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How can Regions ensure a sustainable future for their citizens? The AER answer

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More than 40 Regions from all over Europe gathered in Bødo, Nordland, on 14 and 15 June 2002. The Regions’ contribution to sustainable development was the major issue for this meeting of the ‘Regional policy’ Committee of the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in view of the forthcoming UN Johannesburg Summit (27 August – 4 Sept. 2002).

Major European institutions, such as the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe took active part in the AER debate and expressed their interest in further co-operation with the AER in view of common action in favour of sustainable development.

Various good regional practices in sustainable development were presented, such as, for example: development of renewable energies (Niederösterreich-A, Jämtland-S), preservation of water and land resources (Pest, Heves-H, TulceaRO), sustainable transport (outcome of the 1st workshop Regions’ contribution to sustainable transport, Florence, April 2002), eco-tourism (Västerbotten-S, Thüringen-D) and sustainable rural development (Gloucestershire-UK).

On the basis of its member Regions’ concrete actions, Committee C unanimously adopted a Final Statement as the AER contribution to the Johannesburg Summit and designated Thomas Haag, Councillor, from Jämtland as its representative at the Summit. “In this statement we expressed our strong conviction on the fundamental role of Regions and interregional cooperation for the promotion of sustainable development in all its environmental, social, economic, and cultural dimensions” said Brian Greenslade, Committee C President, Leader of Devon. “We urged all regional authorities to identify the results that the Summit should aim for and committed ourselves to specific strategies as a concrete follow up to the Johannesburg Summit at regional level” he added.

In this context, a major interregional Summit on Sustainable Development will be organised next year, in joint cooperation with all AER member interregional organisations and major European bodies. The first AER European EcoRegion Prize will be awarded on this occasion, with the support of the Royal Award Foundation, and the EEA.

Committee C also focused on the preparation of the 1st AER Conference of Regional Presidents and Ministers on the Future of Regional Policy (Baranya, 14-15 November 2002). The Committee meeting was followed by a seminar organised by the host Region. The crucial current situation of regionalisation in Norway and other countries of Northern Europe, on the one hand, and the political support of the AER in this process on the other hand, were the major issues of this successful seminar.

For more information: [email protected]

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How to ensure a sustainable future for our European citizens? The regions’ answer

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More than one hundred regional leaders from all over Europe (EU and non-EU), experts from the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Europe (Council of Europe), will gather in Bödo, Capital of Nordland (N), on 14th and 15th June 2002, to prepare a global political action plan for sustainable regions and towns.

In view of the upcoming Earth Summit (Johannesburg, 26th August – 4th Sept. 2002) and the 1st Conference of Regional Ministers of Spatial planning, organised by the AER for 14th and 15th Nov. 2002 in Pècs (Baranya, H), this meeting organized by the AER Regional policy Committe aims:

– to assess the regional dimension of sustainable development in the various fields (management of local natural resources, agriculture and the rural world, transport, tourism…),
– to compare innovative regional practices in favour of sustainable development,
– on this basis, to make recommendations in view of the reform of European policies such as CAP, regional and cohesion policies, and of the new transport policy,
– and finally, to find out the best issues and solutions for sustainable development at regional level.

On 15th June, the participants will attend a seminar “The Regional Level- Trends and Future Propects” organized by the authorities of Nordland which will focus on recent developments in the EU as well as in the Nordic countries such as the Swedish Pilot Regions and the Norwegian debate on the need for a pertinent regional level.

For more information: [email protected]

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The Regions and sustainable transport: What future for Common Transport Policy?

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The Assembly of European Regions organised a workshop on “The Regions and sustainable transport” on 19th April in Florence, Toscana-I, in the aim of demonstrating the role which the Regions must play in future European transport policy.

Several examples of good regional practices in the field of sustainable transport, and their concrete impact and added value in comparison to European and national initiatives in particular, were looked at by over fifty participants at this workshop. In this context, participating Regions talked of their experience in the implementation of European and national policies and of European programmes (INTERREG IIIB, PHARE, ISPA…), gave their point of view on the advantages and drawbacks of these programmes and current legislation and laid out the content and objectives of the regional policies used towards sustainable development in transport by the Regions.

The President of the “Regional policy, Transport and Tourism” Committee of the European Parliament, Luciano Caveri, spoke on the theme “What future for Common Transport Policy? The European Parliament’s contribution of the definition of new Governance”. “Subsidiarity only currently exists at state level, and it is up to the Convention to give the Regions a real role” he declared. “There will be no sustainable development in any field as long as both local and regional levels of government are not the main actors. The reform of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) and the incorporation of new routes on these networks requires the involvement of the Regions” he concluded.

Riccardo Conti, coordinator for AER sub-Committee “Sustainable Transport Development and the Environment”, and Assessore for the Region of Toscana, host of the event, stressed that “Common Transport Policy is but an instrument for harmonisation, and the Regions must develop their own transport policies”. He added that “the transport network must allow for sustainable economic development and not simply turn the Regions into transit zones”.

This AER workshop is the first real step towards a long-term strategy aiming to: – bring the attention of national and European authorities to the efficient role of the Regions in the field of transport, – request that the Regions wield the necessary legal and financial means for the implementation of their policies in this field, – encourage the exchange of good practices and experience as well as cooperation between Regions in the EU and Regions in accession countries.

For more information: [email protected]

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A step further towards decentralisation in France Twenty years after the first law on decentralisation

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The Assembly of European Regions (AER) welcomes the coming into effect of the law on the regionalisation of the SNCF (French national rail network) on 1st January 2002. This law allows the French Regions to organise their regional train networks (Regional Express Trains – TER). They will now be responsible for their own fares, new lines and the renovation of stations. The State government will provide a budget of 1.5 million Euros for 2002 for each Region in order to execute the new law. Twenty years after the first law on decentralisation, this transfer of competences in the field of transport is remarkable progress in the decentralisation process in France. The AER considers this law as going in the right direction for the building up of European Transport infrastructure – which requires the increased involvement of the Regions regarding planning, decision-making and execution – for the benefit of commerce, industry and the citizens.

On 13th February 2002, the French Senate also adopted a draft law on “grass-roots democracy”*. This law provides for the transfer of supplementary competences from the State to the Regions and local authorities (“départements”, “communes”…). The Regions will thereby gain new responsibilities in the fields of vocational training, the environment and its protection, tourism, ports and airports, economic assistance and culture to a certain extent. It may also be appropriate to mention that some of the competences transferred by the law are transferred “in a trial manner”, particularly the management of civil airfields, the development of national ports, the listing of monuments and items of artistic value.

The AER takes good note of the government’s efforts towards decentralisation on the eve of the twentieth anniversary of the Deferre law of 2nd March 1982. This law on “grass-roots democracy” may not be the cure all for the French Regions, but it’s a step towards decentralisation in France. The AER is keeping a close eye on its implementation and hopes that these new “trial” prerogatives will rapidly become the responsibility of the Regions. The AER asks the French government to provide the Regions with powers of taxation, without which the new competences cannot be fully effective.

The AER will continue its initiatives with the same intensity alongside of the French Regions and the whole of Europe to make the voices of the citizens and their representatives heard in their respective State governments and the European institutions.

For more information: [email protected]

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Summer School of the AER: Constanta, host region for 2001

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The 6th AER Summer School will be held from 26th to 30th August in Constanta, Romania, on the Black Sea Coast. Over one hundred regional politicians and administrators from applicant countries and representatives from the regions of the European Union are expected.

The 2001 edition of the AER Summer School will focus on the crucial topic of EU enlargement. Under the title “Our Future: European Regions and European Expansion”, the participants will insist on the Regions’ role in the construction of Europe and on concrete aspects of regional development.

The main issues to be looked at this year are:
· Regions towards the EU enlargement process
· Regions’ contribution to the environmental protection
· Tourism at regional level as a motor of economic and sustainable development
· European spatial planning and future European regional policy

The Summer School 2001 will consist of a number of Plenary sessions, followed by smaller workshops that will deal with the above mentioned issues in more detail and on the practicalities of Phare and Tacis projects. This year, it has received again the support of the European Commission (General Directorate Enlargement) and of the Council of Europe. The AER invites all persons interested to take part in this event. The practical information are available on the Web sites of the AER http://www.are-regions-europe.org and of the Constanta Region http://www.cjc.ro/school/index.html

The AER launched its Summer School programme in 1996. Previous editions were held in Pest-H, Krakow-PL, Thüringen-D, Istra-HR and Vilnius-LT. The Organising Committee, which makes this event possible each year, is made up of 7 member regions: Constanta (RO), Friuli-Venezia-Giulia (I), Gloucestershire (GB), Noord-Brabant (NL), Thüringen (D), Uppsala (S), Wien (A). Over the years, this event has become one of the pillars of AER policies in favour of EU enlargement and East-West interregional cooperation.

For more information: [email protected]

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Newsletter Spring 2001: Cohesion policy in an enlarged Union?

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Headlines:

  • Cohesion policy in an enlarged Union?
  • Bureau meeting in Oberkirch – Baden-Württemberg (D)
  • Greater decentralisation in the Czech Republic
  • Seminar on “profitable environmental awareness”
  • Ecological tourism: planning for a gain-gain relation
  • Environmental Care as a Key factor in development and spatial planning
  • Ecology as a basis for sustainable regional development
  • Centurio: launch on 2001 edition
  • Summer School >Constanta, host region for 2001
  • Caravan on regionalism in Hungary >“Regionalism, culture and youth”
  • Gender equality: slowly but surely!
  • Hearings on European Governance
  • Real regions for a modern France by Adrien Zeller
  • Cooperation between Wielkopolska (PL) and Noord-Brabant (NL)

(Use pop-out button to view & download the publication)

The newsletter is available in English, French and German:

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General Assembly 2002 in Seinäjoki: A woman at the head of the AER!

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15th General Assembly of the Regions of Europe

Seinäjoki, South Ostrobothnia (FIN), 7 December 2000

Mrs Liese Prokop, Vice-Minister President of Niederösterreich (Austria) since 1992, has just been elected AER President for 2001-2003. She is therefore the 5th AER President following Edgar Faure (Franche-Comté – F), Carlo Bernini (Veneto – I), Jordi Pujol (Catalunya – E) and Luc Van den Brande (Vlaanderen – B).

For the last 30 years, Liese Prokop, Austrian, has been a front running political actor in her country. For the AER, the election of Mrs Liese Prokop represents an additional asset with Austria being the long standing geographical link between the Regions of Western, Central and Eastern Europe.

Liese Prokop is also an outstanding performer in the world of sport as a top athlete. She won a silver medal for the pentathlon at the Olympics in Mexico in 1968; was junior champion in 1967 and broke the world record in 1969, again in the pentathlon. She is currently President of the Austrian Union of Sports Organisations.

With the election of Liese Prokop, the AER efforts to encourage equal opportunities for men and women are given added impetus.

The new AER President will be assisted in her tasks by the Vice-President Jan Waszkiewicz, President of the Region of Dolnoslaskie – PL, Vice-President Lambert van Nistelrooij, member of the Regional Council of Noord-Braabant – NL and Vice-President Treasurer Claude Ruey, State Councillor from the Canton of Vaud – CH (second election).

The new Committee Presidents are:
– “Institutional Affairs and East-West Cooperation”: Willi Stächele, State Secretary for Baden-Württemberg (D)
– “Social cohesion, Social services, Public Health, Employment”: Ragnar Kristoffersen, President of Akershus (N)
– “Regional Policies, Spatial planning, Infrastructures, Environment, Tourism“: Brian Greenslade, President of Devon (GB)
– “Culture, Education and Training, Youth, Media, Sport“: Bruno Hosp, Minister of Culture of BozenSüdtirol/Bolzano-Alto Adige (I)

In addition, a special mandate concerning the participation of young people in public regional life and the development of interregional cooperation in the Balkans was given to Roberto Antonione, President of Friuli Venezia-Giulia (I).

For more information: [email protected]

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The future of European regional policy: AER Action Plan

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AER Committee C: “Regional Policies, Territorial planning, Infrastructures, Environment, Tourism”

Florence, Tuscany (I), 5-6 June 2000

On 5th and 6th June 2000, the Committee C of the Assembly of European Regions met in Florence, Tuscany (I) at a meeting which was chaired by Mr Brian Greenslade (Devonshire, UK), the Committee President. The meeting was attended by representatives of the citizens of 57 Regions from 17 countries. The meeting considered the regional aspects of a number of key issues affecting the citizens of the European Continent (membership includes Regions both from inside and outside of the EU).

In the past, Committee C has succeeded in promoting the recognition of territorial cohesion as a fundamental principle of the construction of Europe which contributed to making sure that territorial cohesion was included in article 16 (former article 7d) of the European Union Treaty.

Today, the Committee C’s main fields of action cover the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Sustainable Rural Development, Regional transport and Communications, the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) and Environment, without forgetting Regional twinning (or cooperation) and specific matters linked to INTERREG III. The Committee also takes pride in its contribution to the enlargement process.

A multi-national working group has been established in order to draft a report on the AER’s perspective on the future of regional policies and European governance. The group is made up of Regions from Ireland, Italy, Great Britain, Norway, Finland and Romania among others. Their work will be completed by September 2000 (next Committee C meeting in Tulcea, 22nd – 23rd September 2000), in order to present the AER’s contribution to Commissioner Barnier before the adoption of the next EU report on social and economic cohesion.

Under the chairmanship of Mr Hjalmarsson (Norrbotten, Sweden), work is also progressing for the enhancement of the role and the future of regional airports, particularly regarding their contribution to regional economies and the reduction of peripheral areas. This work will include the development of a sub-TEN of regional air transport.

The Committee is developing a network on environment and tourism, coordinated by Västerbotten, which will collect case studies and enable Regions to share their good practices. The President of the Committee, Mr Brian Greenslade, will be seeking the involvement of the Regions in the consultation relating to the review of the transeuropean network and in particular the acknowledgement of the importance of the regional perspective in the development of these networks.

The Committee’s President will also address the EU Commission, on behalf of members, in order to announce the AER’s intention to actively cooperate in the observatory which was recently opened within INTERREG III and in which a number of AER members are interested. The AER will also try to cooperate in this field with other interregional organisations as already agreed in the Conference in Grado, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, I (April 1999).

Finally the quality of the members’ contributions and the direct relevance of the issues on the agenda for the Regions have greatly contributed to the ongoing process of the political relaunch of the AER.

This political movement which promotes regionalism and stimulates cooperation between regional authorities is providing to be, as President Martini of Tuscany (I) said, even more necessary in the interests of the Regions from all over the European Continent.

For more information: [email protected]

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Meeting of the AER political Bureau

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Brussels, 12 May 1999

The first meeting of the AER political Bureau, in its new composition issued from elections at the General Assembly in Linz (A) in last December, will be held on 12th May in Brussels. Several subjects will be discussed and in particular:

• Regions faced with the situation in Kosovo;

• Project of the European Constitution, the Subsidiarity, the EU Enlargement, the next Intergovernmental Conference (IGC);

• Regionalisation in progress: results of elections in Scotland and Wales, development in Hungary;

• Adoption of resolutions and decisions made by the AER Committees (January to May 1999):

  • Commission A ”Institutional Affairs and East-West Cooperation”
    – Programme of Seminar “Strong Regions for a strong Europe” (27-28 May, Stuttgart-D),
    – Project of the Conference “Regions and EU Enlargement process” (21-22 Sept., Wroclaw-PL),
    – Information relative to the Summer school (28 August, Istra-HR) and Centurio, two AER training programmes;
  • Commission B “Social Cohesion, Social Services, Public Health and Employment”
    – Resolutions and decisions which will be made at the next meeting (6 May, Trondheim-N),
    – Declaration of Turin relative to the men-women equality;
  • Commission C ”Regional Policy” (Meeting of 18-19 March, Umea-S)
    – Views on the last Environmental Action Programme (EAP) of the EU and contribution to the next EAP,
    – Views on the respect of environmental norms in tourism,
    – Participation in the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign and in the next Earth Summit,
    – Role of the Regions and interregional cooperation in the implementation of ESDP,
    – Declaration of Grado – Interregional Organisations common position on the Interreg III,
    – Regional twinnings ;
  • Commission D “Culture, Education/Training, Youth, Medias, Sport” (Meeting of 19- 20 April, Nyborg-DK)
    – Preparations for a pan-European Conference of Regional Cultural Ministers (2000) and support to the initiative of creating a network for exchanging information via the Internet between regional public libraries (“Culture” Subcommittee),
    – Requests for amendments of Community programmes, especially following the nonadmission of EU candidate countries to the pilot project “Parliaments representing the Youth of Europe” (“Education & Training” Subcommittee),
    – Creation of a programme of solidarity for Romanian street children and orphans – ”Streetkids-Romania 1999”- organised by the Region of Piemonte (I) and proposal put forward by the Region of Odessa (UKR) to organise a conference on the “Participation of Youth in management and public life at regional level” by spring 2000 (“Youth” Subcommittee).

For more information: [email protected]

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Aquitaine – Euskadi – Navarra: over 350 Crossborder Projects

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The regions of Aquitaine (F), Euskadi and Navarra (E) are geographically and historically close so it is quite natural that they got together. Aquitaine and Euskadi established a cooperation protocol in 1989 and Navarra joined them in 1992, thus sealing a fruitful institutional collaboration. The main objectives of this cooperation are:

  • to exchange information on respective economic and social policies, on actions for the promotion and the development of communications, training, research and infrastructures as well as the value of cultural and linguistic heritage,
  • to harmonise policies in the above mentioned areas,
  • to consult each other on the definition and implementation of projects of common interest,
  • to encourage all forms of cooperation between the different public, professional and private bodies from each region.

Over 350 transborder projects, 50 of which were introduced in 1997, have in this way been set up in a variety of fields: higher education, scientific research, the environment, economic development, tourism, agriculture, culture, training, social care, diffusion of the Basque language etc. These projects are financed by a common intervention fund. The three regions invest each year close to 300 million Pesetas so that this collaboration may realise an even greater number of common projects on both sides of the border.

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The European Commission welcomes AER Resolution on the Structural Funds

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Adopted at the General Assembly in Montpellier, following a wide consultation of the regions, member and non-member states of the EU, the AER’s opinion on the reform of the Structural Funds was well received by the main European political bodies. The Prime Minister of Luxemburg and President of the EU Council for the second quarter of 1997, Mr J C Juncker, felt that this opinion “constitutes an irre- placeable basis for the long negotiations at European Union level”. The President of the European Commission, Mr J Santer, stessed the need for a “constructive cooperation of all the political representatives at European, national and regional levels” and “in this context” he “welcomed the Assembly of European Regions’ contribution to the current debate” and he pointed out that “the concerned directo- rates in the European Commission will examine, in detail, the Declaration adopted in Montpellier”.

Mr A Larsson, Director-General for Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Affairs in the European Commission, notes that the problems highlighted in the opinion go “to the heart of the reform” and says that he is convinced that there will be a lot of items to discuss among those concerned, “especially once the Commission has adopted its detailed proposals for new Regulations this spring”. Mr Larsson went on to say “during the course of forthcoming discussions on the reform, we would be pleased to have the opportunity for an exchange of views and suggest that we make contact again about this later in the year”. Mr R Savy, President of the Committee on Regional Policy, Regional Planning, the Environment and Tourism (V) (the Committee which drew up the AER reso- lution) intends to do just that.

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Guide to the Cultural Itineraries of the European Regions

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As part of its activities on cultural heritage, AER published the second volume of its Guide to the Cultural Itineraries of the European Regions in 1992. Like its predecessor, this volume contains information on the rich, diverse cultural history and traditions of the European Regions. A copy of the edition is available online and can be accessed for download here. We hope that you enjoy reading it and feel inspired by each region’s unique culture.

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