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N ew sl et te r o f t he European Socialists in the Committee of the Regi ons October 2011

NEWS OF THE PES GROUP

IN THE COMMITTEE

OF THE REGIONS 2

FEATURES 3

PLENARY SESSION OF THECOMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

(10 - 12 OCTOBER 2011) 4-7

COR COMMISSIONS:

WHAT'S NEW? 8-9

AND NOW OVER

TO PES MEMBERS 9-10

NEWS OF THE PARTY OF

EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS 11

POLITICAL BALANCEIN THE COR 12

Dear Friends,

May I first of all warmly thank each oneof you for entrusting me with thepresidency of the PES Group in the

Committee of the Regions, a political mandatethat is not only a great honour but also a heavyresponsibility. Thanks to the commitment of mypredecessors, the Group has grown stronger andmore cohesive over the years, while its impactwithin and beyond the CoR has been significantlyenhanced. My intention is to pursue the same

goals and, where there is room for improvement,to initiate the necessary changes that wouldfacilitate this process.

I am fully committed to continuing strengtheningthe voice and impact of the PES Group. This is notan exercise to be carried out by the Presidentalone. The rationalisation of the Group‘s existinginternal structure can be of help in this direction.A stronger Executive, sharing concrete portfolios,has the potential to drive forward both more ef-ficiently and effectively the Group‘s political work. The election of members to fill the positions of the First Vice-President and some Vice-Presidentsthat have been vacant for some time now will bean opportunity to rethink the role of our Execu-

tive with a view to ensuring timely and focusedresponses. Greater coordination of the invaluablework of our political coordinators is also likely tofurther improve the Group‘s cohesion and effec-tiveness both in CoR commissions and plenary.Moreover, consideration should be given havingrecourse more often to shadow rapporteurships,in order to increase our members‘ ownership of opinions drafted by other political groups.

Concerning the inter-institutional agenda, whichwill be dominated in the coming months by therevision of the structural funds, I am delightedthat the PES Group already obtained the rappor-teurship on four key dossiers ahead of the adop-tion by the European Commission of the relevanttexts. I am convinced that the PES Group‘s respon-se to the European Commission‘s proposals for re-gulations laying down the general provisions andgoverning more specifically the European SocialFund, European Territorial Cooperation and Euro-pean Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC)will be consistent with the Group‘s fundamentalpursuit of social and territorial cohesion. Our work is all the more relevant against the backdrop of a persistent crisis that has exacerbated the gapbetween the haves and have-nots and has beentranslated into violent acts like the UK riots or intoangry protests like the movement of ‚Indignados‘in Spain, which gained grounds in other countriesunder severe budgetary consolidation such as

Greece or Italy.

The upcoming CoR plenary session and this year‘sOPEN DAYS, focusing on Regions and cities deli-vering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth,

should be an opportunity for the PES Group toreiterate its full commitment to socially and en-vironmentally sustainable economic growth thatleaves no one behind. The four opinions presen-ted by PES rapporteurs to the October plenary goin this direction: from Alain Hutchinson‘s own-initiative opinion on social housing and PatxiLopez‘s report on integrated industrial policy toLotta Hakansson Harju‘s Strategy for the effecti-ve implementation of the Fundamental RightsCharter and Mireille Lacombe‘s call for Europeanand international mobility for local and regionalauthority staff. The same principle permeatesour seminar on ‚Active ageing‘, organised in themargins of OPEN DAYS, emphasising the need tocome up with policies that are not simply aimedat prolonging the working life but seek to impro-ve older people‘s quality of life, in full respect of their rights.

There is no doubt that a lot of hard work awaits usin our efforts to continue defending back homeEurope‘s added value in times when Europeansolidarity is not at its best. I am however fully con-fident that this is an indispensable fight and onethat is worth fighting for. Let us therefore work together!

To conclude, I would like to thank Monika HELBIGof the Land of Berlin and Margit CONRAD of theLand of Rhineland-Palatinate for having warmlywelcomed in Berlin our September extraordinarymeeting on social cohesion in metropolitan are-as. May I also take this opportunity of congratu-lating Klaus WOWEREIT on his re-election, for thethird time running, as Governing Mayor of Ber-lin. This victory, which is symptomatic of his fullcommitment to the social-democratic values andtheir implementation on the ground, augurs wellfor an eventual shift to the left of the governmentmajority in Germany, thanks also to the outcomeof the latest regional elections in the country.

With fraternal greetings,

Karl-Heinz Lambertz

President of the PES Group in the CoR

www.pes .cor .europa .eu

Published by | PES Group SecretariatRue Belliard 101 - Office 7035B-1040 Brussels | Tel. | +32.2.282.22.23E-mail | [email protected]

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02

NEWS OF THE PES GROUP

IN THE COMMITTEE

OF THE REGIONS

The PES Group organised its extraordinary Group meeting in Berlin on

1 -2 September on the topic "Social cohesion in metropolitan areas". At

the invitation of PES Group member Monika HELBIG, Head of theBerlin State Chancellery and Plenipotentiary for Federal and European Affairs,

and under the patronage of Klaus WOWEREIT, governing Mayor of Berlin,

the conference took place at the Berlin Town Hall and was structured aroundthree roundtables, focusing on 'What differences do progressive urban policies

make? ', 'Is the EU toolkit fit for improving social cohesion? ' and 'Social cohesion as

a governance challenge'.

Among the key speakers were Karl-Heinz LAMBERTZ, PES Group President,Mercedes BRESSO, CoR President, Pervenche BERES MEP (S&D Group,France) and the following PES Group Members: Georgios KAMINIS, Mayor of

Athens (Greece), Ilmar REEPALU, Chair of the ENVE commission and Mayor of Malmö (Sweden), Albert BORE, PES-COTER coordinator and Labour Leader of

Birmingham City Council (UK), Hella DUNGER-LÖPER, Permanent Secretary

for Building and Housing for Berlin (Germany), and Catiuscia MARINI,President of the Umbria Region (Italy). The main aim of this conference was to

evidence the various dimensions of social cohesion in different metropolitancontexts, discuss shortcomings and challenges and feed the views of socialdemocrat and progressive regional and local representatives into the

European debate.

After the conference, a study visit to projects related to social cohesion andfinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European

Social Fund (ESF) was organised.

The PES Group photo competition ‘I live therefore I move, I move therefore

I live’, was closed on 30 June, attracting wide interest amongst young

European amateur photographers. The jury will select winning photographson 12 October and the award ceremony will take place in Brussels before the

December plenary session.

Within the framework of this year’s Open Days, and only few months awayfrom the European Year for Active Ageing 2012, the PES Group is organising

a workshop on Active Ageing, on Wednesday, 12 October from 14.30 –17.00. The aim is to propose a holistic approach that empowers elderly people

to realise their potential, addresses demographic change as an opportunity,

and finds innovative solutions to the current economic and social challengesfacing our ageing society. Special attention will be paid to active ageing at

local and regional level and the need for differentiated strategies, based

on common principles that fully respect the rights of the elderly, promoteintergenerational solidarity and foster a better quality of life for all. Speakers

are Anne-Sophie PARENT, Director of AGE Platform Europe, and PES Groupmembers Clemens LINDEMANN, District Executive of the Saarpfalz District

Assembly (Germany), and Per BODKER ANDERSEN, Deputy Mayor of Kolding

and Councillor of the Town Council (Denmark).

For more information on these activities, please visit the website of the PES

Group in the CoR at www.pes.cor.europa.eu.

I LI VE THEREFORE I MO VE

I MO VE THEREFORE I LI VE

Pho to compe ti tion

Win

PES GROUPCommittee of the Regions

a t r ip

ar oun d t h e EU!

www.pes.cor.europa.eu

PES GROUPCommittee of the Regions

Social Cohesion in Metropolitan AreasExtraordinary meeting of the PES Groupin the Committee of the Regions

Berlin, 1-2 September 2011

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03

Nuclear energy:

What way forward?

On 11 March 2011, the world witnessed oneof the biggest nuclear disasters, triggeredby a massive earthquake and subsequent

tsunami. The destruction of Japan's Fukushimaplant, which continues to leak radioactive material,has had inestimable environmental consequenceson a global scale. It will probably be decadesbefore the exact magnitude of the effects of thenuclear meltdown is publicly known.

Four months later, on 13 July 2011, Japan's PrimeMinister Naoto Kan defended in a televised newsconference the merits of renewable energysources, announcing his government's intentionto work towards "realising a society which canexist without nuclear power". Even without atangible timeline, this u-turn is symptomatic of changing perceptions about the sustainability,safety and security of nuclear energy production,and this in a country which, before the Fukushimadisaster, had aimed at increasing by 23% itsnuclear-generated electricity, bringing it up to53% by 2030.

There is no doubt that the Japanese PrimeMinister's withering popularity (having tumbledto just 16% since the accident) and the spectreof early elections only a year after his designationto this top position by the Diet of Japan have alot to do with such reformed positions. There isalso no doubt that the Fukushima catastrophehas marked a turning point in the ongoingdebates about nuclear energy worldwide. In themeantime, strong calls for more transparencyfrom the nuclear industry, its regulators andnational governments have been multiplyingworldwide.

Facts and figuresabout nuclear production

A ny informed debate about nuclear powermust be based on an accurate overallpicture of global nuclear production. The

443 existing reactors in 29 countries worldwideproduce 375 GigaWatts (GWe), that is, 14% of

leader of the so far biggest industrial power tohave renounced nuclear energy considers that themove will have tangible economic benefits for her

country, including long-term job opportunities.Indeed, 340,000 people are already employed inthe renewables sector, compared to just 35,000working in the nuclear energy sector. The sameloud and clear message was sent by Italian peopleto PM Berlusconi through a referendum last June,whereby they rejected by 94% his plan to restart a

nuclear programme abandoned in the 1980s. Hisaim was to secure the supply of 20% of electricitythrough nuclear energy by 2020.

In other countries, like the UK and France, theaftermath of Fukushima has not had the sameimpact and therefore, support for nuclear energy

remains strong. Considerations that nuclear

risks may have been overestimated in theemotionally charged period after the disaster areoften heard in defence of nuclear energy, seenas having the potential to reduce pollution, cut

greenhouse gas emissions, and help countriesattain more energy independence. Since nuclearenergy has low CO2 emissions, it is considered tocontribute to the fight against climate change,a key priority for the EU. This was reflected in

the March 2007 European Council conclusions,whereby the EU agreed that by 2020, it willreduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20%(compared with 1990 levels), improve energyefficiency by 20%, raise the share of renewable

energy to 20% and increase the level of biofuelsin transport fuel to 10%. The question of whether

nuclear energy is considered a renewable energyhas been stirring controversy for many years. Thosedefending this position argue that if 'renewable' issynonymous with 'inexhaustible', as is the case for

geothermal, solar or wind energy, the same holdstrue for nuclear energy from fission of uraniumand other similar metallic chemical elements(actinides). Interestingly enough, the EuropeanCouncil of 4 February 2011 marked a significant

change for nuclear energy, recognising its statusas carbon-neutral energy, alongside renewables.

The European

response so far

Taking a consensual decision at Europeanlevel in the aftermath of Fukushima hasproven a very difficult task since energy

mix choices are subsidiarity issues par excellence

and nuclear energy represents immense vestedinterests in different EU Member States. Despitedivergences, in late May, the European Commissionand the European Nuclear Safety Regulators'Group (ENSREG) reached an agreement on the

criteria, methodology and timeframe for thestress tests of nuclear power plants in the EU.What is being tested is how the plants will reactin case of earthquake, flooding and other extreme

events, without taking into account whetherthey are caused by natural events or man-madeactions and failures. The European Commissionwill present a progress report to the EuropeanCouncil in December 2011 and a consolidated

global energy production. The five biggest nuclearenergy producers are the US (101 GWe), France (63GWe), Japan (47 GWe), Russia (23 GWe) and South

Korea (17 GWe). Moreover, while 158 reactors arein the planning stage worldwide, some 60 newreactors are currently being built in 14 countries:China (27), Russia (10), Korea (5), India (5), Japan (2),Canada (2), Slovakia (2), Argentina (1), Brazil (1), Iran(1), Finland (1), France (1), Pakistan (1), and the US(1). Interestingly enough, the number of nuclear

reactors per country is not necessarily proportionalto the country's energy mix. The US, which holds30% of the global nuclear energy production, itonly meets 20% of its own needs from nuclearsources. On the contrary, the countries with the

highest percentage of total electricity demandmet by nuclear are France (75%), Slovakia (53%),Belgium (51%), Lithuania and Sweden (over 50%),

Ukraine (48%) and Hungary (43%). South Korea(35%) and Japan (30%) follow suit. In addition,

France is the world leader in nuclear powerexports, yielding over $4.2 billion USD per yearin revenue. In the EU, electricity generation fromnuclear plants reached 28% in 2007 (comparedto 16% from renewable energy sources), while

nuclear energy represented just 6% in the 2008global primary energy mix (compared to 10% forrenewables). According to the International EnergyAgency (IEA), nuclear energy is estimated to reach8% of the global primary energy supply by 2035.

The above figures, which strictly concern civil

use of nuclear power around the world, indicatethat there is no universal approach to the energy

mix, nor are there indications of a global large-scale and rapid expansion in nuclear energy use.Overall, energy mix choices at national level aredriven by the need to respond to soaring energy

demand, the volatility of oil and gas prices andgrowing dependency on energy imports. It goeswithout saying that for producing countries,revenues generated from nuclear exportsconstitute a major incentive for the continuation

of nuclear energy production. At the other endof the spectrum, however, are countries havingdecided to phase out nuclear power plants and tofocus on renewable energies.

Reactions to theFukushima disaster

The catastrophic events of last March havehad a decisive effect upon perceptionsconcerning nuclear safety and reopened

the public debate on this issue. The belief that

nuclear risks have been underestimated hasgrown stronger under the weight of cataclysmicimages from Japan, broadcast worldwide for

weeks on end. In Germany, public pressure toabandon nuclear energy plans materialised ina drastic change of government policies withChancellor Angela Merkel announcing in May

a decision to phase out nuclear power by 2022. This decision was also driven by the loss of the Christian Democrat stronghold of Baden-Wuerttemberg, at the March elections, whichgreatly boosted Germany's Green party. The

FEATURES

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Plenary session of the Committee of theRegions (10 – 12 October 2011)

The October plenary session will examine12 draft opinions, a third of which by PESrapporteurs.

Antonio TAJANI, Vice-President of theEuropean Commission in charge of Industryand Enterpreneurship, will intervene on the

European industry policy in the light of theEurope 2020 strategy.

Janusz LEWANDOWSKI, Commissioner forFinancial programming and budget, willintervene on the EU's multi-annual financialframework after 2013.

The plenary session will start on 10 Octoberwith the opening session of the OPEN DAYS.Danuta HÜBNER, Chair of the EuropeanParliament’s REGI Committee, JohannesHAHN, Commissioner for Regional Policy andElżbieta BIEŃKOWSKA, Polish Minister forRegional Development, are amongst the keyspeakers.

Organised by the Committee of theRegions, in cooperation with the European

Commission Directorate-General forRegional Policy, the OPEN DAYS regularlybring together regions and cities from allover Europe and beyond, providing local,regional, national and European decision-makers and experts with a meeting placefor exchange and debate on projects and

questions related to regional and localdevelopment. The ninth edition of this majorevent will focus on "Investing in Europe's future:

Regions and cities delivering smart, sustainable and

inclusive growth" . OPEN DAYS 2011 will hostaround 100 workshops, offering networkingopportunities to some 6,000 participants,who will gather in Brussels for the event. ThePES Group is organising a workshop linked toinclusive growth and focusing on Active Ageing (Read more under the News of the PES Groupin the CoR, p. 2).

final report is foreseen for June 2012. A separate

process is underway to assess security threats and

counter-measures, in cooperation with Member

States, and the main results will be included in the

European Commission report to the December

European Council. Furthermore, the Commission

presented in September a legislative proposal on

Euratom Basic Safety Standards. It remains to be

seen what space will be given to nuclear energy in

the forthcoming European Commission proposalfor an Energy Roadmap 2050, whose adoption is

foreseen in the 4th quarter 2011.

It is worth noting that, on 1 April 2011, the

Committee of the Regions adopted a bold

resolution about the nuclear disaster in Japan,

tabled at the initiative of the PES Group. The text

sends a strong political message, calling for the

immediate launch of comprehensive risk and

safety assessments for existing and future plants

including their impact on bordering Member

States and Regions. Emphasis is placed also on

countries outside the EU, where nuclear facilities

exist or are being planned. The CoR insists that

those countries must also be involved in thetesting process and that the necessary provisions

must be made to further improve existing cross-

border information mechanisms about safety

related issues regarding nuclear installations and

the particular cross-border dimension of crisis

management and disaster relief. Furthermore,

stress tests should be included in future

safety and security issues can have an effect

that goes well beyond national borders, or even

continents. Yet, global threats require global

responses. As far as the EU is concerned, a stronger

European governance of energy policy in general

is the optimal way forward. Subsidiarity can

easily become a Trojan horse for major economic

interests related to nuclear production, to the

detriment of safety and security concerns.

Another risk inherent in the nuclear debate is the

'Not In My Back Yard' (NIMBY) attitude. Opposition

to nuclear development has often a lot to do with

the proximity of a planned project. The disposal

of nuclear waste, that is, 2.8 million cubic metres

per year according to the International Atomic

Energy Agency (IAEA), is a major challenge, often

addressed through illicit exports to third world

countries. This is because sites for the permanent

storage of such waste are not accepted by local

communities, the only exception being Finland,

where one such site has been planned and has

successfully passed the first permit stage.

It is clear that the nuclear debate is on-going

and so far, inconclusive. This is why it is essentialthat citizens have access to accurate information,

which is neither over-simplistic nor over-technical.

Transparency of decisions and accountability of

politicians are conditions sine qua non for taking

the debate forward. As should be the case in any

democratic society, and not just about nuclear

energy.

accession negotiations and the involvement of

neighbouring countries or regions in the process

of authorising nuclear installations should be

optimised. Finally, the CoR advocates that any

nuclear installation failing such stress tests should

be shut down.

A similar resolution proposed by the Party of

European Socialists did not find consensus

amongst PES member parties. The resolutioncalled for a concrete plan for the phase-out of the

last nuclear power reactor in the EU by 2030 and

invited PES member parties to be at the forefront

of the battle to improve the safety of nuclear

power plants in their country and to phase out

nuclear power by the fastest feasible date.

Right and wronganswers?

T

he issue of nuclear energy is deeplydivisive, amongst countries, within the

same country and even within the samepolitical family, as was the case for the PES. What

is more, the economic, technological and ethical

arguments for and against it make the challenge

of remaining impartial even greater. What must,

however, be acknowledged is the fact that nuclear

energy governance can only be successful if it is

supra-national. This is simply because nuclear

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05

OPINIONS IN BRIEF:

An integrated industrial policy

for the globalisation era:

Patxi LOPEZ (PES/Spain)

Patxi LOPEZ

The draft opinion of the President of the Basque Government was adopted

unanimously by the ECOS commission and will

be presented in plenary under the simplified

procedure (Read more under ECOS commission,

p.8, and Interviews, p.10).

Towards a European agenda

for social housing:

Alain HUTCHINSON (PES/Belgium)

W ith this own-initiative opinion, the PSMember of the Brussels-Capital Regional

Parliament aims at contributing to the creation

of a European agenda for social housing, whichadvocates decent and affordable housing for all.

In his draft report, he underlines that regional and

local authorities are in many cases responsible forformulating and implementing social housing

policy and should therefore have their say in the

political debate.

Alain HU T HI S N

Highlighting the potential positive interaction

between European policies and housing policies,

State aid rules for the provision of services of

general economic interest (SGEI): Karl-Heinz

Lambertz (PES/Belgium)

On 16 September, the European Commissionpresented its proposals on the application of EU

State aid rules to compensation granted for the

provision of SGEI (the so-called 'Almunia package',also known as the 'Monti-Kroes' 2 package).

On a significant number of points, the European

Commission document joins the positions

defended by the CoR in its opinion elaboratedby Karl-Heinz Lambertz and adopted at the July

plenary session. This concerns in particular the

exemption from state aid rules of services otherthan hospitals and social housing, that is, services

related to childcare or reintegration into the

labour market, and more broadly, those linked

to the 'social inclusion of vulnerable groups'. Aninitial evaluation of the European Commission

proposals is largely positive. There are, however,three outstanding issues: the question of the

definition of a 'local' service, which would beexempted from the notification obligation

under state aid rules (the EC insists solely on the

population criterion, that is, fewer than 10,000inhabitants); the question of measuring efficiency

(the EC continues to insist on measuring the

efficiency of aid); and finally, the question of the de-minimis thresholds, below which state

aid rules are not applicable (the EC proposes

150,000€ per year as opposed to 800,000€ peryear proposed by the CoR).

Considering the political importance of thedossier for the CoR as well as the inter-institutional

calendar, the political groups agreed to appoint

Karl-Heinz Lambertz as rapporteur general for asecond revised CoR opinion on the subject, due

for adoption by the plenary on 12 October.

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06

the PES rapporteur also stresses that, whereas

social housing is first and foremost perceived as a

social policy issue, the overlapping of several EU

policy areas and its impact on housing cannot be

ignored. He therefore urges for an integrated and

comprehensive approach to the issue.

Furthermore, Alain HUTCHINSON calls for

new financial instruments currently under

development, such as European project bondsfor funding infrastructure and the forthcoming

mutual investment fund, to explicitly allow for

investment in affordable and decent housing.

In addition, existing options, such as the use of

European structural funds for marginalised groups,

especially in disadvantaged areas, need to be

better explored.

The rapporteur identifies a series of key political

areas, affecting social housing and linked to the

Europe 2020 Strategy: the prevention of and

fight against poverty and social exclusion; social

innovation, demographic change and cohesion;

energy efficiency ; services of general economic

interest and their interaction with competition

policy as well as economic and financial stability.

The draft opinion was adopted with only one vote

against by the members of the ECOS commission.

During the debate, EPP members expressed the

view that the current European rules capping

public deficits do not endanger the provision of

social housing to their citizens, considering that

despite the current crisis, no action is needed in

this area. Likewise, they do not see the point of

any kind of legislation ensuring EU-wide housing

rights for citizens. Amendments in plenary will

therefore re-address these points. (Read more

under Interviews, p. 9).

Strategy for the effectiveimplementation of the Charter

of Fundamental Rights by

the European Union:

Lotta HAKANSSON HARJU

(PES/Sweden)

T

he draft opinion by the Member of Järfälla

Municipal Council was unanimously adoptedin the CIVEX commission. Key issues are the

practical implementation of fundamental rights

in the EU and the important role that local and

regional authorities should play, especially in

the dissemination of information to citizens. The

opinion expresses the disappointment of local

and regional authorities about the fact that,

despite a general commitment to involve other

levels of governance, the first annual report on

the application of the Charter (published in May

2011) makes no reference to local and regional

authorities.

The rapporteur therefore insists on the need to

raise the profile of LRAs in the strategy, improve

cooperation between all levels of government

while respecting local self government, and take

an active part in the follow-up and assessment

phase. She also points to a crucial limitation

of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights, the

implementation of which only applies to EU

institutions and their actions and is extended to

EU Member States only when they apply EU law,

and not national law. At the same time, the Charter

embodies the expectations of citizens for an EU

that is a community of values with a high level

of protection of fundamental rights. Given thisdilemma, it is particularly important that local and

regional authorities adopt proactive strategies to

show-case their own actions aimed at protecting

fundamental rights and promoting them in a

European context. (Read more under Interviews,

p. 10).

European and international mobility

for local and regional authority staff:

Mireille LACOMBE (PES/France)

iMirei e LACOMBE

The draft own-initiative opinion of the

Vice-President of Puy-de-Dôme General

Council was adopted unanimously by the EDUC

commission of 6 June and will be presented to

the plenary under the simplified procedure. The

rapporteur underlines that legal provisions are

required at European level in order to encourage

the mobility of local and regional authority staff,

which facilitates the implementation of the

European acquis, contributes to cohesion and

fosters cooperation amongst local and regionalauthorities, ultimately contributing to territorial

development (Read more under Interviews, p.9).

The role of local and regional

authorities in achieving the

objectives of the Europe

2020 Strategy:

Markku MARKKULA (EPP/Finland)

Henk KOOL

Elaborated at the request of the PolishPresidency, the draft opinion, which was

adopted by majority by the ECOS commission,

is structured around the 7 flagship initiatives

and identifies the areas where regional and

local authorities should have a stronger impact.

The overall message is to give a clearer regional

and local dimension in order to strengthen the

Member States' commitment to and political

ownership of the Strategy, thereby making it

more relevant and responsive to citizens' needs

at grassroots level. However, the draft opinion

does not properly address the potential failures

of the Europe 2020 agenda. Amendments will be

tabled for the plenary under the lead of PES/ECOS

coordinator Henk KOOL, not least on the issue of

territorial pacts.

Review of the Small Business

Act (SBA) for Europe:

Constance HANNIFFY (EPP/Ireland)

The draft opinion of the Member of OffalyCounty Council was adopted unanimously

by the ECOS commission and will therefore

be presented in plenary under the simplified

procedure (Read more under ECOS commission,

p. 8).

A resource-efficient Europe:

Michel LEBRUN (EPP/Belgium)

The draft opinion of the Member of the Walloon

Region Parliament was adopted unanimously

by the ENVE commission and will be presentedin plenary under the simplified procedure (Read

more under ENVE commission, p.9).

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07

Smart Regulation:

Lord Graham TOPE (ALDE/UK)

The draft opinion by the Member of theLondon Borough of Sutton was adopted

unanimously in the CIVEX commission of 6 June

(see also Newsletter No 30), therefore adoption in

plenary is expected to be uncontroversial. The keyconcern for the PES Group has been to highlight

that 'better regulation' is not equated with 'less

regulation' and that the CoR should contribute

towards smarter regulation at EU level.

It is worth noting that in the context of the

discussions on 'smart regulation', the CoR has beeninvolved with a permanent observer, Karl Heinz

LAMBERTZ, in the work of the so-called 'High

Level Group on the Reduction of Administrative

Burdens', chaired by former Bavarian Prime Minister

Edmund Stoiber. Due to his new responsibilities as

President of the PES Group, Karl-Heinz LAMBERTZ

has decided to step down from this position.

European Dimension of Sport:

Roberto PELLA (EPP, Italy)

Yoomi RENSTRÖM

The draft opinion of the Member of the Councilof Valdengo, was adopted by majority by

the EDUC commission of 6 June. It outlines the

perspective of local and regional authoritiesin response to the European Commission

Communication, which proposes concreteactions to strengthen the societal, economic and

organisational dimensions of sport. The draft

opinion received some 93 amendments, over

thirty of which by PES/EDUC coordinator Yoomi

RENSTRÖM (Sweden) and PES/EDUC member

Bob BRIGHT (UK), aiming aiming at refocusing the

draft opinion on the local and regional level. Someof the proposals going beyond the CoR remit

were defeated in commission. However, more

amendments are expected in plenary, especially a

crucial amendment by the PES Group requesting

the deletion from the text of Mr Pella's call forStability Pact rules to be relaxed for expenditure

on sport facilities.

European eGovernment

Action Plan 2011-2015:

Ján ORAVEC (EPP/Slovakia)

Bob BRIGH T

The draft opinion of the Mayor of Štúrovo was alsoadopted by majority by the EDUC commissionof 6 June. It responds to an ambitious EuropeanCommission programme, foreseeing forty specificmeasures over the next five years to enable citizensand businesses to use online facilities. The CoRrapporteur calls for the meaningful participationof local and regional authorities in managing ICT initiatives and urges for their access to high-qualitybroadband services at reasonable prices in order toimprove the availability and quality of the services

they provide. Amendments tabled by PES/EDUCcoordinator Yoomi RENSTRÖM and PES/EDUCmember Bob BRIGHT, improved the coherence of the opinion and succeeded in introducing a call formeasures that would give every European accessto basic broadband by 2013 and fast and ultra fastbroadband by 2020, in accordance with the EU'scommitments in the Digital Agenda for Europe.Adoption in plenary should not be controversial.

Complementarity of national

and EU interventions aimed

at reducing the disparities in

economic and social growth:Francesco MUSOTTO (EA/Italy)

Drawn up in response to a referral from thePolish Presidency, the draft opinion by

the Member of the Sicilian Regional Assemblyargues that existing economic, social andterritorial disparities in the EU can only beovercome through integration, synergy andcomplementarity of national and Europeaninterventions. In order to promote integrated andeffective territorial development, the rapporteurstresses that both European cohesion policy andnational regional development policy require

an adequate institutional environment, efficientpublic administration and an effective partnershipbetween the various levels of governance. The draft

opinion was adopted by majority by the COTERcommission. However, since it lacks concreteexamples and tangible policy recommendations,PES amendments in plenary are likely to be tabled.

Territorial cooperation in the

Mediterranean through the

Adriatic-Ionian Macro-region:Gian Mario SPACCA (ALDE/Italy)

Following on from the previous CoR opinionson macro-regions (Baltic Sea, North Sea and

Danube), the draft own-initiative opinion bythe President of the Marche Region proposesthe creation of an Adriatic-Ionian macro-region.According to the rapporteur, the added value of this macro-region lies in the fact that it could alsocontribute to the accession process of candidatecountries and potential candidate countries tothe EU. The rapporteur recommends to fullyincorporate the macro-regional strategy into the

territorial dimension of the post-2013 cohesionpolicy. The draft opinion was adopted by majorityin the COTER commission.

Alber BORE

The COTER commission overwhelminglysupported a series of amendments presented byPES/COTER coordinator Albert BORE, aimed atbetter framing the concrete cooperation objectiveand role of the proposed macro-region as wellas opposing the creation of separate funds, newregulations and new institutions. Some further

PES amendments can be expected in plenary inrelation to the role of Kosovo and FYROM withinthe future macro-region.

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08

COTER (Brussels, 4 July)

T

he COTER commission adopted by majority

the draft opinion on the Complementarity of national and EU interventions aimed at reducing

the disparities in economic and social growth byFrancesco MUSOTTO, Member of the Sicilian

Regional Assembly (EA/Italy) (Read more under

Plenary, p. 7).

COTER members also adopted by majority

the draft report on Territorial cooperation in the

Mediterranean through the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-

region by Gian Mario SPACCA, President of the

Marche Region (ALDE/Italy) (Read more underplenary, p. 7).

us ia I

Moreover, the PES Group in the CoR obtained

the rapporteurship on the following proposalsfor a regulation: the general provisions on the

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF),

the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Cohesion

Fund (Catiuschia MARINI, President of Umbria

- Italy), the ESF (Konstantinos SIMITSIS,

Mayor of Kavala - Greece), the Territorial

Cooperation (Petr OSVALD, Councillor of Plzeň

– Czech Republic) and the European Grouping of

Territorial Cooperation (COTER President Michel

DELEBARRE , Mayor of Dunkirk - France). Finally,Bernard SOULAGE, Vice-President of the Rhône-Alpes regional council (France), was appointed

rapporteur on the revision of the Trans-European

Transport Network (TEN-T) guidelines. The EuropeanCommission will adopt the legislative package on

the future Structural Funds and the European

Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) on 21September. The various proposals will establish

legal bases for the expenditure related to the

different funds constituting the package and arehighly relevant to the work of the CoR in general,

and of the PES Group in particular. These earlyappointments aim to give rapporteurs the time

to start work upon the adoption of the package

and ahead of the next COTER meeting scheduledon 19 October.

ECOS (Brussels, 5 July)

E

COS members adopted unanimously the

draft opinion of Patxi LOPEZ (PES/Spain) onan Integrated Industrial policy for the Globalisation

Era. Responding to one of the seven flagshipinitiatives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the

rapporteur underlines the key role played by

industry policy as driver for growth, ensuring thatEurope does not fall behind in the globalisation

era. The Socialist President of the Basque

Region highlights that the process of boostingthe industry to make it competitive at global

level must be compatible with economic and

social development and respect towards theenvironment, whilst taking into consideration

challenges such as natural resources. Sincemany local and regional authorities have already

acquired skills and experience in industrialdevelopment and other policies that are directlyrelated to competitiveness, Patxi Lopez highlights

the importance of a coordinated response

through European policies that actively involvethe local and regional level. In this context, he also

emphasises the need to better address existing

imbalances amongst EU regions. He underlinesthe important role of small and medium

enterprises (SMEs) and stakeholders in Europe,

stressing that EU public policies should focuson the 'think small first' principle and take SMEs'

needs into account. Another essential point of hisdraft opinion is to encourage people to develop

the skills required for globalisation through re-

skilling and re-training. The rapporteur opts for

a horizontal approach to growth that movesbeyond sector-specific considerations and calls for

a better use of existing financial instruments, suchas the European Globalisation Fund as well as new

forms of public-private cooperation. Last but not

least, he suggests the implementation of a follow-up and evaluation procedure, providing a regular

update on milestones achieved in implementing

industrial policy. In this context, he calls forqualitative and quantitative indicators to measure

development in industrial policy, covering aspects

such as job creation, competitiveness, sustainabledevelopment and progress regards innovation.

The ECOS commission adopted almost byunanimity - only one vote against - the draft

own-initiative opinion of Alain HUTCHINSON (PES/Belgium), on a European agenda for social

housing which is part of the campaign run by the

PES Group in the COR in 2011 (Read more under

Plenary p.5, and Interviews, p.9).

ECOS members also adopted unanimously the

draft opinion on the Review of the Small Business

Act (SBA) for Europe by Constance HANIFFY (EPP/

Ireland). The rapporteur welcomes the European

Commission review of the SBA, but also highlightsthe shortcomings related to the divergences

in the degree of implementation of the SBA by

Member States. She calls for improvements in theimplementation of the SME test (that is, a better

analysis of the effects of a legislative proposal on

SMEs), availability of funding opportunities forSMEs and market access. Finally, the draft opinion

calls for the promotion of research and innovation

within the framework of the SBA, as well as thedevelopment of entrepreneurial education.

During the vote in commission, several PESamendments were adopted on issues such as

the importance of applying tax incentives for

innovative small business start-ups, the fundingand financing of SME instruments and the

challenges facing SMEs in relation to access tomarkets and administrative burdens.

ECOS members also adopted by majority the draft

opinion on the Role of local and regional authorities

in achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020

Strategy by Markku MARKKULA, Member of Espoo

City Council and Uusimaa Regional Council (EPP/

Finland) (Read more under Plenary p.6).

Finally, ECOS members had an exchange of viewson the working document on the European

Commission proposal for a Council directive on a

Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB)

by Gusty GRAAS, Member of the municipal

council of Bettembourg (ALDE/Luxembourg). The

working document asks a series of questions bothon the impact of the CCCBT on regional and local

communities and on how the CoR could possibly

provide useful information in this regard.

CoR Commissions: What's new?

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0909

There are major differences in social housing

policy between Member States. How could a

European social housing agenda address these

differences more effec tively?

Alaini Hutchinson

Alain Hutchinson, Member of the Brussels-Capi-

tal Regional Parliament (Belgium):

Although responsibility for housing policy clearly

lies at national or regional level, the choice of im-

plementing measures can be heavily influenced

by European policies and the aim of this report

is to highlight these interactions. Bearing that in

mind, we suggest enhancing the positive effects

of the legal framework and also of regional de-

velopment policies to provide a wider choice of

decent, affordable housing and taking another

look at the rules that might prevent more accom-

modation from becoming available.

As we enter the negotiating phase on the EU's fu-

ture political and budgetary priorities after 2013,it is worthwhile pointing to the substantial contri-

bution that social housing can make to achieving

the European objectives of cohesion and sustain-

ability. For a region to develop economically and

sustainably it must be able to offer a good quality

of life, of which housing forms an integral part.

But it is also an opportunity for reiterating that

an entitlement to housing is a prerequisite for a

dignified life!

What prompted you to draw up an own-initi-

ative opinion on European and international

mobility for local and regional authority staff?

MiM eiillel e acombe

Mireille Lacombe, Vice-President of the General

Council of Puy-de-Dôme (France):

My own-initiative opinion aims to make the Euro-pean institutions aware of the need to take con-

AND NOW OVER TO PES MEMBERS

ENVE (Brussels, 23 June)

Ilmar REEPALU

The PES Group obtained the rapporteurship

of two highly topical files on 20 years after Rio

and on the legislative package on Energy savings.

These CoR opinions will be drafted by ENVEChair Ilmar REEPALU, Mayor of Malmö (Sweden)

and Jean-Louis JOSEPH, Mayor of Bastidonne

(France), respectively. The issue of the Rio+20

sustainability conference which will take place

in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 will also be the subject

of a conference in conjunction with the external

meeting of the ENVE commission in Malmö on

3 – 4 October.

ENVE members adopted unanimously the draft

opinion on A resource-efficient Europe by Michel

LEBRUN (EPP/B), responding to one of the seven

flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The

rapporteur underlines the need to closely monitor

the flagship initiative in the overall context of the

governance of the strategy and he stresses theleading role of local and regional authorities in

reducing the use of natural resources. To this

effect, he suggests that the future resource-

efficiency roadmap contains a concrete timetable

setting indicators, objectives and an agenda

for the structural and technological changes

necessary to reach these targets. He also proposes

four resource-use indicators: land footprint, use of

biological and mineral resources, water footprint

and carbon footprint, all of which affect a variety

of policy sectors.

PES/ENVE coordinator Hermann KUHN, Member

of the Bremen City/Region Parliament (Germany),

presented his working document on A space

strategy for the EU , which looks at key issues of theproposed strategy such as the earth observation

initiative led by the EU, environmental protection

applications, the role of space policy in promoting

research, innovation and competitiveness and the

possible financial framework for this policy. The

rapporteur supports the important role of the

European Space Agency (ESA) and also proposes

to strengthen existing networks of regions that

are already involved in space technology. The

working document will form the basis of the draft

opinion, to be adopted at the ENVE meeting of 3 October.

Hermann KUHN

ENVE members also had a roundtable debate

on the role of local and regional authorities ininternational climate change policy ahead of

the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of theParties in Durban.

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10

crete steps at EU level to promote and support

European and international mobility for local and

regional authority staff. These staff are in close

day-to-day contact both with the public and with

local elected representatives. Their role in putting

across the European message could be boosted

by making mobility part of their continuous train-

ing via temporary secondments to other local

authorities; this would be a practical example of multi-level governance.

I firmly believe that European and international

mobility for local and regional authority staff

facilitates implementation of the EU acquis, con-

tributes to cohesion and encourages cooperation

between local and regional authorities, which

is a powerful factor for regional development.

And this feeling is shared by all the stakeholders

I consulted when drawing up the opinion. The

measures I propose for promoting this mobil-

ity include: "mobility meetings" organised by the

European Commission in cooperation with the

CoR, bringing the European institutions and localand regional authorities together; an information

campaign conducted by the European Com-

mission on the added value of mobility for local

and regional authority staff; maintaining financial

support for mobility in the EU's new financial per-

spectives; and the establishment of a European

exchange programme for civil servants and other

staff working for local and regional authorities.

The aim of this list of measures (which is not ex-

haustive) is to facilitate appropriate changes in

human resources, to enable staff to grasp and an-

ticipate European policies.

In your draft opinion, you state that many local

and regional authorities have already built up

skills and experience in the field of industrial

development and of other policies that are di-

rectly related to competitiveness. How can this

experience best be applied to create added val-

ue at EU level? How can synergies be created?

atxi Lopez

Patxi Lopez, President of the Basque Govern-

ment (Spain):

We believe it is essential to make use of the experi-

ence and knowledge built up by certain European

regions in the development and application of

their industrial policy, as well as other policies re-

lating to business competitiveness. In some cases,

regions have broad legislative powers over such

policies in areas as diverse as technological infra-

structure, clusters, international promotion and

innovation, among others.

Many of these experiences have been successful

in improving competiveness, innovation and in-

ternationalisation. More specifically, a challenge

shared by the majority of regions which are mem-

bers of the Committee of the Regions is to devel-

op a reliable and systematic way to help transfer

this knowledge effectively. The aim is to ensure

that these experiences are taken into account and

reproduced by other European regions in accord-

ance with the circumstances of each area.

We are convinced that the development of Euro-

pean forums, networks, observatories and clus-ters, with the active participation of regional clus-

ters, led by industrial regions with successful track

records, and where information and best practic-

es are shared and, in particular, where specific in-

dustrial projects are pursued and established, will

help promote creation of synergies and enhance

the quality of industrial policies.

What concrete actions can regional or local

authorities take in order to promote the Char-

ter for Fundamental Rights and its application

on the ground? Can you give an example from

your own experience?

LottaH KANSSON RJ

Lotta HAKANSSON HARJU, Member of Järfälla

Municipal Council (Sweden):

First of all, it is at the local and regional levels that

many of the fundamental rights are provided for

and guaranteed, for example healthcare, educa-

tion and social security. However, we need to

increase the awareness regarding the role of the

local and regional authorities. For instance, the

local and regional level is not even mentioned

in the Commission’s strategy for fundamental

rights. Consequently, there is a strong need for

more information and education, to politicians

as well as offi cers on all levels in the publ ic sec-

tor. But there is also a need for information to the

public. In order to be able to claim their rights

and respect the rights of others, citizens first of

all need to be aware of these rights themselves.

Local and regional authorities’ should also evalu-

ate how the fundamental rights are safeguard-

ed within their areas. In the United Kingdom,

for example, municipalities have developed

a tool to measure equality and human rights

(the Equality Measurement Framework), and in

Sweden several municipalities have set up and

made use of human rights indicators at the local

and regional levels. These evaluations could alsoserve as input for the Commissions annual report

on fundamental rights.

10

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12

POLITICAL GROUPS MEMBERS

■ PES ...................................................................112

■ EPP ...................................................................119

■ ALDE .................................................................. 41

■ EA ...................................................................... 16

■ NA ...................................................................... 23

■ Pending appointments ......................................... 33

TOTAL CoR 344

POLITICAL BALANCE IN THE CoR

w w w . p e s . c o r . e u r o p a . e u

32.6%

34.6%

11.9%

4.7%

6.7%

9.6%

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11

The Party of European Socialists (PES) is preparing

its next Council , which will take place in Brussels

on 24 November 2011. The Council will adopt the

new PES Declaration of Principles, which will be the

tangible outcome of a deep reflection process and

a significant step towards renewing PES policies

and the Party's way of doing politics. The PES Group

in the CoR is closely involved in the elaboration of

the Declaration, which will be based on the values

of freedom, equality, solidarity and social justice.

The Council will be followed by a Convention, that

is, a wide 2-day brainstorming, with simultaneous

political debates, workshops, panels and cultural

activities. The aim is to formulate new alternative

proposals and to define new progressive policies

that will feed into the elaboration of the PES

Fundamental Programme, to be adopted at the

2012 PES Congress. The PES Group in the CoR willcontribute to the debates of the Convention with

a workshop focusing on social housing.

le ja dr o

The PES Social Europe Network , chaired by

Alejandro CERCAS MEP, met in Brussels on 20

September 2011. The debate took place against

a backdrop of high poverty and unemployment

rates as well as strong pressure by the EuropeanCommission (as illustrated in its recommendations

for National Reform Programmes) to weaken

social security systems and keep wages of low-

and medium-income earners low. Apart from the

preparation of the PES Fundamental Programme,

the Network discussed two upcoming European

Commission proposals, aimed at clarifying

existing legislation about the posting of workers:

the so-called 'Monti II regulation', which is meant

to reconcile the exercise of fundamental social

rights and economic freedom, and a directive on

enforcement of posting rules. The PES Network

discussed the implications of these two upcoming

proposals and whether a revision of the existing

Posting of Workers Directive would still be

necessary. Furthermore, the Network discussed

the social dimension of the Internal Market and

the effects of the European Commission’s current

proposals for a single market on social security

systems. Another item on the agenda was youth

unemployment. It is worth noting that, at their

meeting of 23 June, PES Leaders decided the

creation of a PES Youth Unemployment Working

Group, to discuss the root causes of youth

unemployment and formulate strategies and

policies to improve the chances of young people

to find decent work. Discussions within the PES

Social Europe Network provided a first input to the

work of this new Working Group.

Neil SWANNICK

The PES Environment and Climate Change

Network , chaired by Linda McAVAN MEP, is

meeting in Brussels on 11 October 2011, to discuss

the status quo of the negotiations and progressive

positions on the future of international climate

change agreements in relation to the 17th United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(COP 17), due to take place in Durban (South Africa),

from 28 November to 9 December 2011. Another

item on the agenda is the future of nuclear and

renewable energy in Europe, in the wake of the

Japanese accident. The PES Group is represented

by Neil SWANNICK , member of Manchester

City Council (UK), who will be highlighting the

contribution of local and regional authorities

towards reducing energy consumption, increasing

energy efficiency, adapting citizens' behaviour

and offering new jobs and skills. Neil Swannick

will be putting forward the idea that citizens could

be empowered by taking up the role of so-called'prosumers', that is, producers and consumers,

making active choices and thereby constructively

addressing current energy challenges.

News of the Partyof European Socialists

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