Brussels, 15/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - In view of its presentation, this summer, of its White Paper on European Governance that will essentially be on how to improve the exercise of competencies at European level, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity, the European Commission is organising a "Public Hearing on European Governance: towards a better use of subsidiarity and proportionality", in Brussels on 16 March.
The hearing will be opened by Christine Roger, chef de cabinet, of Commissioner Michel Barnier, responsible for institutional issues, and by Frans Andriessen, former European Commissioner. It will then take the form of three round tables on the following topics:
- the role of political actors at different levels. Work will be chaired by Jerome Vignon, President Prodi's senior adviser on European governance. The speakers will be Reinhold Bocklet, Minister responsible for European Affairs of the Land of Bavaria, Kalypso Nicolaidis, of Oxford University, Jeremy Smith, Director of Local Government International Bureau, and Andrew Duff, British MEP of the Liberal democrat Party.
- regulating the exercise of responsibility. Chaired by Philippe de Schoutheete, advisor to Commissioner Barnier and former Belgian Permanent Representative to the EU, speaking in the debate will be Grainne de Burca, of the European University Institute of Florence, Antti Peltomaki, Deputy State Minister in the private office of the Finnish Prime Minister, the Scottish Minister of Education and European Affairs, Mr. McConnel, and Mr. Quermonne, of the Institute of Political Studies of Grenoble.
- promoting better interaction between political actors at different levels of government. Under the chairmanship of Jean-Louis Dewost, Director General of the European Commission's legal service, speaking will be Detlev Samland, Minister responsible for European affairs of the Land of Rheinland North-Westphalia, Renaud Dehousse (of the Institute of Political Studies in Paris), Mr. Delebecque (Eurocities, and vice-president responsible for European affairs at the Urban Community of Lille).
A final round table, chaired by Jerome Vignon, will enable participants to define guidelines for the future, with the participation of Sylvia Kaufmann, EP rapporteur on governance, Antoinette Primatarova, Bulgarian Ambassador to the EU, and Fulvio Attina, of the University of Catalonia.
(Information: Kerstin Jorna. Tel.: 02 296 1326).