Brussels, 29/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Parliament (EP) are wanting to speed up adoption of the revised regulation for European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC), with the Council appearing to be dragging its feet somewhat. The CoR, therefore, organised an inter-institutional conference on Thursday 29 March on this issue. Hitherto, 26 EGTCs have been created in 15 EU member states, making life easier for 22 million Europeans who now can benefit from cross-border public services. European Regional Development Commissioner Johannes Hahn sought to lay emphasis on the continuity, clarity and flexibility in his proposal for revising the EGTC regulation. However, so that the regions and cities can resume work on a simplified basis and bring in being new programmes from 2014, it is urgent that consensus be reached as quickly as possible, said CoR President Mercedes Bresso. From the EP, Danuta Hübner (EPP, Poland) promised that the regional development committee, which she chairs, will come to a position on the matter by July. Furthermore, she said, the improved instrument could help boost growth and jobs. It could really make a difference, she argued. It was the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU that was holding everything back. Michel Delebarre (PES, France), who drafted the opinion on the EGTCs adopted by the CoR at the start of the year, called on the Presidency to go more on the offensive. He said that amendments to the EGTC regulation must not become hostage to negotiations on the new cohesion policy, especially as the tasks of the EGTCs go far beyond cohesion. The instrument could be extended to all European policies, and even to the EU's neighbours he argued. At this point, however, a great number of member states have not even transposed EGTCs into their national laws. (MD/transl.rt)