Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-13-Speech-4-032"
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"en.20051013.3.4-032"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the EU has been talking for years about how it can bring itself closer to the citizens. There is in fact a very simple solution. European policy must address the requirements and the demands of those whom it immediately affects, and first in line are towns and communities, which represent a significant proportion of the EU. We need to take on board that in the newly-enlarged Europe there are over 73 000 local authorities, and it is those working in the local authorities who are the first to gauge the reaction of EU citizens and to deal with the immediate consequences of the proposals made by us in the European institutions or in national government. When it comes to urban policy, then this is the case twice over. The first people to be approached should always be the mayors of towns and communities.
We presumably agree that holding debates with all local authorities is, from a budgetary point of view, virtually impossible. We could easily hold debates, however, with the associations to which they belong. In the Czech Republic, for example, the Union of Towns and Municipalities covers almost three quarters of the population of the Czech Republic, and provides a platform for dialogue between the local authorities and the government. This follows a recently concluded cooperation agreement, according to which the government is required to submit to the Union all newly proposed policies relating to the communities for comment, and in turn discuss those comments with the communities. Dialogue of this nature would be beneficial to the EU.
The national local authority associations come under the umbrella of European associations. Here in Brussels, for example, a few dozen metres from the Parliament building are the headquarters of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. I mention this so that we may take advantage of the potential of such umbrella organisations and cooperate more with them. As regards urban policy, we have an early opportunity during the debate on the role of towns in the revamped structural policy for 2007 – 2013.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is symbolic that we are discussing the issue of the urban dimension of the EU during the European Week of Regions and Cities in Brussels. I should therefore like to call on the Committee of the Regions and the Commission to support this initiative, which involves the towns and cities themselves. For proper dialogue to take place, however, our partners require time and space to be able to make their contribution, and we need time and space to be able to make good use of their contributions, and in turn to improve the quality of the laws and initiatives on which we are working.
I shall conclude by thanking the rapporteur, Mr Beaupuy, for his work on this initiative, which, to my mind, takes account of the actual needs of Europe’s towns and communities."@en1
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