EUROPEAN CONVENTION: MORE RECOGNITION FOR REGIONS WITH LEGISLATIVE POWERS?

Regions with legislative powers stress the need for the EU Treaty to include an article specifying that the European Union ought to take account of the division of powers within each Member State and call for a mechanism to be defined to allow the subsidiarity principle to be safeguarded in practice. Such a system should of course involve the EU's Committee of the Regions (as is being considered in the case of the Convention) but it should also apply to regions with legislative powers. "They should be fully and directly involved. The participation of the Committee of the Regions as an entity will not be enough", according to the Resolution.

Albert Bore, the President of the Committee of the Regions, recalled that his institution represented all EU regions, specifying that he could see no point in his forum creating a special status solely for regions with legislative powers, as some parties are demanding. Echoing the European Parliament's view, he said it was up to the Member States to use their constitutional systems to facilitate the regions' appropriate involvement and representation in the European decision-making process. He urged these regions not to turn their backs on the Committee, even though they believe their power is insufficiently represented in the Committee by association with regions without legislative powers. "Your full political engagement is required now more than ever", stressed Sir Albert.

Also attending the Florence meeting, Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Regional Policy and Institutional Reforms, and a member of the...