Ficha informativa sobre o parecer 

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS



- points out that all the countries covered by the enlargement strategy have formally ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Charter of Local Self-Government, and would encourage them to meet and implement these commitments;

- draws attention to the vital importance of the formation and development of multilevel governance, independent media and civil society in the candidate countries and urges them to support respect for civil liberties and democratic procedures in political life;

- stresses the importance of a formal consultation procedure between competent national authorities, and local and regional authorities at every stage of the EU enlargement process, which broadens public participation and helps apply the subsidiarity principle and bring citizens closer. It also facilitates the implementation of legislation and helps to make better use of IPA if local and regional representatives are well informed about the integration process;

- calls for the creation or reinforcement of organisations that group together local and regional authorities and the cooperation with their counterparts in other EU Member States, which can help to share experiences and support the integration process;

- takes a positive view of the ongoing integration process in the candidate countries, which should also be taken advantage of as one element in a decentralisation process based on transparent implementation;

- stresses the key importance of respect for the principle of good neighbourly relations among EU Member States, candidate countries and other countries and the role and importance of developing cross-border and regional cooperation between these countries.