Brussels, 12/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 10 July, under the chairmanship of Gerardo Galeote Quecedo (EPP-Ed, Spain), the members of the EP Committee on Regional Development held an exchange of views with Hannes Manninen, Minister of Regional and Municipal Affairs of Finland, on the programme of the Finnish EU Presidency. Mr Manninen wished to stress that the members of the committee “have a crucial role to play in identifying and considering the needs of citizens and regional partners when carrying out legislative work”. He told them: “You have done an excellent job in this and (…) I am looking forward to engaging in a meaningful dialogue with you over the coming months”. The new cohesion policy regulations adopted last Tuesday in plenary (see EUROPE 9225) will take effect this month, the minister noted. The Presidency objectives, he said, are to: (1) achieve greater transparency and effectiveness in the Union, and increase the trust and confidence of citizens; (2) demonstrate more clearly that the Union pursues cohesion policy for the benefit of its citizens, to ensure they have jobs and a good standard of living; (3) improve the circumstances and living conditions in the least developed regions, which have natural handicaps such as the lack of transport, etc.; (4) ensure the future of the Northern Dimension of the EU. Structural Fund programmes have their role to play in implementing this policy, Mr Manninen pointed out; (5) reform EU external relations instruments regarding neighbourhood policy and partnership. The Presidency will ensure that crossborder cooperation can be implemented correctly; (6) ensure Europe's ability to succeed in global competition, through development of the internal market, innovations and their utilisation, increases in labour productivity, and the quality of working life. “Regions play a significant role in implementing innovation policy”, the Council president restated; (7) turn the Lisbon Strategy objectives into concrete measures in regions. “With this in mind, we will hold an informal meeting of the ministers responsible for regional policy in Brussels in November”, the minister said, adding: “This meeting will particularly discuss working practises which have been effective in promoting regional innovation policy, and how to set the framework for apolitical debate on the regional dimension of the Lisbon Strategy”. He invited the European Parliament to attend this meeting, an invitation that was readily accepted by Mr Galeote Quecedo. Finally, Mr Manninen noted that the legal base for the cohesion policy programmes also includes national strategic guidelines. He said: “Our aim is for the Council to finalise its position in July as to enable the European Parliament to discuss the document at the beginning of its autumn session. (Ed.: September) (…) I believe that we can adopt the guidelines in October”.
In response to MEPs, Hannes Manninen made clear the following points:
1) Lisbon Strategy (Konstantinos Hatzidakis, EPP-ED, Greece): “The Presidency believes it is very important for the Cohesion Fund to be directed in such a way as to highlight the Lisbon and Gothenburg goals. Also, at national level, it is necessary for the 3% of GDP objective for research to be reached as rapidly as possible in the regions”.
2) Finnish Presidency, a “relay” presidency? (Lidia Geringen de Oedenburg, PES, Poland): “Perhaps, but for us, the important thing is to move forward with legislative work”.
3) Innovation (Jean-Marie Beaupuy, ALDE, France): “Finland has good results in terms of innovation and technology policy, but it also has quite a few problems”, Mr Manninen admitted. “Clusters must be formed to group municipal authorities, local universities, businesses, local and regional research institutes: only thus can we have new products and advanced knowledge”.
4) Urban dimension (Gisela Kallenbach, Greens, Germany): “This is an essential element of our objectives. During our Presidency, we shall put the list into effect - competitiveness, social cohesion and sustainable development - established during the informal regional meeting in Rotterdam in 2004”.
5) Solidarity Fund (Rolf Berend, EPP-ED, Germany, and Gerardo Galeote Quecedo for whom this dossier did not move forward under Austrian Presidency although it is a priority for many regions). Although this dossier comes under the budgets minister, Mr Manninen said he had discussed it with Danuta Hübner “who mentioned the EP's resolve to rapidly make headway on the issue”. There has been talk of it since 2005 but the Commission's proposal is not supported by all Member States and, on 30 May, the Council did not move forward, Mr Manninen said. Ms Hübner is expected to explain the changes in her proposal but unless the Member States change their minds, the Finnish Presidency will not have any margin of manoeuvre, the Council president warned.