Brussels, 02/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) supports the articles of the Italian proposal of compromise concerning territorial cohesion and services of general interest. In a letter addressed to the 28 participant and observer states at the Intergovernmental Conference, CPMR President Claudio Martini expressly calls on States to support the proposals put forward by the Italian Presidency concerning territorial cohesion in general and adaptation of Articles III-116 and III-56 in particular.
Nonetheless, the CPMR would like Article III-118 (ex article 160) to be amended to specify that the European Regional Development Fund "is intended to help redress the main regional imbalances in the Union through participation in the development and structural adjustment of regions whose development is lagging behind and in the adaptation of regions showing competitive weaknesses in some major sectors". The CPMR considers this would make it possible to come into line with the objectives fixed by the European Councils at Lisbon and Gothenburg as post-2006 regional policy was taking shape.
The CPMR president states in his letter that "Europe's regions also urge the States to support the proposals put forward by the Convention in the draft Constitution and upheld by the Italian Presidency in its draft compromise, in respect of services of general interest". Finally, "it is also of vital importance to Europe's regions that the States maintain the provisions set out in the draft Constitution with regard to the "regional" dimension as proposed by the Convention and upheld in the overall draft compromise presented by the Italian Presidency".