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 For the first time in its history, the CoR is to adopt a White Paper

During this plenary session, and for the first time in the history of the institution, CoR president, Luc Van den Brande (BE/EPP), and first vice-president Michel Delebarre (FR/PES), will present a draft opinion on drawing up a Committee of the Regions' White Paper on multilevel governance .

It launches a reflection on the allocation of responsibilities between the EU, Member States and local and regional authorities and the best way of involving sub-national authorities in the development and implementation of Community policies, thereby strengthening European democracy. Further information on this White Paper can be found in the videos of Luc Van den Brande and Michel Delebarre .

The other opinions due to be adopted on 17 and 18 June discuss how Community policy is implemented at local and regional level.

EU enlargement and decentralised cooperation: regions and cities forge EU external relations on the ground

The local and regional dimension of EU external relations and cooperation at local and regional level with non-EU countries are one of the main themes of this month's CoR plenary session.

CoR members will begin work on the preparations for a conference on decentralised cooperation that the Committee, along with the European Commission, will be holding next December. Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, will make a statement to members on 17 June and, on the same day, the French rapporteur, Jean?Louis Destans (PES), will present his draft opinion on two Commission Communications, entitled One year after Lisbon: the Africa-EU partnership at work and The EU, Africa and China: towards trilateral dialogue and cooperation . You can find an interview with Louis Michel on this subject here .

CoR members will also be asked to express their views on possible future EU enlargement in a review of the progress made by candidate countries or potential candidates , with two opinions on the subject submitted by Jasmina Vidmar (SI/ALDE), member of Maribor City Council , and Gordon Keymer (UK/EPP), member of Tandridge District Council, respectively, for adoption at the plenary session. As the bulk of EU legislation is implemented by local and regional authorities, they are of crucial importance for making a country "EU-ready".

T he contribution of local and regional authorities to the EU's external relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine will also be at the heart of the forum on Eastern Partnership that the CoR has organised for 16 and 17 June. Click here to find out more about this event.

On the basis of his experience as the elected representative of an authority close to one of the EU's external borders, in this case with Belarus, Arnoldas Abramavi?ius (LT/EPP), mayor of Zarasai District Municipality, will present his work on the role played by local and regional authorities in cross-border territorial cooperation in the migration field . To watch the rapporteur present his opinion, click here for the Lithuanian version or here for the English version .

The road to Copenhagen – Using and protecting natural resources: global problems need local solutions

The way in which our natural resources are used and protected is to a large extent governed by local and regional authorities. That is why the global problem of resource management require s a local response. Two opinions at the June Plenary Session will address this issue.

In his draft opinion on A new impetus for halting biodiversity loss , René Souchon (FR/PES), president of Auvergne Regional Council, warns that local and regional authorities need to be more active in drawing up strategies to tackle biodiversity loss, and that they need to dedicate sufficient funding to make these programmes a success. "The failures of policies to stem biodiversity loss are due to the clear gap between the promises made and the action taken and the measures employed," he said. He calls in particular for tax breaks and subsidies to be made more "eco-conditional" – with an obligation on recipients to protect biodiversity and an end to subsidies that promote development that damages biodiversity. To watch René Souchon presenting his comments click here .

Citizens also have a key role to play in reducing levels of food waste, according to Mona Lisa Norrman (SE/PES), member of Jämtland County Council. Her draft opinion on The management of biowaste in the European Union suggests that the best way to manage biowaste is to reduce its production, and that local authorities have a key role to play in encouraging citizens to consume less and recycle more. "Efforts should be made to increase awareness among both producers and consumers of the link between consumption and production, as well as costs, waste, the environment and health. Measures should also be taken to curb the amount of food discarded by the food industry, shops, the healthcare sector and schools."

Maritime resources and their sustainability: a concern for numerous European regions

In the European Union the sea is a uniting factor for hundreds of local and regional authorities who share this environmental and economic resource. That is why Michel Delebarre, MP and mayor of Dunkirk and first vice-president of the CoR (FR/PES), will be presenting the point of view of regions and cities on the Commission's Maritime and coastal package at the CoR plenary session.

That is also why the Commission's proposed Community fisheries control system will be addressed by Sir Simon Day , member of Devon County Council (UK/EPP), who feels that the existing system is "inefficient, expensive and complex and does not produce the desired results". On 29 June Commissioner Joe Borg will, together with CoR President, Luc van den Brande, will hold a Structured dialogue on the subject and discuss it with European and national associations of local and regional authorities.

For summaries of the opinions discussed by Committee of the Regions members, click here :

CoR White Paper on multilevel governance

The White Paper , drawn up jointly by CoR president, Luc Van den Brande (BE/EPP), and first vice-president, Michel Delebarre (FR/PES), i s presented as the embodiment of a political project to build Europe in partnership, which will make it possible to establish a genuine culture of cooperation guaranteeing the legitimacy, transparency and efficiency of the Community operation. It sees local and regional authorities as genuine partners and no longer as mere intermediaries. For more information on the White Paper see the videos of Luc Van den Brande and Michel Delebarre presenting their comments.

Enlargement, decentralised cooperation and migration

In her draft opinion on the enlargement strategy 2008-2009 for the candidate countries , Jasmina Vidmar (SI/ALDE), member of the Maribor City Council, underlines that in the rush towards membership candidate countries easily forget to involve local and regional authorities in the various reforms taking place in the country, even though, in the final analysis, these authorities shoulder most of the responsibility for implementing specific duties resulting from the reforms. Without wishing to anticipate the outcome of future decisions on membership, she does, however, believe that candidate countries need to be offered a clear European perspective.

Gordon Keymer (UK/EPP), member of Tandridge District Council, will present his complementary draft opinion on the enlargement strategy 2008-2009 for the potential candidate countries . He asks potential candidate countries to resolve remaining bilateral issues, including border disputes and providing for the return of refugees and internally displaced persons. Local and regional authorities are the best-placed spheres of government to implement such changes.

Jean-Louis Destans (FR/PES), president of the General Council of the Eure, will present at the plenary session a draft opinion on two European Commission Communications, entitled One year after Lisbon: the Africa-EU partnership at work and The EU, Africa and China: towards trilateral dialogue and cooperation . He stresses in the opinion that recognition of the role of local and regional authorities in international cooperation with developing countries must not lead to a more complex system. The conference on decentralised cooperation can then become a platform for consulting local and regional authorities, including a special area for the partnership with Africa.

In his draft opinion on Strengthening the global approach to migration: increasing coordination, coherence and synergies , Arnoldas Abramavi?ius (LT/EPP), mayor of Zarasai District Municipality, regrets that the crucial role played by local and regional authorities in cross-border territorial cooperation in the migration field is not sufficiently acknowledged and calls on the European Commission to work to improve the production and dissemination of reliable, up to date, quantitative and qualitative information which is the primary source for drafting individual Member States' immigration profiles. He also stresses the need for further efforts to explore the link between climate change and migration.

Management of bio-waste and protection of biodiversity

In her draft opinion on The management of bio-waste in the European Union , Mona-Lisa Norrman (SE/PES), member of Jämtland county council, suggests first and foremost that efforts should be concentrated on reducing levels of food waste through encouraging consumers to buy more local food or through home composting of waste. Where biowaste has to be managed, however, she underlines the need to give local and regional authorities the freedom to decide for themselves how best to do this, for example using biogas produced from waste management to fuel public transport services.

René Souchon (FR/PES), president of the Auvergne regional council, claims that his draft opinion on A new impetus for halting biodiversity loss is an "ambitious, demanding yet realistic" approach to tackling this key issue, which he adds is closely linked with climate change. Local and regional authorities must be more effective in tackling biodiversity loss, he suggests; in the past, their ambition was often undermined by a lack of both sufficient financial backing and public support – two issues that must now be urgently addressed. To watch René Souchon presenting his comments click here .

Maritime package and fisheries control system

The Committee of the Regions is due to adopt its draft opinion on the maritime and coastal package , drafted by first vice-president Michel Delebarre (FR/PES) mayor of Dunkerque . The draft opinion considers that links need to be established between the territorial cohesion objective and the integrated maritime policy. Governance based on a partnership for maritime policy, including every level of decision-making and civil society, would facilitate the timely detection of usage conflicts on the coast and at sea, and would allow for appropriate local solutions.

In his draft opinion on the Community fisheries control system Sir Simon Day (UK/EPP) , member of Devon County Council , stresses that the decentralisation of the Common fisheries policy , reflected in the creation of the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) and in the restructuring of the Commission's DG Mare, emphasises the increasing need to deploy the new policy framework for control on a regional seas basis. This calls for greater capacity on the part of the European Commission to service the diversity implicit in the regional model.

Non-discrimination and equal opportunities

In her draft opinion on Non-discrimination, equal opportunities and the implementation of the principle of equal treatment between persons , Claudette Abela Baldacchino (MT/PES), deputy mayor of Qrendi Local Council, demands legislation and policies against homophobic hatred (especially hate speech and hate crime), obstacles in access to housing, direct discrimination in health care services, as well as bullying and harassment in educational establishments, employment and vocational training. Mrs Baldacchino calls upon all European regions and cities to promote non-discrimination at local and regional level by promoting respect for human rights and building trust through constructive dialogue.

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