Governance and citizenship

European cities and regions have called on the EU heads of state and government to retain and strengthen the gains for regional and local government achieved in the European Constitution.

 

In a letter sent on 9 January 2007, the presidents of the six main associations of European local and regional government* call on the EU heads of state and government to retain, in any new or revised Treaty on the future of Europe, the six key gains for regional and local government achieved in the European Constitution. The six key gains are:

The signatories also call for the Declaration on the values of the European Union, due to be agreed next March in Berlin to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, to include positive references to the principle of local and regional self-government, as well as the role that these levels of government play in the democratic life of the Union.

 

This call follows a similar letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on 21 December 2006, in which the six associations stated that the German presidency of the EU has a priority task of seeking a way forward in relation to the future of the Constitutional Treaty.

 

The six associations and their president* are:

 

. Assembly of European Regions (AER) - President: Riccardo Illy, President of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

. Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) - President: Mr Lambert van Nistelrooij, Member of European Parliament, The Netherlands

. Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) - President: Mr Michael Häupl, Mayor of Vienna, Austria
. Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) - President: Mr Claudio Martini, President of Tuscany, Italy

. EUROCITIES - President: Mr Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon, France

. REGLEG (Regions with Legislative Power) - President: Right Honourable Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister for Wales

 

The full text of the letter to the heads of states and government of the EU

 

"The German Presidency of the EU has a priority task of seeking a way forward in relation to the future of the Constitutional Treaty. In this context, the Presidents of the six principal European associations of local and regional government, on whose behalf I am writing, have joined together to set out their views and proposals in a letter to Chancellor Merkel of 21 December 2006, a copy of which is attached.

 

In this letter, the Presidents highlight the points of key importance for local and regional governments, which are contained in the European Constitution, and which we believe will help to reduce the gap between the EU and our citizens. We have asked Chancellor Merkel, and now request your government, to ensure that, whatever the outcome of the discussions around the Constitution, these key points concerning regional and local government should continue to be included in any new constitutional or institutional treaty.

 

In addition, we have asked that the Declaration concerning the values of the Union, due to be agreed at the Berlin Summit next March to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, should positively refer to the principle of local and regional self-government, and to the role that these levels of government play in the democratic life of the Union.

 

We very much hope that you will be able to support our proposals in the forthcoming debates on these most important issues."