Lisbon, 26-27 October, 14th Conference of Ministers responsible for spatial/regional planning

Speech by Anders Knape,
Vice-President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities,

Mr Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past fifteen years, our continent has seen tremendous changes spurred by the fall of the Communist regimes, which created a historic opportunity for European unification on the basis if democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. Today, we are speaking about a new Europe, a Europe without dividing lines, and, I should add, a Europe of territorial communities.

The process of European integration, boosted by the developments of the past decade, also led to the acceleration of decentralisation trends and the evolution of power from the national level towards territorial communities. The transfer of competences to regional and local level, the growing importance of local economy for the well-being of our citizens, the increasing inter-territorial cooperation which we are witnessing today – all these trends have highlighted the need, but also an opportunity, for advancing sustainable territorial development and creating a Europe of sustainable communities. This was in particular recognised at the Warsaw Summit of Council of Europe Heads of State and Government in May 2005, and this is the specific theme chosen for this conference.

It is clear that communities cannot develop in isolation, or without active participation of all stake-holders involved – all levels of government, civil society, the private sector. This is why setting up networks for sustainable spatial development takes on a particular importance as a means of making sure that our action is concerted as much as it is sustained. In fact, I find that “Sustained action for sustainable development” is a very appropriate slogan in this context.

Of course, cooperation networks can take different forms. The draft Declaration before us recognises CEMAT as a platform for building networks at pan-European level. We need, however, networks which would bring together all levels of government, and in this regard the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, which I represent, provides a perfect forum for cooperation and an exchange of ideas and best practices at local and regional level. Our Congress today is a representative body of more than 200,000 territorial communities of Europe, and as such is very much complementary to the intergovernmental forum of CEMAT.

Over the years of its work, the Congress has built up substantial experience in establishing and promoting networks for local democracy. One of the first was a network of Local Democracy Agencies, LDAs, which evolved into the Association of Local Democracy Agencies and which broadened its scope initially confined to South-East Europe to include recently Georgia. LDAs were conceived in the wake of the conflict in the Balkans to promote confidence-building measures among communities in South-East Europe which were torn apart by war. We are proud to say that LDAs have made a very important contribution to reinforcing local self-government in the region through concrete projects in the field, which are recognised also by national governments.

Another area of the Congress’ activities is the creation of national associations of local authorities and their regional networks, the first of which, the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe, NALAS, came into being in 2005. We are now mounting action to set up a similar network in South Caucasus, having already created the National Association of Local Authorities in Georgia, NALAG, and making progress towards establishing local authorities’ groupings in Azerbaijan.

The Congress has also been promoting Euro-regions of a new generation, around European semi-closed seas, to bring together national, regional and local authorities from both EU and non-EU member states in a cooperation framework to ensure the sustainable development of these geographical areas. The Adriatic Euro-region was launched this year, and we are now working on the creation of the Black Sea Euro-region, which will be discussed at the conference in Samsun, in Turkey, on 3 November. The aim of the Samsun Conference is to discuss possible co-operation initiatives in the environmental, socio-economic and cultural fields and the creation of a Black Sea Euroregional structure that could give local and regional self-government authorities a permanent co-operation framework for working together.   We hope that the Baltic Sea Euro-region will follow suit.

Last but not least, we are planning the setting up of a network of regions through the future Council of Europe Centre for inter-regional and cross-border co-operation in St Petersburg, aimed at building bridges between regions all across Europe, whether bordering or not. We see this proposed Centre as a major cooperation network which will promote local democracy and foster regional links through specific projects.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Decentralisation processes and local self-government reform in many European countries have resulted in the creation of new territorial communities, meaning more new elected representatives and their staff, which, in turn, increase the need for their professional training, including in issues relating to sustainable development. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, through its European Network of Training Organisations, ENTO, has been actively involved in providing such training for local authorities, who often have to face difficult choices in their decision-making on spatial planning – for example, to invite a big enterprise which will boost local economy and create jobs, with a risk of pollution, or to preserve the landscape and environment? It is for all of us to make sure that they make the best choices.

The networks allow better governance.

Democratic structures and the quality of governance are decisive to social cohesion and crucial to both the success of economic development and the preservation of the environment. In this respect, the Congress of the Council of Europe, beyond fostering the creation of networks, has organised its own activities through a thematic work within its Committees.

Strengthening interactions and exchanges of best practices may be foreseen through networking of a different kind. I think of the support given by the Congress to the creation, in May 2006, of the European Network of local and regional authorities for implementing the European Landscape Convention or to the Network of European Cities for Local Integration Policy (CLIP), launched in Dublin in September 2006, together with the City of Stuttgart and the European Foundation to support the development of integration policies for migrants on the local level in Europe.

I would like to conclude by stressing once again the great importance of involving local and regional authorities in the decision-making on sustainable spatial planning and in the creation of networks to ensure such sustainability. I am certain that during your deliberations at this conference, you will address this issue and pay due attention to the role of the local and regional governments in spatial planning. I wish this conference every success.

Thank you.