Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on ‘The priorities of the Committee of the Regions for 2012 based on the legislative and work programme of the European Commission’
Date: 2011-12-15
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: European Commission, economic and social cohesion, economic stabilisation, interinstitutional cooperation (EU), legislative programme (EU), single market, sustainable development, transport policy








C_2012054EN.01000101.xml










23.2.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 54/1





Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on ‘The priorities of the Committee of the Regions for 2012 based on the legislative and work programme of the European Commission’
2012/C 54/01
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
I.   
The future of the Union








1.


firmly believes that the key challenge for the EU is now to re-establish public trust in its capacity to secure financial stability and renewed economic growth, as well as giving priority to democratically legitimate political decision-making relating to the negative influence of the financial market;










2.


advocates greater European integration as regards economic governance, provided that this development is given democratically legitimacy and occurs in the framework of the European Union institutions. Acknowledges nevertheless that the European Council of 9 December 2011 could not apply the Community method for the new fiscal compact and the strengthened economic policy coordination, despite the willingness of 26 Member States out of 27 to preserve the Community method, since unanimity was required, only the inter-governmental approach was left with all its legal and political consequences. Regrets that so far, an excessively narrow approach has been taken with the project to enshrine only budget discipline in an intergovernmental Treaty. In the Committee of the Regions’ view, any possible reform of the Lisbon Treaty is to be envisaged as part of a convention established along the same lines as the Convention of the future of Europe (2002-2003), ensuring the full involvement of the European institutions, including the Committee of the Regions;










3.


welcomes the fact that the Commission, in the current difficult economic, budgetary and institutional situation, is determined to defend the Community method vigorously; from the point of view of the Committee of the Regions, as a political assembly of EU local and regional authorities, this is the only option possible for guaranteeing the democratic legitimacy of the Union, application of solidarity- and cohesion-based values and respect for the principles of multi-level governance, subsidiarity and proportionality; confirms its intention to reflect this synergy of values in the revised cooperation agreement between the Commission and the Committee of the Regions, currently under negotiation;










4.


welcomes the prospect of Croatia joining the EU in the near future and confirms its desire to welcome Croatian observers to attend CoR work as of January 2012.




II.   
Turning the EU budget's features and added value to good advantage








5.


highlights the fact that the Union's budget, although relatively small in size, is vital for responding to the challenges defined and agreed in the Lisbon Treaty and the Europe 2020 strategy; stresses the particular features of this budget and its added value in relation to national, regional and local budgets, in the sense that it is always in balance - meaning that no euro whatsoever is earmarked for repaying debts - and 94.5 % thereof is essentially devoted to investment at national, regional and local level; underlines the crucial importance of the leverage effect of the European budget in the strategy for revitalising the European economy and the financing of structural investments targeting regional and local authorities in particular in the context of the current crisis;










6.


stresses the need for the CoR to constantly express its political views on future EU measures towards a deeper fiscal and economic integration and on the synergies between sub-national, national and EU budgets; the CoR has to defend legal competences of regional and local authorities in terms of financial autonomy and to react to all measures which have an impact on the regional and local authorities’ capacity to take loans at affordable prices;










7.


calls on the two branches of the budgetary authority to agree by the end of 2012 on a multi-annual financial framework (MFF) for the 2014-2020 period and, in keeping with the commitment undertaken in Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on a reform of the system for the European Union's own resources with a view to doing away with the "fair return" mentality and allowing enough time to finalise partnership contracts and operational programmes which will follow adoption of MFF-related legislative measures;










8.


welcomes the European Commission's proposal for a pilot phase for the project bond initiative;




III.   
The future of cohesion policy and of transports








9.


deems cohesion policy to be the main European Union beneficiary policy likely to contribute to balanced, sustainable environmental and social economic development throughout the regions of Europe; in this respect the Committee regrets that the budget earmarked for this policy in the proposal for the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework has been reduced, particularly against the backdrop of the current economic financial and social crisis and in view of the Europe 2020 strategy's ambitious objectives;










10.


welcomes the fact that a cohesion policy for all regions of the Union has been retained, as has the simplified architecture based on two objectives and three categories of region, as presented in the 6 October 2011 legislative package; nevertheless would reiterate its request that other additional criteria could be added to per capita GDP, particularly in the implementation and evaluation of programmes, the latter being an indicator which does not adequately reflect economic, social cohesion and environmental sustainability development levels or regional disparities;










11.


welcomes the European Commission's proposals (1) to set up a common strategic framework to improve consistency and synergy between Union policies and (2) to establish a partnership contract between the Commission and each Member State and welcomes the direct involvement of local and regional authorities in formulating this policy;










12.


acknowledges the key role that cohesion policy can play in giving concrete form to the Europe 2020 strategy; nevertheless notes that its raison d'être, as enshrined in the Treaty, is to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities; therefore calls for there to be greater flexibility in the choice of thematic objectives and concentration of funds, attaching real importance to the principles of multi-level governance and partnership with local and regional authorities;










13.


is in favour of the proposals in the legislative package on reinforcing the urban dimension, local development measures and integrated regional and local investment, and calls for the urban mobility action plans to be implemented with financial support from the European Union. At the same time draws the attention to the necessity to adequately reflect rural development dimension in the programming of the cohesion policy with the appropriate link with the CAP;










14.


acknowledges the principle of endeavouring to achieve more efficient cohesion policy-related public expenditure by means of a conditionality system, but would warn against over-complex implementation arrangements; supports the idea of applying ex-ante conditionality, as long as the list of conditions involved is made less cumbersome; accepts the principle of ex-post conditionality, provided that local and regional authorities are directly involved in the results indicators used; on the other hand, does reject the macro-economic conditionality proposals based on the Stability and Growth Pact and would express serious misgivings as to the performance reserve;










15.


supports the consolidation of the territorial cooperation objective, endowed with more financial resources, so as to move beyond the mere exchange of good practice between the regions of Europe;










16.


welcomes the fact that the proposal to revise Regulation 1082/2006 on a European grouping of territorial cooperation (EGTC) has taken on board a large number of proposals made by the Committee of the Regions, particularly as regards i) economic and social players’ and civil society's involvement in EGTCs and ii) steps to facilitate access to this instrument for authorities from third countries; stresses the cross-border potential of the EGTC through the entire set of Community policies; therefore undertakes to pursue its activities for promoting this instrument, especially through its highly relevant platform in this domain, and intends to continue managing the EGTC register;










17.


feels that the "Connecting Europe Facility", endowed with EUR 50 billion, could have a positive effect and significant leverage effect for consolidating the Union's economic, social and territorial cohesion and, through the use of project bonds, attract other investment; nevertheless this mechanism should be coherent with the cohesion policy governance and budget; in any case deems it essential to secure consistency and compatibility with projects financed through the structural funds and to involve local and regional authorities in project selection;










18.


will issue a detailed opinion on the new TEN-T regulatory framework which is designed to address all players involved in TEN-T policy and not just Member States; it could significantly reduce regulatory obstacles to the implementation of a European transport system;










19.


endorses the internalisation of community, access and environmental costs by means of harmonised taxation applying to all modes of transport, the revenues from which will be earmarked for establishing an integrated, efficient and sustainable transport system; also supports the promotion of new financial instruments, particularly European project bonds; believes that the increased use of public-private partnerships could also help to secure funding for new transport infrastructure projects;










20.


stresses the need for a comprehensive strategy of the European Commission in communicating the impact and benefits of cohesion policy on the ground and reminds the role that can be played by the regional and local authorities and offers the CoR's support in this regard.




IV.   
Delivering the Europe 2020 Strategy in partnership








21.


insists that Europe 2020 should be given a full territorial dimension;










22.


deplores that in most cases the preparation of the Europe 2020 National Reform Programmes has been a missed opportunity to implement Europe 2020 in partnership between all tiers of government. The European Commission's Annual Growth Surveys (2012 and 2013) should insist on this need for Member States to address multilevel governance and partnership in their progress reports. It should report to what extent and how all partners, including local and regional authorities, have been involved in Europe 2020 implementation. If needed and to improve ownership of the strategy, specific recommendations on this should be issued. The credibility of Europe 2020 is at stake if the partnership gap between EU, national, regional and local level and citizens remains;










23.


recalls its proposal of Territorial Pacts to be adopted in every Member State in order to guarantee a partnership-based implementation of National Reform Programmes and a joint preparation of the Partnership Contracts;. insists that the partnership principle put forward by the Commission be made effective by making the agreement between all public authorities legally competent for delivering EU funds a precondition for the approval of partnership contracts, and by promoting the option of territorial pacts;










24.


considers that the follow-up of the Flagship Initiatives should be strengthened and monitored in a result-oriented perspective. Continued effort is needed to communicate actions under all Flagship Initiatives to stakeholders on the ground. As the results of the recent CoR survey on "Europe 2020: what's happening on the ground" show, the higher knowledge on the Flagship Initiatives among local and regional authorities, the more relevant they are for the local and regional actions. It also permits to frame existing local and regional initiatives in the context of the broader European objectives, giving a sense of ownership and coordinated action.




IV A.   Smart Growth







25.


considers the current EU research budget to be inadequate, and therefore welcomes the significant boost to research and innovation proposed under the MFF (up from EUR53bn to EUR80bn). This moves the Union nearer to the Europe 2020 target of investing 3 % EU GDP into research and innovation, in line with the creation of an ‘Innovation Union’. Stresses the need to better integrate national programmes and the European Research Framework Programme;










26.


supports the creation of a "Horizon 2020" common strategic framework for research and innovation, as it has the potential to simplify and consolidate the different funding programmes in this field such as the Research Framework Programme (FP7) and the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP). Points out however that the Common Strategic Framework (CSF) for research and innovation should be well coordinated and consistent with the CSF proposed for the structural funds. Welcomes, in this context, the Regional Innovation Scoreboard, in line with its recommendation (1) that consideration also be given to drawing up and publishing an innovation scoreboard at regional level, enabling local and regional authorities, the academic community (universities, colleges and research institutes) and businesses to evaluate and monitor the success of regional innovation activity;










27.


supports the extension and increased allocation of funds in the post-2013 "Education Europe" programme for educational projects that promote mobility. Considers that education that facilitates independent thinking, creativity and innovation is the key factor to ensure growth end competitiveness in the future. The Committee of the Regions also recognises the broader role of education in developing the person as a whole and its social dimension, as well as the ensuring of equal opportunities and access to education, training and mobility. Welcomes that the European Commission has taken up its call for including sports into the integrated programme for education, training, youth and sport;










28.


strongly welcomes the Commission's plans to connect national research systems and to ensure open competition in the field of research and key university positions;










29.


supports further actions to unlock the potential of e-commerce, e-government and ICT-enabled progress in general, while safeguarding citizens’ rights to trustworthy information, safety and privacy. The CoR acknowledges the huge implications of the Digital Agenda in the fields of energy efficiency, interoperable public services and the financing of broadband networks across the European Union. Welcomes in this regard the budget allocation of 9,2 bn euro for digital networks in the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ and the related ‘Guidelines for trans European telecommunication networks’;










30.


recalls the objective set in the Digital Agenda for Europe flagship initiative (2) that by 2013 basic broadband should be accessible to all Europeans. Considers that this objective should be complemented by an approach based on the definition of citizens’ rights in this regard as well as specific public service obligations;










31.


endorses the focus of the future "Creative Europe" post-2013 programme on the achievement of Europe 2020 goals. By bringing culture and media together, the programme must facilitate the distribution of cultural products, create a single online market for audiovisual works and help unlock the job creation potential of the cultural and creative sectors, while at the same time maintaining and building upon Europe's cultural assets.




IV B.   Inclusive growth







32.


welcomes that the Commission is intending to focus on stability and growth, whist also including several important initiatives on social issues in the Work Programme;










33.


reiterates the call made to the European Commission in its recent opinion on Social Housing (CdR 71/2011) to put into place as soon as possible an EU framework allowing affordable and adequate housing for all; points out that this framework would be fully in line with the Europe 2020 objectives of eradication of poverty and better health for the EU population; demands also that such a policy framework be aligned with the energy policies of the EU and that energy-related housing renovation should remain eligible under the European Fund for Regional Development as a key element of social cohesion;










34.


wonders about the follow-up to the Young Opportunities Initiative announced in the State of the Union address by the President of the European Commission;










35.


commits itself to contribute to the European Commission's package on Social Entrepreneurship which for local and regional authorities is of considerable importance from the combined perspectives as employers, service providers and customers;










36.


will contribute to the European Commission's recommendations on child poverty in line with the EU 2020 objectives to tackle unemployment, social exclusion, and poverty;










37.


welcomes the fact that the Agri-Fish Council meeting on 14 November 2011 resulted in a provisional solution for maintaining the food aid programme until 2013 for those who are most deprived, but does regret that there is no agreement to continue the programme beyond 2013. Considers in any event that if the remit for the MDP moves from the Common Agricultural Policy to the European Social Fund then the funds should follow accordingly with the budget structure;










38.


will contribute actively to the 2014-2020 multi-annual programmes on health and consumer policy, as well as the e-health programme;










39.


underlines the important role of local and regional authorities in exploiting the potential of sports as an element of social integration and healthy living.




IV C.   Sustainable growth







40.


commits itself to actively contribute to the EU's preparations for and to actively participate in the United Nations Conference for Sustainable Development in June 2012 ("Rio+20 Earth Summit") and the follow-up of the Summit; calls in this context for the development of a green local economy roadmap at the Rio summit and for the review of the UN governance structures in order to give full recognition to local and regional authorities as key partners in moving towards sustainable development;










41.


reiterates its call on the European Commission to bring forward as soon as possible in 2012 a proposal for the 7th Community Environment Action Programme, which sets clear targets and timetables, and places emphasis on mechanisms that can support local and regional authorities in implementing the EU environmental acquis, including the possible extension of the Covenant of Mayors to the broader resource efficiency agenda, with a particular emphasis on sustainable water and waste management;










42.


looks forward to assessing the upcoming Energy Roadmap 2050 and reaffirms its commitment to promoting sustainable energy solutions at local level to facilitate the transition to a low carbon energy economy; intends to address the need for more balanced energy policies and support schemes;










43.


requests the European Commission when implementing the European Union Biodiversity Strategy 2020 to take account of the CBD COP 10 Decision "Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2011-2020)";










44.


supports the efforts of the EU towards a global, legally-binding agreement under the remit of the United Nations and welcomes the progress made at Durban as important steps in the right direction calls for the international post-Durban climate debate to continue building upon the advances of the Cancún conference which gave recognition to the crucial role of sub-national government, recognising and supporting more actively the important action on adaptation and mitigation undertaken at local and regional level, including the long-term efforts to build a low-carbon "green" economy;










45.


calls for mainstreaming of environmental policy and climate change action priorities into other policy areas to maximise synergies between them;










46.


welcomes the ambition to increase the proportion of climate related expenditure to at least 20 % in the context of the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework beyond 2013. Reiterates however its call on the budgetary authority of the EU to ensure that the EU's budget and its Multi-Annual Financial Framework is better targeted towards exploiting the full potential of local and regional efforts in climate change mitigation, and increasing the support aimed at medium- and-long term investment in local and regional energy savings and energy efficiency projects, in particular under the Covenant of Mayors;










47.


also reiterates in this regard its call for the new LIFE instrument to continue to support local and regional authorities as key beneficiaries and to serve as a catalyst for them to maximise the use of EU funding to carry out ambitious projects in protecting the environment;










48.


welcomes the announced review of the nuclear safety regulation.




V.   
Developing multi-level governance in EU policy making and improving smart regulation








49.


welcomes the overall support by the European institutions for multi-level governance (MLG) based European Union policies, drawing particular attention to the cohesion policy legislative package which confirms MLG as one of the leading "general principles"; nevertheless requests the European institutions also to put multi-level governance in practice by mainstreaming a genuine culture of MLG in the preparatory phases of policies and proposing concrete innovative tools and instruments based on MLG and partnership;










50.


underlines that an EU Smart Regulation approach, should aim at reducing administrative and financial burdens falling upon local and regional public authorities and private entities in the EU. Such an exercise relies on a policy cycle where legislation is constantly reviewed and adapted to new challenges and circumstances, thorough evaluation and the concrete experience of implementation at all levels of government as well as the introduction of new e-government solutions;










51.


is committed to continue monitoring the application of the subsidiarity principle, in particular by collaborating with other EU institutions and with national and regional parliaments;










52.


in order to improve the regulatory environment, calls for more territory-sensitive EU impact assessments and proposes to contribute in a more structured manner to the European Commission impact assessments; also intends to develop mechanisms to contribute to the ex-post evaluation of existing legislation, in particular by looking at the way EU legislation is implemented at local and regional level;










53.


welcomes the extension of the time for public consultations from 8 to 12 week.




VI.   
Unleashing the potential of the single market








54.


welcomes the European Parliament's support, with EUR 2 million, for the Erasmus programme of training for local councillors, urges the European Commission to ensure there is a swift and effective use of this budget, and confirms its commitment to playing an active role in the development of this programme;










55.


reiterates the need that Single Market related legislation respects the social horizontal clause foreseen under article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;










56.


reiterates in relation to the need to update the regulation on compensation for services of general economic interest (SGEI) (Almunia package) its requests to lift up the de minimis exemption ceilings to 800 000 EUR/year, to widen the scope of exempted social services, to remove the population-related exemption criterion and to abandon the intention to give the European Commission the mandate to measure the efficiency of running SGEI;










57.


still expects the European Commission to present as announced in the Single Market Act Communication in April 2011 (3) the “measures designed to better ensure that SGEIs, including social services of general interest (SSGIs), have a framework enabling them to perform their tasks” and to ‘examine the measures to ensure, in conjunction with Article 14 and Protocol No 26, that all citizens have affordable access to essential everyday services which they need in order to participate in economic and social life’. Also expects the Commission to present the announced Communication on a quality framework on services of general interest;










58.


welcomes the modernisation of the EU public procurement legislative framework in line with the EU2020 goals, and the further possibilities to include objectives such as combating climate change, protecting the environment, preventing social exclusion and fostering innovation and e-government in public procurement;










59.


welcomes the Commission's proposal for a draft Directive and a draft Regulation on credit rating agencies presented on 15 November 2011 and in particular, the objectives to reduce the reliance of financial institutions on credit ratings and to make credit rating agencies more accountable for the ratings they provide; regrets, however that the Commission has not taken on board the European Parliament's call (4) for it to launch a feasibility and impact study on the setting up of a public and independent European credit rating agency;










60.


expects the Commission to release a White Paper on Pensions that should be accompanied by proper assessments of the impact on local and regional authorities as they represent the majority of public sector employment in Europe and manage supplementary pension schemes for their staff;










61.


stresses the importance of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (2014-2020) (EGAF) and its need as a tool to address globalisation-related impact on unemployment. However, as a reactive tool, the EGAF cannot substitute a preventive employment strategy aiming at anticipating long-term economic change and restructuring. Moreover, the EGAF cannot be turned into a compensation scheme for alleviating the impact of free trade agreements. Rejects the proposal that the EGAF should be financed outside the remits of the multi-annual financial framework;










62.


highlights the importance of the European Entrepreneurial Region award scheme it launched in 2010 as a cross-border exchange "network" of regions developing tailored regional strategies in order to boost entrepreneurship and to tap into the innovative potential of business;










63.


calls for the creation of "Small Business Act Partnerships" to further implement the Small Business Act (SBA) at regional level and wishes to be involved in the SBA advisory group to be set up.




VII.   
Pursuing the citizens’ agenda: freedom, security and justice








64.


looks forward to the entry into force of the Regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative, which will enhance the democratic life of the EU by reinforcing citizens’ and organised civil society's involvement in the shaping of EU policies and ultimately forging a strong sense of citizens’ "ownership" of and identification with the Union; is committed to playing an active role in the operation of European Citizens’ Initiatives;










65.


underlines the importance of cultivating a European public space, where the concepts of multilevel European identity and citizenship – complementing Member State citizenship and national, regional or local identities – contributes to the strengthening of European democracy; to this effect welcomes the denomination of 2013 as the European Year of Citizens, and highlights the significance of providing adequate resources and programmes to foster fundamental rights, democracy and citizens’ participation in the European project; Therefore in addition to the proposed Justice and Rights and Citizenship Programmes, looks forward to contributing to the adjustment of the expected Europe for Citizens programme to ensure that town twinning partnerships and mechanisms to support decentralised communication are further supported;










66.


firmly believes in an open Europe anchored in the high level of protection and full respect of fundamental rights for all; this should constitute the guiding principle behind all action and legislation within the EU's areas of activity; calls for full implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights through concrete actions and initiatives;










67.


remains committed to contributing to the full delivery of the objectives of the Stockholm Programme and Action Plan, in particular the development of comprehensive and coordinated policies on migration and asylum, borders and security; recognises the need for smart external borders and underlines the importance of maintaining and enhancing the area without internal borders; therefore welcomes the intention to strengthen the governance of the Schengen system while safeguarding its Community character and ensuring that the necessary responses to external events are based on transparent, common European rules that do not unduly restrict existing cross-border cooperation;










68.


in view of the growing challenges in this areas, welcomes the considerable budgetary increase proposed for home affairs in the MFF for 2014-2020, and the simplification of the structure of the home affairs programmes from six to two: an Asylum and Migration Fund, and an Internal Security Fund; nevertheless, calls for a balance to be struck between the security and border related strands of the expenditure, and expenditure in areas where actions of local and regional authorities bring a clearer added value such as integration of migrants and reception conditions for asylum seekers;










69.


calls for real progress in the actual ability for citizens to move freely across the Union. This includes simplifying procedures for citizens who have chosen to move to around the EU, in areas such as recognition of the effects of civil status records, succession rights and divorce settlements;










70.


believes that local and regional authorities can offer a credible contribution to the development of a robust framework for civil and criminal law, both at the substantive and procedural levels; therefore supports the intention to enhance procedural rights, to guarantee safety and security throughout Europe and to continue building upon judicial and police cooperation.




VIII.   
Agriculture and fisheries








71.


will actively contribute to the elaboration of the future CAP legislation by insisting on a clearer focus on employment, on greening the CAP, on strengthening its territorial dimension and on the need for regulation of the agricultural sector. Believes moreover that, given the pressing requirement for the CAP to provide not only for food needs but also to achieve Europe’s core tasks, it should be brought more into line with the Europe 2020 strategy in order to focus on agriculture-related employment in particular in fragile areas and to allow farmers to receive payments to deliver public goods such as an enhanced approach to food security, the sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity protection, tackling climate change, and the regeneration of rural areas as a whole;










72.


supports fairer distribution of CAP funds using objective criteria that reflect the different economic realities amongst Member States and calls for simplification of the direct payments procedure;










73.


regrets that the budget for rural development (EUR 101 bn) will continue to remain disproportionately small compared to the funds allocated to direct payments. Calls for a greater focus on supporting the development of rural economies and diversification and, in particular, on better synergies with the EU cohesion policy to which the Common Strategic Framework give a good legal and political framework;










74.


will contribute to the debate on the reform of the EU common fisheries policy and on the European Fisheries Fund, stressing the importance of developing sustainable fisheries, bearing in mind the social and economic development of coastal regions and considering that a fair balance is necessary between these various aspects. Thus, the Committee of the Regions would like more to be done to promote sustainable jobs in coastal regions and jobs in the maritime sector to be made more attractive to young people, all the while ensuring harmonious use of the sea's resources.




IX.   
Giving the EU an effective voice in the wider world








75.


welcomes the EU's efforts to support democratic transition processes throughout the world. The CoR reiterates the need to involve all actors in this process in order to enable effective capacity building also at the local and regional levels;










76.


will continue to work with the other institutions in bringing forward the territorial dimension of the enlargement process and in encouraging the involvement of local and regional actors from the candidate and the potential candidate countries in the related developments via its competent commission (CIVEX) and specifically via its Working Groups on Turkey and the Western Balkans and its JCC with FYROM; announces the creation of a Joint Consultative Committee EU-Montenegro in 2012 and reiterates the intention to establish Joint Consultative Committees with all the remaining candidate countries, to provide for an appropriate framework to accompany accession negotiations from a local and regional perspective;










77.


will continue to use the support of the European Commission for the Local Administration Facility (LAF) and co-organise the study visits of elected local politicians and senior staff from accession and pre-accession countries to Brussels with the purpose to introduce them to the work of the EU and familiarise them with parts of the acquis communautaire. Plans to further develop the co-organisation of the LAF events in the respective countries in order to widen the audience and impact of this TAIEX financed facility for local and regional authorities; furthermore reiterates its suggestion that equivalent initiatives should be developed for the neighbourhood countries in order to support their capacity building at local and regional level;










78.


recall that the objectives of the European Neighbourhood Policy including the consolidation of democratic reforms and progress towards "deep democracy" cannot be achieved without the active support of local and regional authorities and will continue to invest the effort and resources into the development of the local and regional dimension of the ENP;










79.


attaches great importance to the work done and opportunities offered by the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) and the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) in achieving the goals of the ENP. Responding to the request of the Warsaw Eastern Partnership Summit of the Heads of the State and Government the CoR will work towards transforming CORLEAP into a permanent institutional framework for cooperation and will step up the effort to bring the local and regional authorities from partner countries closer to the EU;










80.


will continue to work for the increased participation of local and regional authorities in the definition, implementation and evaluation of development cooperation strategies. To that end the CoR will support greater coordination of actions among all actors and promote the multilevel and partnership approach to ensure effective delivery of development assistance; will also, in practical terms, continue its close cooperation with the European Commission in particular in the organisation of the Assises of decentralised cooperation and the promotion of both the Atlas of decentralised cooperation which maps existing cooperation projects and the internet portal that facilitates networking and partnership to develop projects and ensure aid is more effective;










81.


instructs the CoR President to submit the present resolution to the President of the European Council, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the forthcoming Danish and Cypriot Presidencies.





Brussels, 15 December 2011.


The President of the Committee of the Regions

Mercedes BRESSO




(1)  CdR 468/2000.

(2)  COM(2010) 245.

(3)  COM(2011) 206 final.

(4)  See point 60 of the European Parliament Resolution of 20 October 2010 on the financial, economic and social crisis: recommendations concerning measures and initiatives to be taken (mid-term report).