Brussels, 09/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of the Regions (CoR) Bureau, meeting in Brussels on 8 June under the chairmanship of Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, welcomed the call made by the Reflection Group, chaired by Felipe González, to strengthen political leadership in Europe through “a new compact between national, regional and local authorities” (see EUROPE 10137).
During the Bureau meeting, Luc Van den Brande (EPP, Belgium) and Michel Delebarre (PES, France) warmly welcomed the report, which envisages a “system of multi-level governance, where competences are shared - rather than split”. This picks up on the call from the CoR in its June 2009 White Paper, and of which Van Den Brande and Delebarre were co-rapporteurs, which stated that “multi-level governance is a method and a solution, aimed at establishing a more innovative, flexible and inclusive dynamic able to reconcile the Europe of citizens and the EU's management of global challenges”.
Local and regional authorities will shoulder their responsibilities for European integration, especially when preparing and implementing the anticipated reforms of cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy.
CoR first Vice-President Valcárcel pointed out during the meeting that the CoR had repeatedly highlighted the urgent need to establish economic governance in the EU and to strengthen the sense of belonging via the civic and public services provided by local and regional authorities, from which everyone benefits. (G.B./transl.rt)