Congress promotes Reference Framework for regional democracy as contribution to the EU Danube Strategy
Strasbourg, 25.05.2011 - "The role of local and regional authorities is indispensable: it is them who carry the European project close to the citizens”, stressed Jana Fischerová, Chair of the Group for Relations of the Czech Parliament with the Austrian Parliament and Vice-President of the Congress, in a workshop of the 16th Europa-Forum Wachau, held last weekend, 21/22 May 2011, at Göttweig monastery in Lower Austria.
Congress Secretary General Andreas Kiefer welcomed the priorities of the Ukrainian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers in strengthening local and regional democracy. In order to perform as facilitators for economic development, the regions must dispose of clear competences and resources to align European and national policies with local and regional needs and in close contact with the population. The Reference Framework for Regional Democracy of the Council of Europe, recently endorsed by the Committee of Ministers, invites member states governments to make use of this tool when considering institutional reforms and governance at the regional level. “This is essential to empower the regional level in the implementation of the Danube Strategy to be adopted by the European Council in June 2011”, said Andreas Kiefer. The Council of Europe tool can help especially the non-EU-member states participating in the Danube strategy, like Croatia, Serbia, Moldova and Ukraine, he added.
The important role of the regions is also endorsed in the “Göttweig declaration”, issued by the organizers, the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and international Affairs and the Land of Lower Austria.
Speakers in the conference were – amog others – Ms. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Federal Minister for the Interior, Austria, Mr. Johannes Hahn, EU-Commissioner for Regional Policy, Mr. Rosen Plevneliev, Minister for regional development, Bulgarai,, Mr. János Martonyi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hungary, Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of the Regions, Mr. Klaus Türtscher, President of the Government of Liechtenstein, Borut Pahor, Ministerpresident of Slovenia, Mr. Michael Spindelegger, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Austria and the philosopher Robert Menasse.
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