Salamanca, 25/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The first "proximity conference", organised by the EU Committee of the Regions (CoR) at the end of last week in Salamanca, an historic Spanish university town, ended its work with the adoption of the "Salamanca Declaration". The text presents the demands of European regional and local authorities in the prospect of new institutional reform, currently under preparation. The term "proximity" must be understood in its broader sense: the EU must come closer to citizens and its decisions must be taken with citizen participation. An EU that is close to its citizens must be supported by local and regional authorities.
In this context, the CoR calls for a role that corresponds to the importance of the regions and local authorities in EU countries. It considers that it must, to begin with, acquire full member status to the future Convention (or future Forum) that will have the task of preparing, during next year, the proposal for a new Constitutional Treaty to be approved for the end of 2003. Regarding the content of the Treaty, the essential demands of the Salamanca Declaration are:
- The CoR must become an instrument allowing regional and local authorities to take part in the EU's decision-making process. The creation of new institutions would not strengthen proximity. The powers of the CoR must be strengthened and the role of the CoR should no longer be purely advisory.
- The CoR must acquire the status of European institution as an assembly that represents democratic (elected) authorities closest to citizens.
- The CoR must be able to defend its rights before the Court of Justice.
These claims are based on the growing importance of regions in the constitutional order of the Member States. Such importance either exists already (we take as examples among others: Scotland, German Länder, Catalonia, Flanders, etc.) but is not yet effective as powers recognised at European level, or is developing (Corsica, transfers of new powers to the Italian regions, etc.).
The Salamanca Declaration gives an official and solemn nature to the determination shown by regions to play a role at European level, a role that is in harmony with their responsibilities at political, economic and cultural levels, etc., through the body that brings their representatives together. Some regions will, moreover, be called on to give a stance on the future Treaty. Such is the case, in particular, of the German Länder (which make up the second parliamentary Chamber) and the Belgian regions.