Welcome to the website of the Flemish REGLEG Presidency

At the Ministerial Conference of 15 and 16 November 2007 in Barcelona, Flanders was elected President of the REGLEG network in 2008. REGLEG is a co-operative venture of European Regions with Legislative Power, focused on the achievement of an active role of those regions in the European Union, according to their competences and responsibilities. In this report, an overview will be given of the activities of the Presidency during this year.

Institutional agenda

Treaty of Lisbon: achievements for the Regions with Legislative Power

In 2008, REGLEG sought to flesh out the institutional provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon, without hereby neglecting the uncertain outcome of the ratification process.

The Regions with Legislative Power welcome, however, the fact that the Reform Treaty, in line with the REGLEG stance, enhances the role of national parliaments in the EU within the framework of monitoring the application of the principle of subsidiarity. By virtue of the subsidiarity protocol each national parliament has the right to give a reasoned opinion on the subsidiarity of draft legislative acts. Each Member State has a right to two votes that are shared out among the legislative chambers. In 2008, REGLEG has examined and discussed these new achievements.

The Regions with Legislative Power can fully play their role in the subsidiarity test through the Committee of the Regions (CoR) as well.

On 19 May 2008, a successful seminar on exchanging best practices on the implementation of provisions regarding subsidiarity and the role of national parliaments, as laid down in the Treaty of Lisbon, was organised together with the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE). The seminar made clear that the possibilities of the Treaty of Lisbon should be duly explored, effective network systems should be set up and the definition of subsidiarity should be set out in concrete, technical terms. Also, the case-law of the Court of Justice should be closely monitored and the possible concretisation of access to this Court should be given attention.

The Presidency attended the follow-up seminar on subsidiarity, which the CoR organised on 24 October in Paris, in cooperation with the French Senate.

The Reform Treaty grants the Committee of the Regions the prerogative to submit a case to the Court of Justice in case of a possible violation of the principle of subsidiarity. This is one of the reasons why REGLEG gave and will continue to give priority to its co-operation with the Committee of Regions.

On 19 May 2008, the annual action plan between both partners was signed and added a new focus on mutual visibility and communication tools. The joint organisation of the seminar on subsidiarity was the first result of this enhanced co-operation.

Furthermore, REGLEG takes active part in the structured dialogue meetings of the Committee of Regions with the European Commission.

REGLEG also focused on the dynamism in the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Communities with regard to the assessment of the eligibility criteria, in case a region with legislative power brings a case before the Court of Justice or intervenes. This was done through a working group and a network of information contacts to continue making partner regions aware by frequently forwarding to them the rulings of the Court of Justice in this field.

Access to the Council and Comitology

On 20 May 2008, Friuli Venezia Giulia set up a Comitology working group, hereby collecting the previous efforts in that respect. The working group examines the possibilities and obstacles for Regions with Legislative Power. On 20 May 2008, the working group convened and an information network was set up by Friuli Venezia Giulia. In 2009, Piemonte will organise another working group in this respect.

Deepening REGLEG

Building on the initiatives taken during the previous REGLEG presidencies, the Flemish Presidency gave priority to deepening REGLEG as a European forum for political consultation between Regions with Legislative Power.

REGLEG’s functioning

Political commitment underpins REGLEG, but also technical officers are an important part of the network. Knowledge and experience are exchanged through the REGLEG Co-ordination Committee that gathers approximately every six weeks.

Efforts were undertaken to reinforce REGLEG’s political role and organisation by developing a transparent organisational structure, with special focus on a proper framework for REGLEG’s daily activities.

During the Co-ordination Committee (CoCo) of 26 February, a ‘presidency voting method’ for the presentation of candidacies for the Presidency was initialised. Closer cooperation between the former, present and future Presidencies was promoted through the setting up of a ‘Troika’-practice since the CoCo of 11 April.

The activities of the Co-ordination Committee were, during the Flemish Presidency, extended and energised. The network was profoundly used to inform and update the REGLEG members on matters of common interest. Furthermore, regions such as the Basque Country and Sicily returned as active members to the CoCo and many non-CoCo members (especially regions from Germany and Austria) took part in the extended CoCo meeting in June in Leuven.

Given the political significance of the Annual Conference of Presidents of Regions with Legislative Power, Flanders restructured the final political statement and safeguarded the informal nature of the consultation between regions and federated entities. This political statement, which comprises the political part, a presidency report with an overview of the activities and a general brochure as annex, was very positively received at the CoCo in June.

Exploring new fields

The REGLEG network was established to jointly defend the interests of Regions with Legislative Power and as such has increased participation in the negotiations about the Union’s new institutional system. In that regard, new fields of action in the European and foreign policies of the Regions with Legislative Power were explored.

EU agenda

The Catalan Presidency already started making a comparative analysis of the EU policy areas that are of priority importance to the different Regions with Legislative Power. The first results were communicated at the Conference of Presidents of Regions with Legislative Power in Barcelona of 15-16 November 2007.

In this regard, the REGLEG agenda was extended, where possible, to include issues such as growth, jobs and sustainable development. The Flemish Presidency attended 2 structured dialogue meetings concerning this issue. The REGLEG Presidency also took active part in the workshops that were organised in the framework of the European week of regions and cities ‘open days’ from 6 to 9 October in the Committee of Regions.

Together with the REGLEG partners, an EU Agenda working group was established, which will, upon the start of each new EU Presidency and the publication of the Commission programme of activities for 2009, discuss the priorities and give regions the chance to prepare actions and statements they jointly subscribe to. On 11 April, this working group exchanged best practices on how Regions with Legislative Power issue impact assessments. It was also important to create a REGLEG working method that allows the members to follow up the EU agenda, set priorities and take concerted REGLEG action or to use the network as a platform to find interested and co-operate with partners. In practice, this co-operation started spontaneously within the CoCo and with reference to the Interregional Group.

In December 2007, the REGLEG Presidency participated in a lunch meeting with Commission President Barroso, organised within the framework of the structured dialogue about the Commission programme of activities. In March 2008, the territorial dialogue with Commissioner Hübner was attended. The Flemish REGLEG Presidency also prepared the territorial dialogue with Commissioner Hübner of 18 June concerning territorial, regional and social cohesion to which Mrs Bresso, President of Piemonte, attended on behalf of REGLEG. On 27 November, REGLEG, represented by Mrs Terrón, actively participated the structured dialogue meeting with President Barroso concerning the work programme of the Commission for 2009.

Foreign policy

A REGLEG conference was organised in co-operation with the Forum of Federations on 19 September on the legal and institutional foundations of the foreign and external policy of Regions with Legislative Power. It also dealt with ways how Regions with Legislative Power implement their foreign and external policies. Therefore a number of working groups have discussed how regions organise themselves with regard to public diplomacy, multilateral organisations and other practical aspects of their foreign and external relations. The results and findings were collected and disseminated amongst members and participants.

REGLEG visibility

REGLEG and its members are aiming for a high media profile where possible. In order to do so, in 2008, two network events have been organised. The first was organised at the beginning of the Flemish Presidency and started with a guided visit to the retrospective exhibition in tribute to Pierre Alechinsky, at the Royal Museum for Fine Arts. A second event took place in June and was held for international journalists at the historical castle domain of Gaasbeek.

A REGLEG leaflet was distributed at all seminars and external REGLEG events.

The REGLEG website was updated and made more user friendly by Extremadura, host of the site. The domain name extension was changed, so that the new website address is: www.regleg.eu. Also, the Flanders created a separate website for its Presidency.

REGLEG partners

Good relations with the Committee of the Regions were built up over recent years and these will be continued. Both the Committee of the Regions and REGLEG are stronger if this relationship works well. REGLEG has worked with the Committee of the Regions to maximize and defend the regional interest at EU level. REGLEG contributes to the consultative work of the Committee of the Regions in particular in the field of subsidiarity monitoring and sharing information of mutual interest to both organizations. The bi-annual action plan between both partners was signed on 19 May and added a new focus on mutual visibility and communication tools. In line with the Commission’s ‘Go local’ principle, REGLEG members, along with the Committee of the Regions, can help to communicate Europe and bring it closer to its citizens, a stated priority in the Commission Legislative and Work Programme 2009. The REGLEG Presidency attended the plenary of the Committee of the Regions as well as the periodical meetings of the Secretaries General of the Committee of the Regions, in order to exchange views about future activities and to coordinate the joint activities.

Furthermore, REGLEG, together with the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), cooperated with the Committee of the Regions in all areas of common interest, notably through the organisation of the seminar on subsidiarity and in the Interregional Group “Regions with Legislative Power” where REGLEG holds the secretariat. The Interregional Group “Regions with Legislative Power” started its activities in April 2006 and was evaluated in 2008. The results focus on better ways of co-operation in the view of an implemented Lisbon Treaty. A network of assistants was set up and gathered in the margins of the Committee of the Regions’ plenary session, for which the REGLEG Presidency acts as secretariat as well.

The Presidency represented REGLEG at the CALRE General Assembly on 3-4 November in Bilbao. In 2008, the CALRE Presidency was held by the Basque Country.

REGLEG is also active in the “network of networks” – working with AER, CPMR, AEBR where it has over-lapping agendas. This approach worked well on the Treaty and can work again on other issues.

REGLEG also searched for ways to work with newer Member States and their regions. They have participated to the REGLEG seminars and network activities. REGLEG partners have engaged to actively promote the concept of Regions with Legislative Power in their bilateral contacts with newer Member States. The Presidency acted as co-ordinator of questions from non-REGLEG regions. The Warsaw Conference on the future of regions and regional policy (24-25 October) also invited REGLEG regions to co-operate on joint matters of interest.

On 4 April 2008, Salzburg, on behalf of the REGLEG Presidency, participated in the working group on “Regions with Legislative Power” in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Chamber of Regions, of the Council of Europe. The Presidency invited a member of the working group, Mr Semmelroggen, to the extended CoCo in June for a presentation of his analytical study on the role and evolution of Regions with Legislative Power s, on which occasion he expressed the wish to closer co-operation with REGLEG. On 22 October, REGLEG was again represented in the meeting of the working group.