FEATURED INITIATIVES
LATEST
Fighting youth unemployment needs strong commitment from local and regional authorities, insists Mia De Vits
Brussels, 11 May 2012
"It is at the levels closest to the citizens that youth unemployment can be best tackled" stressed today the member of the Flemish Parliament, who represented the PES Group in the CoR at the launch of 'Your future is my future - A European Youth Guarantee now!', a major campaign of the Party of European Socialists (PES) to fight youth unemployment. "European solidarity is essential in effectively addressing this huge challenge", she pointed out, underlining the urgent need for regions and cities to work together and learn from those practices that have proven their worth in different parts of the EU.
Socialists in Committee of the Regions expect new start for Europe from Francois Hollande's victory in French presidential elections
Brussels, 7 May 2012
The candidate of the French Socialist Party (PS), supported by various progressive parties (Greens, Left, PRG), François Hollande, won yesterday the second round of France's presidential elections, obtaining 51.67 % of the votes cast. Hollande will become the 24th President of the French Republic and the first Socialist president since 1988.
On behalf of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions, PES Group President Karl-Heinz LAMBERTZ warmly welcomed the election of François Hollande:
"François' victory is an important step towards a more just and progressive France and a new start for Europe. This has not been a campaign of easy promises and there are many challenges ahead. However, I am convinced that François will be a driving force for the swift implementation of a growth and employment agenda founded on social democratic values, giving back hope to the younger generations”, he said.
“The focus of action in the field of health must be on people”, argues Tilman Tögel
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 4 May 2012
The unanimously adopted opinion on the Health for Growth Programme, which was drafted by Tilman Tögel, regional MP of Saxony-Anhalt (PES/Germany), emphasises the need to better involve regional and local authorities in the preparation, implementation and assessment of the third multi-annual programme for the period 2014-2020.
"The European Commission’s proposal for a regulation fails to mention regions and municipalities, even though practically everywhere they are responsible for securing and organising healthcare services, including health education and preventive measures”, he pointed out.
"The role of local and regional authorities in the implementation of the future EU education and youth programme must be duly acknowledged", insists Yoomi Renström
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 4 May 2012
The Committee of the Regions adopted today unanimously the opinion of PES/EDUC coordinator and Member of Ovanåker Municipal Council (Sweden) on Erasmus for All, the European Commission's proposal for the new education and youth programme for the period 2014-2020.
"I welcome the new programme's integrated approach and strongly believe that, from now on, education programmes must be organised and run differently if we are to bring by 2020 the school drop-out rate to below 10% and university graduates to over 40%", pointed out Yoomi Renström. "This creates new requirements for action at local and regional level to raise quality and accessibility so as to include everybody", she added.
"The territorial dimension must be firmly anchored in the Common Agricultural Policy", stresses René Souchon
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 4 May 2012
After a heated discussion on over 119 amendments on a topic that revealed divergent points of view between political and national lines, the CoR adopted by an overwhelming majority the draft opinion of the President of the Auvergne Regional Council (PES/France) and former rapporteur on the CoR own-initiative opinion on the Future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
“The EU must put forward clearer rules on family reunification for migrants", says Sergio Soave
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 3 May 2012
The CoR plenary adopted today by overwhelming majority the draft opinion by the Mayor of Savigliano (PES/Italy), on the Right to family reunification of third-country nationals living in the European Union.
“The right of people to live with their family is a fundamental right, independent from the one of access to citizenship and any wider considerations of immigration policy”, highlighted the Socialist rapporteur in his introductory speech.
“Let’s make young people become the driving force for social innovation”, says Enrico Rossi
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 3 May 2012
Adopted by overwhelming majority by the CoR plenary, the draft opinion of the President of the Tuscany Region (PES/Italy) on the EU Programme for Social Change and Innovation advocates an approach that puts the youth at its centre of action. "We have to develop innovative strategies that help those who are most hit by the economic and financial crisis take control of their own future, and empower them to gain independence in terms of money, housing and work”, pointed out the rapporteur in his introductory speech, underlining that investing in young people was an important step in paving the way for growth in Europe.
"The promotion of sustainable and quality growth cannot be budget-neutral", stresses Karl-Heinz Lambertz
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 3 May 2012
Taking the floor on behalf of the PES Group, President Karl-Heinz Lambertz responded today to the intervention of Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, who addressed CoR members on the challenges of the current economic situation and the agenda for growth.
"The discussion on whether the crisis is over, or has just started, is pointless: in many regions, cities and towns, austerity is now governing, which means that a series of important projects, services of general interest and basic services are at risk”, said Karl-Heinz Lambertz. “Citizens urgently need a signal that the European policy makers have understood that there cannot be growth without true investment”, he added, warning against further short-sighted calls for cuts and more austerity measures.
“The TEN-T networks are a major driver of territorial cohesion", stresses Bernard Soulage
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 3 May 2012
"By virtue of their proximity to citizens, regions
and cities have a fundamental part to play
in winning public support for large-scale
transport infrastructure projects, and
explaining their concrete added value in
terms
of mobility, sustainability and solidarity across Europe”, told today Bernard Soulage (PES/France) to the plenary assembly of the CoR. His draft opinion on the Legislative Framework on Trans-European
Transport Networks (TEN-T) was adopted quasi unanimously by the CoR plenary.
“The European Social Fund must become an instrument of renewed solidarity”, urges Konstantinos Simitsis
CoR Plenary Session, Brussels, 3 May 2012
CoR members expressed today their overwhelming support to the draft opinion of the Mayor of Kavala (PES/Greece) on the European Social Fund (ESF). “In times when the threat of falling into a recession spiral and the unemployment trap is more than visible, there is no alternative other than to increase investment in people”, stressed Konstantinos Simitsis in his introductory speech, underlining that the successful implementation of the ESF needs to go hand in hand with a budget commensurate with the challenges ahead.
General Regulation on structural funds: there cannot be economic recovery in Europe without a strong cohesion policy, argues Catiuscia Marini
CoR Plenary session, Brussels, 3 May 2012
Members of the Committee of the Regions adopted today by overwhelming majority the opinion by Catiuscia MARINI, President of the Umbria Region (PES/Italy) and First Vice-President of the PES Group, thus fully backing the line taken by the PES rapporteur.
The opinion constitutes the CoR official position on the European Commission’s draft regulation laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF), the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
“We regional and local authorities are currently under enormous pressure because of heavy budget cuts that have followed the economic and financial crisis. My draft opinion conveys a clear message: There cannot be a positive exit from the crisis without an appropriate budget for cohesion policy, which fosters territorial convergence and competitiveness”, stressed the rapporteur.
Ian Borg warmly welcomes the decision of Malta Labour Party to put youth guarantee at the heart of its political priorities
Brussels, 30 April 2012
Addressing a conference on education held in Malta on 28 April, Malta Labour Party Leader Joseph Muscat announced that a new Labour government could provide all young people with a guarantee they would be studying, training or in employment after they turned 16.
'I am particularly pleased that my party has committed itself to introducing the youth guarantee, once in government', said CoR member Ian Borg, who has been actively involved, on behalf of the PES Group in the CoR, in the elaboration of a comprehensive European Youth Guarantee policy by the Party of European Socialists (PES).
“Solidarity and fair burden-sharing must be enshrined in EU asylum policy“, argues Theodoros Gkotsopoulos
Brussels, 27 April 2012
The CIVEX commission adopted today by an overwhelming majority the draft opinion of the Municipal Counsellor of the Municipality of Pallini, Attica (PES/Greece)on Enhanced Intra-EU solidarity in the field of asylum.
“Several EU Member States are currently facing increased migration flows, not least as a consequence of the upheavals in the Arab Spring countries. This challenge is currently affecting in particular the EU’s Mediterranean countries, which are at the same time facing the consequences of the economic and financial crisis”, pointed out the rapporteur in his introductory speech.
“It is therefore urgent to set up an improved EU legislative framework, which is based on the principles of solidarity and fair burden-sharing among Member States”, he stressed, adding that setting common standards across the EU for asylum seekers also means giving them a human face.“Migrants are a vital component of our societies“, stresses Nichi Vendola
Brussels, 27 April 2012
With only one vote against, members of the CIVEX commission adopted today the draft opinion of the President of the Puglia Region (PES/Italy) on the Global approach to migration and mobility.
“The issue of migration is back on top of the public debate in Europe, with the risk that immigrants become the scapegoats of the current crisis. Instead, we must not forget that the right to leave any country, including one's own, is a fundamental human right“, underlined the rapporteur in his introductory speech.
"Establishing direct contact with citizens is of great importance for a democratic European decision-making process", emphasises Hannes Swoboda
Brussels, 26 April 2012
In an interview for Echoes, the Newsletter of the PES Group of the Committee of the Regions, Hannes Swoboda, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, outlines his political priorities for his term in office in relation to the regional and local level, and his expectations of the cooperation with the PES Group in the CoR.
"My priorities as President are centered on offering the people of Europe an alternative economic plan as a counterbalance to the harsh austerity measures pushed through by the Commission, the Council and the majority of national governments. Especially for regions, cities and municipalities, austerity presents inevitably a burden. Its is therefore vital that we, as Socialists and Democrats, stand together and show people all around Europe that our economic revival must be based on growth and sustainability", he underlined.
Karl-Heinz Lambertz welcomes strong result of François Hollande in first round of French presidential elections
Brussels, 22 April 2012
The candidate of the French Socialist Party (PS), François Hollande, won today the first round of France's presidential elections, obtaining 28.63%of votes and defeating the outgoing French conservative French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, running for re-election, who obtained 27.08 %.
On behalf of the PES Group in the Committee of the Regions, PES Group President Karl-Heinz Lambertz warmly welcomed the outcome: "François is not only running for the leadership of France, but for the construction of an alternative European project for growth, founded on Social Democratic values”. He went on to add:"In addition, François, who has a long-standing experience as Mayor and as president of a department, has been the only candidate with a concrete agenda for further decentralisation in France."
"The process of decentralisation in Turkey should become a true democratic experience for citizens", stresses Karl-Heinz Lambertz
Istanbul, 12 April 2012
The President of the PES Group in the CoR, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, addressed today a conference on the role of decentralisation in the process of elaboration of a new constitution in Turkey, which was organised in Istanbul at the invitation of Selami Öztürk, Mayor of Kadiköy (Turkey) and President of the Turkish Association of Social Democratic Municipalities (SODEM).
"Local and regional self-government is a key part of the democratic process of the European Union and its Member States and gives citizens direct access to political decision-making close to them", stressed Karl-Heinz Lambertz in his introductory speech. "The respect for different levels of government, which are enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty, can serve as a model also for the decentralisation process in preparation of Turkey's accession to the EU".
