Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on 'Cross-border and transnational cooperation between local authorities'
Date: 1998-11-19
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: cross-border cooperation, international cooperation, local authority

22.2.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 51/21

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Cross-border and transnational cooperation
between local authorities’

(1999/C 51/05)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 12 March 1998, in pursuance of the fourth
paragraph of Article 198c of the EC Treaty, to issue an Opinion on Cross-border and
transnational cooperation between local authorities and to instruct its Commission 4 on
Spatial Planning, Urban Issues, Energy and Environment to draw up the opinion;

having regard to the European Charter of Local Self-government adopted by the Council of
Europe on 15 October 1985;

having regard to the resolution adopted by the Council of European Municipalities and
Regions (CCRE) on the occasion of the XIXth Europe Day in January 1993;

having regard to the Opinion issued by the Committee of the Regions on the Role of local and
regional authorities in education and training for Central and Eastern Europe provided
through the European Union (CdR 298/95 fin) (1);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Commission’s
Communication entitled ‘Towards an urban agenda in the European Union’ (CdR 316/97
fin)(2);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 20 November 1997 on the
Effects on the Union’s policies of enlargement to the applicant countries of central and eastern
Europe (CdR 280/97 fin) (3);

having regard to the communication from the European Commission, dated 15 July 1997, on
Agenda 2000 (COM(97) 2000 final);

having regard to the interim report by the Commission in December 1995 on the effects on
the Union’s policy of enlargement to the associated states of central and eastern Europe
(CSE(95) 605, 6 December 1995);

having regard to the report by the European Commission on Ecos-Ouverture — interregional
cooperation;

having regard to the draft Opinion (CdR 145/98 rev. 2) adopted by Commission 4 on 2 October
1998 (rapporteur: Mr Niederbremer),

adopted the opinion set out below at its 26th plenary session held on 18 and 19 November
1998 (meeting of 19 November) by a unanimous vote.

1.

Introduction: the role of local authorities and the
changes which have taken place in the EU in the
1990s

1.1.
Cooperation implies combining forces to achieve
an objective which is impossible or difficult to achieve
separately. The founding fathers of the European Com-
munity firmly believed that closer cooperation would
reduce the likelihood of future wars within Europe.
The establishment of the European Community was
therefore based on the realization that cooperation was
the most important prerequisite both for peace and

(1) OJ C 100, 2.4.1996, p. 98.
(2) OJ C 251, 10.8.1998, p. 11.
(3) OJ C 64, 27.2.1998, p. 48.

economic reconstruction in Europe. The European
Community created the legal and institutional basis for
cooperation and brought about lasting interdependence
through the cession of national sovereignty to the EC.

Through the Treaties of Maastricht and Amster-
1.2.
dam, the ongoing process of European integration has
in recent years been extended to the regions and local
authorities, which play a major part in the direct
implementation of EU directives and regulations. Incor-
poration of the subsidiarity principle in the European
Treaties has given local and regional authorities
additional responsibilities. The ‘Citizens’ Europe’ is to
be achieved through the establishment of decentralized
machinery. This process gives a new dimension to
cross-border and transnational cooperation.

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1.3.
Transnational cooperation between local auth-
orities is thus a classic example of a ‘bottom-up’
approach to European integration. The radical structural
changes which have taken place in the EU since the
early 1990s have demonstrated (a) the fundamental
importance which this ‘link with the grassroots’ has for
the process of integration, (b) the legitimacy of this
process and (c) the clear practical value of the process
to the general public. Completion of the internal market
also gave local authorities an incentive to modernize
and make adjustments in order to safeguard or consoli-
date their locational advantages.

1.4.
The imminent moves towards a deeper Union
(currency union) and a broader Union (inclusion of
eastern European states) all pose fundamental challenges
for local authorities which they will be unable to resolve
adequately with their current resources.

As Habitat II demonstrates, the growing econ-
1.5.
omic, environmental and social problems besetting
urban development in the latter half of the 1990s require
new answers. These answers will not only involve a
further strengthening of the autonomy of local auth-
orities, backed up by additional financial, administration
and technical resources; they will also involve new
models for sustainable development and transnational
cooperation between local authorities, which may
involve problem-solving and a learning process. This is
described in greater detail below.

2. General causes of and reasons for cross-border and
transnational cooperation between local authorities

have begun to redirect their activities by expanding
previous links based mainly on cultural and youth
exchanges to include aspects of transnational cooper-
ation.

2.4.
The reinforced town-twinning projects which
have developed during the 1990s between many munici-
palities in northern Europe (including Sweden, Finland
and Denmark) and municipalities in the Baltic Sea
Region and Poland show how town-twinning can be
developed into an important tool for increasing skills in
the applicant countries of eastern and central Europe.
Town-twinning projects have provided both large-scale
transfers of knowhow and support in the development
of a democratic local level in those countries.

Town-twinning schemes are a good starting
2.5.
point
for transnational cooperation. Transnational
cooperation between local authorities does, however,
extend far beyond town-twinning schemes. In some
cases the legal, institutional and financial situation of
local authorities will have to be improved if transnational
cooperation is to be secured. This is a matter primarily
for the Member States, regions and localities.

2.6.
The process of globalization which gained con-
siderable momentum with the removal of the Iron
Curtain in 1989 has made it even more necessary to
learn from the experience and know-how of others.

2.7.
In the age of the information society increased
transnational cooperation, particularly in the economic,
scientific and research field, is an absolute prerequisite
for safeguarding competitiveness.

2.1.
The issue of cross-border and transnational
operation has become much more important since
Maastricht and Amsterdam. The strengthening of the
subsidiarity principle has given local authorities
additional responsibility and scope for action. The trend
towards decentralization is increasingly impacting on
local and regional authorities.

The rapid progress in the fields of communi-
2.8.
cations- and information-technology clearly demon-
strate how exchanges of experience and expertise can
be of mutual benefit. It is likewise becoming clear that
if the necessary technological facilities are not available
and if the authorities do not have inter-cultural and
administrative powers, cooperation between cities and
regions is difficult to organize.

2.2. New laws at national level have given local
authorities and regions greater responsibility for organ-
izing basic services, promoting strategic planning and
facilitating ongoing development at local level. Increas-
ingly decentralized systems will bring government closer
to the people and further efficiency and democratic
responsibility.

2.3.
Town-twinning is an initial step towards trans-
national cooperation: these schemes have had consider-
able success, particularly in the areas of culture and
sport. There are, however, frequently inadequate funds
available to enable the schemes to be firmly underpinned
for a long period of time. Many town-twinning schemes

Transnational cooperation in the EU has become
2.9.
ever more important for enabling common problems to
be resolved jointly and therefore more efficiently.

Two examples to illustrate the importance of trans-
national cooperation

— Transnational cooperation will enable local auth-
orities with similar economic structures to tackle the
problems and consequences of structural change
more effectively. Exchanges of experience and
methods of problem solving (‘best practice’) with
a view to safeguarding jobs and creating new
sustainable jobs in regions with similar structures are
a fundamental part of cooperation. Local authorities

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will need to establish closer economic links if there
is to be effective cooperation in the economic and
employment fields. The economic potential and
strength of cooperating regions should be exploited,
in the interests of all the parties involved,
in
order to strengthen competitiveness and thereby
significantly improve the labour-market situation.

— Transnational cooperation on the environment is of
tremendous importance. Environmental pollution
transcends local frontiers. Similar problems often
have to be faced and local authorities can exchange
useful tips. In the environmental field the transfer of
knowledge can, by providing information on best
practice, help administrations and economic players
to resolve environmental problems in an effective
and cost efficient way, or to avoid such problems in
future.

2.10.
As at EU level, cooperation between local
authorities also has to contend with how to resolve the
conflicting interests of employment, the economy and
the environment; it is also sometimes difficult to find
examples of best practice which may serve as a model
for decentralized solutions.

The success of

2.11.
transnational cooperation
depends crucially on whether cooperating local auth-
orities can pool resources and achieve synergies through
a coordinated ‘division of labour’. Local authorities
seeking to take part in transnational cooperation must
also satisfy minimum requirements as regards legal
institutions, organization and funding.

3. Prerequisites for transnational cooperation

3.1. Conditions in respect of legal institutions (‘Local

autonomy’)

3.1.1.
The Committee of the Regions endorses the
definition of local self-government set out in the Euro-
pean Charter of Local Self-Government adopted by a
the Council of Europe on 15 October 1985. This
definition is as follows: ‘local self-government denotes
the right and ability of local authorities, within the
limits of the law, to regulate and manage a substantial
share of public affairs under their own responsibility
and in the interests of the local population’.

3.1.2.
The Committee notes that twelve years after
the adoption of this charter there are still differences in
the legal situation of local authorities. Transnational
cooperation between local authorities in the EU has set
itself the goal of implementing the Citizens’ Europe; the
above-mentioned prerequisites in respect of cooperation
and readiness for Europe therefore need to be met
forthwith. The European Parliament resolution on

partnership in the EU also needs to be implemented; this
resolution called upon the governments and Member
States of the EU to remove all administrative barriers to
the establishment and operation of partnership between
local authorities.

3.2. Organizational prerequisite (‘Human and Techno-

logical Resources’)

In the age of the information society it is
3.2.1.
becoming increasingly more important for local auth-
orities to meet the staffing and technological require-
ments of transnational cooperation. In a Europe which
is becoming ever more closely-knit, local authorities
should be organized in such a way as to enable them to
cope with the European dimension. Administrative
structures should be adjusted in order to render trans-
national cooperation feasible.

3.2.2.
Local authorities should ensure that training
procedures produce staff who are both qualified and
capable of dealing with EU matters. It is also necessary
for European training to be developed in the Member
States. Cooperation capacity can be substantially
enhanced by consolidating knowledge about Europe
which is mutually compatible.

3.2.3.
The rapid advance of the new IT technologies
make it necessary for local authorities to carry out
constant, frequently expensive, adjustments in order to
keep pace with prevailing standards. This is however
necessary to enable local authorities to cooperate
efficiently on a transnational basis. In the past the need
for compatibility between communications equipment
used by cooperating authorities was all too often
ignored. Expensive machinery could not always be used
for transnational cooperation. Using electronic systems
which are not compatible will inevitably create misun-
derstandings.

3.3. Financial prerequisite

of Local

The European Charter

Self-
3.3.1.
government states that:
‘local authorities shall be
entitled... to adequate financial resources of their own
of which they may dispose freely within the framework
of their powers’. The Charter goes on to point out ‘the
financial systems on which sources available to local
authorities are based will be of a sufficiently diversified
and buoyant nature...’. The Committee of the Regions
endorses this call and urges the European Parliament
and the European Commission to step up their lobbying
vis-à-vis the Member States in order to ensure that local
authorities receive adequate funds for cross-border and
transnational cooperation, as another way of supporting
the resolution adopted by the Council of European
Municipalities and Regions (CCRE) on the XIXth
Europe Day in 1993.

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3.3.2. Whilst the abovementioned prerequisites may
create the requisite basis for any transnational partner-
ship, they do not provide adequate guarantees that such
cooperation will be both effective and successful. In
order to meet these additional conditions, there is a need
to examine the specific objectives and the ‘added value’
of such partnerships. The contents of added value
basically depends on the ability of the players involved
and the form, type and quality of the transnational
cooperation between local authorities.

4. The role of local authorities as players in the
field of transnational cooperation: problems and
opportunities

4.1.
A purely quantitative analysis of the players
involved in transnational partnership shows that 80 %
of the local authorities involved in twinning schemes
are small towns or municipalities (with less than 30 000
inhabitants); most of the local authorities participating
in EU programmes have less than 200 000 inhabitants.

A further factor is that larger cities do not
4.2.
necessarily have greater devolved powers or more
technical and financial resources. The level of financial
resources depends largely on the legal and/or de facto
situation of local authorities, as defined in their respect-
ive local government legislation, and on their general
level of economic and technological development.

4.3.
The conditions for access to partnership schemes
need to be redrafted if the learning benefits of transna-
tional cooperation schemes are to be expanded and
intensified. In this context the European competence of
small and medium-sized cities, in particular, should be
enhanced by:

— enabling representative associations to take part in
the programme-planning and implementation phase
carried out by the Commission and strengthening
the role of representative associations in the adminis-
tration of individual programmes;

— establishing decentralized general information and
advisory bodies for such players with a view to:
(a) facilitating access to individual programmes;
(b) supporting attempts to find suitable partners and
(c) providing technical and administrative back-up
for projects. Attention is drawn to existing cooper-
ation and groupings of regional and local authorities
which would provide an appropriate basis for such
action. In the case of multilateral cooperation geared
to networking,
these information and advisory
bodies could be developed into coordination bodies
with little extra outlay in terms of staff and funding.
Account should also be taken in this respect of work
carried out by the CEMR and the United Towns
Organization;

— simplifying administrative and financial control

systems, including auditing of local projects;

— enabling more small local authorities to have access
to EU-programmes. Conditions in respect of mini-
mum population numbers should, in particular, be
dropped.

5. Transnational cooperation between local auth-
orities — forms and types of cooperation and scope
of cooperation

5.1. Forms of cooperation: partnerships and town-

twinning

There are basically two forms and five types of transna-
tional cooperation between local authorities, with some
differences in legal, administrative, organizational and
financial scope and with different qualitative and quanti-
tative criteria. A distinction should be drawn between
(a) town-twinning schemes and (b) partnerships. The
latter schemes cover specific partnerships for particular
administrative, technical and economic projects, mainly
carried out under EU programmes; town-twinning
schemes are, however, contractual agreements between
local authorities designed to promote inter-European
understanding at grassroots’ level and to promote the
‘Citizens’ Europe’. These schemes can also involve
either bilateral or multilateral links. The reinforced
town-twinning system is a halfway house between
partnership and traditional town-twinning. Assessments
have shown that the reinforced town-twining system
has provided both large-scale transfers of knowhow and
support in the development of a democratic local level.

5.2. Types of transnational cooperation between local
authorities and the scope of such cooperation

Five types of cooperation can be identified under the
following criteria: scope, quantity (volume of tasks) and
quality (internal and external added-value). The five
types are as follows:

— Type 1: transnational (cross-border) cooperation
between neighbouring local authorities straddling
national frontiers;

— Type 2: transnational cooperation between non-

neighbouring local authorities;

— Type 3: trans-European cooperation between cities

or urban regions;

— Type 4: trans-European cooperation within and

between networks of cities;

— Type 5: global cooperation (global networks of cities

and transnational NGOs).

In practice, the above types frequently overlap (e.g. one
local authority may be involved in types 1, 3, 4 and 5).
The Committee’s views on measures to promote

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cooperation, integration and strategic measures will
concentrate on those types of cooperation which have
so far neglected the transnational dimension.

Types 1 and 2 may be described as the basis for
transnational cooperation; as in the case of inter-regional
and cross-border cooperation between regions, there are
of course differences as regards objectives, scope, areas
of activity and form.

The COR stresses the need for EU action which
addresses the real importance of big cities and urban
agglomerations, by considering cities in the context of
the development of the region in which they are located,
and by encouraging transnational cooperation between
these wider regions, on the basis of practical criteria and
not of geographical proximity.

5.2.1. T h e

p r a c t i c a l

n e e d

f o r

c o o p e r a t i o n
b o r d e r
n e i g h b o u r i n g l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s

c r o s s -
b e t w e e n

Unlike Type 2 cooperation, transnational (cross-border)
cooperation between neighbouring local authorities
(Type 1) has the ultimate objective of integrating a
common area — divided by national frontiers — which
faces common problems requiring common solutions,
e.g. waste disposal, prevention of water pollution,
infrastructure problems and competition to attract
industry. Cross-border cooperation between neighbour-
ing local authorities ultimately requires joint cross-
border land-use planning and development-planning;
transnational cooperation between non-neighbouring
local authorities is not, however, geared to small-scale
integration between players and their habitat, but is
aimed rather at large-scale networking (in the interests
of both parties). The first type of cooperation has been
addressed in detail in the report issued by the European
Parliament’s Committee on Regional Affairs on cross-
border
‘Myller
Report’)(1). Such cooperation attracts assistance under
Interreg IIA and Article 10 of the ERDF. It is proposed
that Type 2 cooperation, namely transnational cooper-
ation between non-neighbouring towns, cities and local
authorities, be promoted, in the light of the fact that it
stimulates large-scale networking.

supra-regional

cooperation

(the

5.2.2. T r a n s n a t i o n a l

n o n - n e i g h b o u r i n g
t w e e n
a n d
c i t i e s
a n
p a r t
i n n o v a t i v e
d e v e l o p m e n t p o l i c y

l o c a l

c o o p e r a t i o n

b e -
t o w n s ,
a u t h o r i t i e s —
i n t e r n a l

o f

The successful work which has been carried out to date
under town-twinning schemes should be promoted and
stepped up. These schemes focused primarily on cultural
and administrative contacts with the main purpose of
promoting the post-war concept of European under-

standing. The objective of promoting peace through
grass-roots cooperation has largely been achieved, at
least within the EU; we should therefore build on this
achievement and work to achieve more radical objectives
such as the promotion of ‘the internal development
of local authorities through external (transnational)
cooperation’.

6. Objectives and ‘added-value’ of transnational part-
nerships between local authorities against a back-
ground of change

6.1. Changed emphasis in the objectives of transna-
tional cooperation between local authorities in the
new European context

The Committee of the Regions broadly endorses three
objectives of transnational cooperation between local
authorities in Europe, namely the promotion of under-
standing, integration and development (responsibilities).
Up to the early 80s the emphasis was clearly laid on
promoting peace and understanding; from the mid-80s
the promotion of development as a key, practical
instrument of integration came increasingly to the fore.
In this field, too, cooperation and development focused
on exchange of information and joint projects designed
to reduce economic disparities in the long term and to
promote economic andsocial cohesion between devolved
tiers of government (local authorities and regions) within
the EU. This cooperation reflected (with varying degrees
of emphasis) the ‘European competence’ and ‘added-
value’ involved in transnational partnerships. EU pro-
grammes, such as Pacte, ECOS and Recite, which
are geared to the acquisition of know-how and the
implementation of innovative projects, have contributed
to the achievement of these goals.

6.2. EU programmes having a bearing on transnational
and cross-border cooperation between local auth-
orities: analytical criteria

A total of 12 EU programmes play a significant role in
transnational cooperation between local authorities.
These programmes, which cover different geographical
areas and have different goals, are as follows:

— The town-twinning programme;

— Ecos-Ouverture (in pursuance of Article 10 of the

ERDF Regulation);

— Recite II;

— Interreg II A and C;

— Tacis-City Twinning Programme;

— Phare democracy programme, Tacis democracy pro-

gramme and Phare-Institution Building;

— MED-Urbs;

— URB-AL;

— ASIA Urbs;

(1) Doc-EN RR/23561, PE 221.020 fin.

— EU-China links between local authorities.

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6.3. The impact of Agenda 2000 on cross-border,
transnational and inter-regional cooperation

Town-twinning schemes promote the implemen-

7.2.
tation of EU programmes in the following ways:

The European Commission tabled its policy document
on Agenda 2000 in July 1997. The relevant proposals in
respect of the Structural Fund regulations, covering the
period 2000-2006 were published on 18 March 1998.

— they make members of the public more interested in
transnational cooperation and, consequently, foster
understanding of measures taken by local authorities
to promote such cooperation;

These proposals call for the key objectives of the
Structural Funds to be reduced from seven to three; the
fields covered by the Community initiatives are also to
be reduced from 13 to three, with a total budget of 5 %
of Structural Fund appropriations.

The Community initiatives include the projected initiat-
ive on cross-border, transnational and inter-regional
cooperation which, under the Commission’s proposal,
will in future constitute a purely ERDF initiative; this
initiative should receive increased funding.

The Committee notes that the new Community initiat-
ives comprise three forms of cooperation which have
hitherto been funded from three different sources,
namely:

— cross-border cooperation, funded to date under

Interreg II;

— transnational cooperation, funded to date under

Interreg II c;

— inter-regional cooperation, funded to date under

Article 10 of the ERDF.

The Committee of the Regions welcomes the Com-
mission call for cross-border, transnational and inter-
regional cooperation to continue to be funded via a
Community initiative. The Committee of the Regions
also notes with approval the Commission’s intention to
take account of experience with the Pacte, Recite and
Ecos-Ouverture programmes with a view to further
simplifying and speeding up the implementation of
procedures in connection with the organization of
inter-regional cooperation. The Committee of
the
Regions welcomes the Commission’s intention to place
implementation of this cooperation on a more decentra-
lized basis than has hitherto been the case.

7. The added-value for the EU of town-twinning

schemes

The Committee of the Regions endorses the
7.1.
assessment made by the associations of European
municipalities in regard to the added-value for the EU
of town-twinning schemes. Between 1989 and 1990 some
20 000 European cities have been assisted under the EU’s
town-twinning programmes. As of 1997 there was a
total of 7 621 town-twinning arrangements between the
15 EU Member States and a total of 2 581 twinning
arrangements between EU Member States and central
and eastern European countries (CEEC) qualifying for
EU aid.

— they help people to acquire the necessary skills
(foreign languages and experience in negotiating
with representatives from other countries);

— they generate trust between local authorities in
different countries which is vital to major, expensive
projects;

— they can play a key role in the EU enlargement
process by alerting local authorities in the EU
Member States and the accession states to the scope
for cooperation.

7.3.
Some two-thirds of local authorities participating
in the Pacte and the ECOS EU aid programmes have
taken part in twinning schemes. The Committee endorses
the EU’s programme on town-twinning in Europe which,
in 1997, had an annual budget of ECU 7,5 million and
comprised four types of measures: exchange schemes
for residents implemented under existing twinning
arrangements, conferences, further education seminars
and innovative projects. The following facts should
however be pointed out: cooperation often operates at
the lowest common denominator, twinning arrange-
ments are not planned on a long-term basis and do not
embrace a cross-section of projects; and there is a lack
of consensus on their added-value. The Committee
therefore calls for the programme structure to be
modified in order to remedy these shortcomings; it also
calls for increased funding for the EU programme on
town-twinning in Europe.

8. Specific partnership schemes carried out in pur-
suance of EU aid policy — added-value and prob-
lems of these schemes

8.1.
Given its funding (ECU 6 million) the Pacte
II-interregional programme for the exchange of experi-
ence (implemented under Article 10 of the ERDF
regulation and the Phare regulation) can be regarded
only as a back-up programme for long-term specific
partnership schemes. The internal appraisal report
points out that since 1990 (Pacte I), 350 projects have
been concluded. 85 % of the participants expressed
satisfaction with the programme which was wound up
in 1997. In the light of the positive response, the
Committee calls for the Pacte-programme to be con-
tinued.

8.2.
The added-value provided by all the above-
mentioned programmes is summarized below but the
quantitative and qualitative contribution of individual
programmes to this list of benefits varies considerably.

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This added-value may be improved if existing short-
comings in the administration of the programmes by the
Commission are ironed out:

— a lack of transnational and inter-cultural experience,
particularly as regards small and medium-sized local
authorities and their delegates and staff.

— The European Commission has so far not always
ensured that contractual agreements in respect of
deadlines and the making of payments on time are
respected. In many cases participants in projects do
not have at their disposal a contact person at
the European Commission, in a position to take
decisions, who is able to help them resolve individual
problems without delay;

— EU-aid programmes help to ‘Europeanize’

local
authorities, and encourage them to expand their
horizons and to acquaint themselves with other
styles of administration, in order to enhance their
ability to solve problems;

— European projects give innovation an impetus which
could not be provided by national aid alone. This
impetus is facilitated by (a) the transnational partner-
ship principle advocated by European projects, and
(b) the requirements in such projects as regards
assessments and the transfer of project experiences
to transnational partners;

— they may create synergy and further cooperation in

other areas;

— they enhance the ‘transnational profile of local

authorities’.

8.3.
The Committee highlights a number of problems
which have arisen with the implementation of the
programmes, namely:

— problems of coordination in implementing partner-
ship projects brought about by differences in techni-
cal and legal responsibilities and by staff turn-over
in administrations and other bodies;

— qualitative differences in the way the project objec-
tives have been achieved; these differences are due
to variations in technical expertise and a failure to
obtain additional funding and technical resources;

— the fact that the partnership programmes have placed
excessive demands on smaller local authorities;

— mistakes in selecting partners (partners failing to live
up to expectations and to meet requirements for
implementing transnational partnership arrange-
ments);

— conflicts between the inter-departmental European
units and the specialist departments of local auth-
orities, which are chiefly responsible for organizing
individual projects; these conflicts are triggered by
information and communication breakdowns;

9. Provisional appraisal of transnational cooperation
and future points of emphasis: from ‘peace through
cooperation’ to ‘promoting the internal develop-
ment of local authorities through external (transna-
tional) cooperation’

9.1.
Given the record of EU aid policy to date, the
Committee recommends that overlapping programmes
be tightened up and focused on achieving, for example,
‘new added-value’ and ‘internal development through
external cooperation’. The following points should be
borne in mind:

— particular key objectives should be identified which
may provide blueprints for future urban development
and for European powers for local authorities;

— programmes for specialist partnerships and town-
twinning should be coordinated and cultural and
economic objectives should be regarded as two sides
of the same coin;

— bearing in mind the above differences, cross-border
cooperation between neighbouring local authorities
should be reviewed to see if it is applicable to
transnational
non-
cooperation
neighbouring local authorities;

between

— partnerships and projects should produce reciprocal
learning processes which would promote not just
the development of intra-local authority structures
but also integration on the wider plane (e.g. the
accession of the applicant states to the EU). The
general objective here is to strengthen the European
responsibilities of local authorities;

— special training measures, backed-up by appropriate
aid, should be provided for small and medium-sized
local authorities;

— the geographical aspect of providing assistance for
cooperation with local authorities in the applicant
states should be emphasized. Such cooperation may
provide a basis for future integration and serve to
promote the reciprocal exchange of experience on
appropriate, cost-effective problem solving;

— transnational partnerships must be organized on a
long-term basis; this requires a long-term approach
and intensive learning processes, particularly in the
case of partnerships between local authorities with
different levels of development;

— the preparation and planning of partnerships should
be improved or revamped in the light of external
appraisals of the programme.

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10. Models for transnational partnership and innova-
tive ways of achieving added-value: sustainable
urban development, transnational learning and the
European responsibilities of local authorities

value, namely the acquisition of European responsi-
bilities by local authorities. The three main plants of
town-twinning schemes and partnership arrangements
are:

10.1.
Sustainable urban development should be pro-
moted as a blueprint for the new added-value provided by
transnational partnership. The results of the Habitat II,
Local Agenda 21 and the key stages in its implementation
in Europe, the Aalborg Charter of 27 May 1994 and the
Lisbon Action Plan of 8 October 1996, all illustrate how
the internal objectives of transnational cooperation can
be redefined. Sustainable urban development is a joint
objective recognized by all European and transnational
organizations (UN), which may be promoted by
exchanges and the transnational learning process.

10.2.
The establishment of networks of cities forms
part of this objective; smaller local authorities may also
be able to benefit from the relevant know-how. Networks
of cities have a number of advantages: because they are
established by the cities themselves, rather than being
set up in pursuance of the policy of an association, they
are able actively to pursue directly-defined objectives;
they are also able to achieve synergy in carrying out
their work. The specific tasks and goals of these
networks are geared to a variety of aspects, such as size
(e.g. Eurocities), economic and geo-cultural factors (e.g.
Union of Baltic Cities), specific objectives (e.g. car-free
cities) or umbrella objectives (e.g. sustainable cities).

10.3.
The European campaign for ‘sustainable cities
and towns’ is therefore not an organization but rather a
concerted action which now brings together 350 local
authorities. Given the different structures of local
authorities and different economic, social, cultural and
ecological circumstances, common problems must first
be defined before multi-lateral cooperation can take
place.

Cooperation for mutual benefit involves the
10.4.
exchange of administrative,
technical and specific
responsibilities and, where possible, the adoption of
best practice, in areas such as local public transport and
infrastructure development.

The policy of sustainable urban development is
10.5.
not confined solely to particular fields; it also involves
examining all decisions involving structural change in
the long term to ensure that their compatibility with the
principle of sustainable urban development.

10.6.
A link can thus be established between, for
example, the global concept of sustainable development
and the local concept of the ‘learning city’. Transnational
cooperation between local authorities is a major element
of this learning process, insofar as it involves local
authorities.

Successful transnational cooperation between
10.7.
local authorities highlights a further aspect of added

— the internal, innovative development potential of
local authorities which provides the incentive for
taking part in partnership schemes which hold out
the prospects of increasing the responsibilities or
enhancing the development of participating bodies;

— the ability to see transnational partnerships as
providing a template for promoting further develop-
ment and problem-solving skills within local auth-
orities;

— local authorities can use their experience of trans-
national cooperation in order to get involved in
European networking.

10.8.
The aim of transnational cooperation here is to
secure reciprocal consolidation of internal and external
potential whose benefits include the acquisition by local
authorities of European responsibilities.

11. New prospects for transnational partnership and

evolutionary strategies

11.1.
Formal participation by local authorities in the
EU opinion-forming process, e.g. via the Committee of
the Regions, is the political aspect of the subsidiarity
principle. The development of European responsibilities
by local authorities can be seen as the practical implemen-
tation of this principle.

11.2.
The establishment of legal and administrative
responsibilities (self-government), political responsi-
bilities (the strengthening of the principle of vertical
democracy), economic responsibilities and environmen-
tal responsibilities (backed up by endogenous, financial,
technical and organizational resources), are areas in
which transnational partnerships can promote learning.
The linking of measures to promote understanding and
internal development through external cooperation and
of steps to combine the forms and objectives of town-
twinning with those of partnership arrangements should
play a key role in future planning of cooperation between
local authorities. Mutual learning from successes and
failures will enhance the general problem solving ability
of local authorities.

Learning processes are not geared to short-term
11.3.
success, which can jeopardize lasting solutions, but
rather to the long-term and to the achievement of
sustainability. New partnerships should therefore be
built on a step-by-step approach:

— the first step should be ‘basic’ cooperation involving
optional exchange of information and experiences
and getting to know each other. This inter-cultural
understanding can provide the basis for further
unilateral or multilateral cooperation, the second
step;

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— the second step involves ‘temporary’ cooperation on
the basis of fixed-term pilot projects; this process
and the appraisal could form the basis for the next
step, namely:

— ongoing cooperation; this step involves sustained,
major cooperation which may embrace substantial
infrastructure projects. Multilateral cooperation at
this level leads to:

— transnational networking.

that

11.4.
The experience gained by the associations of
European local authorities, along with appraisals of
transnational programmes involving local authorities
the abovementioned steps cannot be
shows
implemented systematically; instead they provide guide-
lines for practical action, which protects inexperienced
players from excessive burdens. The decisive factor here
is the quantitative and qualitative conditions which
enable the players successfully to implement partnership
schemes.

12. Additional problems and possible solutions

12.1.
The efforts to strengthen the European com-
petence or responsibilities of the different players with
a view to extending their EU role, involve action on
three fronts:

— legal action geared to the removal of legal barriers

to transnational cooperation;

— political/administrative action to address the differ-
ences in administrative powers vested in local auth-
orities under the different national constitutions;

— technical action on the technical, social and cultural

training of the players involved.

12.2.
The Committee endorses the Council of Europe
Charter of Local Self-government and the additional
protocol on a European framework agreement on
cross-border cooperation between local authorities,
signed in Strasbourg on 9 November 1995. The Com-
mittee recognizes that these basic declarations will have
to be fleshed out.

12.3.
action which may be taken in this area:

The two models set out below exemplify the

— the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA)
and the Council of European Municipalities and
Regions (CCRE) have drawn up a programme
covering municipal transnational cooperation (MIC)
and an implementing strategy (Capacity and Insti-
tution Building — CIB) aimed at strengthening the
hand of local authorities; the Committee of the
Regions welcomes the programme;

— the programme for Municipal International Cooper-

ation (MIC) has the following objectives:

• planning national policies and programmes for

decentralization;

• structuring/restructuring local systems of demo-

cratic administration;

• the consolidation of administrative and insti-

tutional structures in local authorities;

• better training for public servants and better

services for local authorities;

• strengthening the position of local authorities

vis-à-vis central government;

• appraisal of the effectiveness of the democratic

process at local level;

• enhancing the role played by women in the public
administration sector and in local decision-making
processes;

• consolidating the role of local authorities with a
view to achieving sustainable local development,
thereby combatting poverty and promoting social
cohesion.

12.4.
The European Network of Training Organ-
izations for Regional and Local Authorities (ENTO) set
up by the Council of Europe is a valuable instrument
for helping the players involved to solve their problems.
ENTO is a non-profit organization comprising 70
affiliated organizations drawn from the 40 Member
States of the Council of Europe (1998). ENTO’s tasks
include:

— the establishment of contacts throughout Europe for
the purpose of compiling information on institutions
and identifying points of contact;

— the establishment of a pool of experts comprising
specialists in the fields of training, development,
research, public administration and qualifications;

— the establishment of bilateral and multilateral part-
nerships with a view to pinpointing and processing
aid programmes and applications for aid;

— the organization of staff exchanges and secondments
with a view to promoting training and further
training for local government officials.

13. Focusing on cooperation with local authorities in

the accession states

13.1.
The Committee welcomes the measures taken
by the EU to strengthen democracy and local authorities.
Cooperation with the local authorities in the accession

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22.2.1999

states should be further stepped up over the next decade.
This recommendation is based on:

— the intermediate report issued by the Commission
in December 1995 on the impact on EU policies of
the enlargement of the EU to include the associated
countries of central and eastern Europe (1);

— the Commission communication of 15 July 1997
providing for impact assessments within the frame-
work of Agenda 2000 (Volume II);

— the COR Opinion on the Role of local and regional
authorities in EU programmes for education and
training for central and eastern Europe (2);

— the COR Opinion on the Effects on the Union’s
policies of enlargement to the applicant countries of
central and eastern Europe (3).

13.2.
The applicant states of central and eastern
Europe are being assisted in the task of incorporating
the existing body of EU law into their national legislation
andimplementing EU laws by the EU policy for preparing
applicant states for EU membership. Preparations for
EU membership involve successfully carrying out the
dual task of transformation (of the systems of the
applicant states into democratic structures and market
economies) and integration (harmonization of standards
and social systems). Towns and local authorities are
also directly involved here. Most of the CEEC have
ratified the European Charter of Local Self-government,
but they do not yet have the necessary powers and
resources to implement it.

The Committee of the Regions welcomes the fact that,
under the new Commission guidelines in respect of the
Phare programme, 30 % of Phare funding is allocated
to the strengthening of democratic institutions. This
funding is to be used, inter alia, to: establish more
efficient and more democratic administrations; to enable
the accession states to incorporate the existing body of
EU legislation, particularly in the fields of justice,
internal affairs and measures to combat fraud and
organized crime; and to promote participation by the
CEEC in EU programmes such as Socrates, Leonardo,
Media, etc.

The proposed measures in connection with the Phare
programme, particularly those relating to (town-) twin-
ning schemes and the dispatching of experts to work in
the CEEC for long periods of time, should be set in train
as soon as possible.

Furthermore, it should be possible to back up existing
cooperation in the fields of finance, the environment,
agriculture, courts and internal affairs with cooperation
in other fields, such as that of young people and the
social field, in accordance with the needs of the accession
states.

The Committee of the Regions also believes it to be
important that the programme should not be confined

(1) CSE(95) 605, 5.12.1995.
(2) CDR 298/95 fin — OJ C 100, 2.4.1996, p. 98.
(3) CDR 280/97 fin — OJ C 64, 27.2.1998, p. 48.

to the establishment of national ministries but should
also cover twinnings and traineeships at regional and
local level.

13.3.
The Committee draws attention to the inad-
equate administrative capacity and the transport infra-
structure, particularly in the smaller towns and rural
districts. The Committee is convinced that the proposed
partnership schemes will go beyond a one-way flow of
traditional (western) development aid. Local authorities
in the EU states may also learn lessons from such
partnerships, such as how to find simple, cost-effective
and lasting solutions to problems besetting local auth-
orities with relatively few resources. When determining
the added value of such partnerships, attention should
be paid to the time frame; these partnerships frequently
only bear fruit in the long term, after ten or more years.

The Committee urges that these aspects be
13.4.
taken into account when EU programmes, such as
Phare/CBC and ECOS are being revamped.

14. Cooperation with the other CEEC and other states

14.1.
In view of the growing problems in fields such
as the environment and migration, there is a need to
step up cross-border and transnational cooperation with
local authorities in those states which have not yet
applied to join the EU or which lie outside the area
concerned. Attention is drawn in this context to the
important role played by the following cooperation
programmes: Interreg IIA and IIC, Phare, Tacis and
Ecos-Ouverture.

14.2.
The Committee of the Regions therefore calls
for transnational and cross-border cooperation between
local authorities to be promoted under existing EU
programmes, including:

— MED-URBS, which establishes links and networks
between local authorities in the EU and non-EU
Mediterranean states. The Committee calls for the
MEDA programme to be reinstated and funding be
made available so that already selected projects can
go ahead and new projects could be submitted (see
also separate Commission 4 Opinion on Mediter-
ranean cooperation);

— URB-AL, which promotes cooperation between
towns, regions and local authorities in the EU and
in Latin America. The Commission should either
simplify the overall programme or allow for separate
and more small-scale projects under the heading,
because the size of the programme is likely to appear
overpowering to local authorities;

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— ASIA-URBS, which promotes decentralized cooper-
ation between local authorities in EU and Asian
states engaged in long-term programmes on the
environment, industry and urban poverty. The COR
calls for the speeding-up of the implementation of
the programme which has been in the pipeline for
more than a year and has been delayed several times;

— the EU-China programme, which promotes links
between local authorities in the EU and China. The
COR calls for continuation of the programme
to allow for more long-term planning by local
authorities.

14.3.
The Committee of the Regions also welcomes
the establishment of supra-regional working groups,
such as that set up in the Danube Basin. Nine cities are
currently cooperating on over 240 cross-border projects
designed to coordinate economic and environmental
interests. The establishment of such associations should
be promoted.

15. Conclusions and recommendations

15.1.
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the
fact that, against the background of a European Union
which is becoming increasingly close-knit, the reinforce-
the subsidiarity principle has given local
ment of
authorities additional responsibilities and opportunities
to organize essential services, promote strategic planning
and facilitate sustainable development at local authority
level.

The Committee of

15.2.
supports
measures which give local authorities both the statutory
right and the ability in practice, to regulate and organize
asubstantial segment of public administration , including
cross-border and transnational cooperation.

the Regions

The Committee takes the view that cross-border
15.3.
and transnational cooperation between local authorities
is an increasingly important tool for enabling local
authorities to participate in the EU’s decision-making
and action processes.

15.4.
tives for cross-border and transnational cooperation:

The Committee identifies the following objec-

— at intercommunal level: steps to promote sustained
urban development, geared to a sustainable quality
of life;

— at intercommunal level: going beyond limited pro-
jects to include the launching of
transnational
learning processes designed to strengthen the Euro-
pean role of the players;

— at the EU level: to create the Citizens’ Europe.

15.5.
The Committee would reiterate the fundamen-
tal importance of interregional cooperation between the
regions and the local authorities in providing a strategic
axis for the promotion of social and economic cohesion
and homogenous, overall development.

The Committee believes that, against the back-
15.6.
ground of the drive towards integration in the closing
years of the 20th century, cross-border and transnational
cooperation between local authorities in the EU in the
applicant states of central and eastern Europe, and in
Cyprus, will give a significant bottom-up boost, to
the policy of preparing the accession states for EU
membership.

The Committee highlights the importance of
15.7.
strengthening the European powers of local authorities
in order to enable them to take part in cross-border and
transnational cooperation in Europe. Creation of the
necessary legal, institutional, organizational, technical
and financial conditions is a sine qua non. Under the
European Charter of Local Self-government, adopted
by the Council of Europe on 15 October 1985, the
Member States are required to remove all administrative
barriers to the establishment and operation of partner-
ships at local level.

15.8.
Transnational and cross-border cooperation
between local authorities should be included in the
existing EU aid policy as a ‘new added value’. In
this context the Committee urges that overlapping
programmes be tightened up and focused on the same
objective, i.e. promoting long-term cross-border and
transnational cooperation. It is vital that the specific
funding for local authority and transnational partner-
ships is included, in particular for partnerships with
accession states.

15.9.
The decentralized supervision of aid projects
has proved its worth. The Committee of the Regions
therefore calls for the system of decentralized supervision
of projects to be maintained since it ensures that aid
projects are in touch with the needs of the people.

15.10.
The Committee trusts that basic EU pro-
grammes for promoting cross-border and transnational
cooperation will receive more funding in order to enable
a wider range of local authorities to take part.

15.11.
The Committee of the Regions also calls
for improved funding for the programme to promote
twinning arrangements between local authorities.
Instead of having a budget heading which has to be
reauthorized each year, a long-term programme should
be introduced. Attention should be paid to ensuring that
funding under the proposed programme is distributed
equally.

The Committee calls upon the European Com-
15.12.
mission and the Member States (in consultation and

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partnership with national
local government asso-
ciations) to promote the establishment and development
of information and advisory centres for local authorities;
this would not only facilitate access to individual
programmes but also assist the search for appropriate
partners and provide technical and administrative back-
up for projects. In the case of multilateral cooperation
geared to networking, these centres could be transformed
into coordination bodies with little outlay in terms of
staff and funding.

15.13.
The Committee draws attention to the fact
that a number of Community programmes, such as
European Voluntary Service, could make a valuable
contribution towards the establishment of cross-border
and transnational partnerships between local auth-
orities.

15.14.
In this context, the Committee urges the
European Commission to simplify the administrative
and financial control
including auditing
arrangements of EU schemes for local projects, in order

systems,

to enable local authorities to cooperate effectively and
without delay. The European Commission should have
the final say as regards control over these projects.

15.15.
The Committee of the Regions calls upon the
Commission to ensure careful programme management
so as to uphold the political importance of cross-border,
transnational cooperation.

15.16.
The Committee advocates greater cooperation
with umbrella organizations representing EU local
authorities, such as the International Union of Local
Authorities (IULA), the United Towns Organization
(UTO) and the Council of European Municipalities and
Regions (CCRE), with its telematics network ELANET,
in order to promote Municipal International Cooper-
ation (MIC). The European Network of Training
Organizations for Regional and Local Authorities
(ENTO), set up by the Council of Europe, and the
Assembly of European Regions (AER) should also be
involved, in the light of the forthcoming enlargement of
the EU and bearing in mind its wide range of contacts
with the regions of central and eastern Europe.

Brussels, 19 November 1998.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER