Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the "Recommendations of the European Convention"
Date: 2003-07-02
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: European Constitution, European convention, European treaties, intergovernmental conference (EU)

C 256/62

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.10.2003

Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Recommendations of the European
Convention’

(2003/C 256/10)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

A.

B.

C.

D.

having regard to the draft treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (CONV 820/03) presented
by the chairman of the European Convention to the Thessaloniki European Council on 20 June
2003;

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 European Union;

having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the Thessaloniki European Council of 19 and
20 June 2003;

having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 5 June 2003, under the fifth paragraph of Article 265
of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to draw up a resolution on this subject,

adopted the following resolution at its 50th plenary session of 2 and 3 July 2003 (meeting of 3 July).

1. The method of the Convention

The Committee of the Regions,

underlines the success of the open method of the
1.1.
Convention, which has led to the adoption of a single text
without options, which has proved to be a new way of
preparing for an intergovernmental conference, and which, in
the eyes of elected local and regional representatives, consti-
tutes a significant contribution to the democratic life of the
Union; insists, nevertheless, that member status for the CoR
would have considerably enhanced its legitimacy;

1.2.
welcomes the proposal to put this method on a more
permanent footing as part of the procedure of reviewing the
Treaty establishing the European Constitution, and calls upon
the Intergovernmental Convention to provide for the full
the Committee of the
participation of representatives of
Regions;

considers that the draft Constitution submitted by the
1.3.
European Convention to the Heads of State and Government
provides the foundations for a future treaty establishing a
Constitution for Europe, which should be finalised by the
Intergovernmental Conference;

2.2.
is pleased at the significant progress made by the
members of the Convention towards guaranteeing a clearer
definition and distribution of powers within the Union, to
ensuring simplification of its instruments and to strengthening
the democratic legitimacy, transparency and efficiency of its
institutions;

2.3.
views these new constitutional provisions, therefore,
as gains which should be confirmed by the Intergovernmental
Conference;

2.4.
echoes the favourable feeling of the majority of the
European citizens towards a European Constitution, but points
out the need to start public awareness campaigns about the
contents and scope of the Constitution; requires,
in this
connection, that it be involved in such campaigns through its
local and regional representatives;

3. The local and regional dimension in the Union

The Committee of the Regions,

2. The gains of the Convention

3.1.
welcomes the constitutional recognition of the role of
local and regional authorities in the Union as established in
the draft Constitution, in particular by means of:

The Committee of the Regions,

— the importance attached to fundamental rights and values,

welcomes the consensus which has emerged in favour
2.1.
of a Constitution for the citizens of Europe, which represents
a historic step forward in the process of European integration;

— the respect shown to local and regional self-government,

— the recognition given to cultural and linguistic diversity,

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 256/63

— the inclusion of territorial cohesion among the objectives

of the Union,

— the acknowledgement of the importance of grassroots

democracy in the Union,

— the new definition of the principle of subsidiarity,

— the involvement of the Committee of the Regions in the
process of ex-post monitoring of the application of the
principles of subsidiarity and proportionality,

— the granting to the Committee of the Regions of the right
to institute proceedings before the Court of Justice to
defend its prerogatives,

— the lengthening of its members’ term of office from 4 to

5 years;

3.2.
welcomes most favourably the proposals aiming at
strengthening the European Parliament and the European
Commission both politically and institutionally; demands that,
in the same spirit of consolidating representative democracy
in the Union, the CoR be recognised as an institution in
Chapter II of Title IV, which would in no way harm the
institutional framework of the Union;

3.3.
requests that it be recognised explicitly as an expression
of representative democracy, because of its democratic legit-
imacy within the Union;

3.4.
requests that its current consultative role be strength-
ened by means of a horizontal clause stipulating that the CoR
shall be consulted in areas of shared competence, for measures
to coordinate economic and employment policies, and in areas
of supporting, coordinating or complementary action;

3.5.
demands that account be taken of the following
proposals put forward by the Committee’s representatives on
the Convention:

— to grant the Committee of the Regions institutional status
and to extend its terms of reference beyond its present
consultative function,

Brussels, 3 July 2003.

— to involve the Committee of the Regions in the ex-ante
monitoring arrangements concerning the application of
the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality,

— to create a legal basis for cross-border and inter-regional

co-operation,

— to extend its involvement to all sectors which are the

responsibility of regional and local authorities;

calls upon the members of the Intergovernmental
3.6.
Conference to re-examine these proposals in a more favourable
light, and calls upon the members of the Convention to give
consideration to their proposals for amendments for Parts III
and IV of the draft treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe;
emphasises in particular that the work of the Convention has
revealed a very broad consensus on the need to establish a
legal basis for cross-border and interregional cooperation
which has, from the outset of European integration, played a
key role in progressively creating a Europe without borders;

requests the Heads of State and Government to involve
the Intergovernmental

in the work of

3.7.
the CoR as well
Conference;

3.8.
urges the Member States to include representatives of
their regional and local authorities in their delegations to the
Intergovernmental Conference;

3.9.
pays tribute to the commitment of its representatives
and their active contribution to the work of the European
Convention in their capacity as spokespersons for European
local and regional authorities;

calls upon its President

3.10.
to forward the present
resolution to the President of the European Council, the
President of the European Parliament, the President of the
European Commission and the Chairman of the European
Convention.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Albert BORE