Own-initiative Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Competitiveness and decentralisation
Date: 2005-11-16
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU industrial policy, competitiveness, continuing vocational training, decentralisation, division of powers, entrepreneurship, labour market, regional development, school-industry relations, school-working life relations, small and medium-sized enterprises, town and country planning

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Own-initiative Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Competitiveness and decentralisation

(2006/C 115/03)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 21 January 2005, under the fifth paragraph of Article 265
of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to instruct its Commission for Economic and Social
Policy to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to the Report from the High Level Group chaired by Wim Kok on Facing the Challenge:
The Lisbon Strategy for growth and employment (November 2004);

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Spring European Council 2005,
Working together for growth and jobs: A new start for the Lisbon Strategy (COM(2005) 24 final);

Having regard to the Commission Communication Better Regulation for Growth and Jobs in the European
Union (COM(2005) 97 final);

Having regard to its opinion on the Commission Communication on the Mid-term review of the Lisbon
Strategy (CdR 152/2004 fin) (1);

Having regard to the resolution of the Committee of the Regions on revitalising the Lisbon Strategy
adopted on 24 February 2005 (CdR 518/2004 fin) (2);

Having regard to the Wrocław Declaration adopted at the European Summit of Regions and Cities held in
Wrocław, Poland, on 19 and 20 May 2005 (CdR 158/2005);

Having regard to its draft opinion on the Integrated guidelines for growth and jobs (2005-2008),
including a Commission recommendation on the Broad guidelines for the economic policies of the
Member States and the Community (under Article 99 of the EC Treaty) and a Proposal for a Council Deci-
sion on Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (CdR 147/2005 fin);

Having regard to the Commission Communication (COM(2000) 196 final) on Acting Locally for Employ-
ment — A Local Dimension for the European Employment Strategy;

Having regard to the Commission Communication (COM(2001) 629 final) on Strengthening the local
dimension of the European Employment Strategy;

Having regard to its opinion on the Commission Communication on Acting Locally for Employment — a
Local Dimension for the European Employment Strategy (CdR 187/2000 fin);

Having regard to its draft opinion CdR 23/2005 rev. 2 adopted on 23 September 2005 by its Commis-
sion for Economic and Social Policy (Rapporteur: Mr Anders Gustâv, Mayor of Solna (SE/EPP).

Whereas:

1)

it is essential that local and regional authorities have the necessary powers and administrative and
budgetary resources to play their natural role of promoting and managing competitiveness, innova-
tion and cohesion policies, for the benefit of regional and local development;

(1) OJ C 43, 18.2.2005, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 164, 5.7.2005, p. 91.

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2)

3)

4)

decentralisation that
is geared to the specific characteristics of each Member State enhances
autonomy and local and regional democracy. It also goes some way to responding to public fears
about globalisation and economic and social changes in the wider world;

tripartite contracts between European, national and regional levels, taking account, depending on
the case, of the urban problems involved, are good instruments for ensuring better involvement and
better sharing of responsibilities by all players concerned,
in implementing European regional
policy;

the challenges of a globalised economy, addressed in the partnership for growth and jobs laid down at
the Brussels European Council on 23 March 2005 to revive the Lisbon Strategy could be met more
effectively via a bottom-up approach drawing regional and local authorities into the framing and
implementation of the national programmes that will flow from it, given their major role in creating
an environment conducive to economic growth;

adopted the following opinion at its 62nd plenary session, held on 16/17 November 2005 (meeting
of 16 November).

1. Committee of the Regions' views

1.1 Competitiveness is improving in the regions, towns and munici-

palities

cities and regions have the power to influence. It is important
to introduce a micro-perspective to the competitiveness debate
and to show how the local and regional level in Europe can
contribute to it specifically. Consequently, the opinion also
suggests specific competitiveness boosting measures that can be
adopted at local and regional level.

The Committee of the Regions

1.2 Europe needs more entrepreneurs and successful small businesses

1.1.1
notes that the European Council's objective for the
Lisbon Strategy was that the EU would improve competitive-
ness and growth, create more and better jobs and ensure
sustainable ecological and social development. The European
Union would become the world's leading economy by 2010.
Five years after the Lisbon summit, the European Commission
notes that very little has been achieved. The Lisbon Strategy
therefore needs to be relaunched, and the Member States given
more responsibility for implementing the strategy;

notes that the post-war decades saw remarkable devel-
1.2.1
in Western
in Europe. Production per
opment
Europe rose from 40 % of the US level at the end of the war to
70 % in 1970, a relative level that has remained unchanged
ever since. Growth and the expansion of welfare systems went
hand in hand and the recent problems experienced in funding
welfare have coincided with lower growth;

inhabitant

delivers, against this background this own-initiative
1.1.2
opinion on decentralisation and competitiveness. The aim is to
show the importance of decentralisation to competitiveness
and to identify the key local and regional factors that help to
boost competitiveness and growth. The Committee of
the
Regions does not believe that strong competitiveness and
sustainable development are mutually exclusive. Contributing
to sustainable development is a shared responsibility for all
countries, citizens, municipalities, cities and regions. The fact
that the opinion focuses on competitive conditions is in no
way intended to disregard efforts to achieve sustainable devel-
opment;

1.2.2
stresses that post-war development created many
major world-leading companies with good prospects, but they
cannot single-handedly deliver a competitive Europe. What
Europe needs is not just for today's competitive companies to
keep up with global competition; it also needs new companies
that can branch out and replace the jobs that disappear when
other companies are forced out by competition,
relocate
abroad or cut back on production;

1.1.3
underlines that the key factors for increased competi-
tiveness identified in the opinion are ones that municipalities,

1.2.3
notes that most new companies start out as small-
scale local businesses. The local enterprise culture, attitudes
towards enterprise and the availability of staff, skills and
finance are of major importance to the number of new entre-
preneurs we can expect to see.

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1.3 Competitiveness is built from the bottom-up

circumstances and opportunities in Europe's regions, cities and
municipalities;

throughout Europe. To highlight

considers that as public players and democratic insti-
1.3.1
tutions, the local and regional authorities have an important
influence on the soil that companies take root in and the
climate that helps them to flourish. They are democratic focal
points for businesses and citizens, and the current debate and
cooperation efforts to develop the local environment is crucial
to development
the part
Europe's municipalities and regions have to play in securing
growth is not
from the Member States' crucial
responsibility, but it does provide the debate on competitive-
ness and growth with a much-needed grass-roots perspective,
i.e. the level closest to citizens, whether they be employees,
entrepreneurs or job seekers. The drive to boost competitive-
ness therefore needs to be underpinned by subsidiarity and
decentralisation. Decisions need to be taken close to those
affected by them, and local and regional development potential
must be recognised;

to detract

1.3.2
notes that the role of local and regional administra-
tion in achieving competitiveness objectives varies between
Member States. In those Member States where decentralisation
is far advanced and local administration has a relatively inde-
pendent financial position (a major part of local expenditure is
covered directly by personal and business taxes and revenue
from charges), there is obviously a strong motive for the local
job quality, entrepreneurship
level to promote employment,
and a favourable business climate,
training and innovation
services, and the quality of the environment. This has the effect
of strengthening the commitment of the local and regional
level
to implementing competitiveness objectives. Greater
‘ownership’, as called for by the European Council, only comes
about through genuine opportunities to participate and exert
influence. The fact that local administration is close to the
people leads to greater transparency and effectiveness in the
realisation of the competitiveness objectives;

1.3.3
emphasises that the regional diversity that is increas-
ingly a feature of Europe should be seen as an asset. This is a
question of building on every region's specific circumstances.
These vary considerably between cities, growth regions, upland
areas, rural areas, declining regions and restructuring areas.
There is no European model that can suit everyone. Growth
regions, for example, are extremely important for development
throughout the EU and their potential should be recognised.
There are always some regions at the top of the growth league,
in any case, but by building on each region's comparative
advantages the leaders can act as a dynamo and develop
regions according to their own circumstances. Europe
cannot afford to let either stronger or weaker regions be
hamstrung in their development. Competitiveness and entrepre-
neurship cannot be improved without building on existing

1.3.4
underlines that Europe's regions, cities and municipa-
lities are different but that they all have the potential and
responsibility to contribute to greater competitiveness; it is also
in their interest to do so.

1.4 Factors in increased competitiveness

emphasises that a dynamic business environment is
1.4.1
key to a competitive Europe. The factors contributing to an
environment that is conducive to business start-ups and growth
have been identified by a number of observers. The Wim Kok
Report
lists measures to reduce the administrative burden,
improve legislation, make it easier to start a new business and
create a supportive environment for business. The Commission
working paper on Benchmarking Enterprise Policy, SEC(2004)
1427, also points out a number of factors such as access to
financing and the importance of innovation and knowledge
spill-overs. The Commission Communication on Better regu-
lation for growth and jobs in the European Union, COM(2005) 97,
also points to the vital importance of legislation to the business
environment and consequently recommends less — but more
appropriate — legislation;

1.4.2
considers that regions, cities and municipalities can
often help to bolster the factors that encourage competitive-
ness. The Committee of
the
following factors that can be most obviously influenced by the
local and regional authorities:

the Regions would highlight

a) Society's ability to deal with structural change. The
ability to deal with both slow and sudden structural change,
such as major business closures, varies. The chances of
coping with structural change increase where there is a
leadership and a
broad-based, efficient local and regional
society that promotes continuous learning.

b) Attitudes towards enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Some regions are characterised by an enterprise culture that
makes them competitive. Even though it takes some time to
create such a culture it is fully possible to develop one.

c) Appropriateness and implementation of legislation and
regulation. The framework of legislation surrounding busi-
ness needs to be appropriate and to target clear objectives,
and rules and regulations must be implemented objectively
and sensitively. This calls for a public administration that is
able to promote competitiveness.

d) Access to innovation and research results. More results
of research need to be translated into market products and
innovation needs to be applied more quickly. This requires
a continuous learning society and a local and regional enter-
prise culture.

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e) Access to knowledge and staff. The learning society needs
to make access to knowledge easier. Matching job-seekers
with employers must be simplified through better access to
jobs and a less rigid labour market.

competitive administration, a learning society, and facilitate
access to jobs and services;

f) The role of the local and regional market. Competitive-
ness cannot be considered separately from global, European,
national, regional or local
levels of competition. Making
high levels of competition possible in local and regional
markets calls for an administration that strives to promote
competitiveness. Local and regional administrations have a
responsibility to promote
local and regional
markets.

efficient

g) Access to financing. There are fewer and fewer financial
institutions focusing on small businesses. This makes it
more difficult for small firms to gain access to finance and
to strengthen an entrepreneurial
risk capital.
culture, regional intermediaries and services are needed to
smooth the way for businesses to access financing.

In order

h) The impact of local and regional taxation on enterprise.
Public authorities depend on tax revenue to perform their
duties. At the same time, tax levels impact directly on costs,
labour costs. Setting taxation at levels that have the
e.g.
least negative impact on business while safeguarding the
income they need is a challenge both for the leadership and
the administration;

1.4.3
underlines that local and regional authorities account
for a significant slice of the EU economy. The way tax and fee-
based public measures are dealt with also impacts on European
competitiveness. The following factors have specific bearing on
the public administration's competitiveness:

a) The efficiency of public administration. Increased public
sector productivity has a positive effect on competitiveness.
Better use of resources makes it possible to deliver quality
services. Striving for efficiency gains calls for a competitive
administration that delivers low-cost, quality services.

1.4.5
notes that the extent to which a rural municipality, a
region or a city can influence factors in strong competitiveness
depends on circumstances such as formal skills, the extent of
national legislation, the structure of the business community
and many other factors that are key to local or regional policy
options. Notwithstanding the major differences in circum-
stances, it must be stressed that all local and regional authori-
ties in Europe can adopt measures to boost competitiveness.
Even in cases where responsibility lies with another body, it is
always possible to work for greater interplay with those respon-
sible. The Committee of the Regions offers the following 26
examples of specific measures to boost competitiveness.

1.5 Specific measures to boost competitiveness

Comp e ti ti v e le a de r sh i p

1.5.1
Shape leadership in a cooperation venture that
can handle structural change. Experience shows that it is
necessary to have an open dialogue and broad-based coopera-
tion with all stakeholders. By leadership, we do not just mean
political leadership, but the combined leadership available in a
municipality or region. It is a question of contributing — conti-
nually and in the long-term — towards interaction and under-
standing between the various players in the community by clar-
ifying roles and responsibilities. Civil society and businesses are
clearly part of this leadership. Cooperation paves the way for
strategic development efforts and it contributes to that pooling
of knowledge, social network and trust that is the hallmark of
successful regions. Local and regional
leadership needs to
constantly update its common perception of its environment in
order to prepare properly for any future structural change.

b) Creativity in the provision of services.

In accordance
with the principle of subsidiarity, local and regional authori-
ties are free to choose how to provide public services. There
are many alternative ways to ensure delivery of high quality
services and a sign of a competitive administration is the
willingness to constantly assess and explore creative forms
of service delivery in order to enhance efficency.

1.4.4
considers that in order to influence increased compe-
titiveness factors, local and regional authorities must rise to the
challenge to develop leadership, create an enterprise culture,

1.5.2
Put development issues on the agenda. It is natural
that the local and regional debate should focus heavily on
publicly-funded services.
It is also important to ensure that
economic development issues are not neglected. Political leader-
ship has a duty to put development issues on the agenda, and
particularly the link between local and regional competitiveness
and well-being in a globalised world. Trade has made Europe
rich, but today fear of competition often gains the upper hand
and people too often fail to see the opportunities. People feel
more reassured if development issues are high on the agenda
and if politicians speak more of the opportunities afforded to
boost prosperity and well-being.

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1.5.3 Develop local and regional action plans to boost
growth. National Lisbon plans are being implemented as part
of the Lisbon process. But cities, municipalities and regions
also need to plan for growth. Irrespective of the different local
and regional conditions, action plans must be taken forward in
order
the different
comparative advantages in Europe's various regions.

to boost competitiveness and harness

drive to carry it through should have easy access to relevant
advice. Employees that choose to work for themselves also
need access to information and advice. Furthermore, the experi-
ence gained from a failed entrepreneurship may contribute to
the creation at a successful one.

1.5.4
Participate actively and constructively in national
and European development policies. European and national
development plans need the active participation of committed
local and regional leadership. The different levels in the Euro-
pean Union are interdependent and it is only through construc-
tive cooperation in which the EU, the Member States and the
regional and local level actively contribute that Europe's full
potential can be released. It is especially important in those
countries that receive Structural Fund aid from the European
Union.

1.5.5
Learn from the best. One of the keys to success is to
be open to the strategies and approaches that can best advance
one's own city or region. A useful way to check the status and
strategies of one's activity is to compare them with those that
have proved successful. Results-focused study visits with the
broad participation of businesses, universities and local newspa-
pers are examples of how this type of learning can be orga-
nised. Highlighting one's own town's or region's performance
through benchmarking should also be welcomed.

Recognise that diversity and regional

identity are
1.5.6
important factors in heigthened regional competitiveness. Local
and regional leadership needs to work harder to enhance local
and regional appeal, building on each region's comparative
advantages. Europe's diversity must also be a competitive
advantage.

Cultu r e of e nte r pri se

1.5.7
Introduce entrepreneurship in schools. Help to
ensure that lifelong learning does not just mean learning how
to be an employee. Introduce entrepreneurship in schools both
as a specific subject and as an important part of the curriculum.
Learning about enterprise and undertaking traineeships in
companies enhances students' understanding of society and
increases their potential to choose the type of employment
they wish to pursue. Engaging in dialogue with local and
tailoring
regional employers also increases the chances of
learning to labour market needs.

1.5.8
Solid consultancy services for new entrepreneurs
and for second-time-around entrepreneurs. It is important
that entrepreneurs who come up with an idea and have the

1.5.9
Set up ‘first-stop-shops’ for businesses, focusing
on advice, support and funding. Both entrepreneurs and
established firms need advice and support. An established
entrepreneur needs to work hard to maintain competitiveness
and access to professional support and advice is extremely valu-
able. Support may be required in contacts with the authorities,
in which case a ‘first-stop-shop’ can act as a go-between.
Access to financing is also very important and a centre to facili-
tate access to capital could provide valuable help for some
entrepreneurs. There are fewer and fewer local banks and, as a
result, the banks are less likely to be aware of local conditions.
Lack of finance is a national and European problem, but the
municipalities and regions can help to mitigate the effects.

Train civil servants in the meaning of ‘enter-
1.5.10
the enterprise culture is
prise’. A better understanding of
needed if local and regional authorities are to help rather than
hinder enterprise and entrepreneurship. This is not to call into
question the public authorities' commitment or special circum-
stances; put simply, a civil servant with a broader under-
standing of society's various parts is better placed to make
informed decisions.

1.5.11
Set up consultative councils with entrepreneurs
and employee representatives. Local and regional democra-
cies make independent decisions based on the mandate voters
have given them. If decisions are to be taken in the most busi-
nesslike way, a continuous dialogue is needed with the different
community players and citizens. In order to safeguard employ-
ment and boost growth it is important to maintain a dialogue
with local and regional businesses and with employees. A
and
consultative
employees can meet could provide a way to strengthen the
basis for political decisions.

council where

politicians,

businesses

A le a r n i ng soc i e t y

1.5.12
Promote teamwork between educational institu-
tions, companies, organisations and employees. Learning
does not end with school and we need to bolster life-long
learning in order
to meet new skills requirements. Local
learning centres, for example, could provide a better supply-
demand match in education. Education needs to be tailored to
entrepreneurs and their employees. Significantly more evening
courses should be offered, for example.

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Expand

universities

1.5.13
and
cooperation with
colleges. It is important to encourage people to enter higher
education and to improve the availability of academic educa-
tion and further training. Generally speaking, cooperation with
academia needs improving so that more research will be applic-
able and meet the needs of business and the public sector. The
interplay between academia and the community that
is a
feature of American universities helps to create growth and
municipalities and regions need to strive to enhance this inter-
play. At the same time, the universities need to be given more
incentive to interact.

1.5.14
Help to disseminate research results. More wide-
spread application of the fruits of research is a challenge for
Europe. Contact points for the dissemination of research results
and innovation need to be located near companies that can
benefit from new knowledge and new ideas.

1.5.15
Promote business clusters. Companies operating
within the same sector and that are geographically close could
develop business clusters where services, staff and ideas can
flow between companies. Clusters enhance development of
best practice and competitiveness through the close interplay
between individuals and companies within the same sector and
skills area. These should be facilitated through better access to
best practice and access to trained staff. Promoting clusters
must be an important part of regional and local planning.

more freedom in the choice of tax rates and service levels. In
order to increase public sector efficiency gains, good follow-up
systems are needed, along with the chance to compare and
expand in line with best practice.

1.5.18
Assess the impact of decisions on the enterprise
culture. Public agencies need to take account of the impact of
their decisions on different citizens and, for example, on the
impact statements are
environment.
drawn up, the same should be done for enterprise and employ-
ment. Existing rules also need to be overhauled in order to
eliminate any rules that give rise to unnecessary costs and that
hamper business competitiveness.

Just as environmental

Assess and explore creative forms of service
1.5.19
delivery. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, local
and regional authorities should seek to enhance the efficiency
of service delivery through assessing and exploring creative
forms of delivery, such as outsourcing, which in turn could
stimulte local and regional markets.

1.5.20
Improve procurement skills. Make public procure-
ment an active, transparent instrument for promoting competi-
tion. It is important to perfect procurement skills in order to
assessments.
improve quality and consistency in tender
Procurement centres can often be established with several
public authorities working together in order to secure a high
level of competence.

Comp e ti t i v e a dmi ni str a ti o n

Use spatial planning as an active instrument to
1.5.16
boost competitiveness. Spatial planning is crucial to the type
of local market that is created. Planning impacts on access to
business premises and freedom of establishment. The way a
market operates also depends on the availability of shops and
services for customers. Good public communications play an
important role here. In Europe there is freedom of establish-
ment but unless local and regional spatial planning is used
properly it can, in practice, hinder the establishment of compa-
nies. Regional and local planning — whether in rural or urban
areas — must be more growth and development-oriented.

1.5.21
Promote small businesses in procurement proce-
dures. While it is important to coordinate cross-municipality
procurement skills, it is also important to ensure this does not
lead to bundling tenders together into major ventures that are
impossible for small businesses to handle. Instead, big tenders
should, as far as possible, be divided up into several smaller
tenders, which would favour small businesses. The administra-
tive burden in tender procedures is often far too big for small
businesses. Tender applications and procedures should, as far as
possible, be standardised and uniform regional, national and
European standards should be established. The use of informa-
tion technology both for procurement and smaller buy-ins
must be increased.

1.5.17
Set efficiency improvement objectives for public
services. In Europe, locally and regionally produced publicly
funded services account for a significant part of the economy.
How these resources are used is important not just in terms of
the service citizens receive but also in terms of competitiveness.
Better use of tax revenue has a positive impact on the whole
economy and on employment. Continuous efficiency gains in
public services enhances public sector productivity and gives

1.5.22
Greater use of e-administration. In order to save
costs both for citizens, companies and administrations, e-
administration needs to be rolled out. Good e-administration
frees up resources for core activities and
improves service,
makes more frequent electronic exchanges of
information
between public institutions easier.

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1.5.23
Increase employment and reduce benefit depen-
dency. General economic and social policy at regional and
municipal level must focus more on employment, giving more
people the opportunity to work and reducing benefit depen-
dency. Increasing employment is always the best way to ease
social problems. The impact of social policy on employment
should be continuously assessed in order to improve proce-
dures. Technical meetings should also be held to share best
practice in this area.

1.5.24
Empower the workforce. Help to empower the
workforce by providing more child-care and social initiatives
for better integration of unemployed immigrants into working
life. In this context, it is important to push for greater equality
of opportunity. Equal opportunities in the labour market is
very important for growth. Older people of pensionable age
who want to continue working also constitute a resource and,
rather than being prevented from doing so, this should be
welcomed by society.

A c c e ssi bl e j o bs a n d se r v i c e s

Expand the

labour market

through better
1.5.25
communications. The economic success of major cities
depends in part on the ready availability of labour and jobs,
and on the fact that distances are close and communications
good. It makes it easier to match job vacancies with jobseekers.
For the individual employee, the importance of having access
to a large labour market cannot be underestimated. It is there-
fore important to expand infrastructure and general communi-
cations so that access to job vacancies can be improved. Border
regions must ensure that commuting across regional bound-
aries does not cost more than commuting within the region.

1.5.26
Ensure ease of access to broadband services.
Local and regional authorities can help to ensure that market-
driven broadband services are rolled out. Broadband makes
services more accessible and facilitates teleworking.

2. Recommendations for increased local and regional

competitiveness

The Committee of the Regions

assemblies. Competitiveness is achieved from a bottom-up
perspective, and it is here that this debate — crucial to Europe's
future — must be pursued and words turned into action.

2.2
urges Europe's municipalities, cities and regions to
consider the report's examples of specific measures to boost
competitiveness, and to establish local and regional growth
plans that target greater competitiveness. The plans should list
measures that are appropriate for local and regional circum-
stances.

2.3
urges the Member States to recognise the role played by
the municipalities and regions in growth and competitiveness
and to simplify matters for local and regional development
potential by ensuring the local and regional
level has ample
room for manoeuvre on development policy. The preparatory
work for Member States' national reform programmes should
include an evaluation of the role of the local and regional levels
in implementing various economic and employment policy
guidelines.
it is important for cohesion
policy to focus on achieving the Lisbon objectives and make
specific provision for the practical role of cities and local
authorities.

In this connection,

2.4
urges the Member States and the Commission to recog-
nise the important role played by Europe's growth regions and
major city regions in the development of the entire European
Union. Regions that are lagging behind need to feel the pull of
Europe's economic engines.

2.5
urges the Commission to vigorously promote European
learning on regional growth and competitiveness. Strategic
initiatives are needed in order to learn about best European
practice and examples from other parts of the world. Thematic
benchmarking, where similar regions are compared with each
other, should be promoted.

2.6
urges the Commission to draw up annual regional
competitiveness reports describing conditions in the regions
with the aim to facilitate thematic benchmarking and best prac-
tice. The Committee of the Regions would gladly support the
Commission in this work.

2.1
undertakes to keep the debate about local and regional
competitiveness alive and urges Europe's municipalities, cities
and regions to pursue the debate in their own democratic

2.7
intends to contribute actively to the preparations for
the Spring European Council meeting and to the evaluation of
the national action plans.

Brussels, 16 November 2005.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB