Transfrontier co-operation
Reply to Recommendation
| Doc. 11710
| 17 September 2008
- Author(s):
- Committee of Ministers
- Origin
- adopted
at the 1034th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (11 September 2008)
- Reply to Recommendation
- : Recommendation 1829
(2008)
- Thesaurus
1. The Committee of
Ministers has examined Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 1829 (2008) on “Transfrontier co-operation”, which it transmitted
to the European Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR),
the European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA)
and the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Spatial/Regional
Planning (CEMAT). The comments received are appended to this reply.
2. The Committee of Ministers has taken note of the recommendations
to member states set out in paragraph 13, including the reference
recalling its Recommendation Rec(2005)2 on good practices in and reducing
obstacles to transfrontier and interterritorial co-operation between
territorial communities or authorities. These have been transmitted
to governments of member states for due consideration. It would
like to recall that the Committee of Ministers welcomed, at their
116th Session, the initiatives to promote the development of new
Euroregions, and took note of the initiatives particularly in the
Adriatic and Black Sea regions. Moreover, as mentioned in its reply
to Congress
Recommendation
187 (2006) on the Adriatic Euroregion, the Committee of Ministers
considers that this type of regional co-operation is a constructive means
of achieving progress in all spheres, including political, economic
and social areas.
3. With regard to paragraph 14.1, the Committee of Ministers
informs the Assembly that work on the draft protocol to the Madrid
Outline Convention on Euroregional co-operation groupings should
be finalised and submitted to the CDLR by the end of 2008.
4. In respect of paragraph 14.2, the Assembly is invited to note
that the CEMAT intends to continue promoting co-operation at the
transfrontier level as part of its activities, and to extend it
to the frontiers of the Council of Europe member states. With regard
to EUR-OPA, it is clear that the very nature of its work calls for transfrontier
co-operation to be regularly taken into account.
5. The Committee of Ministers informs the Assembly that the Ministers’
Deputies, at their 1022nd meeting, reaffirmed their commitment to
the Budapest Agenda – which includes a comprehensive chapter on
the development of the transfrontier and interterritorial co-operation
of territorial communities or authorities – as the basis for intergovernmental
co-operation in the field of local and regional democracy, in particular
that to be carried out by the European Committee on Local and Regional
Democracy (CDLR). At the same meeting, it also approved the terms
of reference of the CDLR’s subordinate Committee of Experts on the
institutions of local and regional government which will assist
the CDLR in the implementation of all activities relating, inter alia, to transfrontier co-operation
of local and regional authorities.
6. Finally, it also takes the opportunity to draw particular
attention to the Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation Rec(2007)5
to member states on the conclusion of transfrontier co-operation
agreements in South-East Europe, adopted by the Committee of Ministers
on 31 January 2007.
Appendix 1 – Comments from the Bureau of
the European Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) on
Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation
1829 (2008)
1. The Bureau
of the European Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR)
has examined Parliamentary Assembly
Recommendation 1829 (2008) on “Transfrontier co-operation” which has been addressed
to the CDLR with the invitation to provide possible comments by
15 April 2008.
2. Given that the next plenary session of the CDLR is scheduled
on 2 to 4 June 2008, and wishing to respond to the Committee of
Ministers within the prescribed deadline, the Bureau has adopted
the following comments.
3. Transfrontier co-operation of local and regional authorities
is a major priority of intergovernmental co‑operation in the field
of local and regional democracy since many years and is an integral
part of the Budapest Agenda for delivering good local and regional
governance. The intergovernmental work has led in particular to
the adoption of three conventions (the Madrid Outline Convention
and its two protocols) and a number of recommendations by the Committee
of Ministers.
4. In addition, activities have been developed with a view to
promoting the implementation of Council of Europe’s standards by
member states, assisting local authorities with the establishment
of cross border co‑operation bodies (Euroregions) and enhancing
the capacities of local authorities to plan and implement cross
border co-operation projects.
5. With regard to the specific recommendations adopted by the
Parliamentary Assembly, the Bureau would like to point out the following:
a transfrontier co-operation between
the member states of the Council of Europe is a political priority
and the Committee of Ministers is better placed than the CDLR to
evaluate its developments. Local and regional authorities however
are very often the driving force of this bilateral or multilateral
co-operation between states, in the framework of the Madrid Outline
Convention (and its protocols) and of the intergovernmental activities
implemented by the CDLR;
b the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2005)2 of the
Committee of Ministers on good practices in and reducing obstacles
to transfrontier and interterritorial co-operation between territorial
communities or authorities (and also of Recommendation Rec(2005)3
on teaching neighbouring languages in border regions) is an objective
for the CDLR. However, it is dependent on the co-operation and goodwill
of member states and the Committee of Ministers could remind member
states of the availability of the Secretariat to provide assistance
if so requested (awareness-raising of target groups, exchange of
good practices, making translations into non official languages
available, etc.);
c through its monitoring of the implementation of commitments
entered into by member states, the Committee of Ministers has a
means to urge states concerned to meet their obligations as concerns ratification
of the Madrid Outline Convention and its protocols. The CDLR, through
its regular exchanges of views on recent developments in member
states and its overview of the state of ratification of conventions
falling within its remit, also provides member states with opportunities
to share information relevant to considering ratification of Council
of Europe’s conventions;
d the drafting of a protocol on Euroregional co-operation
groupings to the Madrid Outline Convention is an objective being
pursued in accordance with the Warsaw Action Plan and the Budapest
Agenda for Delivering Good Local and Regional Governance, as revised
at the Valencia ministerial conference. The work is ongoing and
the final draft (to which an Appendix containing an optional uniform
law will be attached) will be delivered to the CDLR by the end of
2008.
Appendix 2 – Opinion of the Committee of
Senior Officials of the European Conference of Ministers responsible
for Spatial/Regional Planning (CEMAT) on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1829 (2008)
At the request of the Committee of Ministers,
after considering Parliamentary Assembly Recommendations 1823 (2008) on “Global warming and ecological disasters” and 1829
(2008) on “Transfrontier co-operation”, the Committee of Senior
Officials of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for
Spatial/Regional Planning (CEMAT) of the Council of Europe:
- thanks the Parliamentary Assembly
for having transmitted to it the aforementioned recommendations
for information and possible comments;
- recalls the commitment of the Council of Europe to sustainable
development, expressed by the Heads of State and Government of the
Council of Europe member states at their Third Summit (Warsaw, 17 May
2005), and in particular the CEMAT’s commitment regarding the specific
objective of sustainable territorial development, reaffirmed in
the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial Development of the European
Continent, adopted at the 12th CEMAT Session in 2000 and recommended
to the member states by the Committee of Ministers of the Council
of Europe in Recommendation Rec(2002)1 and in the Ljubljana Declaration
on the territorial dimension of sustainable development adopted
at the 13th CEMAT Session in 2003;
- also recalls the Lisbon Declaration on “Networks for sustainable
spatial development of the European continent: Bridges over Europe”
and Resolution No. 2 on territorial governance: empowerment through enhanced
co-ordination, adopted at the 14th CEMAT Session on 27 October 2006;
- shares the concerns expressed by the Parliamentary Assembly
over global warming and its interest in transfrontier co-operation;
- notes that these questions are already included in the
2007-2010 work programme of the CEMAT Committee of Senior Officials
for the preparation of the 15th CEMAT Session to be held in the
Russian Federation on “Future challenges: sustainable development
of the European continent in a changing world”;
- decides to take full account of these considerations in
preparing activities in relation to the themes discussed, as set
out below.
The Committee of Senior Officials:
Noting that the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Spatial
Development of the European Continent, adopted by the European Conference
of Ministers responsible for Spatial/Regional Planning (CEMAT),
definitely advert to the territorial dimension of democracy and
of social cohesion policy, and acknowledge the function of transfrontier
co-operation among the Council of Europe member states, their regions
and their local authorities;
Adverting to the Lisbon Declaration on “Networks for sustainable
spatial development of the European continent: Bridges over Europe”,
adopted at the 14th CEMAT Session on 27 October 2006;
Noting the contribution made by the CEMAT’s proceedings hitherto
in promoting transfrontier co-operation in the context of the “pan-European
Network of CEMAT Model Regions”;
Recalling especially the work done by Ukraine, Hungary, Romania,
the Slovak Republic and Serbia to implement the Initiative on the
sustainable spatial development of the Tisza/Tissa river basin;
Decides to continue promoting co-operation at the transfrontier
level as part of its activities, and to extend it to the frontiers
of the Council of Europe member states.
