Brussels, 09/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The discussion paper of the economic and social policy commission (ECOS) of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) with a view to adopting an own-initiative report on the theme of competitiveness and decentralisation by the committee chairman, and whose rapporteur was Anders Gustav (EPP, Sweden), was discussed at the Conference of the Assembly of Regions of Europe on 29 April in Dubrovnik as well as at the ECOS commission on 3 May. It will also be discussed at the European Summit of Regions and Towns on 19 and 20 May in Wroclaw. The paper aims to stress the importance of decentralisation and the main factors which, at regional and local level, contribute to improving competitiveness. It recognises the need to increase the number of entrepreneurs and small companies in the growth phase, to take concrete measures in favour of greater competitiveness and to develop a culture of entrepreneurial spirit as well as infrastructures.
Presenting his paper, Anders Gustav explained the need to act at regional and local level for a successful Lisbon strategy. He said it is largely at the level of communes and regions that one sees greater European competitiveness. In order to foster greater competitiveness at the local and regional levels, Mr Gustav stresses the importance of: - setting up open dialogue and broad cooperation with all actors concerned in order to establish a common vision of the potential and growth of a given region; - improve the effectiveness of municipal and regional services and guarantee the quality of such services; - invest in child-minding and take active integration measures contributing to increasing labour and creating an environment in which it would be more advantageous to work than to depend on social benefits; - facilitating company creation, for example by simplifying authorisation procedures, providing advisory services for new companies and introducing teaching in this field in schools; - and encouraging collaboration between training establishments, companies and employees in order to develop lifelong learning schemes. The EU, Member States and regional authorities must actively, together, undertake to enhance Europe's competitiveness and thus allow the Lisbon agenda to become a reality, Anders Gustav commented. He went on to conclude that the European regions and municipalities provide essential added value and must therefore play a central role in the partnership in favour of growth and jobs that the Commission is seeking to set in place.