Amsterdam, 30/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The adoption of the Pact of Amsterdam by ministers responsible for urban policy in Amsterdam on Monday 30 May was welcomed by the very large majority of European organisations representing the local and regional authorities. They felt, however, that this event was in no way the end of the lengthy process launched 20 years ago but rather just another step towards an even more ambitious European urban policy.
President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) Markku Markkula made clear in his speech his satisfaction with the adoption of the Pact of Amsterdam. During an exchange in the press room, he said that “all the elements were there” to develop an ambitious European urban policy. He told EUROPE, however, that the CoR would have liked a more binding pact. The Pact of Amsterdam, and, indeed, its operational wing embodied by the partnerships (see EUROPE 11552), will be on a voluntary basis. This could undermine the success of this European policy, according to some observers (see EUROPE 11550).
However, the voluntary nature of the pact appears to be less of a problem for Raffaele Cattaneo, chair of the commission for territorial cohesion policy and EU budget (COTER) at the CoR. Cattaneo considers that the cities constitute the main level for implementing European policies and, therefore, if the urban dimension were ignored, it would mean that European policies would be difficult to put into operation. Nonetheless, he did said at the press conference that, given the weight exerted by some of the large regions, which can be compared to that of some small member states, it would be logical, in the future, for the regions to be invited to be involved in one way or another in the decision-making process within the Council of the EU. He cautiously proposed, for example, that they be invited to take part “in the informal Councils”.
Anna Lisa Boni, Secretary General of Eurocities, also welcomed the adoption of the pact but added that the pact is “just the beginning of a trajectory that is not going to be easy”. Boni told EUROPE that she wanted the European Commission to play a stronger leadership role and called for the role of an “Urban Envoy” to be created, an idea she has previously proposed (see EUROPE 11553). This possibility, however, appears to have been dismissed by the regional policy commissioner for the time being. During her speech to the member states in the morning, she indicated that the Commission did not want to interfere in the relationship between the national, local and regional authorities at all or even “get new responsibilities in this area”.
In his reply to a question put to him by EUROPE, Frédéric Vallier, Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), said that he appreciated the fact that, for the first time, “a Council of Ministers meeting is proposing to open governance of European policy up to city representatives”. One source at the CEMR informed us that it remained to be seen what would become of this pact, and another regional stakeholder commented: “We will know fairly quickly, in the forthcoming announcements of Commission initiatives”. The General Affairs Council will adopt a declaration on the pact on 24 June. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)