Cities and regions welcome support from Convention

Date: 13/02/03

By Martin Banks

THE authority representing the EU's cities and regions welcomed the outcome of last week's Convention, describing it as a "significant victory" for regions.

Catherine Parmentier, secretary-general of Eurocities, said Convention members had shown "wide support" for its proposals for greater powers for regional authorities. These include recognition of the principles in the European Charter of Local Self-Government, consultation of local and regional authorities by the Commission and access for citizens to "high-quality" public services, many of which are provided by cities and regions.

"There is now a wide consensus in favour of the greater recognition and involvement of local and regional authorities in European governance," she said.

At the Convention, which debated the role that regions should play in the EU, the forum's deputy chairman, Jean-Luc Dehaene, said members had shown willingness to recognise the importance of local and regional authorities. However, Sir Albert Bore, president of the Committee of the Regions, expressed concern at the omission of any reference to local and regional government from Article 8 on subsidiarity in the first draft articles of the constitutional treaty.

Bore said he was disappointed by the articles' failure to "give any more than a partial recognition of the role and place of local and regional authorities in the process of European governance".

Catherine Parmentier, secretary-general of Eurocities, the authority representing the EU's cities and regions, said Convention members had shown 'wide support' for its proposals for greater powers for regional authorities.