The Committee of the Regions and the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 01 Editorial by the President of the Committee of the Regions 3
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EUROPEAN UNION Committee of the Regions The Committee of the Regions and the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 01 Editorial by the President of the Committee of the Regions 3 02 Editorial by the Danish Minister for European Aff airs 4 03 Why a Committee of the Regions? 6 Building bridges between the local, the regional and 04 the global - Danish Members at work 9 05 Danish Delegation to the Committee of the Regions 12 06 The decentralised Danish authority model 17 EU policy is also domestic policy 07 - Chairmen of Local Government Denmark and Danish Regions 20 08 EU-funded projects in Denmark 22 09 The 5th European Summit of Regions and Cities 26 10 Calendar of events 28 11 Contacts 30 EUROPEAN UNION Committee of the Regions Editorial by the President of 01 the Committee of the Regions Meeting the challenges together We have already had a taste of Danish culture via NOMA, recognised as the best restaurant in the world for two years running by the UK’s Restaurants magazine for putting Nordic cuisine back on the map. Though merely whetting our appetites, this taster has confi rmed Denmark’s infl uential contribution to our continent’s cultural wealth. Happily, Denmark’s contribution to the European Union is far more extensive and will, undoubtedly, be in the spotlight throughout the fi rst half of 2012! A modern state, where European and international sea routes converge, Denmark has frequently drawn on its talents and fl ourishing economy to make its own, distinctive mark. It is in tune with the priorities for 2020: competitiveness, social inclusion and the need for ecologically sustainable change. The Danish economy has also followed a successful recipe, combining the fl exibility needed to adapt to globalisation, in particular through its exports, with the preservation of a model based on social cohesion. If international surveys are to be believed, this has made it the happiest country in the world. And now the Danish people have a woman as their leader, a woman who has already set her policy programme within a European framework. Given the challenges the European Union will be facing in the fi rst six months of 2012, I very much welcome this change, which augurs well for our ability to tackle the deep crisis in the EU. Mercedes Bresso For Denmark’s energy will be crucial to Europe. Although negotiations on the next President of the Committee of the multiannual fi nancial framework will be diffi cult and are not due to be completed under Regions the Danish Presidency, Denmark will nonetheless have a key role to play in upholding the aspiration of ensuring that Europe brings added value and safeguarding the budgets and policies that strengthen our model of society, in particular Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. It will also contribute its own vision of our shared future. I am impatient to see what the Presidency’s priorities will be with regard to the environment, research and innovation and the EU 2020 Strategy. In other areas too, such as territorial cooperation, particularly following the success of the Baltic macro-region, the greening of the CAP, the sustainability of fi sheries and renewable energies, Europe’s regions and cities are expecting Denmark to propose innovative solutions. As it happens, the Committee has decided to organise its March 2012 summit on the theme of the 21st century urban fabric in Copenhagen. This city with an exemplary record of planned, sustainable urban development will be the setting for our discussions, illustrating that Europe can do better and more to take account of the urban dimension in regional development, benefi ting everyone by creating beautiful, prosperous, sustainable, inclusive cities. Whenever Denmark defends European integration, the added value of the EU and the aspiration to shape a European community which respects regional and local diversity, the Committee of the Regions will be here to support it and to make proposals. We have no doubt that our cooperation will be more than strong enough to meet the challenges ahead! Mercedes Bresso President of the Committee of the Regions Editorial by the Danish Minister 02 for European Aff airs Taking Europe forward As Minister for European Aff airs, I have been looking forward to the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union with great enthusiasm. The Presidency is a central priority for the entire Danish Government and we will strive to conduct an open, accessible and professional Presidency dedicated to achieving results within the bounds of our responsibility. It will be six intense months for the Danish Presidency. One of its overarching tasks will be to unify and strengthen the EU through concrete achievements that take Europe forward and demonstrate the value and necessity of European cooperation for the individual. At the same time, we are facing fundamental fi nancial and economic challenges that may have a severe impact on our economic possibilities in the future if we do not show a readiness to act on the consequences of the debt level in Europe’s economies. We need to fi nd European solutions to our common European challenges, but it is also important that we live up to our individual responsibilities. Responding to the fi nancial and economic challenges at hand is a collective responsibility of all Member States and institutions. The prospects for generations of Europeans - especially for young Europeans who are experiencing high levels Nicolai Wammen of unemployment - are at stake. It will be crucial for us to implement and comply with new Minister for European Aff airs rules on economic governance and fi nancial regulation. It is vital to create and promote new growth and employment initiatives in Europe if we are to emerge from the crisis. One of the EU’s greatest successes is the Single Market. We will create a more dynamic European economy by further developing its large untapped potential by working for the adoption of the Single Market Act’s 12 key priorities as defi ned by the European Commission. One of the many goals will be to bring the Single Market into the digital age by facilitating online shopping across national borders. We will strive to open up new export opportunities for European companies through both WTO and bilateral trade agreements. And fi nally, we should also encourage innovative companies by creating an environment that promotes green growth initiatives and sustainability through the Single Market. Whilst we are endeavouring to contain the repercussions of the fi nancial and economic crisis, it is absolutely essential that we also look towards shaping a better future. In this respect, Denmark will use the Presidency as an opportunity for Europe to identify a path for future long-term growth. The negotiations on the EU multiannual fi nancial framework will determine how the EU allocates its funds up to 2020.We believe that these funds should be used to improve our joint competitiveness globally and promote options for future growth in Europe. It is unrealistic to expect that we will be able to fi nalise the negotiations during our Presidency, but we will do our best to prepare the ground for an agreement to be concluded by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, in the second half of 2012. Green growth is a key focus area for the government. Our goal is to create growth without increasing our resource and energy consumption, which is certainly possible. In recent years, we have developed an ambitious energy and climate policy in the EU, which shows that the EU is taking the lead globally. But we must work hard and agree on new initiatives if we are to maintain our comparative advantage. A key objective will be to agree on methods and measures for improving resource and energy effi ciency in Europe. The Presidency will work towards a focused seventh Environment Action Programme and an ambitious European energy policy up to 2050, with improved effi ciency and increased use of renewable energy. EUROPEAN UNION Committee of the Regions 4 The Committee of the Regions and the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union We will also do our best to include energy, climate and environmental concerns in a number of EU policies such as agriculture, fi sheries, transport and the Single Market. The EU budget for 2014-2020 ought to support these endeavours, and we will therefore attempt to put this high on Europe’s agenda during our Presidency. As Minister for European Aff airs, I am also the Danish Minister responsible for the EU’s Regional and Cohesion Policy. Cohesion policy plays an important role in creating growth and employment in Europe and Denmark will prioritise this area by seeking to achieve as much progress as possible in the negotiations on cohesion regulations during our Presidency. In this respect, I am very much looking forward to the Committee of the Regions’ contribution to assisting the Danish Presidency by providing the necessary insight and expertise for which the Committee has earned a reputation. A heavy workload and a busy agenda await the Danish Presidency. But we will contribute as much as we can, within the bounds of our responsibilities, to overcoming the current diffi culties and taking Europe forward. Nicolai Wammen Minister for European Aff airs The Kingdom of Denmark 5 03 Why a Committee of the Regions? © Bureaux d’architecture Atelier Paul Noël sprl - Art Atelier Paul & Build s.a. d’architecture © Bureaux Brussels headquarters of the The three main decision-making institutions in the EU are the European Parliament, which Committee of the Regions represents the EU’s citizens and is directly elected by them, the Council of the European (the Jacques Delors building) Union, which represents the individual Member States, and the European Commission, which upholds the interests of the Union as a whole.