Cohesion policy — dialogue with regional and local authorities

SUMMARY OF:

Communication (COM(2003) 811 final) — dialogue with associations of regional and local authorities on the formulation of EU policy

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS COMMUNICATION?

It seeks to formalise a systematic dialogue* between the European Commission and the local and regional authorities in the preparation of new EU policies.
This dialogue underpins the importance and status of local and regional authorities in the EU.

KEY POINTS

This communication:

stresses that this systematic dialogue is in addition to all the other online consultation approaches to which local and regional authorities and their associations (such as the Council of European Municipalities and Regions — CEMR, the Conference of peripheral maritime regions and Eurocities) respond;
sets out clearly the role that the Committee of the Regions (CoR) plays in the systematic dialogue;
draws up a set of criteria to identify the associations that may participate in the dialogue.

Subsequent developments

In 2012, the CoR and the European Commission, signed a renewed cooperation agreement (protocol) that promoted a territorial dialogue through the Committee of the Regions with local and regional authorities as a way of further involving them in the EU policy-making process.
The protocol recognises the benefit of CoR platforms and networks as an access point to local and regional authorities. They permit the Commission to broaden its analysis of local and regional aspects in impact assessments where necessary.
In 2015, the Commission published its agenda for better regulation *. This underpins its approach to open, transparent and better consultation on new and existing legislation through expert groups, the REFIT platform* and the regulatory scrutiny board that oversees impact assessments. The CoR is now represented in the REFIT platform.

BACKGROUND

The principles of subsidiarity and proportionality are recognised in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union, as well as in Articles 2, 5 and 6 of Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity.
Since the adoption of the communication, the EU has been enlarged on 3 occasions. It now comprises 28 countries and more than 92,506 sub-national governments including
- 91,252 municipalities,
- 935 intermediary level sub-national governments and
- 319 regional or federated level sub-national governments.

* KEY TERMS

Systematic dialogue: a process to ensure that local and regional authority input can be secured throughout the policy development process.

Better regulation: ensuring that measures are evidence-based, well-designed and deliver tangible and sustainable benefits for citizens, business and society.

REFIT platform: a Commission initiative to make EU law simpler and reduce regulatory costs, resulting in a clear, stable and predictable set of rules supporting growth and jobs.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Communication from the Commission — Dialogue with associations of regional and local authorities on the formulation of European Union policy (COM(2003) 811 final, 19.12.2003)