Brussels, 04/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 4 June, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) unanimously adopted the priorities for its sixth term, which runs from 2015 to 2020. Some 40 amendments were discussed before voting on the resolution. CoR President Markku Markkula welcomed the result.
The resolution is the fruit of the labours of the six CoR committees and is articulated around five priorities, each containing a series of measures. The first priority is the economic recovery of Europe through sustainable job creation in cities and regions in order to improve citizens' quality of life. The CoR advocates a bottom-up approach that would more closely involve regional and local authorities in the European partnership.
The second priority is the territorial dimension of European legislation, the aim of which is to bridge the knowledge gaps between regions and cities. For this, the CoR wants EU policies to take account of territorial, economic, social, cultural, geographic and demographic characteristics.
The third of the priorities is the call for European legislation and administrative procedures for companies to be simplified and for a better connected Europe encouraging innovative procurement contracts. The CoR calls, in particular, for greater respect for the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and for more regular recourse by the European Commission to assessments of territorial impact.
The fourth priority area is stability and cooperation both within the EU and beyond its borders and calls for greater cooperation with neighbouring countries at local and regional levels. The resolution lays great emphasis on establishing inter-personal relations. It highlights the role of cities and regions in spreading European values in the EU's near neighbourhood, through bodies such as the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) and the Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP).
And lastly, the fifth priority is bringing the EU closer to its citizens by means of deeper dialogue between local representatives and local people. Here, the resolution calls for better communication on the work done by the CoR and, to achieve this goal, the Committee will cooperate with the European Parliament and be able to make use of its research department.
It should be borne in mind that the text, as a CoR member pointed out, is not cast in stone and will, almost certainly, be amended in light of political events and future developments. (Pascal Hansens)