Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the outcome of the Intergovernmental Conference
Date: 2004-02-12
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: European Constitution, European treaties, intergovernmental conference (EU)

C 109/52

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.4.2004

7.
recommends that the EUMC be adequately prepared to
meet the challenges and opportunities presented by candidate
countries in the context of EU enlargement and should collabo-
rate with the Commission in monitoring the Copenhagen
criteria, including anti racism;

8.
supports the proposal to enable the Management Board
of the EUMC to invite independent experts from candidate
countries to its meetings in order to facilitate future accession.

Brussels, 12 February 2004

The President
of the Committee of the Regions
Peter STRAUB

Resolution of

the Committee of

the Regions on the ‘outcome of

the Intergovernmental

Conference’

(2004/C 109/10)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

A. HAVING REGARD TO the Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe of 18 July 2003 drawn
up by the European Convention;

B. HAVING REGARD TO the presidency conclusions of the European Council of 12 and 13 December
2003;

C. HAVING REGARD TO the presidency proposals to the IGC at the European Council of 12 and
13 December 2003 (CIG 60/03, CIG 60/03 Add. 1, CIG 60/03 Add. 2);

D. HAVING REGARD TO the Laeken Declaration on the Future of the European Union;

E. HAVING REGARD TO the European Parliament resolutions of 18 December 2003 on the outcome of
the Intergovernmental Conference (P5-TA-PROV (2003) 0593) and of 29 January 2004 on the programme
of the Irish Presidency-in-office of the Council and the European Constitution (P5-TA-PROV (2004) 0052);

F. HAVING REGARD TO the CoR's opinion of 9 October 2003 on its proposals for the Intergovernmental
Conference (CdR 169/2003 fin (1));

G. HAVING REGARD TO its Bureau's decision of 18 November 2003, under the fifth paragraph of Article
265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to draw up a resolution on the subject;

adopted the following resolution at its 53th plenary session of 11 and 12 February 2004 (meeting of 12
February).

The Committee of the Regions

3. STRESSES the historic progress made by the European
Convention, underpinned by a powerful democratic
mandate, from the citizens of Europe;

1. DEPLORES the failure of the IGC at the European Council
of 12 and 13 December 2003 and SUPPORTS the efforts
of the Irish presidency to relaunch the intergovernmental
negotiations in order to give the citizens of Europe a
constitution as quickly as possible, preferably before the
European elections;

2. CALLS for the talks to be held in public, with a view to

improving transparency and accountability;

(1) OJ C 23, 27.1.2004, p. 1

4. REGARDS the draft submitted by the European Conven-
tion to the heads of state or government, which it
endorses, as the foundation of the future Treaty estab-
lishing a Constitution for Europe and thus CONSIDERS it
to be the mainstay of the ultimate IGC agreement;

30.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 109/53

5. CALLS ON Member State governments to shoulder their
responsibilities and ASKS them to put the Community
interest before national interests, in order to safeguard the
future of European integration, not least cohesion policy;
6. STRESSES in that connection that the inclusion of terri-
torial cohesion as a Union objective is one of the funda-
mental achievements of the Convention's draft Constitu-
tion;

7. URGES the IGC to confirm the constitutional recognition
of the role of local and regional authorities in the Euro-
pean venture and the new role given to the CoR on the
monitoring of the principle of subsidiarity, as affirmed by
the Convention;
8. REITERATES its

to straighten out
recommendations
certain inconsistencies between the various sections of the

Brussels, 12 February 2004

Treaty without, however, undermining the institutional
balance in order, on the one hand, to clarify the CoR's
institutional status, firmly establish its areas of mandatory
and
consultation within
strengthen its consultative role, and, on the other,
to
consolidate economic,
social and territorial cohesion,
among other things by establishing an explicit legal basis
for interregional and cross-border cooperation;

constitutional

set-up

the

9. CALLS ON Member State governments, to complete the
Union reform process launched at the Laeken European
Council;

10. INSTRUCTS its president to forward this resolution to the
Council of the European Union, the European Parliament,
the European Commission and members of the Conven-
tion.

The President
of the Committee of the Regions
Peter STRAUB

Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘European Commission's work programme’
and ‘the Committee of the Regions' priorities for 2004’

(2004/C 109/11)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

HAVING REGARD TO the Commission's legislative and work programme for 2004 (COM(2003) 645
final);

HAVING REGARD TO the European Parliament resolution on the Commission's legislative and work
programme for 2004, adopted at the plenary session of 17 December 2003 (P5_TA PROV(2003)0585);

HAVING REGARD TO the Protocol governing arrangements for cooperation between the European
Commission and the Committee of the Regions (DI CdR 81/2001 rev. 2);

WHEREAS local and regional authorities are responsible for implementing a large proportion of EU poli-
cies;

WHEREAS the fact that local and regional authorities help to define the EU's priorities will greatly enhance
the democratic legitimacy of EU policies;

adopted the following resolution at its 53rd plenary session on 11 and 12 February 2004 (meeting of
12 February):