Plenary Session of the Congress
30 May to 1st June 2007 - Strasbourg, France
Debate on regional democracy in Europe
A debate on regional democracy in Europe took place on Thursday 31 May 2007 at 10 am (Room 1 - Palais de l'Europe).
Towards a
Charter of Regional Democracy in Europe?
In 1997, the Congress
adopted a "European charter of regional self-government" intended
to do for the regions what the charter of local self-government
did for municipalities. This draft was rejected twice, in 2002 and
2005, by the European Ministers responsible for local and regional
government. The Chamber of Regions since 2006, has been
working on a new text, entitled "European Charter of Regional
Democracy", which, after finalisation and adoption by the Congress
in May 2008, could be submitted to the European Ministers
responsible for local and regional government. In addition to
these changes, the new draft takes account of all the developments
in Europe over the last few years, particularly the irreversible
assertion of the "regional phenomenon" in European policies.
(More...)
Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe Rapporteur in the Charter of
Régional Democracy: «Europe’s regions need a reference framework –
and that’s what the Charter of Regional Democracy will give them»
Interview
Participants in the debate
António PAIVA, President of the Commission for
Constitutional Affairs of the Committee of the Regions of the
European Union, Mayor of Tomar ( Portugal )
Lluis Maria DE PUIG ( Spain , SOC), Rapporteur of
the Parliamentary Assembly
Peter Paul GANTZER , Vice-President of the Landtag
of Bavière, Vice-President of the Conference of European Regional
Legislative Assemblies (CALRE)
Herwig VAN STAA ( Austria , EPP/CD), President of
the Land of Tirol , Representative of the Conference of European
regions with legislative power (REGLEG), Vice-President of the
Congress
Bojan KOSTRES ( Republic of Serbia ), President of
the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina
Jerzy KROPIWNICKI, Member of the Committee of the
Regions of the European Union, President of the Contact Group
Committee of the Regions/Congress