by
N. Peter Kramer
Michel Lebrun was elected as President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) today (26 June) replacing Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, who has stepped down to be a Spanish MEP. The Belgian Lebrun has been a member of the assembly since its birth in 1994. Former vice-president of Belgium's Walloon parliament, Mr. Lebrun currently serves as the President of the Christian-democratic group of Viroinval Municipal Council in Belgium and is a member of the Benelux Parliament. European Business Review was given the opportunity to have an interview with the new Committee President.
EBR: What did you choose as main priorities for your presidency?
The most crucial task that lies ahead for the European Union is to deliver more growth, more jobs and more cohesion. For the CoR we must demonstrate that these are shared goals - goals that can only be achieved by strengthening the role of regional and local authorities. We should not forget that two-thirds of EU policy is delivered at local and regional level which is why if we are to further boost growth and create employment, it must start on the ground in our communities. There are positive signs with the Eurozone starting to stablise and the countries under supervision showing signs of recovery. Nevertheless, for many citizens the benefits are not immediate. This especially rings true for our young people where instability, joblessness and unemployment seem to paint a rather bleak future. But in Europe it is typically at regional and local level that has the tools, experience and knowledge to give the next generation the opportunities they deserve - to unlock their full potential. I will lead and support our members to promote employment seeking continuous economic growth and competitiveness in the EU. The CoR will continue to drive forward the progress being made in the architecture of Europe’s Economic and Monetary Union. Furthermore, with the EU budget 2014-2020 having been agreed last year, it is time for member states to spend and invest. To use these funds to create new jobs, cut the unemployment queue and create a more prosperous Europe. We will contribute to this to see what works by closely monitoring the results being achieved. But money is not enough – investing citizens' taxes in our cities and regions need close partnership involving all levels of government to make it as effective as possible.
In July Italy will take over the six month EU Presidency and has placed citizens' rights at the heart of its priorities. The situation of irregular migration and asylum seekers' rights at Europe's borders – seen in Lampedusa in Italy and Ceuta in Spain – is a European problem that needs European answers. The CoR has developed strong ties with local and regional governments in the Mediterranean and is drafting a report on migration to devise common responses in order for us to rethink and boost the role of decentralised cooperation in the region. I will also focus my presidency on the relationship with the EU's partners to the east and in particular in Ukraine. I will go personally to Kiev to support the new government in its efforts to decentralise power and try to help find a peaceful solution to the critical situation.
EBR: How can regions play a more important role in reviving or strengthening the economy in EU countries?
The priority for all of us now is to support the economic recovery in all EU member states and to help overcome the social divides that have widened since the onslaught of the crisis. To do this, EU cohesion policy offers us the right tools with innovative approaches and significant resources. The EU investment plans for the next seven years are currently being agreed with member states developed through partnership between national governments, regions and cities. In many countries it is mainly regional and local authorities that are offering the support to struggling small and medium businesses, assisting the neediest people or training laid off workers. Taking effective action requires local knowledge that directly addresses local needs. Moreover, several national governments have been forced to give priority to the financial consolidations of public accounts and to rely heavily on the efforts put in place by local and regional institutions to preserve social and territorial cohesion. Regional and local governments are clearly playing, and will, play a vital role. The point is how to increase the quality of funding invested both on economic and social priorities, as well as how to mobilise the private sector in sharing the risk of financing strategic projects. The EU's regional policy offers us the answers in all of these respects.
EBR: What about the intolerable high youth unemployment in some countries?
Currently there are 5.5 million young people unemployed in the EU and there are countries where half of those under 25 have no jobs. This situation is unacceptable. The public and private partners at all levels of government have to act together and the participation of local and regional authorities is essential in our efforts to combat youth unemployment. Education and training is the number one item in public budgets at sub-national level. Since 2000 educational spending by the regions and municipalities has increased steadily, reaching a figure of €430 billion in 2010 which represents one fifth of total spending at regional and local level. Local and regional budgets have been hit hard by the current economic crisis. This is why the CoR asked the European leaders to agree on a realistic European 96% of which goes towards achieving the strategic objectives of the EU's growth strategy - Europe 2020 - and cohesion in Europe. Furthermore, regions and cities are best placed to understand the realities confronting young people today and it is they which have to design and develop programmes to provide them with stable jobs. Local and regional authorities have direct contact with small and medium sized businesses: it is at this level of government which plays an essential role in detecting shortcomings in skills or providing vocational training and investment aimed specifically at responding to demand in the regional labour market. Finally, local and regional authorities also make an important contribution to promoting mobility with regard to education. Interregional cooperation not only stimulates employability by improving the linguistic and other skills of young people but can also inculcate a genuine feeling of European citizenship, promoting solidarity and tolerance among young people.
EBR: How do you see cooperation with other European Institutions?
During its 20 years of existence the CoR has worked to strengthen its ties with the other EU institutions and organisations active within Europe's borders and beyond. We have set up networks and platforms that bring the expertise of local and regional authorities to bear on key political dossiers such as the Europe 2020 strategy and to engage more closely with the EU's wider neighbourhood. The EU needs to have the necessary institutional architecture to ensure maximum cooperation between all competent authorities and policy actors who can contribute to providing solutions to the challenges faced by Europeans. We have recently concluded an agreement with the European Parliament that needs to be implemented in the coming months. The CoR also signed an agreement with the European Commission which still ongoing. We will also need to further reinforce our cooperation with the European Council in the near future.
