Anniversary of the European Committee of the Regions and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

The President of AER, Magnus Berntsson, has joined the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, and the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Anders Knape, to mark the joint 25th Anniversary of these two assemblies of local and regional elected representatives.

The theme of this joint anniversary event was “The Added Value of Local and Regional Authorities in the Unification of Europe”. The event provided an opportunity to discuss the state of local and regional democracy in Europe and showcase the synergies between the work of the two institutions to further strengthen local self-government and regional democracy.

Karl-Heinz Lambertz referred to the need of a proper and proactive application of the principle of subsidiarity so the EU is able to deliver on the issues that really matter to people. The President of the Committee of the Regions also talked about the ​Division of Powers tool, which provides an overview of levels of institutional and fiscal decentralisation in all EU, candidate and Eastern Partnership countries.

Anders Knape emphasised the importance of decentralisation as an indispensable requirement of modern democracy, noting that local and regional governments are essential to tackle local, regional, national and global challenges.

Magnus Berntsson speaking at the anniversary event

In his intervention, Magnus Berntsson highlighted the fruitful cooperation between AER and the two institutions. The President of AER stressed that local and regional authorities are instrumental in the delivery of policies that meet people’s needs and in channelling citizens’ voices. Therefore, their role in the policy-making and implementation must be strengthened, through the sound application of the principles of subsidiarity and multi-level governance. This is about reinvigorating democracy and will be vital to the resurgence in trust in public institutions, said Magnus Berntsson.

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