Brussels, 24/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - Following the second meeting on the structured dialogue between the Commission, committee of the Regions (COR) and territorial associations which had been discussion the Commission's programme for 2005-09, two happy presidents addressed the press. Commission president José Manuel Barroso said that he was “very encouraged and touched by such wide support…from MEPs from all political hues”. President Straub of the Committee of the Regions (COR) was congratulated because as Mr Barroso stressed, “the Commission regards the opinion of the regions and local institutions as very important”. Barroso also said that, “the regions are essential for the Union. Cohesion is one of the fundamentals for European integration. Without solidarity, there's not Union…Our regional policy provides new opportunities in all the regions confronting threats to jobs and facing world competition”. Mr Barroso said that they had to allow the poorest regions catch up (Barroso said that since the last enlargement this had increased by 3%. He explained that competitiveness and the profile of the regions had to be strengthened. He underlined the importance the Commission placed on the opinions of the regions and local institutions. He provided assurances that, “this dialogue needs pursuing and I will give exact orientations to Commissioners to set this dialogue out with representatives from the local authorities”. Mr Straub said that the second structured dialogue meeting had been positive. He was pleased that due to the cooperation agreement signed with the Commission in 2001, “COR is more involved in the Commission's preparatory work, which increases its influence”.
Straub highlighted three questions raised in the meeting: 1) the future of cohesion policy, which is “the driving force for enlargement”; 2) solidarity: “future regional policy has to take into account all European regions. Any draconian reduction of the EC budget will have negative consequences”; 3) decentralisation and governance: “we need to go down this road together”, indicated Straub. In conclusion he called for “citizens' scepticism to be overcome” an explained that “the regions are indispensable as a bridge between the local and municipal authorities”.
A journalist asked him if he had spoken of anything concrete, “”isn't money something concrete?” was Mr Barroso's reply, adding that COR had given its full support to the Commission's proposals on financial perspectives. Mr Barroso welcomed the support of the COR (as he did for that of the European economic and Social Committee: EUROPE 12 February p 15) for the Commission's orientations on economic, social and territorial cohesion, “because they are from different political groups”. He concluded that he would like to take this to a European Council level and, “I hope that Heads of State and governments will really listen to local representatives”.