Investment Plan and European Fund for Strategic Investments

Shortly after starting his 2014-2019 mandate, Jean-Claude Juncker proposed a new Investment Plan for Europe. The role of local and regional au-thorities is explicitly mentioned, not only in identifying, support-ing or managing the investment projects, but also in two other strands of the Plan: making fi-nance reach the real economy and improving the investment environment. On 15  April, the

CoR will assess the Investment Plan from a local perspec-tive alongside Jyrki Katainen, European Commission Vice-President, at a conference or-ganised in cooperation with the European Investment Bank and the OECD. The EPP Group will be well represented thanks to participation from Wim van de Donk, the EPP shadow rappor-teur on the investment package, who will emphasise the potential

for cross border projects, heed warning that particular attention needs to be paid to SMEs and call for closer cooperation between local, regional governments and the European Investment Bank. Raffaele Cattaneo, Chair of the Commission for territo-rial Cohesion Policy, Cristina Mazas Pérez Oleaga and CoR President, Markku Markkula will also speak at the conference. ■

Forming stronger alliances with the EPP Group in the European Parliament

The European Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament signed a coopera-tion agreement on 5  February 2014. This agreement reinforc-es the political relationship be-tween the two EU institutions and relies on enhanced coop-eration between the like-mind-ed political groups. The EPP Group in the CoR will there-fore welcome Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, to its Group meeting on 16 April. Opening new political doors be-tween members of the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions was also the goal of a meeting between

Markku Markkula and Jerzy Buzek, Chair of the European Parliament Conference of Committee Chairs, which took place on 26 March. During the meeting, President Markkula shared a number of “pilot files” where enhanced cooperation could be of mutual interest. The two EPP politicians agreed that bilateral contacts should be stepped up – notably between the EP and CoR rapporteurs – and that the CoR members could effectively contribute to European Parliament poli-cy-making by scrutinizing the effects of policies on the ground. ■

Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

The Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies (previ-ously the Centre for European Studies) was established in 2007 as the political founda-tion and official think tank of the European People’s Party. During its Group meeting on 16  April, the EPP will wel-come its President, Mikuláš Dzurinda, to share his views on the role that local and re-gional authorities can play in Europe’s return to growth and the Martens Centre’s sup-port for reform in Ukraine. As the former prime minis-ter, President Dzurinda intro-duced far-reaching reforms in Slovakia and helped his country to join the EU and NATO. In

a recent article, he underlined: “The West has things to offer to Ukraine; like moral and po-litical support, and also experi-ence with the transition process and reforms.” It is in this spir-it that the Marten’s Centre is bringing the expertise of senior EU decision makers in sup-port of the reform process in Ukraine through its Ukraine Reforms project. The Martens Centre is also keen to put en-trepreneurship at the top of the European agenda. At its confer-ence and exhibition on 2-3 July in Brussels, Makerstown will be an opportunity to showcase, share and succeed in European manufacturing. www.makerstown.eu ■

PRIORITIES OF THE EPP GROUP IN THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONSAPRIL 2015

Four years ago, the EU Territorial Agenda of the European Union 2020 was defined as “an ac-tion-oriented policy framework, developed to promote polycentric territorial development of the EU”. Whilst broadly welcoming the propos-als, the rapporteur would like to see more efforts to enable local and regional authorities to react to territorial challenges in Europe. President Woźniak states that a Cohesion Policy Council should be established and calls for a white paper on territorial cohesion, based on an analysis of the links with the Europe 2020 strategy. He also stresses that the most effective EU policies are designed and shaped with the local context in mind, incorporate networked cities and regions and empower citizens and local activities to valo-

rise their own assets at all levels. He therefore calls for a greater emphasis on the territorial impact of EU policy and insists that the spatial aspect be tak-en into account when formulating policies. Here, the importance of links between urban and rural areas and the need to invest in secondary cities

and peripheral regions is underlined. Cross-border, interregional and supranational ini-tiatives are proposed, as well as further de-velopment of mac-ro-regional strategies, to allow the Territorial Agenda to be better implemented. ■

CoR opinion on the 2014 Enlargement Package underlines the fundamental role of local and re-gional representatives in efforts towards decen-tralisation and regionalisation in Montenegro, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Turkey and Iceland. It calls for good neighbourly relations and notes that democratic institutions and the re-spect for fundamental rights and the rule of law must remain central elements of enlargement pol-icy. Referring to the proposed five year consolida-tion period, Franz Schausberger stresses that it must be understood as a phase of intense prepa-ration and adoption of the policies required to meet the criteria for EU membership rather than a standstill in enlargement policy. However, he wel-comes the launch of the new Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, which makes EUR 11.7 bil-lion available for the period 2014-2020 to support enlargement countries in their preparations for

accession as well as regional and cross-border co-operation. The opinion includes specific remarks concerning each of the enlargement countries. Looking to future enlargement reports, the rap-porteur recommends the Commission to go into greater detail about the situation of regional and local self-government pointing to the need for fur-ther regionalising and decentralising reform in the enlargement countries. ■

Franz SchausbergerRepresentative of

the Province of Salzburg, Austria

CIVEX-VI-002

Marek WoźniakPresident of

the Wielkopolska Voivodship, Poland

Latvian Presidency referral – COTER-VI-002

The improvement of the implementation of the Territorial Agenda of the EU 2020

Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2014-2015

“I am glad that the draft opinion empha-sises certain aspects to which I also devoted considerable attention in my draft report on ‘Investment for jobs and growth: promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion in

the Union’ (Sixth Cohesion Report), such as greater compliance with the provisions of the Treaty on the role of cohesion policy, the indispensable contribution of cohesion policy to the attainment of EU2020 ob-jectives and the necessity to already start discussions on the future of cohesion policy. Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth cannot be achieved without greater convergence among more developed regions and those whose development is lagging behind.”

Tamás DeutschMEP

Given that local and regional authorities are re-sponsible for network planning and maintenance, parking and accessibility, and for monitoring the implementation of environmental standards, this opinion is of key im-portance to the CoR. However, the rap-porteur notes that not enough time has lapsed to carry out an in-depth evaluation of the measures tak-en, especially as no intermediate targets were set. Despite this, Councillor Spyridon believes that the changing econom-ic and geopolitical context give value to a partial assessment of progress to date. In his view, the interdepen-dence between transport policies and policies for the environment, innovation and social pol-

icy call for a reduced dependence on oil, curbing noise and reducing air pollution. From a regional perspective, the CoR opinion notes the uneven development and fragmentation of the transport

network, particularly when it comes to rail and road. It therefore calls for a high-quali-ty transport network, alongside f lexible fi-nancial instruments, in order to boost competition. Within this context, the rap-porteur highlights the need for adequate transport networks for sparsely populated or geographically dis-advantaged areas as a basic factor in bringing

about territorial cohesion. Passenger rights should also be further developed to ensure better consis-tency. ■

Spyros SpyridonMunicipal Councillor of

Poros, GreeceCOTER-VI/004

Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for EuropeThe rapporteur believes that that the role of cultur-al heritage is under-valued and that Europe has an opportunity to meet the challenges of the cultural sector with a strategic, global and integrated ap-proach. From the perspective of the CoR, the opin-ion highlights that local and regional authorities can actively involve those concerned in the protec-tion of and support for cultural heritage in Europe and promote its benefits for the economic recov-ery. The rapporteur also agrees with the European Commission promotion and protection of cultural heritage will require closer, better coordinated co-operation at all levels of governance and it is for that reason that Minister Mazas Pérez-Oleaga has penned this own initiative opinion. Looking at the recent Commission communication, the CoR opinion notes that natural heritage is an intrinsic part of cultural heritage. She also encourages the setting up and launch of a European data base to share EU-wide data concerning the contribution of cultural heritage to economic growth and social cohesion. The opinion covers links between cul-tural heritage and identity, cultural heritage as an economic resource – including through tourism, and the new opportunities given through the de-velopment of an information society. ■

Implementation of the 2011 White Paper on Transport

“I appreciate the initiative to pro-mote integrated approach towards European cultural heritage. I support the CoR opinion, which recognises culture as a share resource and a com-

mon good and its full potential to support eco-nomic development. Cultural policies are primar-ily national responsibilities but cultural heritage is nonetheless addressed in a number of EU policies, such as regional development, research or digital market. The EPP Group is putting emphasis on the importance of the programmes that support development of European cultural heritage (e.g. Creative Europe, European Heritage Label, Lux Prize, Europa Nostra Awards) and their financ-ing. The EPP also stresses a sharing of best prac-tices in fiscal policies related to culture and calls on the Commission to submit a regular report on the state of play of cultural heritage in the EU.”

Michaela ŠojdrováMEP

“EU transport policy is not only about inter-national, cross-border (T-Ten) corridors, but even more about the so called comprehensive network which is feed-ing those international corridors. Local and regional authorities

have great responsibility for this. And do not forget that urban mobility will have a tremendous develop-ment in the upcoming decade”

Wim van de CampMEP

Cristina Mazas Pérez-Oleaga

Minister for the Economy, Finance and Employment

of Cantabria, SpainEDUC-V-046

Secretary General: Heinz-Peter Knapp | Editor in chief: Kathryn Owens, kathryn.owens@cor.europa.eu, +32 2 282 2400 | Press Officer: Dominik Krakowiakwww.epp.cor.europa.eu

Resource efficiency opportunities in the building sectorLocal and regional authorities should be key partners for pro-moting greater resource efficien-cy in the building sector due to their competences in terms of public procurement, the imple-mentation of EU and national legislation on buildings, sup-porting local business and pro-viding information to both in-vestors and the public at large. Within this context, the rap-porteur supports the European Commission’s efforts to develop common European standards

for resource efficiency in the building sector and expresses the CoR’s intent to be fully involved. In his opinion, President Borboly underlines a number of funda-mental problems including the disposal of potentially recycla-ble construction and demolition waste as well as a lack of incen-tives for clients, contractors and developers in the construction sector. He also points out that the materials and energy used to generate electrical units and en-ergy must be taken into account

when calculating a building’s sustainability. To conclude, the rapporteur proposes that special attention is given to the specif-ic problems of rural regions and small and medium-sized towns and that the Smart Cities re-search priority area in Horizon 2020 should be renamed Smart Cities and Regions and comple-mented by a new priority area en-titled Smart Rural Regions and Towns. ■

The voice of local and regional authorities at the Eastern Partnership Summit

The bi-annual Eastern Partnership Summit of heads of state will take place in Riga on 22  May and the Conference of Regional and Local authori-ties for the Eastern Partnership

(CORLEAP) has been invited to provide a territorial dimen-sion. During the CORLEAP meeting on 24  April, the co-Chair, Markku Markkula, will lead discussions on the the pos-sibility to reform the existing Eastern Partnership and assure a more tailored policy for each of the countries and their dif-ferent objectives vis-à-vis future EU membership. The CoR and CORLEAP will push for an ac-tive role for regional and local authorities in the direct man-agement of certain budget lines,

specifically for territorial devel-opment and capacity building. It will also propose a macro-regional approach to the whole area going from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. This will imply an open cross-border and cultur-al dialogue with Russia, despite condemning the illegal occupa-tion of Crimea, the territorial threats for Moldova and Georgia and the political and economic challenges faced by EU members and their neighbouring areas.During a CIVEX seminar in Elbląg, Poland, on 10  April,

Jacek Protas, Marshal of the polish Warmińsko-Mazurskie region shared the success of lo-cal border traffic agreements between the polish borders and the Kaliningrad Oblast. “This is not only the way of crossing the border; it helps to build broad-er relations between regions in Poland, EU and Russia” he un-derlined. Unfortunately, this border mechanism only applies to the area closest to the border. He would therefore like to see it expanded to the whole Polish re-gion. ■

The European Committee of the Regions: An online introduction

The Committee of the Regions has produced an online intro-duction for its members with the aim of presenting the European Union and its role within the in-stitutions in simple terms.It is divided into three modules, each of which has four sections. These sections provide an over-view on the Committee and on its role in the EU institutional setting:

Module 1: An insight into the CoR and the European Union

Module 2: How the CoR works

Module 3: Members: your role, your rights including informa-tion on the political groups

The introduction was launched in April 2015 in 6 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish).

To sign up, go to http://cor.europa.eu/en/welcomeContact: welcome@cor.europa.eu ■

Csaba BorbolyPresident of Harghita

County Council, RomaniaENVE-V-049

Jacek Protas