The future of European democracy requires permanent dialogue between citizens and their elected representatives and a clear understanding of the need for greater ownership of the European project at every level of government. This is one of the main conclusions from the work of the CoR's High Level Group on European Democracy chaired by former European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, shared today at the CoR's commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs – (CIVEX).
The initial findings of the
CoR High Level Group on European Democracy (HLG)
complemented a wider discussion at the meeting on the involvement of local
and regional authorities in the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFE).
There was widespread agreement that local and regional dimension should be
more visible in the discussions at the COFE, and that greater coordination
and interaction between the European, national, regional and local levels
of governance is vital if the EU is to improve its democratic credentials
and convince citizens it is more than simply a talking shop. This will also
mean greater involvement of the local and regional levels in the EU
decision-making process, as the level of government most often on the front
line when it comes to the impact European rules.
Herman Van Rompuy
told CIVEX members:
"Many challenges of our time require a strengthening of the role of the
European level, and of the interaction between all levels of
government, to deliver effective results for citizens. Much can be done
within the current structures to strengthen the EU and democracy, and
the EU can set an example of better cooperation with national and
regional parliaments and bodies. Democracy is a permanent dialogue that
must take place between citizens and elected politicians, between
citizens themselves and between local, regional, national and European
authorities."
Ensuring that the opportunity offered by the COFE to permanently improve
multi-level dialogue and governance is not wasted is at the heart of the
CoR's approach to the Conference
Mark Speich
(DE/EPP), Secretary of State for Federal, European and
International Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia and Chair of the CIVEX
commission said:
“The CIVEX Commission started debating the Conference on the Future of
Europe soon after the proposal was launched in late 2019 and the
Conference has been on the agenda of all its meetings since then.
Today’s debates are the culmination of CIVEX's work over the last two
years. We have examined the broad implications of the deliberations
undertaken in the Conference on local and regional democracy and shaped
the contribution of the European Committee of the Regions. For a more
democratic EU, local and regional authorities have to be more involved
in the EU legislative process. The Conference could be a great
opportunity to achieve this goal".
In addition to the CoR's delegation to the COFE, a number of European
associations are also represented at the Conference. Yet despite this
relatively important involvement of local and regional authorities, there
is still much work to be done to make sure their message is heard. Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia,
Executive President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions
(CEMR), told the meeting:
"Europe needs all levels of governance to ensure sustainable
transformational change. This implies a governance in partnership
model, since all of us - citizens, local, regional, national and
European authorities are individual elements in one common process.
Leaving a lasting local imprint in the Conference depends to a large
extent on ourselves and our ability to
encourage and channel
citizens’ actions to concrete proposals shaping future European
policies and governance models
".
The opportunity offered by the COFE to establish new models of dialogue and
deliberation with citizens was underlined by Hermano Sanches Ruivo, Deputy Mayor of the City of Paris
and member of Eurocities:
"The Conference on the Future of Europe is a unique occasion that we
must seize: it allows citizens’ ideas to be taken into account, and
enhances the discussion on how local governments should be involved in
Europe’s future. In this regard, the Conference can also be a first
step towards mainstreaming citizens' participation in the European
Union."
Recording of
the CIVEX meeting
Background
The CoR High Level Group on Democracy, which supports the CoR contribution
to the Conference, will present its report in December. Some of its
recommendations will be presented and discussed at the conference "A Europe
that Empowers, Protects and Delivers: Strengthening European Multi-Level
Democracy" on 3 December. The CoR will present its final contribution to
the Conference at the
9th European Summit of Regions and Cities
on 3-4 March 2022 in Marseille.
A study on
"The Conference on the Future of Europe: Putting Local and Regional
Authorities at the Heart of European Democratic Renewal"
commissioned by the CoR and delivered by the London School of Economics,
was presented for the first time at the meeting. The study offered a number
of possible scenarios for improving and strengthening the role of cities
and regions, and of the CoR itself as the institutional representative of
cities and regions in the EU decision-making process, as potential outcomes
from the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Contact:
Marie-Pierre Jouglain
mariepierre.jouglain@cor.europa.eu
Mobile: +32 473 52 41 15