PACE recommended today that regional self-government be regarded not as a problem or a danger but as an effective, unifying means of giving regions a say in political decision-making at both national and European level. In the view of PACE, regionalism, in its various forms, offers guarantees of greater political stability and greater respect for the Council of Europe's values, in particular as regards the spread of democracy. Therefore it called on the member states, the Committee of Minister, the Council of Europe Congress and the European Union to support regionalisation efforts by fostering the principles of subsidiarity, proximity, good governance and active citizenship.
