XXth GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF EUROPEAN MUNICIPALITIES AND REGIONS
THESSALONIKI DECLARATION
A EUROPE FOR ITS CITIZENS
Thessaloniki, 25 May 1996
AUTOR : Council of European Municipalities
and Regions
A Europe for its citizens
A Europe which reflects the aspirations of women
Unemployment
A strong and united Europe
Human rights, peace, solidarity and respect for minority rights
The Europe of proximity
A Europe of culture
A Europe which is active and present on the world scene
We, men and women local and regional
elected representatives, mayors, leading politicians of towns and municipalities,
leaders of counties, districts,
provinces and regions of Europe,
Assembled in Thessaloniki for the XXth General Assembly of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions,
Firm in our belief for the need to build a strong and united Europe,
Directly confronted each day with
the expectations of our fellow European citizens,
1. Wish to affirm our intention to build a Europe for its citizens, namely:
a Europe
which responds to the major challenges of today's society, and first and
foremost, the issue of employment, which implies, in particular, a more
dynamic
economic policy for the European political union and a community policy
on external trade reflecting more solidarity ;
a Europe
which embodies the values of solidarity and which acts in concrete and
resolute terms against all forms of social exclusion;
a Europe
whose environmental policies lie within the objective of sustainable development;
a Europe
of tolerance which fights against all forms of discrimination, racism and
xenophobia;
a Europe
which is based upon the active participation of its citizens and which
inspires in them a sense of security.
The revision of the Maastricht Treaty
represents a decisive stage in the transformation of the current inter-governmental
Europe into a Europe which is an
autonomous political entity, able
to speak with one voice. A truly united Europe, respectful of its differences
and deeply aware of the need to safeguard and promote
them, must seek the kind of Union
already described in the Declaration of the CEMR General Assembly in Strasbourg.
The role of the institutions in framing
legislation should follow the principle that both the European Parliament,
directly elected by the people of Europe, and the
Council of Ministers, representing
the States of Europe, should approve legislation and that the Commission
should act as the executive body in the implementation
of Union legislation.
2. We want a Europe which reflects the aspirations of women.
We have a particular responsibility
to ensure that the aspirations and concerns of women, who comprise at least
half of all European citizens, are fully addressed, In
this regard, we consider it essential
that women have full access to the political process, and to ensure that
they have the opportunity to participate equally in
decision-making at all levels, in
fulfilment of the principle of parity democracy.
More generally, women and men should
be given the possibility to maintain a proper balance between the requirements
of professional life and the fundamental
values of family life.
3. Unemployment, and in particular
youth unemployment, is the primary challenge which must be taken up by
Europe to fight social injustice and avoid the dangers
of social unrest . In this regard,
we would wish to adopt as our own the declaration expressed by the President
of the European Commission, Jacques Santer, who
proclaimed before the European Parliament:
"A Europe that did not concern itself over its eighteen million unemployed
would be an empty construction
indeed."
It is up to the social partners and
the Member States of the European Union to seek solutions to these problems.
In this respect, particular attention should be paid
to fighting the causes of unemployment
as well as developing vocational training for the young unemployed.
The European Union must support this
process within the scope of its capacities. Existing instruments (structural
funds) should give greater priority towards achieving
these goals.
We actively support the European
Confidence Pact for Employment proposed by the European Commission and
affirm our will to mobilise our forces to contribute
to its implementation. Local and
regional authorities constitute the levels best suited to developing and
stimulating sources of employment, notably through small and
medium-sized enterprises.
Therefore, we will actively participate
in dialogue with governments and social partners to contribute in solid
terms to the implementation of the recommendations of
the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness,
and Employment adopted by the European Commission in 1993.
Hence, we express the wish that all Member States sign and ratify the Social Protocol of the Treaty on the European Union.
Similarly, we attach great importance
to public services, especially the right of access for all to high quality
services at local and regional level, and wish to see
recognition given to the fundamental
principles in a European Charter of Public Services provided that the right
of local authorities to organise their own services is
not infringed upon.
4. We want a strong and united Europe.
We call for decisive progress in
the European unification process, and ask that the European Union be given
the capacity and the means to decide and to act,
particularly in relation to future
enlargement which requires a politically and institutionally strengthened
European Union.
At a time dominated by the globalisation of the economy, we believe that a move towards economic and monetary union is imperative.
So far as economic and monetary policy
is concerned, the globalisation of markets and the enormous volume of capital
flows make national sovereignty increasingly
illusory - only a single currency
will give European States scope for independence and freedom of action.
A common asylum and immigration policy, respecting human rights, is of utmost priority.
We deeply hope that the Intergovernmental
Conference which was launched last March in Turin, will succeed in reconciling
Europe's aims and the support of
citizens. In this regard, we ask
for :
clarification
of the decision-making processes of the European Union and their increased
effectiveness, through the extension of majority voting and the
strengthening
of the co-decision procedures.
simplification
of Treaty texts, and the recognition of transparency, effectiveness and
subsidiarity/proximity as the guiding principles of Community action, in
respect
of the precepts of solidarity and interdependence.
If Europe suceeds in becoming closer
to its citizens and involving them more widely in the decision-making process,
it will, as a natural consequence, find the trust
and support of Europeans, thus taking
a decisive political step.
We therefore call for the publication
of clear and comprehensive information on the state of progress of the
Intergovernmental Conference activities, and consider it
necessary that the future Treaty
include citizens' rights of access to information on European Union policies
and initiatives.
5. A strong European Union is an
integral part of the way our continent is structured, based on the principles
of the respect for human rights -
including respect for minority rights
- and for peace and solidarity.
It thus follows that we repudiate
expansionism and all forms of extreme nationalism, and reaffirm our commitment
to stability and peaceful coexistence among the
peoples of our continent, and to
the irreplaceable role played by the Council of Europe, the representative
Institution of Greater Europe, and its Congress of Local
and Regional Authorities.
Historically, the Balkans have always
been a key area of Europe and, here in Thessaloniki, we call for the development
of cooperation between the different
countries in this region.
In our capacity as representatives
of local and regional authorities, we will actively participate in this
process and will assist in particular in the reconstruction of the
municipalities of ex-Yugoslavia.
We also reiterate the fundamental
importance of direct cooperation between cities and local and regional
authorities in international cooperation in particular with the
Mediterranean countries in order
to ensure genuine economic and social development, with a view to establishing
peace, stability and mutual tolerance. This should
be integrated into bilateral and
multilateral cooperation and development aid programmes for which substantial
resources must be found.
6. We call for, and we embody, the Europe of proximity.
The principle of subsidiarity, or
of proximity, was introduced into the Maastricht Treaty, to our great satisfaction,
as a basic principle of European construction. We
ask that it be implemented in its
entirety, and not be limited to relations between Europe and the States.
As we proclaimed in the Valencia
Appeal, local and regional authorities have an essential role to play in
a Europe of proximity. The hundreds of signatures of local
and regional elected representatives
collected to date are a clear reflection of this strong demand addressed
to the Intergovernmental Conference. We wish to
reaffirm
(a) Europe - as the cradle of the
fundamental values of solidarity, tolerance, democracy and respect for
humanity - must avail itself of the capacity to promote such
values and thus inscribe these basic
rights in the Treaty, which should guarantee the right of citizens to manage
a substantial part of public affairs through local and
regional elected assemblies by introducing
the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.
Similarly, the Treaty should make provision for :
(b) a broader expression of the subsidiarity principle and its application, which recognises the place and role of local and regional authorities;
(c) the foundations of a partnership between the different levels, where local and regional authorities hold responsibility for the implementation of European policies;
(d) an effective basis for upholding the principle of non-discrimination;
(e) an increase in structural autonomy
and a guarantee of the democratic legitimacy of the Committee of the Regions
and local authorities, which must become an
Institution ensuring equitable and
balanced representation of the local and regional authorities in each Member
State, able to make an effective contribution to the
process of drafting European policies.
We emphasise that it is imperative
for local and regional authorities to be involved through genuine partnership
at the very earliest stages of the European
decision-making process. Such a
step would make it possible to improve the quality of decisions taken and
to strengthen their legitimacy.
7. We will restate these demands
at each stage of the Intergovernmentale Conference, and will stand ready
to make the voice of European citizens
heard. We are essential partners
in a citizens' Europe.
Every day, we make decisions which directly affect our fellow citizens.
Numerous European or national policies
inevitably pass through the local or regional level. We act in concrete
terms to fight exclusion, to affirm the right to housing
and to ensure sustainable development
which respects the environment. We are active partners in the social dialogue
in which we would stress the principles of equal
opportunities between men and women.
As our debates in Thessaloniki demonstrated,
we have the will to take up the challenges presented by the information
society, and to ensure the practical
implementation of Agenda 21 for
the sustainable development of our respective areas. We emphasise, in particular,
the importance of networks between towns and
cities for the dissemination of
information and mutual exchange of experience.
We will cooperate more and more each
day with our counterparts in Europe, and with the Mediterranean countries
- in the field of exchange of experience and
cross-border cooperation. We strongly
hope that the Union's means of support, destined to facilitate such cooperation,
are maintained and developed.
This should strengthen democratic institutions, promote economic development and improve living standards in an area of lasting peace and justice.
We also reaffirm the importance we
attach to twinnings, whose political dimension is essential in that it
permits citizens to meet each other, to establish lasting ties and
to develop a common sense of our
European destiny. Therefore, we propose that 1998 be declared the Year
of Twinnings and Partnerships.
8. We want a Europe of culture.
Europe's cultural heritage is the cornerstone of its identity. It is a powerful means for achieving unity, drawing upon centuries of exchange between its peoples.
In the city of Thessaloniki, the
Cultural Capital of Europe for 1997, we make the commitment to intensifying
and strengthening relations between our communities.
Twinning schemes must continue to
highlight the cultural diversity we share, thus permitting a better understanding
of our past and enabling us to build a common
future.
9. We want a Europe which is active and present on the world scene.
We strongly support world-wide cooperation
between local and regional authorities and express our strongest hopes
for a successful outcome to WACLA. We will
participate in HABITAT II, the large
United Nations conference in Istanbul, at which we will re-emphasise the
commitment of European elected representatives of
local and regional authorities to
:
the development
of local democracy in the world - one of the soundest foundations for peace
and prosperity among people ;
the promotion,
within the United Nations, of the principles set down in the Charter of
Local Self-Government of the Council of Europe, in particular the
principle
of subsidiarity in order to achieve a World Convention;
the implementation,
as soon as possible and in appropriate ways, of a procedure enabling IULA
and other representative organisations of cities and local
authorities
across the world, brought together in the G4, to be consulted by the United
Nations Organisation.
European elected representatives
of local and regional authorities stand ready to work towards setting up
a light but permanent coordination structure, to reinforce
the growing convergence in the work
of the world-wide organisations, in order to make the voice of local and
regional authorities heard more strongly.
(This Declaration was adopted by
the almost two thousand delegates present in Thessaloniki during the closing
ceremony of the XXth General Assembly
of CEMR on 25 May 1996. It was adopted
with nine abstentions (of which the Norwegian and Danish delegations) and
three votes against.)
FONTE : http://europa.eu.int/en/agenda/igc-home/eu-doc/regions/ccreen.htm