Embattled CoR given boost by UK deputy PM

Date: 28/05/03

By Martin Banks

BRITAIN'S deputy prime minister has called on the European Convention to strengthen the role of the Committee of the Regions (CoR).

John Prescott wants the CoR to be upgraded so that it enjoys a similar status to the three main EU institutions - the European Commission, Parliament and Council of Ministers.

His wholehearted endorsement for the CoR - currently under investigation by EU anti-fraud office OLAF for alleged financial mismanagement - was welcomed by one senior Committee official, who said: "The CoR has really been under the cosh recently so his intervention couldn't have come at a better time. To have such a political heavyweight backing us can only be good."

Prescott's comments came during an address to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Europe in Strasbourg.

He argued that the CoR, which currently has only a consultative role to the main EU institutions - it offers 'opinions' on proposed directives and regulations - deserves a bigger say in the decision-making process.

"The time has come to seriously consider giving the Committee full institutional status in the EU," he declared.

Prescott stressed that he was not calling for the CoR to enjoy the same level of powers as the Commission and Parliament, but insisted that its status should more accurately reflect the importance of Europe's local and regional assemblies. Improving its role would also help address the EU's "democratic deficit", he added.

The British deputy PM underlined that an improved status for the CoR should be written into the constitutional treaty, the final touches to which are currently being drafted by the Convention.

The forum's chairman, former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, is due to present the constitution at the Thessaloniki summit on 20-21 June.

The final decisions on its content, however, will be made by EU leaders following an intergovernmental conference (IGC) this autumn.

CoR President Sir Albert Bore welcomed Prescott's comments, saying: "The Convention must recognize the fundamental role of local and regional authorities in shaping EU policy."

The Committee has been tarnished in recent weeks by allegations of mismanagement and fraud, which resulted in the European Parliament refusing to sign off on the CoR's 2001 accounts.

Bore has also been at odds with his Secretary-General Vicenzo Falcone, over a letter sent by the Italian to the Parliament's budget control committee without Bore's knowledge.

Founded in 1994, the Committee was launched partly in reaction to growing concerns from Germany's Länder (states) that European integration would erode their traditionally strong political influence.

The UK's deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, has called on the European Convention to increase the role of the Committee of the Regions.