EUROPEAN CONVENTION: NOTABLE PROGRESS ON RECOGNITION OF TERRITORIAL DIMENSION.

* Regional and local authorities are to be included in the European Constitution:

- Article 1-5: "The Union shall respect the national identities of its Member States, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, including for regional and local self government"

- part 2, preamble: "The Union contributes to the preservation and to the development of these common values while respecting the diversity of the cultures and traditions of the peoples of Europe as well as the national identities of the Member States and the organisation of their public authorities at national, regional and local levels"

* Territorial cohesion - and not only economic and social cohesion - is included on several occasions and recognised as a shared competence:

- Article 1-3: "It shall promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, and solidarity among Member States"

- Article 1-13: includes "economic, social and territorial cohesion" as one of the shared competences

- Article 2-36: "The Union recognises and respects access to services of general economic interest as provided for in national laws and practices, in accordance with the Constitution, in order to promote the social and territorial cohesion of the Union"

* The principle of subsidiarity is no longer limited to defining the relations between EU institutions and...