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#RoR2017 – This week’s focus: Regions in Austria

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The failure of the structural reform of the federal state in 1994 has led to a standstill in reforms in Austria’s federal system. Since Austria’s accession to the EU in 1994 and its loss of competencies towards the EU, various other competencies have been transferred to the federal level, but in turn the Länder have not been compensated.

The Länder have only succeeded in improving their position with regard to the Pact of Consultation and the Pact of Stability. In addition, the restrictions concerning the competencies for civil servants of the Länder and the municipalities were lifted in 1999, paving the way for bureaucratic reform in the Länder.

Nevertheless, cooperative federalism plays an important role in Austrian federalism. Cooperation between the various levels of government takes place in the negotiations between the federal level and the conference of Land governors, sometimes including representatives of the cities and municipalities.

The procedure of regional participation in the EU decision-making works well. There are informal instruments of coordination within the executives of the Länder which allow them to react in time and to represent the Länder’s position in the working groups on the European level.

The Financial Constitution and the Fiscal Equalisation between Federation, Länder and Municipalities are lacking a bottom-up reform. Presently the Länder are reliant on transfer payments on the federal level, but it would be better to strengthen the responsibility of the Länder for their expenditures and income. Fiscal federalism could be an option, but this would need a far-reaching reform of the financial constitution, bringing more autonomy for the Land jurisdictions and more differences into Austrian federalism. Until then we cannot recognise any real drive for reforms in this direction.

For the full report on Austria, visit this page.

by Peter BUSSJÄGER

 

The story behind the report

Early 2014, as the new programming period started, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) decided to look into the role regional authorities play in European politics and in Europe in general. To what extent is the subsidiarity principle implemented in European countries? Have Regions seen their competences and influence developed in the last years? How does multilevel governance look like in the various European states? If we consider the case of EU regional policy, to what extent has the partnership principle been respected for the setting up and implementation of this key policy for European regions?

These questions have been at the heart of a first study run in 2014-2016. More than 40 academic experts accepted to give their contribution to this work, by delivering detailed reports about the state of regionalisation and multilevel governance in chosen European countries. The study covers 41 countries, and each country report is based on a similar structure, thereby allowing a comparative approach among all studied countries.

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Over the next months, we will be focusing on a different European country’s approach to regionalisation. During these months, look out for #RoR2017 on Twitter and/or Facebook and follow us at @europeanregions.

Strong European regions are a pathway to a stronger Europe.

 

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AER launches its report on Regionalisation

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Today, during AER’s General Assembly, our outgoing President launched AER’s Report on the state of Regionalisation in Europe.

The story behind the report

Early 2014, as the new programming period started, the Assembly of European Regions (AER) decided to look into the role regional authorities play in European politics and in Europe in general. To what extent is the subsidiarity principle implemented in European countries? Have Regions seen their competences and influence developed in the last years? How does multilevel governance look like in the various European states? If we consider the case of EU regional policy, to what extent has the partnership principle been respected for the setting up and implementation of this key policy for European regions?

These questions have been at the heart of a first study run in 2014-2016. More than 40 academic experts accepted to give their contribution to this work, by delivering detailed reports about the state of regionalisation and multilevel governance in chosen European countries. The study covers 41 countries, and each country report is based on a similar structure, thereby allowing a comparative approach among all studied countries.

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Over the next months, we will be focusing on a different European country’s approach to regionalisation. During these months, look out for #RoR2017 on Twitter and/or Facebook and follow us at @europeanregions.

Strong European regions are a pathway to a stronger Europe.

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#ShineBright Arad

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Arad County Council

25 years of existence and 24 years on the European map of Regions

The Arad County Council (Romania) joined the Assembly of the European Regions (AER) at the General Assembly in Benidorm (Spain), in December 1993. It was the second Romanian administrative-territorial entity to join AER following the Hunedoara County, that joined one year earlier in Santiago de Compostela.

It was considered a privilege and an honour to be a fully-fledged member of such a wide European network of regions, to be part of a select club where expectations were rather high.

In many ways we were pioneers and forerunners of the Romanian counties, lobbying for AER and convincing other regions to join the organisation. Subsequently, many Romanian regions started looking beyond the horizon and sought new opportunities, leading to their immediate integration into the AER family.

In this manner, Romania as a country is very well represented, out of 41 counties 32 are full members with an active participation in the life of the organisation. The Arad County Council even hosted two commission meetings.

The immediate benefits did not fail to show. Members of the political level and civil servants took part in the Centurio Programme, to be trained in European standards, to share their experience, knowledge and examples of good practice to others and to display other ideas in their home regions. The Eurodyssey Programme has been another successful achievement the Arad County Council was involved in. In fact, AER inspired regions and acted as an incubator for the ideas of all its members.

The Arad County Council, as a local actor and decisional exponent, was an efficient promoter of the basic AER concepts and principals of subsidiarity and cohesion.

Today, the unemployment rate in the county is lower than 2.5% and in the Arad city lower than 1%, due to the well trained labour force, economic and development potential and important investors. Arad County has access to the highway, linking Arad to Budapest, Wien and the rest of Europe.

The Arad County Council is currently working on the development of a metropolitan area in the Western part of Romania, to create an urban agglomeration of 1 million inhabitants, unique in the region.

We are now in an important process of presenting Arad and the Arad County as tourism destinations; therefore we would suggest you visit our website www.visitarad.ro and discover the many features of Arad, including multiculturalism, diversity and natural experiences.

Now, that the Arad County Council celebrates its 25th anniversary and 24 years of AER membership, we wish to continue further on that fruitful cooperation with AER and all its member regions, with all our friends from abroad. We modestly started our relation with Europe in 1993; we kept on learning and building, open to the exterior, with a European attitude and today we are proud to be a development role model at regional level. www.cjarad.ro

 

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We’re hiring the perfect promoter of regionalisation ! (now closed)

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Interested in advocating for the interests of the regions of Europe?

We are looking for a colleague to help us advertise the regional dimension in Europe, create magic links with the European institutions and fight for regional policy. We offer a Belgian full-time employment contract (initially 6 months contract, with possibility of converting it to a permanent position).

This is who we are

Do you want to be our new colleague? Here are the things that are great about this workplace:

  • We’re a small team, so everybody is really important
  • We’re also a very great team, with awesome people on board
  • The thing we work for is super cool: who could be against helping people across Europe to work together?
  • It is a place for personal growth, as you get to work with so many very different people with different backgrounds your horizon widens and you change
  • We use cloud-based team collaboration tools, which allows us to keep in close contact. despite frequent travels and different locations – and, it helps us for community building.

To put it simple: we’re the coolest network in Europe.

If this is you…

We need someone who is open-minded, respectful and responsive – in other words, communicative. In this position, you will be expected to keep yourself up to date and well informed and to use your insights in a proactive manner, delivering results in a smart, politically sensitive way.

Our new colleague should speak and write fluently in English, have a work experience in a European/international environment, be fond of the regional dimension in Europe,  and have a good working knowledge of all modern channels of communication (Office suite, Mailchimp, WordPress, Slack, social networks…). Expertise in all EU policies relevant for the regions is an asset for the perfect candidate.

As you may gather from this, “dynamic”, “energetic” and “inspiring” are key words when we look for a new team member. And, it doesn’t hurt if you’re cool and fun to be with.

Your professional profile should fit the responsibilities below.

Managing the AER advocacy work 

As Institutional Relations Coordinator in our Brussels office, you will assist our team on creating strong links with all the relevant institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Committee of the Regions, Council of Europe, OECD, UN…) and advocating for the interests of the regions of Europe by defending the key principles of subsidiarity, decentralisation and regionalisation, and make sure that the voice of regions is heard loudly by the institutional stakeholders and decision-makers.

Some examples of this:

  • Anticipate the EU legislation and always stay one step ahead
  • Draft positions in a clear, simple and to-the-point language
  • Follow the state of regionalisation in the European countries
  • Manage the Observatory on Regionalisation and a pool of 50 experts
  • Have an innovative stance towards lobbying activities
  • Build and maintain close relations with and within all institutions, DGs, cabinets…
  • Ensure the participation of the best speakers and stakeholders to AER events
  • Prepare high level meetings for AER members, in and outside Brussels
  • Take part in the various consultative and stakeholder work of the EU (Public consultations, EIPs, High Level Groups…)

In short: make AER visible on the European stage to promote its interests and inspire Europe with the regions’ realities and needs.

On top of these tasks, you will also be responsible for managing the Youth Regional Network, a forum for youth regional organisations giving young people from diverse regions a collective voice on the European stage while introducing a European dimension to youth policy in those regions.

Apply

If you like the idea and wish to be part of an international and motivated team with interesting and challenging field of activities, do not hesitate and apply now!

Please send a short cover letter with your CV in English in a single PDF to [email protected] with “AER Institutional Relations Coordinator“ as subject line.

Deadline for application: Friday 17 March 2017.
Starting date: 1 May the latest (only apply if available)

Connecting regions – inspiring Europe

Set up in 1985, The Assembly of European Regions is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe, bringing together regions from 35 countries – from Norway to Turkey and from Russia to Portugal.

AER is present everywhere on the European continent, inside and outside the European Union. It is the political voice of its members, as well as a forum for interregional cooperation. AER has offices in Strasbourg (FR) and Brussels (BE) as well as representations in Alba (RO) and Dnipropetrovsk (UA).

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A stronger regional policy means a stronger Europe

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Last week European Commissioner Corina Cretu published an article on the need for Europe to build on territorial cohesion: “Cohesion Policy alone won’t heal Europe, but Europe won’t heal without Cohesion Policy”. This idea which is very dear to AER, is particularly relevant in the current geopolitical context and is the foundation of the new AER political priority: A Strong Europe.

Commissioner Cretu identifies climate change, populism and ineffective communication as major challenges for Europe and reasserts the need for a policy, which is close to citizens’ needs and visible to citizens.

And indeed Cohesion Policy is key to turning speeches into actions: This is why AER members gathered last September to demand a strong renewed EU Regional Policy after 2020. Under the leadership of Lower Austria (At) and the Assembly of European Regions, 337 political representatives of regions from 22 member states (71,5% % of EU population) and 5 interregional organisations signed a common declaration to demand the continuation of a EU Cohesion Policy for all regions after 2020.

Beyond speeches

Action for climate change, Corina Cretu says, needs to be concrete and go beyond discussions and declarations, “2017 will be about implementing, taking measures to defeat climate change in the long run! The clock is ticking, we cannot afford to give time time anymore.”

Echoing the work which AER has been carrying out in 2016, in particular on the occasion of the  “Communication and Actions in times of crisis” in Timis, the Commissioner underlines how important communication is to counter populist slogans “Institutions, including traditional media, have been slow to react to the technological and societal revolution that has engulfed the world”. This makes it necessary to use different communication channels, improve direct contact with citizens, but more importantly to provide meaningful content.

Europe is good news

“Europe is good news, however it is not always perceived as such. The conclusion is therefore that we are failing to share the good news with Europeans” the Commissioner states. AER members fully share this perspective as they stated in the AER Vienna Declaration Status quo is not an option for the European regions:

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

A solid, efficient regional policy for all

In her article Commissioner Cretu promises to secure “a solid, efficient regional policy for all in the post 2020 financial period, by simplifying access to EU funds, by making it more flexible and thus readier to react to unforeseeable events”. AER welcomes this statement and reassesses the need for an EU Regional Policy for all to remain a central policy area.

In times when investment is regarded as the way forward for Europe, it seems obvious that Cohesion policy, the main investment tool for regions, needs to be maintained. Moving away from Cohesion policy would result in more centralisation and danger of alienating our citizens. As Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli, AER President said “it is a shame that despite all benefits from Cohesion policy, so many political parties thrive through Europe-bashing. We must all better communicate on Cohesion policy as it remains the most valuable and visible impact on the everyday life of our fellow citizens”.

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Message of condolences following the death of Mr Jean-Claude Frécon

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It is with great sadness that I was informed of the sudden death of Senator Jean-Claude Frécon, late President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
Local and regional authorities have lost a talented defender of subsidiarity and the Assembly of European Regions a trusted friend.
I present, on behalf of all AER members, our sincerest condolences to his wife Ginette and his three children.

Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli
President, Assembly of European Regions

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Democracy at play in EU-Turkey relations

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

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

What is at stake: summary of the panel discussion

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

Cyprus dispute

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

Visa liberalisation

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

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

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

Principled pragmatism in Turkey-EU relations

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

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

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

AER delegation to Ankara

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

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

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AER declaration: status quo is not an option

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Vision and values

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

Patterns and institutions

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

Communicate and promote

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

 

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

Download the declaration (pdf)
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Shedding light on Turkey post failed-coup

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AER President, Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli led a delegation of AER members and representatives of partner organisations (see list below) to Ankara for unique encounters with regional and national high level officials from the main political parties.

The aim of this visit was to show solidarity to Turkey after the failed coup d’Etat on 15 July 2016. AER counts many Turkish members, which have been affected by this coup attempt. Standing for multilevel governance, democracy and subsidiarity it was only normal that the European regional level, alongside the international and national levels, showed solidarity to Turkey : “AER has decided to put focus in 2016 on revitalising democracy, it is therefore only normal that we act, at our level, for the sake of all European regions, to promote democracy, peace and welfare” explained Dr Bozatli.

The initiative was applauded by all our Turkish interlocutors and the delegates all took away insights on the situation in Turkey that could only be grasped on the spot, in face to face exchanges at the occasion of these privileged meetings.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent GMF in the delegation. AER put together a solid program that has provided me with new insights and contacts that no doubt will be beneficial for my work at GMF” confirmed Ms Charlotte Brandsma, Senior Program Officer on Mediterranean policy, The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Ms Brandsma has written an article “Turkey’s Troubles and the Way Forward: A Letter From Ankara” following this work.

The first lesson learned was that all major Turkish political parties stood together at the time of the coup, signing, in a bombarded parliament, a declaration for democracy. They also stand together to praise the role the people of Turkey played that night to save their freedom.

Sadly, all our interlocutors frowned upon the slow reaction of the European union and European countries to condemn these events and to show solidarity with Turkey. The feeling that Europe had (some felt, once again) failed them was very pregnant.

The condemnation of the Gülen movement as a terrorist organisation behind the coup was shared by all with the strong belief that, should the coup have succeeded, power would not have been given to the people and the country would have fallen in chaos.

Unfortunately, what started as a show of unity to defend democracy did not continue after that night. When reconciliation in Turkish society could have gone further after all parties stood together to defend democracy, the polarisation of the Turkish society based on political affiliation is very clear and obvious.

The AER delegation stressed how pleased it was that this illegal and anti-democratic coup failed. It also stressed how crucial it is to maintain the very principles of democracy and rule of law the people stood for when dealing with the aftermath of this coup.

Subsidiarity, as a mean to further democracy in the country, was of course also mentioned with mixed reactions from to our interlocutors. When some wish to go further, others clearly see it as a threat to the unity of the country. AER will of course continue its pedagogical role in defending this crucial European principle, when clearly the path towards further European integration has been praised by all. « Pull us towards Europe, don’t push us to the Middle East ». AER and all delegation members will play their part towards this objective. Mr Miltiadis Kyrkos, MEP, Vice-chair of the delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee already acknowledged “The quality of the delegation and of the meetings in Ankara proved highly useful. I’m pleased to say that this trip will contribute to giving a new impetus to the discussions in our working group.”

 

Delegates:

Assembly of European Regions:
Dr Hande Özsan Bozatli, AER President
Mr Mihai Ritivoiu, Vice President of the AER social policy and public health committee, in charge of social inclusion
Mr Mathieu Mori, AER Secretary General

European Parliament:
Mr Miltiadis Kyrkos, MEP, Vice-chair of the delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee

Committee of the Regions
Mr Jean-Luc Vanraes, Chair of the Committee of the Regions’ working group on Turkey and President of the AER economy and regional development committee

AER partner organisations:
Mr Martin Guillermo-Ramirez, Secretary General of the Association of European Border Regions
Ms Charlotte Brandsma, Senior Program Officer on Mediterranean policy, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

 

Meetings:

On Monday 19/09:

  • Ministry for EU affairs, Mr Engin Soysal, undersecretary for EU affairs
  • Metropolitan Municipality of Ankara, Mr İbrahim Melih Gökçek, Mayor of Ankara

On Tuesday 20/09:

  • AKP Party, Mr Mehdi Eker, Vice President for international affairs
  • Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mr Akif Hamzacebi, Deputy Chairman of the Assembly
  • Republican People’s Party (CHP), Mr Kamil Okyay Sindir, Secretary General and MP for Izmir & Ms Selin Sayek Böke, Deputy Chair for Economic Policy


Pictures: click here

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AER Observatory on Regionalisation contribution on regional diversity

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The AER Observatory on Regionalisation (Enrico Martial and Alexandre Brecx) took part on 21 April 2016 in the first Jean Monnet seminar in Lille focusing on the heterogeneity of the regions inside the EU. French author Edith Lormel wrote about the main findings in an interesting article recently published on the website La documentation française. The article makes a review of the main conclusions of the seminar, which can be summarised in two main ideas:

a) the diversity of European regions makes it impossible to apply a general rule.
This diversity has its roots on the different situations member states were when they joined the EU, but also on the diverse reaction of these member states to the European policies that aim to promote subsidiarity and to encourage regions to take a more active role, as a level that is closer to citizens and potentially could reduce the distortions caused by the big differences existing among countries inside the EU. Some countries have as a result adopted a regional, decentralised model of state (e.g Poland, Netherlands, Germany, Austria) while others are zealously protecting the role of a central state (e.g Romania, Portugal) or alternate measures that go in favour and against a strong regional level in their territories (e.g. Italy, France). Finally we find countries in Europe where the existence of pro-independence forces interfere with the process of regionalisation and create a resistance in the central governments to advance (this can be the case of UK with Scotland, Spain with Euskadi and Catalunya, and Belgium). The fact that a new independent state would need to go through the complete accession process without guarantee of being accepted by all MS has been successfully used as an argument against the independence in the Scottish referendum.

b) the increasing importance of metropolitan areas create a challenge for the regions.
The last 15 years have seen the metropolitan areas claiming a role in integrating territories at expense of municipal or provincial competences, and competing with the regions in some cases. This competition should be left aside to take advantage of potential synergies that will come out of the articulation of the pairing Metropole-Region; this is already happening in some small countries such as The Netherlands.

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The seminar presented as well the result of the work of a group of students from the University of Lille 1 on the conditions which make the regional level efficient and therefore relevant in Europe:

  • Legitimacy: given by the state and confirmed by the European Union through the Committee of the Regions and European funding for projects.
  • Capacity: which depends on its competences (depending on the level of decentralisation), its economic muscle, the availability of financial resources, and the geography of the region.
  • Identity: rooted on historical traits, or acquired through economical success in a more dynamic conception of identity.
  • Representation: a parliament is the traditional channel to listen to the voice of the citizens. However, more dynamic participation tools are becoming more and more important thanks to available technologies.

The meeting in Lille that is at the origin of this article was the first of a series of activities that aim to dissect the situation of the Regions in the EU. The next activity will take place on December 2016. If you want to refer to the article that gave origin to this post (in French): Edith Lhomel, «La régionalisation en Europe. Quelques pistes de réflexion», [email protected] Europe, 1er juin 2016, La Documentation française © DILA

Learn more about AER’s Observatory on Regionalisation.

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Political declaration: call for amendments

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The AER Bureau in Nordland (NO) on 22 June will address the issue of (R)e-inventing Democracy and the impact of technologies on the democratic process. All member regions are invited to submit amendments to the proposed political declaration. Please use the comment box below, providing the name of your region, to submit amendments or send us an email.

(R)e-inventing Democracy
A regional approach

Whereas: participation in elections is decreasing steadily in Europe;

Whereas: governments are faced with increasingly complex challenges ranging from economic development to countering radicalisation or fighting climate change;

Whereas: new technologies are multiplying the opportunities for citizens participation by means of sharing opinions, advice, evaluation, financial support, co-creation;

Whereas: new technologies must be used in respect of the citizens’ privacy;

Whereas: tapping into the human capital both inside and outside institutions via IT applications could boost innovation, increase engagement, save time and financial resources;

Whereas: In a democracy the role of citizens is central and their participation is the corner stone of legitimacy;

Whereas: AER has a history of defending the recognition of the principle of subsidiarity and its implementation;

Whereas: AER’s leading theme for 2016 is “revitalizing democracy”;

We, the Assembly of European Regions:

  1. commit to strengthen cooperation between all the regions of Europe to share experiences and continuously innovate in the public sector;
  2. recognise the need for multi-stakeholder approaches for economic, social and political participation to face societal challenges;
  3. encourage the public, private and non-governmental sectors to incite citizen-led initiatives;
  4. underline the importance of design in public services to provide citizens with opportunities to contribute to the public good with their talent;
  5. deem education to be critical in creating a climate of innovation, openness, inclusion and entrepreneurial spirit;
  6. insist on the importance of youth involvement in policy-making: youth participation should be fostered from an early age;
  7. call on all EU, national and regional stakeholders to speed up the deployment of broadband across the European territory;
  8. highlight the need for e-literacy across generations and communities;
  9. call on tech companies to increase their teams’ diversity to enhance their innovation potential and ensure the contraction of the gender and minority gaps in technology.
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Learning from the European Regions: my Experience as an intern at AER

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Today is Tomaso Comazzi’s last day as intern at the AER Brussels Office. Before moving on, we asked him to share his experience from working with us.

Tomaso, which are your feelings at the end of this path?

Personally, I felt very enriched by this experience, not just because of what I learned during these four months of intensive work as External Relations Assistant, but especially because I discovered in each team member a really kind person, taking care of me, sharing their skills and experiences and (as it was promised to me since the very first day) feeling really part of the AER family. I am sure that will remain the secret of all your future success!

What about your future perspectives, now?

After graduating in international relationship and European studies in Florence this internship was my first real job experience and it helped me a lot, having now immediately found a job as Communicator Manager for another important Regional Network based here in Brussels.

What you would like to say to our network?

I wish all the best for this great and innovative regional network and I will remain with you, more and more engaged for the full development of EU subsidiarity and of the European Regions’ potentialities.

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2016 Summer Academy & Erasmus+ project

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Østfold County Council is inviting AER members to join an Erasmus+ project proposal Østfold is going to lead. The idea is to develop a joint project, which will be rolled out on the occasion of the Summer Academy.

Meetings between young people and decision-makers:

The project Østfold County Council  plans to apply for is the Erasmus + Key Action 3 “Support for policy reform: meetings between young people and decision-makers in the field of youth”, specifically fulfilling the following priority:

National meetings and transnational/international seminars that offer space for information, debate and active participation of young people – in dialogue with youth decision-makers -on issues which are relevant to Structured Dialogue or to the EU Youth Strategy

Deadline: April 26th 2016

The project will allow to further develop the dialogue between youth and regional politicians, which is already a highlight of this event. For partner regions this will also be an opportunity to lower the costs of the participation of their youth representatives and contribute to their own efforts.

The AER Summer Academy

The AER Summer Academy gathers 120-150 participants from across Europe for discussions and dialogue between youth and decision makers from European regions.
About half of the participants are young representatives from regional youth councils/parliaments/other regional youth organisations. Through 5 days of key note speeches, interactive workshops, plenary discussions, study visits and informal learning activities, the Summer Academy encourages dialogue between youth and decision makers and experts in all activities.

The topic for the AER Summer Academy 2016 is youth and entrepreneurship.

Østfold County Council

Østfold is a county located southeast of Oslo, at the Swedish border. Østfold has an area of 4,186 km², and 265,000 inhabitants. The most important business sectors are agriculture, forestry and industry. The county council’s main task is to act as a regional developer. It is our responsibility to help expand the labor market by stimulating creativity and innovation. Youth and entrepreneurship are important focus areas for the regional development work in Østfold.

The County Council has been actively involved in international projects and partnerships for many years. Østfold participates in European organizations such as AER and CPMR and in partnerships in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions (NSC and BSSSC). In addition, Østfold is heavily involved in the INTERREG programs.

Interested? Please contact Line Helene Nilsen before 10 April 2015

 

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Engage citizens?

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Participation requires space

as is very well highlighted in this 2010 video from the AER Youth Regional Network. And by space it’s not just physical space that is meant, such as meeting rooms, but also space in the institutions, in the decision making process. This is valid for young people but also for society at large: how do we make space for citizens participation? If citizens are to adhere to and engage in actions, they need to be involved in more than just validating decisions. AER has long been advocating for the creation of regional youth councils. Its report on youth participation lists a series of recommendations in the field. The joint Committee 2 and Committtee 3 plenary meeting in march 2015 focused on participatory approaches for better policy making. The events highlighted good practices from Nordjylland (DK), Donegal (IE), Värmland (SE), Norrbotten (SE): involvement of regional stakeholders in the development of a region’s strategy,  creation of a senior citizens’ council, quotas for women in political parties, political participation of youth, inclusion of minorities…

Space is information

In order to engage, citizens need to have access to the information. However the quantity of daily information flux is such that it is crucial to ease access. Where is the information distributed? What are the communication tools used? are these adapted to different audiences? Is the information easy to use? Is it presented with a user’s perspective? How does it relate to citizens? What kind of information is distributed? A project like Perspective Daily typically addresses the lack of exposure of positive news. The AER seminar on “Communication & Action in times of crisis” in Timis on 12 April will look at how to engage citizens in tackling tough policy choices.

Communication is a two-way street

Too often communication is confused with “providing input”. But one of the most important aspects of communication is listening. How do you listen to citizens? Do they feel they are been taken seriously? What are the best processes to avoid citizens participation follows the Pareto principle and is no longer representative? In Canada MASS developped deliberative tools such as civic loteries and reference pannels to engage citizens and innovate democratic processes. With its overarching 2016 theme “revitalizing democracy”, AER is organising a series of activities to ensure interregional cooperation provides regions and citizens with real added value. In this context, the Bureau meeting in June will discuss how technology is disrupting/ innovating democracy.

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First 2016 high level meeting with the European Commission

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In the framework of the structured dialogue’s first meeting of the year, AER Secretary General Mathieu Mori met on Friday 22 January the Secretaries General of the European Commission Alexander Italianer, of the Committee of the Regions Jiří Buriánek and a few selected other networks of cities and regions.

This meeting prefigures the annual meeting of President Hande Özsan Bozatli with the Presidents of these organisations on a date to be confirmed.

A key point of discussion was the future of cohesion policy post 2020 and the mid-term review of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) scheduled for the end of 2016. If the European Commission stated that cohesion policy would remain a key tool to fight development gaps between regions, nothing on the scope of the MFF mid-term review nor on the amount of flexibility to be introduced in its functioning was detailed.

AER will therefore continue to follow and influence closely these developments.

AER also stated its wish to be involved in the discussions on the revision of the Juncker Investment priorities at the end of 2017 and its link with cohesion policy.

On thematic issues, the commission took good note on the cooperation proposal from AER to implement the migration action plan to be announced in April 2016.

This first exchange of the year with the European Commission will be followed up by AER in order to make sure our organisation is involved in the decision-making process of all major policies of interest to its members.

If you have in your regions technical expertise about the MFF or the Juncker investment priorities and wish to work with the secretariat and the AER members on these topics, please contact Johanna Pacevicius.

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