Homepage
Sitemap
Larger
Smaller
Login
Registration
Help
Terms of use
Prague Summit launch for biggest ever consultation of regions and cities on boosting growth and jobs
06.03.2009, 14:33
Europe's regions and cities will play their part in shaping the next
generation of the EU's growth and jobs strategy following a major consultation
launched by CoR President Luc Van den Brande and Czech regional development
minister Cyril Svoboda in Prague on Friday.
Launching the consultation at the European Summit of Regions and Cities in the Czech capital, President Van den Brande said that the size and scale of the consultation would help give greater impact to the CoR's suggestions on the future direction of the Lisbon strategy.
"2010 will be the last year of the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs, launched in 2000 to increase Europe's competitiveness, and the 2010 Spring European Council will decide what comes next. It is extremely important that all regions and cities can voice their opinion now. It is only with regions and cities on board that the EU will be able to achieve its goals of boosting economic growth and creating more jobs, especially in these difficult times. I strongly believe that the European Commission, the Council Presidency and the 2010 Spring European Council will take into account all our contributions. This is a remarkable moment, when local and regional authorities can directly express their opinions to Brussels on a new Lisbon strategy," he said.
Minister Svoboda added: "This major consultation of the level of government closest to citizens on the key issue of the growth and jobs strategy will be addressed directly to EU leaders next Spring. If anyone has any concerns about how democratic the EU really is, then this should help dispel them." The consultation, which will last until 20 April, is open to all local and regional authorities, who are invited to submit their comments on the future of the Lisbon strategy by answering a questionnaire on the CoR's website. The questionnaire is available in all EU languages. The results of the consultation will be presented and discussed in Brussels during the Open Days week (5-8 October 2009), and be incorporated into the new opinion on the Future of the Lisbon Strategy by CoR member Christine Chapman (UK/PES). This will then constitute the political message that the CoR will address to the 2010 Spring European Council, where the final decision on the future of the Lisbon strategy will be made.
www.cor.eu