Brussels, 20/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - The decentralised meeting of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) held in Pilsen (Czech Republic) on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 January (see EUROPE 9816) allowed the spadework to be done for the European Summit for Regions and Cities, to be held in Prague on 5 and 6 March. The key themes of the summit will be cohesion policy and current developments in the world economy, said Pavel Bem, Mayor of Prague and EPP member of the CoR. Six hundred mayors of European cities and presidents of European regions will gather to send a political message to the heads of state and government. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso will be welcomed by the head of the Committee Luc Van den Brande.
On Thursday, the citizens' debate on the theme “Lisbon Treaty - implications for local and regional authorities”, attended by nearly 200 participants, placed emphasis on the question of knowing how to get the Lisbon Treaty across to the public. Luc Van den Brande above all stressed the prospect of a more democratic and more transparent Europe opened up by the Lisbon Treaty. As reported in a press release, the CoR highlights the fact that citizens may ask the Commission directly to make new proposals, while also stressing an enhanced role for the European Parliament, the participation of national parliaments in establishing European legislation in line with the principle of subsidiarity, and more effective consultation of local and regional authorities, and of their associations, including the duty on the part of the European Commission to assess the territorial, financial and administrative impact in all new legislation. Mr Van den Brande also took advantage of the fact that two Czech senators were present (the chairman and deputy chairman of the European affairs committee of the Czech Senate) to invite the Czech parliament to work in close cooperation with the CoR in the context of the platform on subsidiarity. We recall that the Committee of the Regions is already in discussion on this subject with several parliamentary Houses of the 27 EU member states.
On Friday, the debate on the contribution of urban policies to sustainable development of European towns showed there was consensus regarding the need to promote an integrated approach to urban development, in particular so that the money invested in towns is done so in a “synergetic, effective and visible manner”, said Jiri Cunek, Czech Minister for Regional Development. Luc Van den Brande renewed, for his part, his support for the Mayors' Pact initiative whereby local executives undertake to exceed the 20% target for CO2 emissions reduction in the EU by 2020. In its press release, the CoR points out that, in the past, it had raised urban issues making up a specific portfolio within the European Commission. Then, after the role of local and regional authorities in the development of the Eastern Partnership had been referred to the Committee by the Czech EU Presidency, the Committee announced it would be putting forward concrete proposals on the matter by way of an opinion.
In the wake of the dramatic consequences of the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine described by the Slovak members of the CoR, Jan Oravec (EPP), Mayor of the town of Sturovo, and Milan Belica (EPP), President of the autonomous region of Nitra, before the decentralised meeting of the CoR Bureau, President Luc Van den Brande launched a pressing appeal to the local and regional authorities of Russia and Ukraine for them to do everything in their power to bring the crisis to an end. For further information see: http://www.cor.europa.eu (G.B./transl.jl)