Note to editors

Regional democracy in Europe: the Congress Chamber of Regions organises a round table

Strasbourg, 16.11.2007 – In the framework of the Autumn Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 19-21 November 2007), the Chamber of Regions will hold on 20 November a round table on the situation of regional democracy in Europe.

The draft of a European Charter of Regional Democracy, prepared by the Chamber of Regions, will be analysed in the light of the recent regional developments in Europe and of the conclusions of the last Conference of European Ministers responsible for local and regional government, which was held in Valencia, Spain, on 15-16 October 2007. The draft Charter reaffirms the principles of loyalty and respect of territorial integrity of the state, good governance, the participation of citizens and respect for local self-government. The Congress is due to submit a Recommendation to the Committee of Minister of the Council of Europe at the Congress Plenary Session in 2008.

Participants of the round table will include also representatives of partner institutions and organisations which expressed their support for the draft Charter: the EU Committee of the Regions, the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), the Conference of Presidents of Regions with Legislative Powers (REGLEG), the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CRPM) and the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR).

The round table, which will be open to the press (from 9.30, room 1), will also be broadcast live on Internet.

Link to the Proposal for a European Charter of Regional Democracy CPR(14)6REP

Session file: www.coe.int/congress-session

Contact:

Dmitri Marchenkov, Head of the Congress’ Communication Unit

Tel. +33 3 88 41 38 44, mobile +33 6 75 65 03 49, Email: [email protected]

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