Brussels, 22/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a conference on “Communicating Europe together”, Mercedes Bresso, the president of the PES group of the Committee of the Regions, affirmed that the essential priority for the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is to be fully involved in the debate on the future of Europe and play an active role in it. This conference was organised by the European Commission on 18-19 January in Berlin.
CoR rapporteur on the Commission White Paper, Mercedes Bresso also highlighted the “necessity to 'go local' in order to overcome the current stalemate in the European integration process, while stressing that Europe does need a sustainable constitutional basis in order to be coherent, democratic and politically effective”. 'Taking into account the voice of the Regions and Cities does not result in a weaker Europe but in a stronger one, closer to its citizens, which is vital for the successful relaunch of the European constitutional process'. The President of the PES Group in the CoR, at the closing of the conference, also stressed the need for a focused partnership involving all levels of governance, from local to European.
The conference aimed to develop ways to effectively facilitate communication between Europe and its citizens. The event brought together ministers and members of national parliaments, members of the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, communication and information experts, academics and representatives of the civil society. Info: http://www.cor.europa.eu/pesweb/ (gb)