Brussels, 21/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Promises are made to be kept. The president of the European Council is involving the Committee of the Regions in work upstream of the summit on 23 and 24 June, as he had promised to do on 11 May this year when addressing the Committee of the Regions' plenary session (see EUROPE 10376). With a view to acting on his spoken commitment, President Van Rompuy discussed the matter with CoR President Mercedes Bresso, on Monday 20 June. Their meeting was held in the wake of that between Bresso and Commission President José Manuel Barroso on 16 June (see EUROPE 10399).
Discussion highlighted the potential of local and regional economies. Herman Van Rompuy said on this occasion that he was fully aware of the fact that they could not make the EU2020 strategy a success without the local and regional authorities, which are also at the heart of the effort being made to implement the Stability and Growth Pact. Mercedes Bresso hoped the meeting would result in a deeper working relationship between the member sates and their local and regional authorities on European subjects. She said they should welcome this development because it means public action will be enhanced by it.
Those at the head of the four political groups of the Committee - Michael Schneider (EPP, Germany), Karl-Heinz Lambertz (PES, Belgium, of the German-speaking part), Flo Clucas (ALDE, Britain), and Jerzy Zajakala (UEN-EA) - told the president of the European Council about the concern felt by local and regional authorities on the subject of immigration, and of their vigilance regarding neighbourhood policy. The principle of solidarity must come into play, not only between member states but also between the Union and its neighbours, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, they said.
On the same occasion, CoR representatives also gave their support to concluding membership talks with Croatia as swiftly as possible, and agreed there was a need to ensure full partnership with towns and regions for launching implementation of macro-regional strategies. (G.B./transl.jl)