echoes, Nr 37 (EN)

Newsletter of the European Social ists in the Committee of the Regions November 2012

Dear friends,

What was, and what is European integration

all about? After the Nobel peace prize for

the European Union, which will be handed

over in a couple of days, and in the midst of one of

the deepest crises of the EU since its beginnings, we

are all asking this question with renewed urgency

– because the citizens expect from us, their elected

representatives, to provide them with the answers.

Since it is clear that the European integration process

is not going to happen by itself, but it requires

commitment and energy, and maybe even sacrifices,

we have to be able to explain to each other, why we

are ready to engage in this endeavour. This is even

more important because right now the impression is

sometimes, that the European Union at best helps as

to solve problems which we would not have without

it. It is true, we do need quite quickly reinforced EU

institutions so that we can finally coordinate our

economic and budgetary policies, but also our labour

market, social and tax policies to the degree necessary

to solve the Euro-crisis, while ensuring social justice. The

recent decisions on a banking union and on measures

to fight youth unemployment are small, but important

steps in this direction. Yet, these decisions are not an

end in themselves. Even the Euro as a political project is

not, as such, the 'goal' of the European Union; it is, and

has always been, a means to another end. European

integration is about trust as the basis for cooperation.

Trust between countries, trust between the political

leaderships in power, trust between people.

Yet, trust cannot be imposed. It has to grow and it has

to be nurtured. It requires again and again the concrete

experience that you can talk to 'the others', even if you

argue with them knowing that in the end, you will be

able to find compromise solutions which we can all live

with because overtime, these compromises are better

and more reliable than what competition and the

subsequent mistrust would be as the alternative. This

real-life cooperation has to be practised at all levels:

at the local and regional level through direct contacts

– not least in border regions – but also via the media,

which bear great responsibility in this respect. The year

2013, which has been proclaimed "European Year of

Citizens", is yet another opportunity to address these

challenges. Even the political élites have to practise this

experience of compromising again and again. This is

why so much of the often lengthy negotiations to find

compromises, which happen on a daily basis in the

'oh-so-distant' Brussels arena, is indispensable to reach

a truly united Europe. This is also why one should not

refer to these compromises in derogatory or alarmist

terms in the national context, just because the 'public

opinion' seems to like Brussels-bashing.

Only thanks to the persistent work on these

innumerable and never-ending compromises, was

Europe able to make a fresh start after the World War

II, and only through them could the European Union

become the peace-structure, which has served as a

model worldwide. If we want it to carry on this way, we

have to continue everywhere to build this Union step-

by-step: at the local, the regional and the national level.

Because only through these steps can mutual trust be

maintained, without which Europe has no future at all.

With social-democratic

greetings,

Karl-Heinz LambertzPresident of the PES Group in the CoR

w w w. p es . co r. euro p a . eu

Published by | PES Group Secretariat

Rue Belliard 101 | 1040 Brussels

+32.2.282.22.23 | [email protected]

NEWS OF THE PES GROUP IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2

FEATURES 3

OTHER VOICES 4

PLENARY SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (29 – 30 NOVEMBER 2012) 5

COR COMMISSIONS: WHAT'S NEW? 8

AND NOW OVER TO PES MEMBERS 9

NEWS OF THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS 11

A LOOK AT SOME RECENT LOCAL AND REGIONAL ELECTIONS 12

02

NEWS OF THE PES GROUP IN THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Within the framework of this year’s CoR Open Days, the PES Group held on 10 October a workshop on Youth (un)

employment: Exploring solutions that work. The aim was

to present some solutions which have been successfully implemented

at regional and local level in bringing young people into work and

giving them a prospect. The good practices focused on the school-to-

work transition, the creation of quality jobs with the help of EU funds,

and the promotion of innovation and youth entrepreneurship. PES

Group President Karl-Heinz Lambertz, Group members Christian

Illedits, Member of the Burgenland Parliament (Austria), and Stavros

Arnaoutakis, President of the Region of Crete (Greece), as well as

Tuscany’s Minister for agriculture, Gianni Salvadori, were among the

key speakers. The debates were moderated by Kaisa Penny, President

of ECOSY - Young European Socialists.

It is worth reminding that the workshop theme ties in with this year’s

policy campaign of the Party of European Socialists (PES), calling

for a European Youth Guarantee as a means of boosting youth

employment.

In cooperation with the Foundation for European Progressive

Studies (FEPS), the PES Group organised on 21 November their

last lunch-time debate for 2012, dedicated to Progressive urban

development: Mitigate, educate, participate. Uli Paetzel, the Social

Democrat Mayor of the city of Herten (Germany), presented Herten’s

“Urban Development concept 2020”, which is aimed at combining

industrial regeneration with sustainability and climate change mitigation.

PES Group member Henning Jensen, member of the municipal council

of Næstved (Denmark) and former CoR rapporteur on sustainability

issues, was also a key speaker.

The fifth edition of the PES Group photo competition for Europeans

aged 18-108 under the title “Life 2.0 – Ready for a new start” will

conclude with the award of the prizes for the winning photos on 29

November, during the Group’s meeting ahead of the CoR plenary

session. Inspired by the theme of the 2012 European Year for Active

Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, the competition brought

together some 350 entries by amateur photographers, who illustrated

the way they perceive senior citizens taking an active part in society and

developing their potential. The jury, presided by PES Group member

Alain Hutchinson, has selected three photos; and the winners will be

awarded the following prizes:

1st Prize1 P

Daniele Francavillese,

26 years, Pescara, Italy

Wins a trip to 2 European

cities and a tablet computer

2nd Prize2 P

Nadia Carminati,

25 years, Albino, Italy

Wins a trip to 1 European

city and a tablet computer

3rd Prize

Carole Viaene,

24 years, Ghent, Belgium

Wins a tablet computer

Further information on our activities is available on the website of the PES

Group: www.pes.cor.europa.eu. You can also connect with us on the

social media such as our Facebook page facebook.com/pesgroupcor

and follow @pesgroupcor on twitter.

03

The start of the second half of the 5th CoR

term of office has brought changes to the key

positions held by members of the PES Group

within the Group but also in the various CoR

bodies.

To start with, Mercedes Bresso, Councillor

of the Piedmont Region, Italy and former CoR

President, is now the First Vice-President of the

Institution.

The PES Group reconfirmed its Executive in the following positions:

Karl-Heinz Lambertz Sir Albert Bore

(Minister-President of the

German-speaking Community

of Belgium): President

of the PES Group, also in

charge of Social Europe

(Leader of Birmingham

City Council, UK): Vice-

President, responsible for

the follow-up of political

Catiuscia Marini Apostolos Katsifaras

(President of the Umbria

Region, Italy): 1st Vice-President,

responsible for Cohesion Policy

(President of the Region

of Western Greece): Vice-

President, responsible for

Sustainable Development

Claudette Abela

Baldacchino

Yoomi Renström

(Deputy Mayor of Qrendi,

Malta): Vice-President,

responsible for Media

and Communication

(Member of Ovanåker

Municipal Council, Sweden):

Vice-President, responsible

for Education and Culture

Per Bødker Andersen Leszek SWIETALSKI

(Deputy Mayor of Kolding,

Denmark): Vice-President,

responsible for Enlargement

and Neighbourhood Policy

(Mayor of Stare Bogaczowice,

Poland): Treasurer.

Concerning the CoR commissions, the PES Group now holds 2 presidencies, 4 first vice-presidencies and two second vice-presidencies. The PES Group

also holds the presidencies of one Working Group and one Joint Consultative Committee.

Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX)

Chair:

Ant onio Costa, Mayor

of Lisbon, Portugal

2nd Vice-Chair:

Martina Michels, Member

of the Berlin House of

Representatives, Germany

PES Group Coordinator:

Lotta Hakansson Harju,

Member of Järfälla Municipal

Council, Sweden

Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy (COTER)

1st Vice-Chair:

Petr Osvald, Councillor of Plzeň, Czech Republic

PES Group Coordinator:

Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council, UK

Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS)

1st Vice-Chair:

Christine Chapman,

member of the National Assembly of Wales, UK

PES Group Coordinator:

Henk Kool,

Vice-Mayor of The Hague, The Netherlands

Commission for Education, Youth, Culture and Researh (EDUC)

1st Vice-Chair:

Jean-François Istasse,

Member of the Parliament

of the French-speaking

Community, Belgium

2nd Vice-Chair:

Henning Jensen, Town

Councillor of the municipality

of Næstved, Denmark

PES Group Coordinator:

Yoomi Renström, Member

of Ovanåker Municipal

Council, Sweden

03

FEATURESKey PES Group positions 2012-2014

04

Interview with Conny Reuter, Secretary General of

SOLIDAR

On 23 October, the European Commission

presented its work programme for 2013.

Earlier speeches by Commission President

Barroso had given the impression that, unlike

Council President van Rompuy, he could see

the need for greater focus on the social impact

of the crisis. In his State of the Union address

to the European Parliament in Strasbourg in

September, he even called for “new thinking”,

raising interest and expectations. But has the

EU’s social dimension really been taken up in

the Commission’s Work Programme?

The priorities set out in the Commission Work

Programme clearly tell a different story: “genuine

economic and monetary union”, “single market

and industrial policy”, “tomorrow’s networks in

telecoms, energy and transport”, “better use of

Europe’s resources”, “safe and secure Europe”.

In the end nothing really new in the West! In

recent decades, priority has always been given to

economic and monetary union. The completion of

the internal market has also always been at the top

of the agenda. The Commission Work Programme

still conveys the belief that social union is to be the

last step, even though rising unemployment rates

as well as increasing numbers of working poor

and people living in poverty and extreme poverty

speak another language.

On the employment and social cohesion side,

the Commission Work Programme focuses on

“harnessing social investment for inclusive growth,

through guidance for policy reforms identified

in the framework of the European semester,

supported by EU funds such as the European

Social Fund.” Yes, this would be the right approach,

if those reforms did not partially undermine the

social safety net and if the European Social Fund

(ESF) remained at 25% of cohesion policy funding,

with some 20% earmarked for active inclusion and

based on a genuine partnership principle including

NGOs.

The moment of truth will come with the next

Annual Growth Survey, when we will see how far

the social impact of the crisis has been taken into

account and to what extent the famous country-

specific recommendations and agreements to be

negotiated by the Union and the Member States

give priority to inclusive growth and the social

objectives of Europe 2020.

“Social protection and social investment should be

more effective”: yes! And this means moving away

from the policy of austerity and shifting the focus

beyond European Monetary Union (EMU), fiscal or

economic union. Social progress can only be made

with other policies, which have to be in line with the

social clauses of the treaty, the Council conclusions

and the Europe 2020 Strategy and cannot come

after other forms of “union”.

We call for:

1. A commitment to social investment.

2. Making budgetary choices allowing investment

in quality job creation.

3. Sticking to the social objectives of the Europe

2020 strategy and referring to the social clauses

of the Treaty.

4. Recognising the particular role of the social

economy as a driver for sustainable growth and

job creation.

Policies must serve the people, above all the most

vulnerable. In this sense, the commitment to a

youth guarantee is a concrete step which must not

be watered down, whether by the Commission or

the Council!

Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE)

1st Vice-Chair:

Mircea Cosma,

President of Prahova County Council, Romania

PES Group Coordinator:

Neil Swannick,

Member of Manchester City Council, UK

Commission for Natural Resources (NAT)

Chair:

René Souchon, President of Auvergne

Regional Council, France

PES Group Coordinator:

Michael Cohen, Mayor of Kalkara, Malta

Committee for Financial and

Administrative Affairs (CFAA)Working Group on Western Balkans

Joint Consultative Committee

with Iceland

1st Vice-Chair:

Gabor Bihary, Member

of Budapest General

Assembly, Hungary

Chair:

Mia De Vits, Member of the

Flemish Parliament, Belgium

Chair:

Eva Quante-Brandt, State

Councillor, Member of the

Senate of the Hanseatic

City of Bremen, Germany

Gender Balance

With 25.5% of women (56 out of 221 members), the PES Group has the highest female participation amongst the 4 political groups in the CoR. Gender

balance is a top priority and national delegations are encouraged to improve internal gender balance during the negotiations leading to Member

States' proposals for appointments of CoR members by the Council.

OTHER VOICES

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05

Plenary session of the Committee of the Regions (29 – 30 November 2012)

The November plenary session will examine 13 draft opinions, 6 of which by PES rapporteurs. José

Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, will present to the CoR the Commission’s

Legislative and Work Programme for 2013. Like every year, the CoR will adopt a resolution on the

issue. CoR members will also adopt a resolution on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-

2020, based on the outcome of the extraordinary European Council of 22-23 November.

Posting of workers in the

framework of the provision of

services:

Alain Hutchinson (PES/Belgium)

The draft opinion of the member of

Brussels Capital Regional Parliament

proposes specific amendments to the

relevant European Commission's proposal

for a revised directive which aim to: move

the legal basis of the directive away from

the provision of services towards social

rights, as set out in the Lisbon Treaty; widen

the application of the directive to include

all situations that involve secondments,

including workers seconded to the EU

from third countries; set a limited number

of sub-contracting levels for seconded

workers, thereby reducing the risk of

violation of the legal provisions; include a

non-regression clause in the text to ensure

that the highest levels of protection of

workers established at national level are

not compromised by the transposition of

the directive in individual Member States;

strengthen the role of social partners in the

application of legislation, including the role

of workers' representatives; and last but not

least, recognise the territorial dimension

of the posting of workers more effectively

through greater cooperation between the

public authorities of individual EU Member

States, particularly in the case of border

regions. The rapporteur also welcomes

the European Commission's decision to

withdraw the controversial proposal for a

regulation on social rights in the EU (Monti II

regulation) – which had been presented as

part of a package together with the revised

Directive on the Posting of Workers. His draft

opinion was adopted by an overwhelming

majority in the CoR's ECOS commission

(Read also interviews, p. 10).

Statute for a European Foundation:

Claudette Brunet-Lechenault

(PES/France)

The draft opinion of the Vice-President

of the Saône et Loire General Council

responds to a proposal for a Council regulation

on the Statute for a European Foundation

(FE), which will have legal personality and

legal capacity in all Member State. This draft

opinion is to be put into the broader picture

of the PES priority to contribute to securing

the social economy in the internal market. It is

therefore not a coincidence that EP rapporteur

is the Austrian Social-Democrat Evelyn

Regner; and the cooperation between the

two rapporteurs on this dossier will reinforce

the synergies between the two institutions

and guarantee a follow-up in the further inter-

institutional negotiations. The new Statute for

a European Foundation will allow foundations

to carry out cross-border and transnational

public benefit activities in an easier and less

costly way. The rapporteur welcomes the

creation of FEs, stressing however that they

should be provided with enhanced legal

certainty and transparency. To this end, she

proposes a series of concrete amendments,

that is: to increase the minimum level of assets

required at the point when FEs are created and

throughout their existence to 50,000 euro; to

limit their economic activities to those that are

closely linked with their public interest tasks;

to provide more specific governance rules,

in line with their not-for-profit nature; and

to define the concept of conflict of interest

(Read also interviews, p. 10).

EU state aid modernisation:

Clemens Lindemann (PES/Germany)

ECOS members adopted unanimously the

draft opinion of the Head of the Saarpfalz

County which will submitted to the plenary

under the simplified procedure (Read more

under ECOS commission, p.8, and Interviews,

p.10).

A Bioeconomy for Europe: Rogier:

Rogier van der Sande (ALDE/

Netherlands)

The draft opinion of the member of

the Executive Council of the Province

of Zuid-Holland was adopted

unanimously by the EDUC commission and

will be presented to the plenary under the

simplified procedure (Read more under EDUC,

p.8).

OPINIONS IN BRIEF:

06

7th Environment Action Programme:

Nilgun Canver (PES/UK)

The draft opinion of the Councillor of

London Borough of Haringey responds

to a European Commission communication

on the difficult question of how to improve

the implementation of EU law, with a view

to the elaboration of the 7th European

Action Programme, due to be adopted

at the end of 2012. The communication

recognises the key role of dialogue with

governments and stakeholders in achieving

better implementation of EU law, in particular

through a more systematic approach to

collecting and sharing data and knowledge,

and by enhancing local responsiveness

to environmental problems. In her draft

opinion, the rapporteur calls for greater

local and regional participation throughout

the process of formulating, transposing and

evaluating EU legislation. She also urges the

European Commission to come forward

with an EU framework for environmental

inspections and surveillance, which could

also be supported by the input from the

local and regional level, and assisted by the

European Environmental Agency (EEA). A key

challenge, according to the CoR opinion, is

improving the dissemination and accessibility

of environment- and implementation-related

information, which would allow for an earlier

identification of environmental problems

both by local or regional authorities, and

by the public at large. At ENVE commission

level, the draft opinion was adopted by

overwhelming majority, including a number

of amendments which the rapporteur

supported or suggested compromises on.

Given the large base of support, the adoption

of the opinion in plenary should pass

smoothly (Read also interviews, p. 10).

Code of conduct on partnership:

Stanislaw Szwabski (EA/Poland)

The draft opinion of the Chairman of the

municipality of Gdynia was adopted

unanimously by the COTER commission and

will be submitted for adoption in plenary

under the simplified procedure (Read more

under COTER commission, p. 8).

Common Strategic Framework:

Marek Wozniak (EPP/Poland)

The European Commission published

on 11 September a modified proposal

for the general regulation including the

Common Strategic Framework (CSF), which

takes into account the outcome of the vote

in the European parliament's REGI Committee

as well as latest Council discussions on the

topic. The initial CoR draft opinion, which was

foreseen for adoption by the October plenary

session, needed therefore to be reviewed.

The Common Strategic Framework aims at

setting strategic investment priorities for

the 2014-2020 financial planning period for

the European Regional Development Fund

(ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the

Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Agricultural

Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and

the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

(EMFF). Although all five funds have a

strong territorial dimension, decentralised

management does not apply to all of them.

The rapporteur welcomes the CSF as a step

forward in terms of coordinating Community

policies and achieving best possible results

in their joint implementation. However, the

rapporteur seems to focus exclusively on

the implementation of the Europe 2020

objectives, which PES amendments in plenary

will try to balance.

Implementation of the Soil Thematic

Strategy:

Corry Mc Chord (PES/UK)

The draft opinion of the member of

Stirling Council takes as its basis a

European Commission report, which provides

an overview of the actions undertaken to

implement the four pillars of the Thematic

Strategy for Soil Protection. Even though

the CoR does not normally deliver opinions

on European Commission reports, the ENVE

commission deemed it appropriate to use this

opportunity to re-state the CoR's views in the

hope to relaunch the debate on this important

issue which, for political reasons, has been

stalled. In fact, the legislative proposal for a soil

framework directive has been blocked in the

Council of ministers for a number of years. In

his draft report, the rapporteur highlights that

local and regional authorities can contribute

to the implementation of the Strategy's four

pillars by: raising awareness and providing

information to the citizens; promoting good

practices in the field of research; monitoring

soil quality; or feeding into the European

Soil Data Centre and strengthening links

with other environmental policy goals at EU

level, notably climate change. The rapporteur

also stresses that soil quality is a European

problem which requires European solutions.

To address the large variety of soil problems

- including pollution, erosion and soil sealing

- any European framework must allow for

tailor-made regional or local approaches on

soil protection, which can also be improved

by exchanges of good practice. In the ENVE

commission, there was a lively debate

between those in favour of EU legislation

on soil and those against, often reflecting

different national positions in the Council. The

rapporteur succeeded in bringing a majority

behind his proposal for a differentiated

European level legal framework for soil

protection. Nevertheless, it is likely that this

debate will still return in the plenary session

(Read also interviews, p. 11).

European Capitals of Culture

(ECoC) 2020-2033:

Elisabeth Vitouch (PSE/Austria)

The draft opinion of the member of

the Vienna City Council responds to

a European Commission proposal for a

decision, which ensures the continuation of

the ECoC initiative beyond 2019 (when the

current scheme will end) and lists the order

of countries to nominate cities candidate for

the title up to 2033. As the competition for

the title is launched six years in advance, the

decision on the new cycle has to be adopted

by the European Parliament and the Council

in 2013. The new proposal has the same

structure as the current one but is more

explicit with regard to the selection criteria,

with greater focus on the leverage effect of

the initiative for long-term growth and urban

development, as well as on the European

dimension of the event.

Due to a tight inter-institutional calendar,

Elisabeth Vitouch, representative of the CoR

within the selection panel for the ECoC, was

appointed rapporteur-general and therefore,

07

her opinion will be submitted directly to the

CoR plenary. The draft opinion, which builds

on the relevant CoR own-initiative opinion

of new EDUC Chair Anton Rombouts (EPP/

Netherlands), adopted in February 2012,

proposes concrete legislative amendments

to the Directive, opposing an increasingly

technocratic view imposed by the European

Commission on the composition of the

selection panel. The rapporteur reiterates the

CoR's previous call also for elected members

to be appointed on the panel and strongly

objects to the annual replacement of the

only CoR representative, proposed by the

Commission so that not all members of the

panel are replaced simultaneously. Moreover,

Elisabeth Vitouch emits serious doubts as

to the pertinence of the pre-selection of

potential panel members by the European

Commission alone. Furthermore, she calls for

more year slots to be reserved to candidate,

potential candidate but also Eastern

Partnership countries.

Last but not least, the draft opinion calls for

greater emphasis on the accessibility of ECoC

activities to people with disabilities and the

elderly (Read also Interview, p.9).

Community-led local government

(CLLG):

Graham Garvie (ALDE/UK)

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The own-initiative draft opinion by the

Member of Scottish Borders Council

refers to one of the new tools proposed

by the General Regulation on 2014-2020

Cohesion Policy, aimed at facilitating

the implementation of integrated local

development strategies and the formation of

local action groups. The rapporteur welcomes

this new tool and highlights its potential in

creating synergies between the structural

funds at delivery level, thus boosting the

overall credibility of an integrated cohesion

policy. The CLLG approach is referred as the

best practical example of what the subsidiary

principle means at local level, and how it

will help to increase public ownership and

awareness of EU supported actions on the

ground. However, the rapporteur is critical

of placing CLLD only under the thematic

objective "social inclusion", stressing that it

is a multi-purpose instrument focused on

the local community, and as such, its diverse

nature and challenges will extend well

beyond. The COTER commission adopted the

amendments put forward by PES member

Jean-Paul Denanot, which stress the need

to tackle specific local and regional needs

through CLLD while reinforcing the "urban-

rural" link. The draft opinion was adopted by

majority.

A European Consumer Agenda:

Spyros Spyridon (EPP/Greece)

In its communication on a European

consumer agenda, the European

Commission aims at restoring confidence

in the European economy by enhancing

consumer empowerment and creating

policy synergies. To achieve durable results,

a determined commitment by the whole

chain of actors implementing this Consumer

Agenda is needed. The relevant CoR draft

opinion, elaborated by the Councillor of the

Region of Attica, underlines that local and

regional authorities need to be equipped

with the right tools in order to best defend

consumer rights. To this end, the rapporteur

proposes that resources from the Structural

Funds should be used in order to implement

the agenda. He also places particular

emphasis on the need for close cooperation

between European, national, regional

and local authorities in implementing the

measures. However, his thematic focus is far

too concentrated on specific policy areas,

such as electronic and internet security for

marketing. The opinion has been adopted by

a majority in the NAT commission.

The European innovation

partnership:

Anne Bliek - de Jong

(ALDE/Netherlands)

The draft opinion of the Member of the

Executive Council of the Province of

Flevoland responds to a European Commission

communication on the European Innovation

Partnership (EIP) 'Agricultural productivity and

sustainability'. This new concept, introduced by

the Europe 2020 flagship initiative Innovation

Union, aims at providing a working interface

between agriculture, bio-economy, science

and other policies at EU, national, regional

and local level. The rapporteur proposes

an ambitious draft opinion which, among

others, insists on: obliging Member States to

integrate the EIP cross-sectoral objectives in

the Partnership Contract; favouring bottom-

up SME innovation initiatives over industry

initiatives; and encouraging Member States

to spend a minimum of 25% of the total

contribution from the European Agricultural

Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) on

fostering knowledge transfer and innovation

in agriculture, forestry, and rural areas.

Priority substances in the field of

water policy:

Urve Erikson (EA/Estonia)

The European Commission proposal for a

directive aims at revising Annex X of the

EU Water Framework Directive, by adding a

list of 15 additional chemical substances to the

list of pollutants that are already monitored

and controlled in EU surface waters. The

draft opinion of the Member of Tudulinna

Municipality Council generally welcomes

the European Commission approach and

shares the view that preventing lasting

damage to water must be a key concern of

EU environmental policy. She underlines

that regional and local authorities can play

an important role in providing information

on the issue, and they should therefore be

better involved in the implementation of

the directive. The repporteur also welcomes

the European Commission's view that

standards for monitoring chemicals must be

implemented not only at national level, but

also at local and river-basin level. Moreover,

she supports the Commission's approach,

according to which causes of pollution need

to be identified and tackled at source. In the

legislative amendments which the opinion

proposes to the draft directive, the CoR

opinion argues for longer transition periods

for the addition of the new substances, and

stresses the important role of cooperation

between regions in monitoring them. During

the ENVE debate, a number of amendments

seeking to reject the very idea behind the

Commission's proposals were defeated by a

large majority. The proponents had put into

doubt the scientific evidence and the overall

feasibility of monitoring the substances

in question. Against this, a number of

amendments tabled by PES members were

adopted with the support of the rapporteur.

It is possible that this debate is repeated in the

CoR plenary.

08

CIVEX (24 September, Brussels)

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CIVEX members had an exchange of views

on the working document on the Promotion

of EU citizens’ electoral rights by György Gémesi,

Mayor of Gödöllő (EPP/Hungary), which lists some

key points aimed at raising general awareness of

EU citizens who are non-nationals of the country

they live in, about their electoral rights and at

increasing the level of participation. PES Group

shadow rapporteur Holger Poppenhäger

intervened in the debate, highlighting the need to

discuss not just the issue of mobilising citizens in

general, but also the possibility of extending the

voting rights of EU nationals to regional elections.

Furthermore, the CIVEX commission held a

debate on the working document on the EU

Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in

Human Beings 2012–2016 by Jelena Drenjanin (EPP/

Sweden).

Both working documents will form the basis

of opinions to be discussed and adopted at the

December CIVEX commission meeting.

Finally, the ENVE commission appointed outgoing

ENVE president and PES member Ilmar Reepalu

as rapporteur on the ‘smart cities’ communication.

COTER (26 September, Brussels)

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COTER members adopted unanimously the

draft opinion on the Code of Conduct on

Partnership, by Stanislaw Szwabski (EA/Poland).

The draft opinion of the Chair of the municipality

of Gdynia responds to a European Commission

staff working document, which aims at defining

the modalities of the partnership principle -

one of the fundamental principles of cohesion

policy - in the implementation of the funds

covered by the Common Strategic Framework.

The rapporteur stresses that partnership is an

essential prerequisite for enhancing the efficiency

of cohesion policy, allowing for the adaptation

of EU strategic guidelines to local and regional

challenges. Therefore, he requests that local

and regional authorities be fully involved in

preparing partnership contacts between the

European Commission and the Member States,

as well as in defining and implementing regional

policy investment priorities. Stanislaw Szwabski

underlines that Member States’ obligations

in relation to guaranteeing such partnerships

should be spelt out in greater detail. At COTER

commission level, a series of amendments tabled

by PES Coordinator Albert Bore were adopted.

PES amendments deplored the Council decision

to remove the Code of Conduct from the

negotiation box, thus ignoring the positions

taken by the European Parliament and the CoR,

which continues defending the need of such an

instrument within the 2014-2020 programming

period.

Furthermore, COTER members adopted by

majority the opinion on Community-Led Local

Development by Graham Garvie (ALDE/UK) (Read

more under Plenary, p.7).

The COTER commission also held a general

exploratory debate on the draft opinion on the

Common Strategic Framework, by Marek Wozniak

(EPP/Poland) (Read more under plenary, p. 8).

They also had an exchange of views on the

Outermost regions of the EU in the light of the

Europe 2020 strategy, by Malcolm Mifsud, Mayor

of Pietá (EPP/Malta).

Finally, PES Group member Jean-Paul Denanot,

President of Limousin Regional Council (France)

was appointed as rapporteur for the draft opinion

on Regional state aid guidelines.

ECOS (19 September, Brussels)

The ECOS commission adopted unanimously the

draft opinion on EU state aid modernisation by

Clemens Lindemann, President of the County

Saarpfalz (PES/Germany). The draft opinion

responds to the European Commission’s first

proposals on the revision of EU state aid legislation,

aimed at simplifying the existing rules and limiting

competition distortion in the internal market, and

thereby promoting sustainable growth. In his

draft opinion, the PES rapporteur puts forward

a set of key requests, namely: to provide clearer

and more flexible guidelines for regional and

local authorities; to concentrate on state aid

cases with the biggest impact on the internal

market and which would reduce the burden of

all levels of government; to clarify the criterion

of impact on cross-border trade and the concept

of enterprise; to raise the de minimis threshold,

below which public aid is not subject to state

aid control, to € 500,000 over a 3-year period (the

European Commission proposes only € 200,000

over 3 years); and, last but not least, to exempt the

social, cultural and educational sectors and non-

economic services of general interest from the

realm of controls on state aid. Attempts to keep

the current de minimis ceiling were defeated and

the draft opinion was warmly welcomed by ECOS

members (Read also Interviews, p. 10).

ECOS members also adopted by majority the draft

opinion on Posting of workers in the framework of the

provision of services and on a Statute for a European

Foundation by PES members Alain Hutchinson

(Belgium) and Claudette Brunet-Lechenault

(France) respectively (Read more under Plenary, p.

5, and Interviews, p. 10).p

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Furthermore, the PES Group obtained the

rapporteurship on the Review of the industrial

policy, a key dossier, which will update one of the

flagship initiatives of the European Commission.

The relevant CoR opinion will be drafted by

Claude Gewerc, President of Picardy Regional

Council (France), thus ensuring that an appropriate

follow-up is given to the PES Group meeting held

in Rijeka in September, which was dedicated to

industrial policy.

EDUC (27 September 2012, Brussels)

The September meeting was marked by the

election - for the second half of the CoR’s 5th term

of office - of the new EDUC Chair, Anton Rombouts

(EPP/Netherlands), and the unanimous adoption

of the draft opinion by Rogier van der Sande

(ALDE/Netherlands) on A Bioeconomy for Europe.

The draft opinion responds to the European

Commission's strategy to shift the European

economy towards greater and more sustainable

use of renewable resources, adopting a cross-

sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach. This

is one of the operational proposals under the

CoR Commissions: What's new?

0909

Innovation Union and Resource–efficient Europe

flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 strategy.

The bioeconomy uses biological resources from

the land and sea, as well as waste (e.g. bio-waste),

as inputs to food and feed, industrial and energy

production. With an annual turnover of nearly €2

trillion, EU bioeconomy employs over 22 million

people, that is, 9% of total employment in the

EU. It is estimated that each euro invested in EU-

funded bioeconomy research and innovation will

trigger €10 of value added in bioeconomy sectors

by 2025.

The CoR rapporteur calls on the European

Commission to develop an integrated approach

to the bioeconomy, based on a multi-fund

strategy at both the regional and the European

level and involving several EU policies such as

Horizon 2020, Cohesion Policy, the Common

Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the EU Energy Policy.

He also calls for further development of the

Bioeconomy Strategy, using a Triple Helix structure

(businesses, research institutes and LRAs), giving

the possibility to regions to determine their own

direction concerning the bioeconomy and Smart

Specialisation Strategy.

The PES Group won all the amendments aimed at

removing from the text neo-liberal positions, which

seriously undermined the primary role of agriculture

as a food supplier and called for the lifting of all

barriers to the import of resources such as ethanol,

thus threatening both jobs and investments made

in the EU in bioethanol production. The PES Group

also won a critical amendment that made the ALDE

rapporteur take out of his draft opinion criticisms

towards the EU trade policy and his request for

feedstocks to be available without quotas at global

market prices, which would inevitably lead to more

speculation on foodstuffs.

ENVE

(20-21 September, Pescara, Italy)

The ENVE commission adopted by majority

two draft opinions by PES rapporteurs Nilgun

Canver (UK) and Corrie Mc Chord (UK) on

the 7th Environment Action Programme and the

Implementation of the Soil Thematic Strategy

respectively.

They also adopted, after a controversial debate,

the opinion on Priority substances in the field of

water policy by Urve Erikson (EA/Estonia) (Read

more under Plenary, pp. 5-6, and Interviews pp.

10-11).

Furthermore, ENVE members had an exchange

of views on the working document on Renewable

energy: a major player in the European energy market

by Witold Stepien (EPP/Poland).

Before the ENVE meeting, members participated

in a conference on Promoting synergies between

biodiversity protection and regional development,

which showcased best practices in ecosystem

management and biodiversity protection in

national and regional parks, and presented

strategies which regions have adopted to manage

their protected areas.

NAT (1 October, Brussels)

The NAT commission adopted by majority two

draft opinions by Spyros Spyridon (EPP/Greece)

and Anne Bliek - de Jong (ALDE/Netherlands) on

the European consumer agenda and the European

innovation partnership respectively (Read more

under plenary, p. 7).

AND NOW OVER TO PES MEMBERS

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You represented the CoR on the panel selecting the

European Capital of Culture. What in your opinion

are the biggest diffi culties which local and regional

authorities come up against when planning and

carrying out the activities involved in being a

European Capital of Culture?

Elisabeth Vitouch, Member of Vienna City Council

(Austria)

As CoR member of the seven-strong European panel

for the Capitals of Culture, I noticed again and again,

as did my colleagues from the Parliament, Council

and Commission, that there were problems with the

term “European Dimension”. Mostly, this requirement

is just interpreted as contact with a partner town or

as an excuse for holding internationally renowned

“ready-made” events. However, the idea behind

it is in fact that there should be a combination

of traditional cultural heritage and new creative

achievements at a high level, with lasting contacts

between artists and the public - in the sense of

10

life-long learning and in the spirit of peaceful co-

existence, with social inclusion of the old and the

young, minorities and underprivileged groups.

In these financially (and often politically) precarious

times, it is becoming increasingly difficult, especially

for smaller towns, to set up sophisticated cultural

programmes which offer the public information,

entertainment and participation each and every

day of the year. It is therefore absolutely essential

to involve surrounding and neighbouring areas, as

was the case when Essen/Ruhr (Germany) became

Capital of Culture in 2010.

In addition, the five-year preparation time is quite

long; things can change both politically and

financially over such a long period of time. In this

respect, the fact of the Council naming a city Capital

of Culture secures more support from the Member

State concerned. Since funding is to a great extent

incumbent upon the cities themselves (aside from

the 1.5 million euros from the Melina Mercouri prize,

which the Commission only awards to cities where

preparations are especially successful) the structural

and regional funding available plays a key role.

Cities, whose cultural budget is often quite modest

and therefore overstretched, would otherwise easily

run into serious financial difficulties, causing them

problems for years to come.

Alain n HutHututchichichichichinsonsonsonsonsnsons nnnnn

The European Commission was originally proposing

a legislative package on posted workers, with a

revised directive based on the 1996 directive and a

“Monti II” regulation on the right to strike. Following

a yellow card procedure involving 12 national

parliaments which was supported by the CoR, the

Commission withdrew the “Monti II” regulation. So,

Alain, can we now declare victory?

Alain Hutchinson, member of the Brussels-Capital

Regional Parliament:

I won’t deny that I’m pleased, but I’m not over the

moon either. I have concerns about the Commission’s

approach, in terms of both form and content. The

Commission has still had the cheek to set priorities

between economic freedoms and fundamental rights

- in this case the right to strike - even though this is

not one of its responsibilities, as the Lisbon Treaty

explicitly excludes the right to strike from the EU’s

remit. However, the Commission refuses to admit that

it was politically and legally wrong and claims that it

was simply overruled. So much for the form.

In terms of content, the fact that the Commission

has withdrawn its proposed regulation still doesn’t

address the problems raised by the various rulings

of the EU Court of Justice. The Commission needs to

learn its lesson and to put forward new proposals to

repair the damage done by these rulings.

Finally, the withdrawal of the proposed Monti II

regulations shouldn’t stop us from seeing the wood

for the trees. We still have our work cut out to get a

better proposal for a new directive because it has

serious shortcomings, which could spark outrage

among workers and the general public once the

media find out about them during the final stages of

the legislative process. That’s why I’m going to fight

for legislative amendments to prevent companies

being set up in Member States where they have no

real activities just to bypass working conditions in host

countries. I will also be calling for penalties for non-

compliance and for shared responsibility in order to

limit the number of levels of subcontracting and the

associated risk of abuse.

What gives me strength to fight beyond the adoption

of our opinion by the CoR plenary session is the very

good cooperation we have already established on this

subject with the European Parliament’s S&D Group,

and especially our friends Stephen Hughes, Alejandro

Cercas and Ole Christensen. We will join forces with

them!

Claudette BBBBBBrBB uneneeuneunet-Lt-Lt-Ltt-LLecechechchenaenen ut

What do local and regional authorities stand to gain

from a statute for European foundations?

Claudette Brunet-Lechenaut, vice-president of

Saône et Loire General Council (France):

In the course of implementing their economic,

social and cultural policies in particular, local and

regional authorities frequently come into contact

with foundations whose importance throughout

the whole of the European Union tends to be under-

estimated in spite of the amount these foundations

spend (some EUR 150 billion) and the large number of

full-time jobs they create (around 1 million).

The proposal to create an optional statute for European

foundations makes it easier for foundations to carry

out and ensure the continuation of their trans-national

or cross-border activities - for example in the areas of

immigration, economic development, employment,

health, scientific research, the environment and

culture - which are of benefit to all Member States.

With a view to transparency and greater legal

certainty, my opinion contains a number of legislative

amendments to the European Commission proposal

which: define the terms “public utility” and “general

interest” and the notion of “amateur sport”; propose

increasing the minimum level of assets; provide a

framework for the exercising of economic activities

by a European foundation, together with the question

of remuneration for members of the board and the

supervisory board; and, lastly, clarify the question of

conflicts of interest.

From the political viewpoint, the opinion reflects our

political group’s desire to give the various structures in

the social and voluntary economy greater recognition

under EU law. The opinion also paves the way for a text

creating a statute for European mutual societies.

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What are the key elements of your opinion on

modernising EU law on state aid, which are aimed

at giving local and regional authorities greater

discretionary powers?

Clemens Lindemann, Head of County Authority

of Saarpfalz (Landrat des Saarpfalz-Kreises),

Germany:

I call in my opinion first of all for an increase in the general

de minimis thresholds. In line with this, the thresholds in

the regulation on de minimis aid for services of general

economic interest (SGEIs) should also be raised. It should

be noted here that services that are primarily local in

nature frequently have no effect on the internal market

and should therefore be exempt.

I also call for a more concrete explanation of the concepts

used, since the rules currently in force are often very

difficult to apply for local and regional authorities. So,

in addition to the concept of an enterprise, that of an

“obstacle to trade between Member States” should

also be explained. This would immediately lead to a

streamlining of the legal procedure and thus to less work

for both local authorities and the EU Commission.

The General Block Exemption Regulation and the

Enabling Regulation of the Council should be extended

to cover the health, social, education and broadband

sectors. Activities in these areas are mostly of a non-

commercial nature and should therefore, in accordance

with the Commission’s objectives, be exempted from

the notification requirement.

The resulting examination for compliance with the rules

on state aid by the Member States should make any re-

examination by the EU Commission unnecessary, as this

would involve an actual transfer of powers.

In addition, I am opposed to the inclusion of extra quality

and efficiency criteria in the Commission’s assessment.

The choice of operating company should lie with the

aid donor, in line with the concept of local government

responsibility.

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Why is the involvement of local and regional

authorities in the 7th Environmental Action

Programme essential?

Nilgun Canver, Councillor of London Borough of

Haringey (UK):

11

After its September Congress, which confirmed

former Bulgarian PM Sergei Stanishev in his

position as PES President, the PES focused the

activities of its various bodies and thematic

configurations on current affairs, but also the

elaboration of the PES Fundamental Programme.

The second meeting of the PES Advisory Committee

on the PES Fundamental Programme, held in

Brussels on 18 October and chaired by Caroline

Gennez, agreed on the goals, format and method

for developing the programme, which will be

adopted by the 2013 PES Council. There was also a

broad exchange of views on the criteria, values and

key policy areas relevant to the programme.

PES Heads of State and Government, including

French President François Hollande, met on

18 October to prepare their positions ahead of

the European Council. The PES Leaders called

for pledges for more European solidarity to be

honoured and for a swifter implementation of

the Compact for Growth and Jobs agreed in June.

The outcome of the Summit, which defended the

integrity of the Euro and marked an important step

towards a deeper Economic and Monetary Union

(EMU), was symptomatic of PES Leaders’ growing

influence over the European Council agenda,

reflecting the concerns of millions of Europeans.

Chaired by Alejandro Cercas MEP, the PES Social

Europe Network met in Brussels on 27 November,

and held a strategic debate about the shape of

a ‘Social Union’ and how to implement it. The

Network’s contribution to the PES Fundamental

Programme and in particular, its social and

employment dimension, was also discussed.

Another item on the agenda was the effects of

austerity on social investments and the lessons to be

learned within the context of the future Multiannual

Financial Framework. Finally, the members of the

Network were presented the different instruments

to introduce a youth guarantee in all Member States.

The PES Fundamental Programme was also on the

agenda of the meeting of the PES Environment

and Climate Change Network, which met in

Brussels on 14 November. Chaired by Said El

Khadraoui MEP, the Network discussed the effects

of austerity on investments related to climate

change mitigation and green growth. Another key

item on the agenda was the future of international

climate change negotiations after the 18th session

of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the

United Nations Framework Convention in Climate

Change, taking place in Doha (Qatar) between 26

November and 7 December 2012. Neil Swannick

represented the PES Group at the PES Network

meeting, reminding participants the need for the

close involvement of local and regional authorities

in the design and implementation of environmental

protection measures.

News of the Party of European Socialists

© Party of European Socialists

Local and regional authorities are pivotal for

creating sustainable growth, sharing best

practice and achieving greater coherence in

implementation. Within the subsidiarity principals,

local and regional governments are where the

European Environment policy transforms into

action. It is imperative that the 7EAP provides support

for local and regional authorities in their role in

implementation, in particular by including elements

such as effective source policies and expanding

cost-recovery options for local and regional

authorities and a focus on how to manage the urban

environment sustainably, concentrating on integrated

environmental planning, sustainable mobility,

quality of life and public health. The costs of not

implementing current EU environmental legislation

are broadly estimated at around €50 billion a year

in health costs and direct costs to the environment.

Further costs of non-implementation include missed

opportunities for businesses, different compliance

costs, distorting competition among EU industries,

as well as increased costs related to infringement

cases. It is estimated that full implementation of all

waste legislation would lead to an additional waste

(and recycling) industry turnover of €42 billion and

an additional job creation of about 400,000 jobs .

The EU environment industry is estimated to have

an annual turnover in excess of €300 billion, so that

uncertainty about implementation pathways and

time-frames may carry significant costs in terms of

missed opportunities. If, due to an infringement case,

investments have to be made over a very short time

span they are likely to be more expensive than if the

implementation had been better planned.

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In your draft opinion, you state that European

regions are affected by very different soil

problems, caused by pollution, landslides, erosion,

desertification or sealing. What would be the added

value of a soil framework directive or soil legislation

at EU level?

Corrie Mc Chord, Member of Stirling Council (UK):

Soil is a non-renewable resource essential to a

sustainable environment. In all European countries,

a range of soil problems can occur, sometimes with

severe, irreversible and costly consequences. Soil

degradation is continuing to occur and is actually

worsening some parts of Europe, demonstrating

that existing policies and legislation are inadequate.

Further policies and regulations are therefore required

at EU level to protect soil because of the crucial

functions and ecosystem services that soils provide

for our economy, society and environment. Soils

are fundamental to our livelihoods, and tackling soil

risks and threats is urgent, particularly with regard to

climate change.

The cost of regulatory action should be compared to

the costs of inaction. The Commission has estimated

that total costs of soil degradation in the form of

erosion, organic matter decline, salinisation, landslides

and contamination could be €38 billion/ year for EU-

25. There is also a need for overarching soil protection

policy because soil damage can have transboundary

effects (e.g. from greenhouse gas emissions, soil

sealing, diffuse pollutants, eroded sediments, loss of

soil carbon or spreading of contamination). European

legislation can therefore protect one country from

the harmful consequences of practices in another

country, for which they are not responsible.

12

Belgium (14 October 2012)g

In the provincial and municipal elections held in

Belgium, the Belgian Socialist Party (PS) achieved

good results in Wallonia, winning majorities in the

cities of Liège, Charleroi and Mons (city of PS Prime

Minister, Elio di Rupo). Paul Magnette, Minister for

Public Enterprise, will leave the federal government to become mayor of

Charleroi. The PS also remained the strongest party in Brussels, whereas

second-placed Christian Democrats lost support in the Belgian capital.

Although the Flemish Nationalist Party (N-VA) made

considerable gains in Flanders, the Socialists won in

important Flemish cities such as Louvain, Bruges and Ghent.

Belgian PES Group members Alain Hutchinson, Jean -François Istasse

and Jan Roegiers were all re-elected.

Azores (14 October 2012)

The Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) marked a huge

victory in the elections for the legislative assembly

and government of the autonomous region of the

Azores, confirming its absolute majority with 49% of

the votes cast. The centre-right PSD obtained only

33% of the votes while the right wing party CDS suffered further losses and

obtained only 5.7% of the votes.

Czech Republic (12-13 October)p

The Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) emerged

as the winner of the regional elections, which took

place in all 13 regions, except Prague, with 23.6% of

votes cast, taking 9 of the 13 regions. Communists

came second with 20.4% and won in 2 of 13 regions.

The ruling centre-right party ODS (Civic Democratic Party) suffered

considerable losses and obtained only 12.3% of votes (compared to 20% in

2010 legislative elections).

It is worth noting that Social Democrats also reached constitutional majority

in the Senate elections, winning 46 out of the 81 seats. The first round of the

Senate elections took place on the same date as the regional elections.

The outcome of both elections has considerably weakened the position of

the centre-right coalition government.

Spain (21 October 2012)Spain (21 October 2

Regional elections were held in Galicia, home region

of right-wing Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, where his

People’s Party (PP) Rajoy’s People’s Party retained its

absolute majority with 41 seats in the regional

parliament, compared with 18 seats for the Socialist

Party and 16 seats for two nationalist parties.

Elections were also held in the Basque Country, where the nationalist PNV

(Partido Nacionalista Vasco) won 27 seats, compared with 21 seats for Bildu,

a pro-independence party, 16 seats for the Socialist Party and 10 seats for

the PP.

Finland (28 October 2012)

At the municipal elections held in Finland, the Social

Democratic Party (SPD) came second with 19.6%,

closely following the Conservatives, who saw their

share of the vote drop from 23.5% in 2008 to 21.9%.

40.4% of SPD candidates were female; and 8.9% of SPD candidates were

under 30 years old.

Sicily, Italy (28 October 2012)y y

Early elections were held following the resignation

of the president belonging to the center-right. In an

election marked by a very high abstention rate

(52.6% compared to 33.5% recorded in the regional

elections in 2008), the candidate of the center-left

Rosario Crocetta, who has always fought against the mafia, was elected

President of the Region with 30.5% of the votes. As for the party vote, a

separate vote from the one for the president, the populist movement Cinque

Stelle, formed by former comedian Beppe Grillo, has come first with almost

15%. The Democratic Party was second with 13.4%, followed by the party of

Silvio Berlusconi, who got just 12.9%.

A look at some recent local and regional elections

Political Groups Members (Full) ■ PSE ...................................................................121

■ PPE ...................................................................127

■ ALDE .................................................................. 47

■ AE ...................................................................... 17

■ NI ....................................................................... 22

■ To be appointed .................................................. 10

TOTAL CoR 344

POLITICAL BALANCE IN THE COR

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w w w. f b .me /p esgroup cor

Fo l low us on Twit ter :

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35,2%

36,9%

13,7%

4,9%

6,4%

2,9%