Uppsala / Brussels, 06/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - "The Committee of the Regions (COR) has clear political status", said Swedish State Secretary Lars Danielsson, speaking to the Institutional Affairs Commission of the Committee of the Regions, which met end February in Uppsala. The Committee was delighted to hear it said that the Committee of the Regions "may play a greater role in the field of power sharing" and that it is "important that its role be discussed at the next EU Intergovernmental Conference" (scheduled for 2004). The Committee's Commission on Institutional Affairs met in Sweden to adopt a draft opinion on the Intergovernmental Conference which ended in Nice and which is to begin and discuss the role of the Committee of the Regions on the European political scene.
The usual message from this young Community body was repeated in Uppsala: the Committee of the Regions should be accorded full "Institution" status, a request rejected by the IGC. The COR forcefully renews its demands concerning enhanced involvement on its part in the decision-making process. It mainly restates demands made in the aim of being finally recognised a right of appeal before the European Court of Justice in order to guarantee that its rights are respected. It also calls for the status of full EU institution, it is written in the draft resolution by Manfred Dammeyer (Germany, PES), to be presented to plenary vote during the sitting on 4 and 5 April. The institutional committee rejects the idea of creating another parliamentary institution - a second chamber for the European Parliament or a house of representatives of national parliaments. There was some irritation and concern expressed on this issue during debates. Thus, the chair of the institutional commission, Manfred Dammeyer, complained that there is talk of a second chamber without any mention of the existence of the Committee of the Regions. "Neither Blair nor Fischer" have spoken of the Committee, he stressed.
The Institutional Affairs Commission nonetheless invites the Committee's plenary to welcome the fact that the Treaty of Nice embodies the obligation of Committee members to have a political mandate in their commune or region, and that it had set at 350 the maximum number of Committee members. On the other hand, the draft resolution "deplores" the fact that the number of members and their breakdown between Member States is the same as for those of the Economic and Social Committee. Another regret expressed is that the duration of mandates is not in line with that of the European Parliament. Generally speaking, the institutional commission of the Committee "welcomes the [institutional] changes made at Nice", necessary for accession by new Member States, but notes nonetheless that this treaty remains clearly below what is considered necessary.
The Committee of the Regions will organise a "General Assembly" of representatives of the communes and regions of Europe mid-October in order to consult them on the future of the Union and to determine the requirements to be set out with a view to the Declaration of Laeken. It calls on all regional and local authorities to float the debate. The draft resolution also stresses the wish to be actively involved in the next IGC, not just as observers, stresses Manfred Dammeyer.
The meeting of the Institutional Affairs Commission in Uppsala also opened the debate on the adoption of a future resolution on the subject of participation by the representatives of regional governments in the work of the EU Council (the vote is scheduled for the month of November). Rapporteurs will seek to study current practices in the different Member States.
The meeting was followed by a Dialogue on Europe, jointly organised by the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions.