President Markkula joined the official celebration of the EU 60th anniversary.
"We must be proud of Europe's achievements over 60
years of peace and prosperity. My message here in
Rome is clear: our Union will only survive and
deliver on its promises if citizens and their
regional and local communities are personally
engaged. The European Committee of the Regions
stands ready to make it happen", said the CoR
President Markku Markkula, taking part in the
official celebration of the EU 60th
anniversary on 25 March in Rome.
The
Rome Declaration
shows a strong commitment to
'listen and respond to the concerns expressed by
our citizens
' and
'work together at the level that makes a real
difference, be it the European Union, national,
regional, or local, and in a spirit of trust and
loyal cooperation, both among Members States and
between them and the EU institutions, in line with
the principle of subsidiarity
'.
"The signature of the Rome Declaration marks a turning
point for opening up the European project to citizens"
stressed President Markkula. "Today, in all modesty, we
need to go back to basics. Everything we do must be
founded on trust. The European Committee of the Regions
will work to make sure that those in power listen to
the concerns of citizens' and take EU decisions as
close as possible to the places where they live and
work".
The CoR First Vice-President, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, said that:
"Europe and the very citizens it represents face a deep
social, economic and democratic crisis. We must
urgently stand up for social justice and protection
whilst championing our common values and the solidarity
that unite us. The role of local and regional
authorities in reconnecting Europe with its citizens
cannot be understated. In these testing times, they
must be at the very heart the reflection on the future
of Europe. The time now is for their role within the
European Union to not only be recognised, but
enhanced."
Note to the editors:
As part of its contribution to the
ongoing political reflection on Europe's future , the CoR has launched "
Reflecting on Europe
", a bottom-up initiative offering a space for
local and regional authorities and for citizens to
present their thoughts and ideas about the
past-present-future of Europe.
Contact:
Name
Tel. +32 2 282 2461
pierluigi.boda@cor.europa.eu