Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the "Next Intergovernmental Conference (IGC)"

(2000/C 57/17)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the conclusions of the European Council in Cologne confirming its wish to convene an Intergovernmental Conference with the task of resolving the institutional questions that were not settled at Amsterdam and which must be resolved before enlargement;

having regard to the decision of the European Councils in Cologne and Tampere to draw up a Charter of Basic Rights of the European Union;

having regard to the declarations of the President of the European Commission, Mr Prodi, to the effect that the Conference to be launched at the European Council in Helsinki should extend its objectives;

having regard to the Committee of the Regions' opinion of 15 September 1999 on the institutional aspects of enlargement "Local and Regional Government at the heart of Europe" (CdR 52/99 fin)(1);

having regard to the report of the European Commission's group of experts chaired by Mr Dehaene;

having regard to the European Parliament's Resolution of 18 November 1999 on the preparation of the reform of the Treaties and the next Intergovernmental Conference;

having regard to the contribution of the European Commission to the preparation of the Intergovernmental Conference adopted on 10 November 1999;

considering the double democratic legitimacy of the European Union based both on States and on peoples;

considering the present democratic deficit, which can only grow after enlargement;

whereas membership of the European Union means adopting the principle of subsidiarity;

considering the consequences of enlargement for the Committee of the Regions;

has adopted the following Resolution unanimously at its 31 plenary session of 17 and 18 November 1999 (meeting of 18 November).

The Committee of the Regions

1. feels that the basic aims of the next institutional reform will be to strengthen and democratise the European institutions, giving them the proper tools for meeting the challenges posed by enlargement;

2. is of the view, therefore, that the Intergovernmental Conference will have to extend its objectives and not limit itself to the institutional questions left open at Amsterdam, namely the size and composition of the European Commission, the weighting of votes within the Council and the extension of qualified majority voting;

3. recalls the prime role played by the Committee of the Regions as an ambassador to the citizens of Europe, thus helping to anchor the European idea in their daily lives and enabling them to understand the intentions and objectives of the Union, and requests a better distribution of terms of reference between the different levels of decision-taking - European, national and regional/local;

4. requests the European Commission to take account of the claims of the COR when it adopts its formal proposal;

5. asks to be fully involved in the process of negotiating the next round of institutional reforms and in drawing up the Charter of Basic Rights, which should enable each citizen to identify his or her European citizenship as the source of new direct rights;

6. requests that the role of local and regional authorities in implementing and respecting the principle of subsidiarity be enshrined in the Treaty;

7. requests that the principle of local autonomy be enshrined in the Treaty;

8. calls for general application of the principle of consulting the COR within informal Councils;

9. requests that the number of COR members be redefined, with a maximum of 350 members being laid down;

10. repeats its request that the Treaty contain an obligation for its members to possess a political mandate underpinning their legitimacy;

11. repeats its request that the COR be recognised as having the status of an institution;

12. requests that the COR have a right to appeal to the Court of Justice of the European Communities if its prerogatives are not respected;

13. instructs its President to submit this resolution to the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council, the governments of the Member States and to national parliaments.

Brussels, 18 November 1999.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

(1) OJ C 374, 23.12.1999, p. 15.