Brussels, 26/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The 40th plenary session of the Committee of the Regions (COR) provided the occasion for the signature of a Co-operation Protocol between the COR and the European Commission (see EUROPE of 22 September, p.8) and also enabled the COR to give its opinion on a number of EU policies. A memorandum by the former President of the Committee, Manfred Dammeyer (PES, Germany) and a resolution tabled by the Presidents of all political groupings at the Committee of the Regions reaffirm the COR's desire to be fully associated with the debate and the preparations for the future of the Union. The COR wants to take part in the Convention that will be responsible for preparing the IGC rather than in the Civil Society Forum that the Belgian Presidency is proposing to convene alongside the Convention. With all its experience from participating (with observer status) in the Convention responsible for drawing up the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the COR wants to be a full member of the Convention, rather than a simple observer. A report by Karl-Heinz Klär (PES, Germany) and José Luis Gonzalez (EPP, Spain) on proximity, which was also endorsed at the plenary session, fleshes out the COR's position on the reform of the European Union. A General Assembly of local and regional authorities will be held on 26 October to outline a position on the debate over the future of the European Union.
The other issues on which the COR gave its opinion (see EUROPE of 17/18 September, p.17) include the European asylum and immigration policy, where the COR feels that it is essential to establish a common European policy and wants local and regional communities to be involved in this, particularly when it comes to terms of planning where the sites for housing asylum seekers should be located.