ARLEM calling for greater synergies and more democratic governance in the European Neighbourhood Policy
On Thursday, members of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) met with Johannes Hahn i, Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement, to discuss the ongoing review of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The exchange of views took place during the Bureau meeting of ARLEM in Brussels.
Markku Markkula , ARLEM co-president and President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), summarised: "In our view, the European Neighbourhood Policy should stress further strategic priorities: democratic governance including decentralization, and sustainable territorial development. ENP and objectives undertaken by the Union for the Mediterranean need to complement each other. Greater synergies with the European development policy and the agenda for migration, as well as with other structural policies and financial instruments, can bring considerable added value". President Markkula also reiterated ARLEM's call to "enable public administration at local level to implement reforms, through training exercises and EU's facilities aiming to enhance capacity building, such as a revisited Local Administration Facility".
ARLEM co-presidents Markkula and Hani Abdalmasih Al Hayek also had an opportunity to present their views to the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini i, during the Civil Society Forum-Southern Neighbourhood co-hosted by the CoR on Thursday. Mr Al Hayek, Mayor of Beit Sahour (Palestine), recalled that "major conflicts and unprecedented migration flows are seriously impacting the balance of relations in the Mediterranean region. In this difficult time, it is particularly important that we call on the EU and the international community to provide local and regional authorities on the ground with the necessary resources to cope with these situations and assist the victims".
Addressing the local and regional representatives from the Mediterranean partner countries and EU, Commissioner Hahn said: "It is our intention to have the broadest possible consultation on the European Neighbourhood Policy reform. The contribution of regional and local initiatives and communities is crucial if we want to strengthen the bottom-up approach in our reformed ENP. Initiatives such as ARLEM serve as bridge and platform to involve the citizens". The Bureau of ARLEM adopted a position paper on the European Neighbourhood Policy review, feeding into the consultation process launched by the Commissioner and Ms Mogherini.
It was also decided that the next ARLEM plenary session will be organised in Nicosia, Cyprus, in January 2016.
Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly
ARLEM was set up in 2010 to bring a territorial dimension to the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and strengthen the role of local and regional authorities in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. It is a joint initiative of the Committee of the Regions, regional and local authorities around the three shores of the Mediterranean and European and international associations representing cities and regions working on the ground. ARLEM is composed of 80 local and regional representatives from the EU and its Mediterranean partners, and is chaired by a co-presidency, equally representing the Mediterranean partners and the EU.
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