Resolution of the Committee of the Regions "In preparation for the Copenhagen European Council"
Date: 2002-11-21
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: European Council, European identity, European integration, enlargement of the Union, institutional reform, political cooperation

26.3.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 73/43

Resolution of the Committee of the Regions ‘In preparation for the Copenhagen European
Council’

(2003/C 73/12)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 14 May 2002, under the fifth paragraph of Article 265 of
the Treaty establishing the European Community, to instruct its Commission for Constitutional Affairs
and European Governance to draw up a resolution on this subject;

having regard to the presidency conclusions of the Laeken European Council of 14 and 15 December
2001, and in particular the Laeken Declaration on the future of the Union;

having regard to its draft resolution (CdR 123/2002 rev.) adopted on 4 October 2002 by the Commission
for Constitutional Affairs and European Governance (rapporteur: Mr Fons Hertog (NL-ELDR), Mayor of
Velsen);

whereas at the European summit in Copenhagen a number of important decisions must be taken on the
future of the European integration process and two issues are of central importance: enlargement and
institutional reform of the European Union;

whereas the Committee of the Regions wishes to take the opportunity on behalf of European local and
regional authorities to inform and advise the leaders of government on the above issues in this resolution,

adopted the following resolution by a unanimous vote at its 47th plenary session of 20 and 21 November
2002 (meeting of 21 November).

1.

Institutional reform

The Committee of the Regions

expects reform of the European Union to bring the
1.1.
European institutions closer to citizens,
to make citizens
identify more with the process of European integration and
feel closely involved with the European Union, but without
having to renounce their national identity and regional and
local diversity;

stresses that democratic legitimacy is not solely a
1.2.
question of changing structures and procedures, but just as
much a question of political culture and attitudes. Only if
citizens identify with the European integration process will the
democratic legitimacy of the EU really be guaranteed. The EU
must be based on integration of people, not just of institutions;

believes that where the overall objective is to bring
1.3.
Europe’s ideals and actions more into line with the needs and
expectations of European citizens, the Union must enhance
the role of local and regional democracy; after all,
local
authorities are for citizens the first and most important contact
point within the social structure and system of democratically
elected government. Of particular importance here are the tiers
of government with legislative powers;

1.4.
notes that institutional reform of the European Union
is necessary for enlargement, but certainly also to increase
citizens’ confidence in the European Union;

believes that citizens’ confidence in the European
1.5.
Union will increase if they experience a dynamic Union that
takes decisions that are easy for them to understand;

1.6.
also sees the inclusion of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights in a constitutional treaty as an important step towards
strengthening the bond with citizens. The rights that are the
basis for shared values in the Member States must be anchored
in the EU treaty; this applies above all for human rights and
civil rights. In many Member States, economic and social rights
fall within the remit of local and regional authorities and
should therefore remain political objectives at European level
and not be established in the treaty as basic rights;

the Treaty and therefore one of

notes that since subsidiarity — enshrined in Article 5
1.7.
of
important
principles of the Community — requires that decisions should
be taken at the closest possible level to citizens, the institution
that represents the closest existing administrative tier to the
citizen is given a special role in overseeing and observing this
principle;

the most

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1.8.
notes that an increasing amount of European legis-
lation applies to, and must be implemented by, decentralised
authorities;

the documents that have been submitted so far
in the
framework of the Convention contain hardly any recognition
— or none at all — of the role of local and regional authorities
in the structures of the European Union.

1.9.
urges the Member States and the applicant countries
to involve those authorities in the policy-making process for
new legislation and in the evaluation of existing legislation;

2. Enlargement

draws the attention of the Member States and the
1.10.
importance of national
applicant countries to the crucial
government
the
implications of European legislation for them and involving
them therein;

informing decentralised authorities about

1.11.
reiterates the importance of strengthening the Com-
mittee of the Regions in the decision-making process and
increasing the involvement of decentralised authorities in that
process at European level, in accordance with the proposals
made by the European Commission in its White Paper on
Governance;

1.12.
suggests that the role of the Committee of the Regions
could be enhanced by giving it a right of veto over issues on
which it must be consulted under the Treaty, so that differences
of opinion between the Council, the Commission, the Parlia-
ment and the Committee can be settled within a three- or six-
month period;

1.13. must be allowed to appeal to the Court of Justice to
have Community legislation that has not been referred to it, in
breach of the referral obligation, declared invalid;

The Committee of the Regions

2.1.
considers that preparations for enlargement will be the
most important issue in 2003. The Committee of the Regions
supports the European Commission’s initiatives. However, it
is very important that attention be paid to strengthening
government at local and regional level. From this perspective,
too, it is important that local and regional authorities in the
applicant countries should be involved in preparations for
accession and that they thus become aware of the implications
of accession to the Union at local and regional level;

2.2.
believes lack of information and discussion to be
the perfect breeding-ground for fear of the unknown and
xenophobia. A climate of fear and mistrust could be fateful for
enlargement. The Committee of the Regions therefore thinks
it is very important that citizens in the Member States should
be well informed;

2.3.
notes that enlargement will also affect the Union’s
spending policy, including spending on the Structural Funds.
The Committee believes that the ceiling fixed in Berlin on
spending for the period up to and including 2006 must be
maintained. At the same time, the Committee thinks that the
financial framework agreed in Berlin must be adapted to the
enlargement situation, on the assumption that ten new Mem-
ber States will soon be joining the Community;

1.14.
proposes that if the Council, Commission or Euro-
pean Parliament ignore an opinion issued by the Committee
they should have to provide an explicit reason;

2.4.
believes it very important to consider carefully whether
the adjustment of this financial framework has too many
negative implications for the regions, both in the current and
in the future Member States;

asks the leaders of government to notify their rep-
1.15.
resentatives in the Convention of the above points, so that the
Convention can already take account of them in its work;

proposes that the Committee of

1.16.
the Regions be
granted the right to submit written and oral questions to the
European Commission;

1.17.
sets considerable store by the Convention’s work and
assumes that its recommendations will represent a substantial
part of the subsequent Intergovernmental Conference, express-
es its concern in this respect on the decision not to set up a
local and regional authorities working group, and notes that

is very aware of the need for further reform of the
2.5.
Common Agricultural Policy, taking into account the role of
the agricultural sector as an economic pillar of the countryside
and of the factors farmers in areas with natural problems have
to contend with, but at
the same time endeavouring to
replace current agricultural methods with sustainable and
environment-friendly approaches;

is aware that the policy to strengthen economic, social
2.6.
and territorial cohesion contributes to the success of the
European integration process and that the accession of the
applicant countries will cause development disparities within
the Union to widen to an unprecedented extent, so that the
Union will have to work very hard to close the development
gap of the new Member States, without neglecting the needs
of the current Member States whose development lags behind;

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2.7.
therefore points out that if the objectives or procedures
for structural aid are adjusted or tightened up, it is necessary
not just to consider the situation in the applicant countries but
also to look at the structural problems in the current Member
States, including renewal of the countryside and the problems
of urban areas;

2.8.
points to the importance of achieving more decentralis-
ation of regional government, with the aim of enhancing at
local and regional level the role of the partnership principle,
i.e. cooperation between the different tiers of government and
social players. In this connection it notes that partnerships at
local and regional level and with local and regional stake-

holders are of crucial importance to the success of regional
development strategies;

2.9.
points out again finally that cross-border, interterri-
torial and transnational cooperation between local and
regional authorities of the existing Member States, the appli-
cant countries and third countries is very important for
shaping further integration and enhancing economic cohesion;

2.10.
asks its President to present this resolution to the
Union presidency, the members of the European Council, the
Presidents of the European Parliament and the European
Commission and the Chairman of the European Convention.

Brussels, 21 November 2002.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Albert BORE