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Follow-up of CoR opinions by Commission and European Parliament must be monitored in more evident way, says Luc Van den Brande
04.03.2008, 15:03
Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Luc Van den Brande has welcomed the findings of the latest report by the European Commission in response to opinions adopted by the CoR, saying that it "clearly demonstrates the Committee's added value in the EU decision-making process".
Mr Van den Brande, who took over as President of the CoR last month, said: "The follow-up report by the European Commission is transparent and encouraging. It shows that it is examining our opinions very carefully and taking our views seriously. It clearly demonstrates the Committee's added value in the EU decision-making process and the importance of a partnership approach."
Addressing the CoR political group leaders (Conference of Presidents) on the eve of the extraordinary Bureau meeting in Brdo, Slovenia, today (4 March), Mr Van den Brande said that one of his priorities would be to pay even more attention to the follow-up of CoR opinions by both the Commission and the European Parliament. "While we have always done this in the past, I believe we should be monitoring the post-opinion process in a more evident way in the interests of greater efficiency and democratic accountability," he declared.
The European Commission report, presented by Vice-President Margot Wallström, focuses on the follow-up to 16 opinions adopted by the CoR in February-March 2007. The opinions covered subjects including the leverage effect of the Structural Funds, future maritime policy, SME growth, housing and cohesion policy, transparency, broadband, the European Institute of Technology, education, children's rights, transport and migration.
The Commission highlights, for example, "valuable" recommendations in the CoR opinion on the leverage effect of the Structural Funds "which it will take into account within the mid-term review of the Community budget". The opinion (rapporteur: Manuel Chaves González, President of Andalusia, Spain, PES) called for the Commission to consider the leverage effect as "an appropriate framework for evaluating EU policies, in particular as regards the mid-term review of the Community budget".
On the basis of the CoR's proposals, the Commission will also carry out an analysis on the progress on simplification and decentralisation of the management of the structural funds for the period 2007-2013., paying particular attention to proportionality and administrative costs for local and regional authorities.
President Van den Brande also drew attention to the reinforced role envisaged for the CoR under the new Treaty: "The Lisbon Treaty will strengthen our relationship with the European Parliament, which will have to consult the Committee on the same basis as the Commission. The members of the Committee would obviously also expect the Parliament to inform them regularly about the follow-up given to CoR opinions in the same way as the Commission."
Source: www.cor.eu