The Portuguese Presidency of the European Union : the political agenda of the Committee of the Regions.
Date: 2007-12-30
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: European Committee of the Regions, Portugal, Presidency of the Council of the EU

THE PORTUGUESE 
PRESIDENCY OF 
THE EUROPEAN UNION 

THE POLITICAL AGENDA
OF THE COMMITTEE 
OF THE REGIONS

Michel Delebarre,
President of the Committee of the Regions

Carlos Tuta, Head of the Portuguese delegation
to the Committee of the Regions

Portugal took over the EU presidency from Germany on 1 July. A highlight
of the German presidency was the major celebrations surrounding the
fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome.

The Committee of the Regions marked that anniversary by organising its
plenary session in the Italian capital. For us, as local and regional elected
representatives, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
was  also  a  celebration  of  the  amazing  return  of  local  and  regional
authorities to centre stage. Over the last fifty years, the progress of European
integration  has  gone  hand-in-hand  with  a  stronger  role  for  local  and
regional authorities in the Community decision-making and policy process. 

The Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union is to start
on 1 July; this is the third time Portugal has held this office, the second
being in 2000. This presidency offers an opportunity to push for new topics
to  be  developed  by  the  various  European  institutions,  including  the
Committee of the Regions.

With the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which
took place recently, we all acknowledge today the enormous benefits that
Europe has brought its citizens: peace, prosperity and stability. In Portugal
there is absolute consensus on the benefits that Europe has brought and
immense pride in being all part of the same, stimulating project. 

The heads of state or government of the 27 Member States of the European
Union stated this unambiguously in the declaration adopted in Berlin on 25
March.  "We  preserve  in  the  European  Union  the  identities  and  diverse
traditions of its Member States. We are enriched by open borders and a
lively variety of languages, cultures and regions. There are many goals which
we  cannot  achieve  on  our  own,  but  only  in  concert. Tasks  are  shared
between the European Union, the Member States and their regions and
local authorities." 

However, huge efforts are still needed to bring Europe closer to the public,
so that they can genuinely identify with it and feel that it something that is
inherently theirs. Recent signs and, in particular, all the work carried out by
the previous, German presidency, are encouraging: as regards both energy
and  climate  change  the  European  public  feels  that  Europe  is  moving,
seeking solutions and responses to the concerns we all have. It is not just a
question of sharing common values but of building a future with common
responses to our expectations.

If we are to come together to build a generous political project that meets
the economic and social needs of our fellow-citizens, the Committee of the
Regions,  whose  344  members  are  all  regional  and  local  elected
representatives, has a key role to play. We, who represent the front line of
democracy and the areas where solidarity is exercised at local level, are
prepared to make a firm commitment to establish a new covenant between
the EU, its various levels of governance, and its citizens. The next six months,
which will be punctuated by the CoR Bureau meeting in Vilamoura in early
September, will enable us to work together with the 12 members of the
Portuguese delegation, chaired by Carlos Tuta, on the main topics of the
Portuguese presidency. These include relaunching the institutional reforms
based on the timetable set by the June European Council, and also ongoing
legislative dossiers connected to the Lisbon Strategy, energy, maritime
policy and migration policy.

Regional and local authorities are particularly well placed to give the public
tangible responses, and it is easy to understand why. The challenges that
they have to handle on a daily basis require very detailed knowledge of
various issues which have to be taken into account when attempting to
meet the public's expectations and many demands. Moreover, as is well-
known, at present around seventy percent of European legislation and
regulations are practically implemented at regional and local level. This is
another reason why regional and local authorities could be an effective,
two-way channel conveying the public's concerns to Europe and vice versa.
Throughout Europe, on widely varying issues and in different fields, it is not
uncommon for different solutions, methods and approaches to be adopted
at regional and local level. This is very healthy. We are sure that only respect
for diversity, for different ways of acting, thinking and implementing rules,
can  ensure  the  success  of  the  European  project.  And  who  better  than
municipalities, cities and regions can implement this respect for diversity?

The Portuguese delegation to the Committee of the Regions, which is made
up  of  12  full  members  who  are  mayors  and  12  alternates,  sees  the
Portuguese presidency of the European Union as a good opportunity to
launch new ideas, projects and initiatives for all. To make Europe grow.

The Committee of the Regions, as a consultative body of the European
Union, will put in place all possible synergies to integrate the thematic
priorities of the EU presidency into its programme of forthcoming work.

So let's make sure we exploit this opportunity properly and place all our
drive at the service of all. Each and every one, working in a timely manner
to make Europe better and better.

2

PORTUGUESE PRIME 
MINISTER, JOSÉ SÓCRATES

The Portuguese presidency –
For a stronger Europe

In the second half of 2007, Portugal will hold the presidency
of the Council of the European Union for the third time,
having already done so in 1992 and 2000. The 2007 term of
office will, however, be quite different to the previous terms
and this is the approach that Portugal will endeavour to
apply to its presidency.  

The Future of the Union

Within the EU, it is acknowledged that the main political
issue  facing  the  Union  is  how  to  break  the  deadlock
affecting the reform of the Treaties.  Our approach to this
issue also has a bearing on our ambition for developing the
European project in the future.

Portugal will bring continuity to the work being carried out
to find an institutional solution for the EU, on the basis of
decisions that the June 2007 European Council will take
after analysing the German presidency's report. Everything
will be done to help Member States to reach consensus in
order to resolve this issue.

The Lisbon Strategy – growth and employment

The  programme  of  the  Portuguese  presidency  will  also
focus  on  growth  and  employment,  on  the  basis  of  the
Lisbon Strategy. The Lisbon Agenda - a key component of
Europe's response to the challenges set by globalisation -
provides the European Union with the tools it needs to
secure improved growth and more and better jobs and is
also a major factor in meeting the public's expectations for
the European project. Seven years after its launch, it is worth
highlighting the Agenda's achievements, in particular for
job creation, but what is needed above all is to ensure that
it is fully implemented at all levels.

The Portuguese presidency has a crucial role to play on this
issue  since,  in  close  cooperation  with  the  European
Commission and the forthcoming Slovenian presidency, it will
have to carry out preparatory work on the new phase of this
strategy, in a process culminating in the 2008 Spring European
Council. The aim is not to overhaul the revised Lisbon Strategy
but to ensure that it is fully implemented. This is a prerequisite
for sustainable growth, competitiveness and job creation.

An integrated maritime policy

In the field of maritime policy, the Portuguese presidency
will strive to boost those aspects related to governance and
coordination among maritime stakeholders, in particular at
the regional level, by supporting the seminar held by the
Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions. Because the
start of the presidency will coincide with the end of the
public consultation for the Green Paper entitled "Towards a
future Maritime Policy for the Union", Portugal will hold a
ministerial conference to present and discuss the results of
this consultation, and to identify priority lines of action.

The themes set out above, in a by no means exhaustive list, are
unlikely  to  come  to  fruition  unless  all  the  stakeholders
concerned take real ownership of them. The EU is increasingly
becoming  a  multi-level  system  of  governance,  in  which,
without action at the sub-national – the regional and local –
level, outcomes will always fall short of people's expectations.
Both regional and local bodies and the Committee of the
Regions have, over the years, found increasingly diverse and
proactive ways of responding to European initiatives.  This
valuable contribution is essential in order to build a stronger
Europe - both internally and externally - an aim which the
Portuguese presidency hopes to further.

3

LIST OF PORTUGUESE MEMBERS
OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Full Members

CARNEIRO, José Luís (PES)
Mayor of Baião

PAIVA Antonio (EPP)
Mayor of Tomar

CÉSAR, Carlos (PES)
President of the Regional Government of Azores

PINTO DE SÁ, Carlos (NI)
Mayor of Montemor-o-Novo

CORREIA, José Macário (EPP)
Mayor of Tavira

RAPOSO, Joaquim (PES)
Mayor of Amadora

JARDIM, Alberto João (  EPP)
President of the Regional Government of  Madeira

RIO, Rui (EPP)       
Mayor of  Oporto

MARTINS, Manuel (EPP)
Mayor of Vila Real

MESQUITA MACHADO, Francisco (PES)
Mayor of Braga

RUAS, Fernando (EPP)
Mayor of  Viseu

TUTA, Carlos (PES)
Mayor of Monchique

4

Alternate Members

BORGES, António (PES)
Mayor of Resende

CORDEIRO, Vasco (PES)
Member of the Regional Government of Azores

COSTA, Aníbal (PES)
Mayor of Ferreira do Alentejo

PEREIRA, Américo (NI)
Mayor of Vinhais

PINTO, Carlos (EPP)
Mayor of Covilhã

PROENÇA, Vítor (NI) 
Mayor of  Santiago do Cacém

CUNHA E SILVA, João (EPP)
Vice-President of the Regional Government of Madeira 

SOARES, Jaime (EPP)
Mayor of Vila Nova De Poiares

FREXES, Manuel (EPP) 
Mayor of Fundão

LANCHA, Pedro (PPE) 
Mayor of  Fronteira

TEIXEIRA, Paulo (EPP)
Mayor of Castelo de Paiva

VALENTE, Joaquim (PES)
Mayor of Guarda

5

The administrative and
political organisation of
Portugal

The  Portuguese  state  is  a  democratic,  unitary  republic
which has two kinds of sub-state territorial authorities: the
autonomous  regions  (covering  the  Azores  and  Madeira
archipelagos) and local authorities (administrative regions,
districts,  councils  and  parishes).  A  proposal  to  create
administrative  regions  was  rejected  in  a  referendum  in
November 1998. 

The autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira have a
special status. Other than the two archipelagos, there is no
intermediate decentralised level of government between
the central state and the municipalities. 

The two autonomous island regions

The Azores and Madeira (Autonomous Regions) have had
legislative powers and their own governments since 1976;
these two autonomous regions were set up at the same
time  and  in  the  same  way.  The  remit  of  these  regional
executives reflects the various aspects of local life, public
participation and economic and social development and is
also designed to uphold regional values.

is  elected 

legislative  assembly 

A  regional 
in  each
autonomous region by direct universal suffrage, using a
system  of  proportional  representation.  It  has  legislative
powers in those matters directly affecting the region which
do  not  come  under  the  responsibility  of  the  national
sovereign bodies. It can submit legislative proposals to the

6

Portuguese  parliament  (Assembleia  da  República).  The
power of legislative initiative to amend the political and
administrative statutes of the autonomous regions is the
exclusive 
legislative
responsibility  of 
regional
assemblies;  assembly  members  and 
governments  may  table  proposals  for  amendments  in
debates at the Portuguese parliament.  

regional 

the 

the 

Regions and Districts

Portugal today is divided into 5 regions and 18 districts, but
these have neither executive bodies, nor the status of local
authority. A plan to create 8 genuine regions with elected
executives was rejected in the 1998 referendum.

Administrative Regions

There  are  five  administrative  regions  in  Portugal.  The
Portuguese people decided in a referendum not to allocate
more powers to this level of decentralized administration
with directly elected representatives.

Districts

These are administrative districts which serve to define the
boundaries of the local administrative activities of the state.
They are provisional structures which will be replaced by
administrative regions. 

Their structure is made up of three bodies: district assembly,
consultative council and civil governor. 

The district assembly is a decision-making body comprising
the  mayors  of  municipal  councils,  town  councillors  and
members of each municipal assembly; it meets twice a year.

Councils and parishes

Portugal  has  308  councils  (municipalities).  Their  role  is
defined by the law which sets down shared powers with
the parishes (local development, public networks, public
hygiene and cleanliness, basic sanitation, health, education,
child-care, leisure, sport, culture, environmental protection,
quality of life, development, social welfare, police, and rural
  and urban facilities.

They have an assembly, a decision-making body and an
executive body (comprising a chairman and councillors)
responsible to the assembly. 

There  are  4252  parishes  which  are  comprised  of  an
assembly and a parish board. In addition to the powers
which they share with the municipalities, they have their
own powers regarding the management of their property,
the electoral census and local
public highway maintenance.

Associations of Councils

Municipalities may come together to form associations and
federations aimed at managing joint interests. This type of
association has two bodies: the inter-municipal assembly,
comprising  the  chairmen  and  a  certain  number  of
councillors 
from  each  council,  and  the  board  of
administration, the executive body elected by the inter-
municipal assembly from amongst its members.

Metropolitan areas

the 

there  are 

issues.  Consequently 

The constitution of the Portuguese Republic also allows for
the establishment of other forms of organisation to manage
specific 
two
metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Oporto, which each have
three  bodies:  the  metropolitan  assembly,  comprising
members  elected  from  the  municipal  assemblies;  the
metropolitan board, comprising the chairmen and vice-
chairmen 
  of  the  municipal  assemblies;  and  the
metropolitan council, a consultative body made up of the
chairman  of  the  Regional  Coordination  Commission,
members of the metropolitan council and representatives
of public services and bodies whose spheres of action cover
the  metropolitan  areas.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  the
metropolitan council in particular to coordinate municipal
services  across  the  municipalities,  to  issue  opinions  on
investments  by  central  government  and  the  European
Union and to manage its own services.

7

Agenda of the Committee
of the Regions

JULY 3

JULY 6

Brussels

Commission for Constitutional Affairs, European Governance (CONST) 

Baiona-Vigo

Comission for Territorial Cohesion (COTER)

SEPTEMBER 7

Vilamoura

Extraordinary Bureau with the participation of Francisco Nunes Correia,
minister for Environment, Spatial planning and Regional development of the
Portuguese Government

SEPTEMBER 14

Brussels

Commission for Territorial Cohesion (COTER)

SEPTEMBER 19

Brussels

Commission for External Relations and Decentralised Cooperation (RELEX)

SEPTEMBER 20

Brussels

Conference organised by the Commission for External Relations and
Decentralised Cooperation (RELEX)

SEPTEMBER 21

Brussels

Commission for Culture, Education and Research (EDUC)

SEPTEMBER 26

Brussels

Working Group on relations with Turkey

SEPTEMBER 28

Brussels

Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS)

OCTOBER 2

Brussels

Commission for Sustainable Development (DEV)

OCTOBER 08-11

Brussels

OPEN DAYS - European Week of Regions and Cities

OCTOBER 10-11

Brussels

Plenary Session with the particpation of Dalia Grybauskaité, European
Commissioner for Financial programming and Budget

OCTOBER 22

Łodź

Seminar organised by the Commission for Sustainable Development (DEV)

OCTOBER 17

Brussels

Commission for Constitutional Affairs, European Governance (CONST)

OCTOBER  30

Tenerife

Conference on "The role of the regions in moving migration flows", organised
by the Commission for Constitutional Affairs, European Governance (CONST)

8

NOVEMBER 7

Debrecen

Commission for External Relations and Decentralised Cooperation (RELEX)

NOVEMBER 8 

Debrecen

Seminar on "Challenges for local and regional authorities within the New ENP
Black Sea synergy initiative", organised by the Commission for External
Relations and Decentralised Cooperation (RELEX)

NOVEMBER 9

Brussels

Commission for Territorial Cohesion (COTER)

NOVEMBER 16

Brussels

Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS)

NOVEMBER 23

Brussels

Commission for Culture, Education and Research (EDUC)

NOVEMBER 28-29

Brussels

Plenary Session with the participation of José Manuel Barroso, President of the
European Commission and Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and
Maritime Affairs

DECEMBER 4

Brussels

Commission for Sustainable Development (DEV)

DECEMBER 6-7

Oporto

European Entreprise Awards *  organised by DG Entreprise and Industry  in
association with the Committee of the Regions with the participation of the
Vice-President of the European Commission, Günter Verheugen, and CoR
President, Michel Delebarre.

DECEMBER 7

Brussels

Commission for Constitutional Affairs, European Governance (CONST)

DECEMBER 12 

Lahti

Seminar on "Promoting the Information Society in Regions and
Cities"organised by the Commission for Culture, Education and Research
(EDUC)

* The European Entreprise Awards recognise and reward excellent initiatives

that promote and support entrepreneurship at regional level. 
They showcase best entreprenseurship examples from all over Europe and
encourage the cut of red tape as well as the exchange of best practises.

9

Special Events

Forum

orum

forum

m
u
r
o
f

The Blue Planet Forum
Brussels, 28-29 November

On 27-29 November the Committee of the Regions will
welcome The Blue Planet Forum in conjunction with its
plenary session. The event is set against the background of,
and is an extension of, the consultation process, launched
in  connection  with  the  European  Commission's  Green
Paper Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A
European vision for the oceans and seas.

The  Committee  of  the  Regions  and  the  European
for  Fisheries  and
Commission's  Directorate-General 
Maritime Affairs, co-organisers of the Forum, intend to use
the  occasion  to  highlight  the  economic,  social  and
environmental  challenges  facing  maritime  areas  and  to
place them within the framework of a European policy.

The Forum is designed to raise general awareness, generate
a desire for political and public action and to establish the
means  for  common  action  to  apply  the  principle  of
sustainable development to the seas and the oceans.

Regional  and  local  elected  representatives,  maritime
professionals,  heads  of  educational  and  information
organisations  and  youth  representatives  will  be  the
principal players at this three-day communication platform
to be hosted by the Committee of the Regions and the
Directorate-General  for  Fisheries  and  Maritime  Affairs  in
Brussels on 27-29 November 2007.

ENTREPRISE AWARDS -
Porto, 6-7 DECEMBER 2007

The Committee of the Regions will be associated for the
second  time  with  DG  Enterprise  and  Industry  of  the
European Commission to organise the Enterprise Awards
held in Porto on 6-7 December 2007.
The Award Ceremony will be combined with a conference
with the participation of the Vice-President of the European
Commission, Günter Verheugen, and CoR President, Michel
Delebarre, and an exhibition with stands and workshops,
where the shortlisted candidates will present their projects.
Furthermore,  for  the  20th  anniversary  of  the  Euro  Info
Centre network (launched in Porto, in 1987) there will be a
special anniversary celebration.
On  the  7th  of  December,  a  conference  on  Small  and
Medium sized Enterprises (SME's) and Entrepreneurship is
co-organised with the Portuguese presidency.

OPEN DAYS smashes record 
For fifth successive year as 212 regions and cities sign
up as official partners

For the fifth successive year, a record number of regions and
cities have signed up as official partners for the OPEN DAYS
European  Week  of  Regions  and  Cities,  organised  by  the
Committee of the Regions (CoR) and European Commission
Directorate-General for Regional Policy (DG REGIO). A total of
212 offices of regions and cities – up from 135 last year – will
participate in the biggest event on the regional policy calendar,
which takes place in Brussels from 8-11 October 2007. 

The  overall  theme  is  'Making  it  happen:  Regions  deliver
growth and jobs' and the partner regions and cities are split
into 24 conglomerates, focused on shared challenges in areas
such as sustainable energy, science and innovation, inter-
regional cooperation, local governance and maritime policy.

Some 33 countries are represented by the regions and cities
taking part. Non-EU countries represented include Croatia,
Turkey,  Russia,  Switzerland,  Norway,  plus  Bosnia  and
Herzegovina. 

For the first time, the event will include a series a seminars
on the international dimension of regional policy, to which
experts from third countries and international organisations
will contribute.  

Workshops will address five main sub-themes:
(cid:129) Attracting investors: Regions and cities show how it works; 
(cid:129) Proximity matters: Clusters and regional development; 
(cid:129) Spending it wisely: Public-private partnerships and financial

engineering;

(cid:129) Crossing borders: Cooperation  and  exchange  of  best

practice supporting growth and jobs; 

(cid:129) Efficient delivery: How 

the  new  programmes  are

implemented. 

Following its successful launch in 2006, the Committee of the
Regions will again host the Investor's Café, an exhibition and
meeting point where local and regional authorities, private
companies  and  institutions  will  be  able  to  link  up  with  a
specific  thematic 
including
transport, education, research and development, sustainable
development, health and financial engineering. The Investor's
Café will also be the base for a TV studio, which is entirely at
the disposal of regional channels, and a press centre. 

'vill  age'  under  categories 

10

Contact Points

Dr. Carlos Tuta
Mayor of Monchique
Head of the Portuguese Delegation 
to the Committee of the Regions

Câmara Municipal de Monchique
Travessa da Portela
8550 Monchique

Tel. +351 282 910 200

geral@cm-monchique.pt
www.cm-monchique.pt

Monika Weymann
Registration and support services for Committee members

Building Jacques Delors
Rue Belliard 101 99-101
B-1040 Brussels

Tel: +32/2/282/2509

E-mail: monika.weymann@cor.europa.eu  
www.cor.europa.eu  

11

Jacques Delors Building
Rue Belliard 99-101
1040 Brussels
http://www.cor.europa.eu

Catalogue N° QG-02-23-012-EN-N 
ISBN 978-92-895-2526-8
doi:10.2863/80702