CONFÉRENCE DES RÉGIONS PÉRIPHÉRIQUES MARITIMES D’EUROPE CONFERENCE OF PERIPHERAL MARITIME REGIONS OF EUROPE 6, rue Saint-Martin - 35700 RENNES (France) Tél.: + 33 (0)2 99 35 40 50 - Fax: + 33 (0)2 99 35 09 19 E.mail: [email protected] – Web: www.crpm.org C1 40 th CPMR GENERAL ASSEMBLY 4-5 October 2012 Białystok (Podlaskie, Poland) The Peripheral Maritime Regions listed below met for their 40th CPMR Annual General Assembly in Białystok (Podlaskie, Poland) on 4 and 5 October 2012. ABERDEEN CITY (UK), ABERDEENSHIRE (UK), AÇORES (PT), ANATOLIKI MAKEDONIA THRAKI (GR), ANDALUCIA (ES), AQUITAINE (FR), ARGYLL & BUTE (UK), ASTURIAS (ES), BALEARES (ES), BASSE- NORMANDIE (FR), BORDER, MIDLAND AND WESTERN REGIONAL ASSEMBLY (IE), BORNHOLM (DK), BRETAGNE (FR), BUSKERUD (NO), CALARASI (RO), CANTABRIA (ES), CATALUNYA (ES), COMUNITAT VALENCIANA (ES), CORNWALL (UK), DEVON& SOMERSET (UK), DYTIKI ELLADA (GR), EDIRNE (TR), CYPRUS (D ISTRICT AUTHORITIES ), FRIULI-VENEZIA-GIULIA (IT), GÄVLEBORG (SE), GOTLAND (SE), GOZO (M ALTA ), GUADELOUPE (FR), HALLAND (SE), HELSINKI-UUSIMAA (FI), HIGHLAND (UK), HORDALAND (NO), IDA-VIRUMAA & PÄRNUMAA (EE), IONIA NISIA (GR), KIRKLARELI (TR), KRITI (GR), KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE* (PL), KYMENLAAKSO (FI), LA REUNION (FR), LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON (FR), MADEIRA (PT), MAYOTTE (FR), MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN (DE), MIDTJYLLAND (DK), MONASTIR (TN), MØRE OG ROMSDAL (NO), MURCIA (ES), NAVARRA (ES), NOORD-HOLLAND (NL), NOORD-NEDERLAND (NL), NORRBOTTEN (SE), NORDJYLLAND (DK), NORDLAND (NO), NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS (FR), NOTIO AIGAIO (GR), ODESSA (U KRAINE ), ÖREBRO (SE), OSTROBOTHNIA (FI), PÄIJÄT-HÄME (FI), PAÍS VASCO (ES), PAYS DE LA LOIRE (FR), PELOPONNISOS (GR), PODLASKIE (PL), POITOU-CHARENTES (FR), PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D'AZUR (FR), ROGALAND (NO), SARDEGNA (IT), SKÅNE (SE), SICILIA (IT), SINOP (TR), SOGN OG FJORDANE (NO), SOUTH-WEST FINLAND (FI), STOCKHOLM (SE), TAMPERE* (FI), TELEMARK (NO), TOSCANA (IT), TROMS (NO), TULCEA (RO), VARNA (BG), VÄSTERBOTTEN (SE), VÄSTERNORRLAND (SE), VÄSTRA GÖTALAND (SE), VEST-AGDER (NO), VESTFOLD (NO), WALES (UK), WIELKOPOLSKA* (PL), ZUID-HOLLAND (NL). (*) Observer On behalf of the Regions attending the General Assembly, the President of the CPMR, Jean-Yves Le Drian, wishes to warmly thank the Region of Podlaskie and its Marshal, Jarosław Dworzański, for kindly organising and hosting the event. He extends his thanks to the national and regional authorities and EU institutions who took part in the proceedings of the Conference. President Le Drian would especially like to thank the Cypriot government in its capacity as EU Presidency in office for its participation in the General Assembly 40th CPMR General Assembly, 4 and 5 October 2012 Białystok (Podlaskie, Poland) p. 1 Final Declaration and Resolutions On behalf of its 158 members, the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions, gathered for its 40th Annual General Assembly in Białystok, adopted the following Final Declaration and Resolutions: CONTENTS FINAL DECLARATION AND RESOLUTIONS I. Final Declaration Attached II. Resolutions : Attached II.1 – The establishment of a European Fisheries Technology Centre (EFTC) (Resolution presented by the CPMR North Sea Commission Marine Resources Group) II.2 - The CPMR is calling for the rapid launch of the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion (Resolution presented by the CPMR Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission and Inter-Mediterranean Commission) II.3 - A Platform on Tourism (Resolution presented by the CPMR North Sea Commission) II.4 - Towards a European policy for maritime and coastal tourism (Resolution presented by the CPMR Inter-Mediterranean Commission and supported by the CPMR Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission) 40th CPMR General Assembly, 4 and 5 October 2012 Białystok (Podlaskie, Poland) p. 2 Final Declaration and Resolutions ≈ I ≈ FINAL DECLARATION EUROPE’S PERIPHERIES AT THE CENTRE OF A LASTING DEEP ECONOMIC CRISIS 1. As in previous years since 2008, 2012 has been an extremely tough year for the peripheral maritime Regions of Europe, especially the Mediterranean, Irish and Portuguese Regions hard-hit by the global economic recession. Alongside the massive efforts being asked of the people of Europe, in particular from the regions in greatest difficulty, the prospects for overcoming the crisis are for the moment unfortunately still slim. A huge challenge still lies ahead of the European Union, whose future and such major achievements as the Euro are being put to the test. 2. At the same time, the south and east of the Mediterranean are still experiencing continued upheavals. The stakes involved in supporting these democratic revolutions remain high for the European Union. 3. In this context, the serious difficulties faced by peripheral maritime Regions must be balanced against their economic, cultural and geopolitical assets. These advantages make them promising territories for the future in terms of generating growth throughout the European continent, as long as the EU provides itself with the means to implement ambitious policies targeted towards them. It is from this perspective - which also includes the potential they represent for the development of the European Union - that the peripheral maritime Regions gathered under the umbrella of the CPMR voice their views at the General Assembly in Bialystok (Podlaskie, Poland). The messages they convey echo the CPMR’s core political identity centred on cohesion, maritime dimension and accessibility. CONFRONTING THE CRISIS BY REASSERTING THE NEED FOR EUROPE AND SOLIDARITY BETWEEN TERRITORIES 4. The ongoing efforts by Member States to implement effective European economic governance in response to the crisis remain keen, crucial and encouraging. The CPMR strongly supports recent steps forward, especially with regard to the European Stability Mechanism, the agreement on the “growth package” reached in June 2012, notice of the opportunity for the ECB to buy back sovereign debts, and the initial guidelines put forward on the banking union. 5. Nonetheless, the political equilibrium between Member States remains shaky. Further to the political process initiated at the Political Bureau in June 2011 and the political seminar on solidarity held in February 2012, the CPMR Member Regions reaffirm their deep commitment to the above principles. 6. In this context, the CPMR Member Regions, which themselves are conducting drastic budget control policies while making investments for the future and policies to support their populations, reaffirm their commitment to deepening the European Union. They urge the European institutions to continue to move towards common solutions. They also call on the EU Member States to convey loud and clear the principles of solidarity and European political unity. THE PERIPHERAL REGIONS EXPRESS DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT THE EUROPEAN BUDGET 7. The peripheral maritime Regions recall - as they did at their General Assembly in September 2011 in Aarhus (DK) - the need to find the right balance between budget cuts and support for investments and people. This implies, alongside efforts led by the Regions and States, empowering the EU to support the delivery of the EU2020 Strategy through a strong capacity for investment. 40th CPMR General Assembly, 4 and 5 October 2012 Białystok (Podlaskie, Poland) p. 3 Final Declaration and Resolutions 8. On the whole, the European Commission’s initial proposals on the Multiannual Financial Framework represent an encouraging and coherent prospect. The European Parliament’s evaluation of the EU budget also confirms its potential as an investment budget. At the same time, the CPMR maintains that a reform of the own resources system is necessary, as is budget flexibility between financial years, in order to avoid national interests prevailing over European interests. 9. Negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework seem however to be taking an extremely worrying turn. By restating the desire of a growing number of Member States to reduce the EU budget, and putting forward a set of inconsistent budget cutting scenarios, the informal Council of 30 August 2012 expressed guidelines that run counter to the needs of the current economic climate. If this trend continues, the EU2020 strategy, which was nevertheless adopted by these same Member States and the European Parliament, would result in a resounding failure. 10. The CPMR is alarmed at any temptation to reduce the budget for growth and job creation that the EU budget represents, under the pretext of short term savings that would jeopardise long term investments. It asks the Member States and the European Parliament to take a forward-looking view, by supporting the European Commission’s proposals on the budget for European policies after 2014, and in particular for cohesion policy, maritime policy and policies in support of accessibility, as well as all EU policies with a strong territorial impact cited in the present text. THOUGH AN ESSENTIAL RESULT OF GROWTH, COHESION HAS BEEN PUT ON HOLD ••• Coherent and realistic objectives and governance for cohesion policy 11. The CPMR welcomes the European Commission proposals for a Cohesion Policy package post-2013 and expresses its satisfaction with the good number of CPMR proposal included in the package, such as the emphasis on partnership, simplification and involvement of Regions in the Partnership Contract. 12. The CPMR also welcomes the general support alluded to the need to coordinate European funding instruments further through the Common Strategic Framework (CSF), and asks for a balanced legislative