Policy Committee
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COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS EUROPEAN SECTION OF UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS POLICY COMMITTEE Reykjavik, 5 May 2008 MEETING FILE 2 1 COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS EUROPEAN SECTION OF UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CEMR MODIFIED POLICY COMMITTEE REYKJAVIK, 5 MAY 2008 Hilton Reykjavik Nordica: Sudurlandsbraut 2, 108 Reykjavik, Iceland 9 for decision for information DRAFT AGENDA Documents No 9 h 15 Opening of the Policy Committee meeting Welcome by Halldor Halldorsson, President of the Association of Local Authorities in Iceland, Mayor of Isafjordur municipality 1. Adoption of the draft agenda ....................................................................................1 2. Approval of the draft list of decisions of the Stuttgart Policy Committee meeting (4-5 December 2007) ...............................................................................2.1 • For information, list of decisions of the meeting of the Secretaries General and Directors of Ljubljana (19 March 2008) ......................................................2.2 3. Political debate on the draft Charter of Regional Democracy of the Congress of the Council of Europe ................................................................... 3 * 4. Major European Issues 4.1. Ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon ............................................................... 4.1 4.2. Priorities of the forthcoming French Presidency of the Union CEMR affairs 5. Applications for membership: 5.2. Association of Municipalities and Towns of Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) ............................................................................5.1 5.1. Association of Cities and Municipalities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ..........................................................................................5.2 6. Malmö General Assembly (22-24 April 2009) ...........................................................6 7. Twinning ................................................................................................................ 7 * • Election of the new Chair of the CEMR twinning network 13 h 00 Lunch 8. Debate: Strengthening the involvement of elected representatives within CEMR .......................................................................................................................8 9. Towards the European Parliament elections (2009): proposal to create a manifesto for local and regional government ............................................................9 3 CEMR Work Programme 10. Overview report on CEMR’s policy work ................................................................10 10.1. CEMR responses to consultations, including: ...........................................10.1 - CEMR's response to the consultation on the financial perspectives of the EU ............................................................... 10.1 annex - CEMR's response to the Green Paper on adaptation to climate change ........................................................................................................ * - CEMR's response to the Green Paper on urban mobility ........................... * - Public Consultation on the Active Inclusion of People Furthest from the Labour Market ...................................................................................... * - CEMR's response to the consultation on the future of EU cohesion policy .......................................................................................................... * 11. European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life ........................ 11 * • Report on Final Conference (Pisa, 20-21 February 2008) • Future support actions 12. Initiatives in south-east Europe ..............................................................................12 • Vienna conference (6-7 November) • Opening dialogue with the Union of Municipalities of Turkey 13. Other upcoming conferences: ................................................................................13 • City Diplomacy Conference, The Hague (11-13 June) • Mediterranean Forum, Marseille (22-23 June) • World Water Congress, Vienna (7-12 September) • Conference on governance with the European Parliament’s Intergroup Urban- housing, Reims (15 September) • European Information Society Conference (EISCO), Naples (25-27 September) • Conference on changes in local and regional government structures, with Danish associations, Copenhagen (1 October) • Poznan climate change conference, with Polish associations (December) 14. Other Council of Europe Affairs ..............................................................................14 International affairs 15. Project proposal for a co-ordination platform for international co-operation ........... 15 16. UCLG affairs ..................................................................................................16, 16.1 17. World Affairs Committee Other 18. Calendar of meetings .................................................................................18.1, 18.2 19. Other urgent business 17 h 30 Closing of the Policy Committee meeting * Additional elements relating to points that are followed by an4 asterisk are provided in the accompanying documents file 2.1 COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS EUROPEAN SECTION OF UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CEMR POLICY COMMITTEE REYKJAVIK, 5 MAY 2008 9 for decision for information STUTTGART POLICY COMMITTEE (4-5 December 2007) Draft list of decisions and update on statutory positions Draft decision The members of the Policy Committee are invited to: ª Approve the draft list of decisions of the Stuttgart meeting including the final declarations adopted by the Policy Committee; ª Confirm the election of the nominee of the FEMP for the remaining post of Honorary Auditor, as set out in annex 4 to this report; ª Take note of nominations to the Policy Committee received since the Stuttgart meeting; ª Elect remaining members of the Executive Bureau, if relevant nominations are received in time for the meeting. 1. The draft list of decisions of the Stuttgart Policy Committee of 4th and 5th December 2007 is enclosed for approval (annex 1). 2. On the occasion of this meeting, two declarations were adopted. The first declaration followed up on the political debate of the meeting, organised on the theme of sustainable mobility (annex 2). The second declaration concerns the Treaty of Lisbon (annex 3), which was due to be formally signed by the Heads of State and Government of the European Union in the days following the meeting. The final text of each declaration includes a small number of amendments arising from the proposals made during the Policy Committee discussions, for which there was a consensus view. The declaration on the Treaty of Lisbon was presented in person by CEMR’s Secretary General to President Barroso on the occasion of the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon, on 7th December, and likewise to the Portuguese Prime Minister Sócrates, as President of the European Council. 3. The elections of CEMR’s statutory bodies were held during the Stuttgart meeting. However, due to particular national circumstances for certain of CEMR’s national associations, their nominations were not able to be presented in December. Information concerning nominations for statutory seats transmitted since the Stuttgart meeting is presented in annex 4, including the nomination for the remaining post of Honorary Auditor which has been put forward by the FEMP (Spain). The Committee will be informed as well of any possible nominations for Vice-Presidents members of the Executive Bureau. 5 6 2.1 annex 1 COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS EUROPEAN SECTION OF UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CEMR POLICY COMMITTEE STUTTGART, 4 AND 5 DECEMBER 2007 9 for decision for information DRAFT LIST OF DECISIONS President Häupl opened the meeting. Dr Wolfgang Schuster, Mayor of Stuttgart and Vice-President of CEMR, welcomed the participants, expressing his satisfaction at hosting in his city delegates from the different national associations of CEMR. 1. SETTING UP THE POLICY COMMITTEE The President proceeded to the formal establishment of the Policy Committee for the 2008- 2010 mandate, on the basis of nominations received from the national member associations. The President presented a message from Wim Deetman, Mayor of The Hague and CEMR’s outgoing First Vice-President, who regretted not being able to participate in the Stuttgart Policy Committee. 2. ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT AGENDA The draft agenda was adopted, taking into account two specific points made by the Danish delegation. 3. APPROVAL OF THE LIST OF DECISIONS TAKEN BY THE POLICY COMMITTEE IN BRUSSELS (13TH JUNE 2007) The draft list of decisions was approved. The President invited the Policy Committee to take note of the list of decisions of the Vienna Executive Bureau (16th November), and of the list of decisions of the Bratislava meeting of the Secretaries General and Directors (26-27 September). 7 4. POLITICAL DEBATE: “CAN WE ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY?” Following the introduction by the President, the Policy Committee heard the video message from European Commissioner Jacques Barrot. The following speakers then provided their contributions: • Dr Wolfgang Schuster, CEMR Vice-President, Mayor of Stuttgart, First Vice-President of CEMR’s German section • Karl-Otto Schallaböck, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy • Jacques Auxiette, Président du Conseil Régional des Pays