Florence, 19/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - At the opening of the 35th AGM of the CPMR (the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions) in Florence, Italy, on Thursday 18 October, CPMR Secretary General Xavier Gizard presented what he described as a positive balance sheet of CPMR activities since the Stavanger AGM in 2004, and gave an outline of the CPMR's future activities. For the first time, the participants examined the impact of the common agricultural policy (CAP) on the regions, and how the regions are adapting to climate change. An overview of the outcome of the four 'thematic sessions' on Thursday follows:
Agriculture and rural development. Patrick Anvroin said the CPMR had carried out a study of the CAP which was a genuine tool of statistics and geographical information. Aurelie Trouve, senior lecturer at ENESAD in France outlined the different funding frameworks under which the regions can find highly diversified room to manoeuvre in terms of budget and regulations. Patrick Anvroin said most questions raised during the meeting had come from northern Europe, proving that the CPMR diaspora was identifying the sensitive issues under the first pillar for the Finnish, Swedish and Polish regions.
Impact of climate change. After a presentation by Pierre Schellekens, deputy head of cabinet for Commissioner Dimas, on the European Commission's communication on adapting to climate change, Francois Desrentes said the CPMR backed virtually all the Commission's suggestions, particularly the economic and social aspects, and called on European politicians to organise genuine Europe-wide debates on sustainable development. Segolene Royal, President of the Poitou-Charentes region in France, said action had to be taken in two domains for regions on the maritime periphery, namely renewable energy (she stressed the importance of wind farms, solar energy and tidal energy) and protecting marine environments and resources which have been damaged by climate change. Royal underscored the ecological and economic benefits of the highways of the sea which she regretted were not sufficiently exploited on the ground, along with the social protection and working conditions of sailors. She called for the European Commission to take rapid action to protect fish resources and urged the Commission to accompany the CPMR in a much more energetic way. She said the CPMR should increase pressure on the Commission to incorporate this special dimension of marine policy management by involving the maritime regions, which know what they're talking about.
Regions of governance and globalisation. Claudio Martini said that the accounts given by the representatives of the Black Sea, Caribbean and Baltic Sea regions showed that the CPMR activities stretched beyond the frontiers of the EU. One cannot say that the commitment by FOGAR (the new global forum of associations of regions) has reduced the work of CPMR in any way, he said, rhetorically asking, in response to various criticisms, in which area it was that the CPMR was accused of doing less work - transport, agriculture, the environment, cohesion policy, or involvement in European debate? He challenged people to come forward and explain and asked why the meeting had started with the participants (and critics) congratulating the CPMR president and secretary general for their good work. Claudio Martini said if corrections were needed, they should be made, but things should not be raised without justification. Martini commented that the CPMR initiatives on the global stage help it draw up its proposals, and he insisted that European proposals are enriched by wider reflection arising from the global perspective. Other meetings of the CPMR political bureau in the future would study guidelines on FOGAR funding.
This reaction from the president of the Tuscany region in Italy came in response to a question from the Baltic region which was astonished at such a fast final decision to set up FOGAR. The Baltic region's concern was that FOGAR might reduce the CPMR's work on transport, regional policy, etc, due to the funding it would require. Claudio Martini reassured the region's representatives that FOGAR had only recently been set up and had not yet given rise to operating costs. In the future, explained Martini, voluntary contributions would be asked of the member regions for FOGAR.
Demand for territorial cohesion. Manuel Chavez, President of the Andalucía council, said that the EU27 regions should converge on the middle ground of social and economic well-being. He said Europe should share its activities with the regions, which are more efficient than the central civil service, closer to citizens and are of direct interest to certain neighbouring areas. In a globalised world where barriers no longer exist, any policies which do not consider emigration policy are heading for failure, said Chavez, adding that it is important in this connection to set up substantial relations with the Mediterranean. Drawing up the session, Claudio Martini said that the issue of territorial cohesion, one of the CPMR's raisons d'être, was fundamental for its institutional battle. (G.B.)