Flanders is hosting the Committee of the Regions
On 10 September the Extraordinary Meeting of the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions was held in Antwerp. Usually the Bureau meets in Brussels, but every six months it visits the country holding the European Presidency. The Flemish Government, which wants to increase the importance of local and regional authorities within the decision process of EU institutions, therefore gladly invited the members of the bureau to Antwerp in the context of the Belgian presidency.
The agenda of the meeting of the bureau included the explanation of the priorities of the Belgian EU presidency by Flemish prime minister Peeters. The EU 2020 strategy, sustainability and green energy were also debated. Participants included Flemish minister of the Environment Joke Schauvliege and the Italian president of the Committee, Mrs Mercedes Bresso. In the context of this debate the European guests visited green projects of Katoen Natie, Ineos and the City of Antwerp in the Antwerp port. Flanders put the sustainable use of raw materials, energy and materials high up on the agenda of the Belgian presidency for this reason.
The Committee of the Regions is the EU assembly of local and regional representatives. The Committee' mission, with 344 members from all 27 EU member states, is to involve the local and regional governments and the population they represent in the European decision-making process and to inform them on EU policies. At the same time, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council are obliged to consult the Committee on policy domains that have repercussions at regional or local level.
Of course Flanders is also active in the Committee – its previous chairman was, until the beginning of this year, none other than former prime minister Luc Van den Brande. Current Flemish prime minister Peeters stated that the attention for the Committee needs to be seen in a wider Flemish priority: that of the Europeanisation and even the wider internationalisation of Flanders. This internationalisation of our region and its population is the thread through all sub-projects of the Flemish future project “Flanders in Action”, the aim of which is to make our region one of the five top regions of Europe by 2020. As many links as possible with the EU 2020 strategy are made in this context.
