Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the legislative and work Programme of the European Commission and the priorities of the Committee of the Regions for 2007
Date: 2006-12-07
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU policy, European Commission, action programme, legislative programme (EU)

10.3.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 57/39

Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on the legislative and work Programme of the Euro-
pean Commission and the priorities of the Committee of the Regions for 2007

(2007/C 57/09)

The Committee of the Regions,

HAVING REGARD TO the Commission Legislative and Work Programme 2007 (COM(2006) 629 final);

HAVING REGARD TO the Strategic Objectives 2005-2009 (COM(2005) 12 final);

HAVING REGARD TO the resolution of the Committee of the Regions on its priorities for 2006-2008
(CdR 11/2006 final);

HAVING REGARD TO the Commission communication entitled ‘The Commission's contribution to the
period of reflection and beyond: Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate’ (COM(2005) 494 final);

HAVING REGARD TO the communication entitled ‘A Citizens' Agenda: Delivering Results for Europe’
(COM(2006) 211 final);

HAVING REGARD TO the protocol governing arrangements for cooperation between the European
Commission and the Committee of the Regions (R/CdR 197/2005 item 11);

adopted the following resolution at its 67th plenary session on 6 and 7 December 2006 (meeting of
7 December).

The Committee of the Regions,

welcomes the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the EU
on 1 January 2007 as a further step towards political stability
and prosperity in Europe;

showing citizens the benefits of the draft text, and is willing to
contribute by identifying such costs from a local and regional
authorities' perspective;

1. Continuation of the constitutional process

2. European governance

1.1
intends, on the occasion of the celebrations to mark the
50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome that it will hold in the
Italian capital on 22 and 23 March 2007, to re-affirm the need
for a revival of the constitutional process;

1.2
expects, as a consequence of the institutional regulation,
to keep the acquired rights granted in the Constitutional Treaty
signed by the Heads of State and Government on 29 October
2004, and in particular with regard to the territorial dimension
of the European Union;

reiterates its desire to be involved, together with the
1.3
European Parliament, the European Commission, the national
parliaments and the German presidency, in the preparation of
the Berlin Declaration of March 2007 in which it wants to add
its voice of support to the renewed commitment to an enlarged,
sustainable, open and competitive Europe;

1.4
is aware of the issues at this crucial phase and of the
responsibilities which also fall on local and regional elected
representatives; is cooperating in the implementation of Plan D
for democracy, dialogue and debate, particularly as regards its
decentralisation in order
to encourage an open and direct
dialogue with the citizens in Europe's cities and regions on the
future of the European Union, and urges reciprocal commit-
ments which will be entered into by the Committee of the
Regions and the European Commission with regard to the intro-
duction of a decentralised communication policy;

believes that an analysis of the costs of not having a
1.5
Constitution is important for taking the debate forward and

2.1 welcomes the new strategy of the European Commis-
sion for European citizens which, while resting on the principles
of subsidiarity and proportionality, endeavours to consolidate
the Community method by promoting a ‘Europe of projects and
results’, in particular with a view to the full completion of an
open and efficient single market, the strengthening of solidarity,
the implementation of the strategy for sustainable development
and the consolidation of security;

2.2
urges the European Commission to make full use of its
role as the engine of the European integration process and as
guardian of the EU Treaties, and recalls that a coherent long-
term political vision which translates into concrete political
action is a precondition for ‘better law-making’ and ‘better regu-
lation’;

2.3 welcomes the Commission's commitment
to hold a
regular dialogue with young people. The EU needs to encourage
young people to take part in shaping the future of Europe.
Promoting the creation of a citizens' Europe and the integration
of young people into society remain priorities for the CoR;

requests the sustained adoption of European territorial
2.4
pacts which,
in the name of the ‘partnership principle’, will
make it possible to increase territorial consistency and the flex-
ibility of policies with a strong territorial impact through struc-
tured collaboration between the various levels of governance;
to re-
therefore calls on the Commission to commit
launching the test phase for this instrument;

itself

C 57/40

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.3.2007

advocates the strengthening of the Committee of the
2.5
Regions' commitment at all stages of the Community's decision-
making process, and in particular in assessing the territorial
impact of major Community policies; stresses, moreover, the
decisive role that
regional and local authorities, properly
involved in the preparation of legislative acts, can play in their
transposition and implementation;

2.6
underlines the potential offered by the new European
Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGCT) Regulation as an
innovative legal mechanism for the development of territorial
cooperation and looks forward to contributing towards its
implementation on the ground by activating concrete initiatives,
especially within its cooperation agreement with the European
Commission;

2.7
believes that a constant scrutiny should be placed on
ensuring proper implementation of EU standards and principles
in candidate and pre-candidate countries; stresses that close
attention should be paid to genuine decentralisation, respect for
cultural and linguistic diversity and the establishment of a
modern public administration;

3. Budgetary review

3.1
confirms its commitment to contribute to the review of
the EU budgetary framework; announces that a working group
has been established for this purpose within the Committee of
the Regions Bureau;

4. Prosperity

4.1
underlines the need for a continuous modernisation of
the European economy and the European Social Model through
the renewed Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs;

stresses that the results of the Lisbon Monitoring Plat-
4.2
form (which has been established by the CoR in 2006) show
that the Lisbon governance cycle has to encourage more visible
ownership and commitment to delivery at all concerned levels,
and greater involvement of local and regional authorities;

4.3
therefore urges the Member States and the European
Commission to involve local and regional authorities to a
greater extent, as the Lisbon Strategy can only be successfully
delivered if all stakeholders are fully involved in the decision-
making, implementation and monitoring processes and invites
the European Council,
the European Commission and the
Member States to take part in its Territorial Dialogue 2007,
which deals with the contribution of cities and regions to the
successful implementation of the Strategy for growth and jobs;

reiterates its emphasis on the role of regionally and
interest in delivering the

4.4
locally anchored services of general
aims of the Lisbon Strategy;

stresses,

through the Lisbon Monitoring Platform
4.5
results, the great importance of
the Cohesion Policy in the
funding of Lisbon-related actions at local and regional level. The
study that was made in connection with the outlook opinion —
Leverage effect of European Cohesion Policy under the Structural Funds
— that the CoR will adopt at its plenary session in February
2007 shows that, as a result of its specific features (partnership,
additionality, strategic programming and multiannual funding),
EU cohesion policy has had a number of significant impacts and
leverage effects at the local and regional level. It is visible and
perceived to be inclusive by European citizens because of its
tangible contribution to improving quality of life;

4.6 welcomes the planned Regions for Economic Change
initiative as an opportunity to share experiences between
to bridge territorial cooperation with mainstream
regions,
regional development programmes and to allow closer work
between the European Commission, the Member States, and
cities and regions; urges the Commission to actively involve
local and regional authorities in the process of selecting priority
fields for the initiative and expects to be fully involved in the
development of this initiative;

4.7 welcomes the European Commission's proposed stock-
taking of European society as well as the Single Market review,
the Regions will contribute by
to which the Committee of
adopting an outlook opinion; agrees with the ambition of
breaking down barriers to the opportunities offered by the Euro-
pean Single Market, ensuring that citizens effectively reap these
benefits; underlines, however, that solidarity and social and
territorial cohesion must at the same time remain at the core of
European policy-making;

4.8 welcomes the European Commission's aim to take
further steps to improve the European Research Area and
points out that European research and innovation potential
depends on the capacity and specialisation of every European
region; will continue to follow closely the setting-up of the
European Institute of Technology, highlighting the decisive
cluster-forming role which local and regional authorities play in
promoting university-enterprise collaboration, in particular with
small and medium enterprises, and reiterates that one of the
prerequisites for a successful innovative Europe is the introduc-
tion of a Community patent;

4.9
stresses that education, training and life-long learning
are fundamental to meeting the challenges of globalisation, in
particular by promoting a highly qualified workforce that is able
to meet the constantly changing labour market demands of the
knowledge society; underlines the need to recognise the key
competences of local and regional authorities in these fields;

10.3.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 57/41

believes that Europe also needs a strong enterprise
4.10
culture and will continue to encourage local and regional
authorities to promote entrepreneurship in schools as a valuable
career choice contributing to Europe's prosperity; encourages
the EC to re-start its ‘Young Entrepreneurship’ programme;

4.11
reiterates the importance of promoting information
and communication technologies that support a regionally and
socially equitable information society which includes all citizens
and equips them with the skills they need to live and work in
the knowledge society; will continue to ensure that the regional
and local dimension is also given focus within the framework of
the i2010 initiative;

4.12 welcomes the European Commission proposal
to
continue, as part of the framing of the EU's future maritime
policy, the development of an integrated approach taking into
account all the policies that have repercussions on the maritime
environment,
including measures needed to guarantee the
sustainability of the European fisheries sector, and in particular
the communication on the ports policy of the European Union;
reaffirms its interest in being involved in the framing of this
integrated policy and its implementation;

5. Solidarity

5.1
recognises that an ageing population is one of the main
challenges that the European Union will have to face in the
years to come; underlines the necessity of taking into account
the issue of ageing in all policy areas and affirms that there
need to be regionally diversified approaches since significant
differences are apparent in ageing patterns at different territorial
scales;

5.2 welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to
develop a European framework for economic immigrants with
special attention given to highly skilled migrants as one of the
responses to increasing demographic pressures, without under-
mining the development of third countries;

5.3
urges the Commission to come forward with a commu-
nication outlining common principles to define and explain
‘flexicurity’,
in particular with regard to how this approach
could combine labour market flexibility and the development of
skills with strong social protection and at the same time taking
into account the specific features of different Member States and
regions;

4.13
underlines the importance of the mid-term review of
the EU Transport Policy and expresses its intention to highlight
those commitments already made by the EU in this area with a
view to their full implementation, and its wish to contribute to
the debate on the initiatives put
forward by the European
Commission on urban transport, port policy, air transport and
the Trans-European Networks of Transport during the period
2007-2013;

5.4 welcomes the ‘European Year of Equal Opportunities —
2007’ as well as the European Commission's ambition to take
stock of the social situation in the European Union, with a par-
ticular emphasis on questions of access and opportunity, with a
view to building a new consensus on the social challenges
facing Europe; reiterates the need to take seriously discrimina-
tion with regard to age, gender, ethnic origin, disability, sexual
orientation, religion and belief;

4.14
considers that some serious thinking should be started
as of now on producing a quality-based Common Agricultural
Policy and on the role of a beefed-up rural development policy
after 2013, and asks that a consultation procedure, focused on
sustainable development, competitiveness and innovation and
involving local authorities should be started from the beginning
of the new programming period in 2007;

5.5 welcomes the forthcoming 4th Report on Economic
and Social Cohesion on the progress made towards economic,
social and territorial cohesion and the contribution made to
cohesion by European and national policies, as well as by the
Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund, other financial instruments
and the European Investment Bank, and underlines the impor-
tant place of cohesion policy in the upcoming mid-term review
of the Community budget;

4.15
considers that coordination at regional and local level
between rural development policy and regional policy is essen-
tial to ensuring optimum use of the financial resources are allo-
cated to them, and, for this reason, points out how much
importance it attaches to local authorities being involved in all
the stages of developing and implementing rural development
programmes;

encourages the Commission to stimulate an open
4.16
debate on the co-existence of genetically modified crops and
conventional and biological crops, and, while respecting the
powers of local authorities and the options chosen by them,
promote transparent solutions that reconcile the interests of
consumers and farmers, respect the environment, protect health
and promote research and competitiveness;

6. Energy and climate change

6.1
expects the strategic review of energy policy for Europe
to provide a fresh impetus for a common approach to competi-
tiveness, the security of energy supplies, and the challenge of
climate change; This must be based on innovation and the use
of new technologies, renewable energy and energy efficiency so
as to reduce dependence on energy imports from non-EU coun-
tries and bring about the internal market in gas and electricity;
requests, therefore, that the dialogue between the European
Commission and regional and local authorities be stepped up,
since the latter are fully involved in the implementation of
projects to encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable
energy;

C 57/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

10.3.2007

reiterates its support for the European Commission in
6.2
its commitment to face up to climate change and feels it essen-
tial that the Commission should promote ambitious objectives
at international negotiations for the post-2012 period, which
involve both the main greenhouse gas-producing countries and
the main sectors responsible for climate change; will contri-
bute ideas for the post-2012 targets during the course of 2007;

6.3 welcomes the emphasis placed once again by the Euro-
pean Commission on adapting to climate change, as certain
effects of climate change are no longer avoidable; stresses the
need to examine Community policies in the light of
these
changes; considers it a priority to beef up research into the
economic, ecological and social effects of climate change in the
various regions and to inform citizens of these effects and costs
and asks the European Commission to promote an exchange of
good practices in this field so that local and regional authorities
can develop methods of adaptation that can be applied to the
various situations of the cities and regions of Europe;

7. Area of freedom, security and justice

7.1
recommends recognition of a common European policy
on immigration and asylum which is based on five pillars:
increased cooperation between the Member States and non-EU
countries; securing of external borders and the fight against
human trafficking; the development of coherent and effective
policies to protect minors; a return policy; an integration of
migrants into society. This policy must take account of local
authorities' responsibilities in implementing the priorities of the
Hague Programme, particularly as regards the integration policy
followed with the aim of encouraging access to jobs, the right
to education and training, access to social and health services,
the participation of immigrants in social, cultural and political
life, and access to facilities for learning the official languages of
the host country;

7.2 welcomes the new initiative by the European Commis-
sion to organise an annual conference on the subject of Inte-
grating Cities, the first one having been held in Rotterdam in
October 2006. Confirms its commitment to continue playing
an important part in future editions, beginning with the 2007
conference which will take place in Milan;

7.3
asks, therefore, with a view to setting up a systematic
and structured institutional partnership, to be involved in the
consultation phase on immigration, which will be launched by
the European Commission at the beginning of 2007, and in the
new method for assessing implementation of
the Hague
Programme presented by the Commission in June 2006;

7.4 welcomes the initiative of the European Commission to
issue a handbook on immigration and integration during 2007,
through its
stresses that

the Committee of

the Regions,

members, can provide a rich source of information and best
practices in this area, and therefore calls on the European
Commission to involve the Committee of the Regions as closely
as possible in the preparation of this handbook;

7.5
highlights the fact that several regions and cities are
particularly affected by immigration influxes and suffer from a
lack of means to deal with the masses of
immigrants with
therefore requests that Frontex
adequate humanitarian care;
play an increasingly important role in coordinating assistance to
the regions concerned;

recalls the need for a careful balance to be struck
7.6
between security needs in a globalised world and fundamental
individual rights and freedoms;

8. Enlargement

integration in cooperation with the other

encourages the Commission to assess the EU's capacity
8.1
for
institutions,
including the CoR; recognises that a public debate about future
enlargements is taking place and welcomes this debate;

supports the process of EU enlargement

8.2
to include
Croatia, Turkey and the Western Balkans and commits itself to
developing dialogue between regional and local authorities in
the EU and in countries which are or may be candidates for EU
membership; believes that, regardless of Turkey's future status
within the European Union, it is in Europe's interest to continue
encouraging Turkey down the path of reform. Plans to continue
direct contact with Turkish local and regional authorities with
the objective of setting up a Joint Consultative Committee at the
earliest possible opportunity;

9. Speaking with a strong voice in the world

9.1
intends to contribute to the democratic consolidation of
the neighbouring countries and the countries of the Western
Balkans by taking part in missions to observe regional and local
elections and by developing, with this end in view, suitable
inter-institutional cooperation at Community and European
level;

strongly encourages implementation of

9.2
the regional
conference Euromed Barcelona + 10 and recalls the importance
of institutional dialogue between local authorities in the Euro-
pean Union and the non-EU partner countries of the Mediterra-
nean basin (MPCs) with a view to encouraging the exchange of
good practices as regards regional partnership, decentralised
cooperation, decentralisation and good governance in the Euro-
Mediterranean area; to this end calls for the creation of a Forum
for dialogue between regional and local authorities in the EU
and the MPCs;

10.3.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 57/43

stresses the need to nurture constructive relations with
9.3
countries in the Neighbourhood area at a local and regional
level, particularly along the newly drawn Eastern borders of the
European Union;

underlines that relations should be developed and rein-
9.4
forced to the extent of creating Strategic Partnerships with
Russia and the new Northern Dimension Policy Framework;

9.5
menting the European Consensus

stresses the importance of good governance for imple-
and

for Development

Brussels, 7 December 2006.

considers that application of the subsidiarity principle as part
of decentralised cooperation is a key constituent of good
governance and European development policy;

10.
instructs its president to forward this resolution to the
European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council
and the presidencies of the European Union in 2007, namely
the German and Portuguese presidencies.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Michel DELEBARRE