Spaanse minister benadrukt dat visie en bereidheid nodig zijn voor overstap naar nieuw economisch model (en)

Today, Wednesday, the Third Vice-president of the Spanish Government and Minister of Territorial Policy, Manuel Chaves, told the Committee of the Regions of the European Union, when he presented the priorities of the Spanish Presidency, that beyond taking measures to overcome the crisis, a willingness and vision are required to lay the foundations for a more sustainable, robust and dynamic economic model.

To meet this goal, regional and local authorities in the European Union must be taken into account, which he added “represent 16% of the EU's GDP, one third of public expenditure, two thirds of total public investment and 56% of public employment".

It is important, he argued, for “the governance of the European Union… to play a more active and leading role in local and regional entities at all stages of the policy cycle, from defining the requirements to drafting, applying, supervising and evaluating the measures”.

Chaves began by recalling that “this is a time of economic change, because we are going through a crisis of extraordinary magnitude; in politics, because we finally have a Treaty of Lisbon reforming the government of the European Union; in foreign relations, because a new and more multilateral world order is developing, giving greater importance to emerging countries; and in the relationship that the European Union should have with European citizens”.

“We have the responsibility for laying the foundations for a more dynamic Europe in terms of the economy, for more co-ordinated institutions, which is more committed to social affairs and with more presence in international affairs”, he added.

The Treaty of Lisbon “establishes the territorial dimension, especially territorial cohesion, in the process of European integration and reinforces the mechanisms of governance at multiple levels”. Furthermore, these regional and local governments “have the best tool for constructing such a Europe closer to its citizens”, said the Spanish Minister.

He indicated that “the commitment to the territorial aspect of the EU is reflected in his ministry's programme for this European six-month period, and highlighted “the initiative of the Spanish Presidency to meet next March with the political authorities in charge of Territorial Policy in the 27 Member States".

“At that meeting, which will take place before the Spring Council, we intend to go deeper into the debate raised by the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion, “making territorial diversity a strength” and by the White Paper from the Committee of the Regions on governance on Multiple Levels, he said.

Furthermore, at the end of February in Barcelona, there will be a European summit of local governments at which European institutions, Member States and

local governments from all over Europe intend to discuss the role of local government in the new European agenda.

Chaves supported the choice of Mercedes Bresso as the new President of the Committee of the Regions and called for close co-operation during the Spanish Presidency of the EU.

Bresso, from Italy, emphasised the need for interaction between European national, regional and local levels "in order to confront the current financial, economic and social crisis, as well as to tackle climate change in the longer term”.

“Action by European territorial bodies", he said "should serve as a reference to the European Union, since in addition to being in the front row of the crisis, they are the true laboratories of economic, social and environmental innovation".