Opinion on the Commission communication on cooperation for European territorial development - Europe 2000+ (96/C 100/16)

On 27 May 1994, the Committee of the Regions, acting under Article 198c of the Treaty establishing the European Community, decided to draw up an Opinion on the above-mentioned communication.

Commission 5 for Land-use Planning, Environment and Energy, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, unanimously adopted its Opinion on 29 May 1995.

The Rapporteur was Mrs Claude du Granrut (France).

The working party on Europe 2000+ met on 27 February, 20 March and 24 April 1995 to prepare its work.

At its 8th Plenary Session of 19 and 20 July 1995 (meeting of 20 July), the Committee of the Regions adopted the following Opinion unanimously.

Whereas Article 130a of the Treaty establishing the European Community states that 'in order to promote its overall harmonious development, the Community shall develop and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic and social cohesion`; and whereas this objective constitutes the foundation for a more mutually supportive and democratic European Union;

Whereas economic and social cohesion is more than just a policy for reducing regional development disparities, and is in future to enhance spatial development throughout the Community;

Whereas spatial planning can no longer be conceived in solely national terms, but must be a matter for cooperation between Member States, in order to coordinate the spatial aspects of Community policy and to ensure that they are consistent and complementary to national spatial planning strategies;

Whereas the repatterning of the Community's economic geography caused by the free movement of people, goods, services and capital, and the accession - now and in the future - of new Member States, imply that spatial planning should include a social-policy and environmental-protection component;

Whereas, under Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, the Community is to be founded on harmonious and balanced development of economic activities, and on sustainable and non-inflationary growth respecting the environment;

Whereas in most Member States, responsibility for spatial planning is shared by regional and local authorities, whose levels of decision-making are closest to the people; and whereas the subsidiarity principle should therefore apply;

Whereas the 'Europe 2000+` technical study, and its strategic embodiment in the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP), an initial draft of which is to be issued before the end of 1995, offer the regional and local authorities an opportunity to assert their role and their desire to participate in spatial restructuring in the Community;

Whereas the then Commissioner for Regional Policy, Mr Millan, and the Director-General of DG XVI, Mr Landaburu, presented these documents at the COR's fourth and fifth Plenary Sessions on 27/28 September and 15/16 November 1994, and asked the COR to issue an Opinion evaluating them and offering pointers for their follow-up;

Whereas on 5 December 1994 the COR Bureau decided to appoint a working party to draw up a draft Opinion on the subject;

Whereas at its meeting on 24 April 1995 the working party adopted a draft Opinion and whereas on 29 May 1995 Commission 5 approved that Opinion;

Whereas Declaration No 26 of the EU Treaty acknowledges that the ultraperipheral regions (the French overseas departments, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands) suffer from major structural backwardness and are faced with significant obstacles to economic and social development,

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS:

1. General principles of 'Europe 2000+`

1.1. Objectives of a European spatial planning policy

- approves the aim of the 'Europe 2000+` report, which provides a reference framework for promoting a Europe that is (a) more competitive, thanks to its infrastructure and other facilities and to the reduction of certain excessive costs; (b) more viable in terms of sustainable development and protection of the natural and cultural environment and organized more equitably; and (c) more mutually supportive in its pursuit of economic and social cohesion. The implementation of this new development model offers a guarantee of balanced development and will do much to create wealth and jobs;

- notes that 'Europe 2000+` aims to identify not only areas of prosperity and economic activity but also any opportunities for developing and upgrading European territory in general while preserving local characteristics;

- considers that, on the basis of these data, the various parties involved in spatial planning, namely the European Union, the Member States and the regional and local authorities, must together devise a pro-active development strategy which will reverse 'unacceptable trends` and give rise to a blueprint for sustainable development rooted in solidarity and economic and social cohesion.

1.2. Principles underpinning European spatial planning policy

- is pleased that 'Europe 2000+`, which proposes new systems of spatial organization, offers the regional and local authorities a chance to enhance their role as an initiator and partner in securing a more coherent spatial organization of the EU;

- considers that it, as the direct and most representative mouthpiece of the people of Europe, should be consulted at regular intervals on the objectives of the European Spatial Development Perspective, which is the policy arm of the principles and instruments set out in 'Europe 2000+`;

- considers that pursuit of EU-wide cooperation requires both the Union and its Member States to take account of regional and local development plans, thereby respecting the local decision-making process, and to complete their transport, energy and telecommunications infrastructure in order to make them more efficient and guarantee access to all EU regions, including declining, less developed regions, outlying ultraperipheral, island, coastal, upland and frontier regions;

- draws attention to the need to take account of the environmental impact of any European spatial planning decision;

- emphasizes the vital role of inter-regional, crossborder and transnational cooperation, which may cover very large areas, either within the EU or extending into third countries, such as the central and eastern European States. Such cooperation, which promotes convergence and synergy, is essential in order to cater for the growth of transnational links and to boost Community solidarity and economic and social cohesion, and the smooth spatial development of the EU.

1.3. Application of the subsidiarity principle to spatial planning

- is pleased to note that instead of putting forward a master plan, the 'Europe 2000+` report proposes systems for establishing spatial planning policies that meet the need for consistency and fairness which must prevail in the EU, and that respect the distribution of responsibilities between the EU, the Member States and regional and local authorities, within the framework of a special decision-making process for each party;

- points out that an effective EU spatial planning policy requires a decision-making process which is founded on appropriate information and includes input from the local and regional authorities. This broader cooperation calls for new consultation arrangements with the Member States and their local and regional authorities to meet their legitimate demands for efficiency, transparency and democracy pursuant to the subsidiarity principle;

- views the spatial planning approach advocated in 'Europe 2000+` - which must be backed by the appropriate decision-making and consultative arrangements described above - as a practical example of subsidiarity and as a democratic foundation for the establishment of a Citizens' Europe.

2. The challenges facing a European spatial planning policy

2.1. Specific intervention areas

2.1.1. Infrastructure networks - Freedom and equality of access

- is pleased that Europe 2000+'s consideration of European spatial planning demonstrates the importance of establishing, in accordance with the Treaty on European Union, a set of systematic transport, energy and telecommunications networks which dovetail with each other and with the networks of neighbouring countries. The establishment of these networks is vital for harmonious development within the EU and will guarantee the best possible conditions for business competitiveness, employment growth and the quality of life of the European public, while at the same time respecting the environment;

- recommends that the infrastructure networks to be established should help to reduce regional development disparities in Europe and alleviate the effects of their geographical location. Hence it is essential, in the interests of competitiveness that account be taken of the need to ensure that this infrastructure serves regions where access is difficult, such as outlying, ultraperipheral and upland regions, or indeed Mediterranean and central and eastern European countries. Adequate secondary networks, connecting up with the main trans-European networks, must also be provided. All this must be done in a way consistent not only with the protection of the immediate local environment but also with the broader principles of sustainable development. This will ensure a more effective service for users, will make the associated investments more profitable, and will ensure real interconnections between and within regions, helping inter alia to anchor the outlying and ultraperipheral regions to the EU's development hubs;

- asks that the concept of interoperability, as mentioned in Articles 129b and 129d of the Treaty on European Union, which is designed to ensure that the national systems use similar technical standards, be made a keystone of network implementation policy so as to allow national networks to operate effectively and to focus on safety, supply, harmonization of standards, cost to the public and industry, respect for the environment, optimum performance, and economic and social cohesion within the EU;

- in an information society, the interoperability of telecommunications and information technology systems and equipment made by different companies is a top priority, in order to facilitate their use and make them complementary, as well as to avoid a dichotomy between regions that have access to the information society and those that do not;

- notes the schedule of priority projects set out in 'Europe 2000+`, and trusts that financing will be made available as soon as possible for these priority projects and for those which complement them;

- with reference to the objective of sustainable spatial development in the EU, urges that the trans-European network projects which have already been selected give greater priority to combined rail-road transport corridors; and supports the European Commission's plan to establish a trans-European airport and port network, in which regional and local components must play a more important role.

2.1.2. Consideration of the environment, natural resources and the cultural heritage

- advocates pursuit of a global spatial planning policy involving the joint definition of an action framework which takes account of the interdependence with the environment, of differing regional and local situations, and of the need to respect the responsibilities of the parties concerned;

- suggests that early steps be taken to assess the effects of existing Directives in this area, with a view to dovetailing environmental protection more specifically into general and economic spatial development planning and Community aid, and to ensuring that account is taken of local situations;

- considers that there can be no sustainable development unless account is taken of the effects of economic growth on the use of natural resources, notably water; and unless research is conducted into techniques for preserving and reusing these resources, and into the elimination and possible recycling of waste. Special attention must be paid here to waste from nuclear power stations;

- reiterates the role of inter-regional, cross-border and transnational cooperation in the establishment, where necessary with third countries, of coordinated systems for managing and safeguarding major natural features and open spaces: rivers, drainage basins, upland and mountain areas, coastal areas such as those of the Atlantic rim, the Mediterranean and the Baltic;

- supports the White Paper's idea of sustainable development based on economic growth which harnesses more of the workforce and is more sparing of energy and natural resources, more attentive to the protection of the cultural heritage, and more geared towards improving quality of life;

- calls for recognition of the importance of preserving the traditional architectural heritage as a means of promoting economic, social and cultural development, this being a sphere in which the regional and local authorities have an important role to play.

2.1.3. Urban and rural areas - The quest for a new balance

- approves the approach adopted in 'Europe 2000+`, which considers trends and problems both in the urban areas which house 80 % of the population and in the rural areas which cover 80 % of EU territory, and suggests that it is time to end their traditional antagonism so that they can work resolutely together to further sustainable spatial development in the EU;

- considers that the European Union, as the world's most urbanized region, cannot neglect urban policy even if the Treaties do not at present give it the specific legal remit to coordinate urban policy which was advocated by the informal council of spatial planning ministers held on 30 and 31 March 1995;

- in addition, urban policy should focus on:

action to support large towns and cities, strengthening their urban functions by fostering inter-urban cooperation and schemes to regenerate inner city areas and help them to perform more effectively as generators of economic activity and as cultural and social centres, and to tackle such problems as unemployment, housing, integration of immigrant communities, geographical segregation and social exclusion;

action to support the medium-sized towns which are the key to the survival of many EU regions and whose growth - if account is taken of the regional disparities in urban density and patterns within the EU - is of vital importance in certain Member States and in border and outlying regions, by fostering schemes to develop service activities and smaller businesses linked to technology transfer and the potential advantages of short commuting distance and the presence of socio-cultural facilities. Such action would necessitate an increase in the resources allocated to the Urban and Interreg initiatives, and a review of their eligibility criteria, as well as better coordination of sectoral policies liable to affect urban areas;

considers that funding should be increased and aggregated, in order to address urban issues;

- notes that for rural areas, relief measures are not enough; what is needed is a policy for securing medium- and long-term balance for all rural areas, and, given the differing situations, this policy must be adopted with the participation of the local and regional authorities:

agriculture must play its part in the development of non-food production and in the protection of natural spaces and the preservation of the residential, ecological and cultural functions of rural areas;

rural society must use the opportunities offered by new information and communications technologies to develop such economic activities as tourism, business services and teleworking, which help to keep rural residents in place and sometimes bring back those who have moved to towns;

- calls for regular dialogue between the decision-makers of rural and urban areas, and especially those of medium-sized towns, with a view to achieving a more even distribution of social, cultural and sports facilities, and thus a more balanced occupancy of their areas;

- calls for more appropriate deployment of the funds currently earmarked for rural areas, in order to implement the policy for securing balance which was launched under the CAP reform and which could be further developed under Leader II.

2.1.4. Border regions - From cooperation to transnational planning

- highlights the benefits - featured in 'Europe 2000+` - of the Interreg, Phare and Tacis cooperation programmes in border regions, in terms of infrastructure, development of research, and establishment of economic activity areas and ecological development sites; and notes the need to back such programmes with (a) professional networks and resource centres that can take care of the technical interface of a cooperation project and (b) operators who are fully versed in the local culture and able to decide what operations to undertake;

- considers that these programmes are an irreplaceable example of successful cooperation between regions, and make an effective contribution to transnational spatial planning in the EU;

- calls for a further step to be taken, namely inclusion in the first European Spatial Development Perspective of inter-regional, cross-border and transnational cooperation projects which, on the joint initiative of the Member States acting in partnership in the regions concerned, address the large-scale spatial problems, facing certain parts of Europe, as in the Rhine and Meuse basins, in order to coordinate flood prevention measures. The chosen projects would be grouped into a Community initiative.

2.1.5. A more evenly distributed research and innovation policy

- considers that a spatial planning policy must not overlook the spatial implications of research and innovation policy; and that spatial planning must therefore seek to achieve a richer and more evenly distributed development of technology within Europe;

- recommends that the EU's 'islands of research and innovation` cease to cooperate solely with each other, and that local industry, together with smaller research centres whose isolation prevents them from exerting a positive influence on their local economy, be allowed to benefit from the employment-generating capacity of these islands. The policy for improving urban/rural balance can contribute to this;

- stresses the potential dynamic impact of the new information systems brought by the information society, and the need for accompanying and redistributory measures to make them accessible to all and to harness them for the upgrading of workers' skills, the establishment of businesses and the creation of new activities;

- deems it essential that adequate funding is available with respect to land use and planning research in order to underpin and inform decision-making so as to ensure the efficient working and cohesive development of the EU.

2.1.6. Funding: safeguarding the redistributive impact

- is mindful of the financial implications of a European spatial planning policy and of the need, in the interests of economic and social cohesion, to ensure that costs are borne according to capacities and benefits according to needs;

- puts forward the tenets which it considers should guide the funding of this policy:

strengthen solidarity between regions and the redistributive effect of Community aid by financial compensation or redistribution systems;

devise appropriate adjustments to Community aid and the Structural Funds so that their deployment is more attuned to European spatial planning policy;

negotiate the involvement of private investors by highlighting the locomotive effect of public funding;

- notes that as EU decisions involve the availability and management of finance from the local and regional authorities, it is important to involve these bodies in the implementation of a European spatial planning policy.

2.2. Policy orientations to be promoted

2.2.1. EU institutionalization of spatial planning policy

- approves the idea, put forward in 'Europe 2000+` and taken up by the relevant national Ministers at the informal Council in Strasbourg on 30 and 31 March 1995, that the European Spatial Development Perspective should bring the EU regions together and should offer the EU, its Member States and local and regional authorities an effective instrument for mapping a path towards economic and social cohesion and sustainable development;

- considers that although the actions selected under the spatial development perspective are to take the form of pilot schemes and the pooling of experience, as specified in Article 10 of the ERDF Regulation, these trials should lead to the practical implementation of a European spatial planning policy;

- proposes that Articles 130 and 129 of the EU Treaty be used to provide the bases and working procedures for the European Spatial Development Perspective;

- asks that the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference consider bringing spatial planning under Community competence, after prior consultation of the local and regional authorities, pursuant to the subsidiarity principle.

2.2.2. Recognition of the role of local and regional authorities in spatial planning

- follows the Member States and Commission in welcoming the progress made in the partnership arrangements for EU regional policy and the use of the Structural Funds; and considers it necessary, in the interests of effectiveness and transparency, to involve the local and regional authorities in line with the rules and practices of each Member State, notably those already implemented in some of them;

- therefore considers that local and regional authorities, as the tiers of decision-taking nearest to the people, must take part in the framing of the European Spatial Development Perspective;

- approves the setting-up of a spatial planning forum which should work in close cooperation with the regional and local authorities, who will be able to provide it with specific information and act as a local go-between in any actions it may undertake.

2.2.3. Legal status of inter-regional, cross-border and transnational cooperation

- notes the importance now accorded to inter-regional, cross-border and transnational cooperation, in the spatial planning and organization of Community territory; and considers that the time has come to advance beyond the trial stage;

- asks that such cooperation activities be accorded an appropriate legal status allowing the relevant partners to undertake more comprehensive and long-term planning, and to secure more stable financing;

- trusts that this decisive improvement will apply to Interreg C, which can provide a vehicle for a pilot European flood-control and drought-management scheme and for cooperation projects with non-EU countries and regions.

Conclusions

1. The COR views the spatial planning approach advocated in 'Europe 2000+` - which must be backed by appropriate decision-making and consultation procedures involving the Member States and the local and regional authorities - as a practical example of subsidiarity and as a democratic foundation for the establishment of a Citizens' Europe.

2. The Committee of the Regions reiterates its view that the diversity and interdependence of EU regions and the need to ensure that they develop in a sustainable manner that generates employment, while strengthening their economic and social cohesion and the balance between urban and rural areas, calls for a common European spatial planning perspective which the European public can endorse.

3. The COR urges that the indicators described in 'Europe 2000+` be used to devise a European spatial planning policy, the first task of which will be the framing of the European Spatial Development Perspective on which the COR, as the mouthpiece of the EU's regions, asks to be consulted.

4. The COR reiterates the recommendation of its Opinion on the preparations for the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference, that spatial planning and inter-regional, cross-border and transnational cooperation be given due prominence, with a view to more efficient organization of the EU area and its environment. To this end, the new Treaty should reinforce existing instruments and establish new procedures for implementing them.

The Committee of the Regions takes the view that a European spatial planning policy will in particular make a concrete contribution to the objectives of sustained development and employment, if it is deployed selectively and if it is used to facilitate existing local, regional and national spatial planning policy.

5. Mindful of the financial costs of a spatial planning policy, the COR emphasizes the need to respect the principles of economic and social cohesion and supportive redistribution of wealth and points out that, as the regional and local authorities are financial partners in this policy, they must be involved in its decision-making and monitoring process.

6. In this context, the COR asks that a Community initiative for the implementation of inter-regional spatial planning projects, as described above, be set up as soon as possible and funded under the financial perspectives adopted by the Edinburgh European Council in December 1992.

Done at Brussels, 20 July 1995.

The Chairman of the Committee of the Regions

Jacques BLANC