Brussels, 05/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Bureau of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), which was set up on January of this year, met in Barcelona on 3 May and adopted a policy statement which will be put to Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) heads of state and government when they meet in the Catalan capital on 7 June, if the political conditions are appropriate.
The Bureau of the ARLEM, which was holding its third meeting since it was formed - a meeting attended by UfM Secretary General Ahmad Masa'deh - wants UfM countries to grant it observer status. In its statement, it highlights the role to be played by the regions in the roll-out of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. The Bureau stressed the added value of a decentralised approach and measures which facilitate human contact in pursuit of the main UfM objectives in the Euro-Mediterranean region and its commitment to use its know-how and exchange best practice. It called for tangible regional- or local-level projects to be identified and implemented in pursuit of the main objectives set out in the Paris Declaration of 2008 and in the conclusions of the inaugural ARLEM meeting. The UfM secretariat is called on to work jointly to achieve this end.
ARLEM, which took part as an observer in the UfM ministerial meetings on water on 13 April 2010 and on the environment on 21-22 April 2010, said it wants to make its contribution to building enhanced Euro-Mediterranean governance, beginning with the ministerial meeting on urban development due to take place in Nice in the course of this year, and the development of a joint strategy for water in the Mediterranean region, the Bureau said. It announced that reports will be adopted this year on “urban development” and “local water management”. (F.B./transl.rt)