Brussels, 06/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Forum of Global Associations of Regions (FOGAR), with the support of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), will hold its political bureau in Brussels on Friday 8 February. Claudio Martini, President of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) and of the FOGAR, and Gerhard Stahl, Secretary General of the CoR, will open the meeting, in which Eneko Landaburu, Director General in DG External Relations (European Commission) and Dirk Ahner, his counterpart on DG Regional Policy.
Enrico Mayrhofer, CPMR Head of Communications, said that the meeting would, firstly, pursue the setting up of the FOGAR, which was formed in Marseilles in March 2007 (see EUROPE 9385). Secondly, it would prepare the 2nd international convention for a regional and local approach to development, in Tangiers on12-14 May 2008 (see EUROPE 9510). This convention will take stock of progress in involvement of the regions at world level, especially in the area of development, and will promote a regional approach and the putting place of rules of good governance which involve regional and local authorities. More than ever, global challenges require regional answers, the regions being better able to respond with their national and international partners and civil society, Mayrhofer added. Thirdly, it would present the FOGAR to the various European bodies, particularly the Commission, and discuss with them the role of the regions in the EU's external strategies. Information: http://www.cpmr.org (G.B.)