Assembly Government Joins Euro Regions with Legislative Powers

Press Release summarising the Institute of Welsh Affairs' new publication "Coalition Creaks Over Health". This is the latest report in their Monitoring the National Assembly series.

In the week when the Laaken European summit is likely to establish a Constitutional Convention to examine power sharing between Brussels, the Member States and the Regions, the IWAs latest Assembly Monitoring report reveals that Rhodri Morgan has joined the cause of 45 legislative Regions in the EU. In an unpublicised message sent to a meeting of these Regions in Liège he declared:

"I am convinced that Regions with legislative powers have a vital part to play in bringing the work of the EU closer to its citizens over the most exciting two to three years in European Union constitutional evolution."

The message was an endorsment of the Flanders Declaration by European Regions with legislative powers seeking more influence within the institutions of the European Union. Although Wales did not sign the Declaration when it was issued last May, it is a signatory to a successor Declaration agreed by the 45 Regions which attended the Conference of Presidents of Regions with Legislative Powers, at Liège in mid November.

The Flanders Declaration - signed by Flanders, Wallonia, Catalunya, Bavaria, North Rhein Westphalia, Salzburg and Scotland - urged that "the role and setting of the Regions in the European policy-making process and institutional framework" be added to the themes debated at the 2004 Inter-Governmental conference on the EUs constitution.

The Liège conference was attended by the Belgian Federal President Guy Verhofstadt who, as the current President of the European Council, undertook to ensure that the views of the legislative Regions would be considered at this weeks Laaken European summit in Brussels. Together with Bavaria, Catalunya, North Rhein Westphalia, Piedmont, Salzburg, Tirol, Tuscany, Flanders, and Wallonia, Wales participated in the Steering Group that organised the Liège event. Des Clifford, the Assembly Governments representative in Brussels who attended the Steering Group meetings, said:

"There's nothing particularly transparent about the way this grouping has grown up and arrangements for the future will be put onto a more organised footing with an agreed number of Regions representing each eligible Member State, for example four from Germany, two from Belgium and so on. Wales and Scotland will certainly be involved from the UK."

For further information email John Osmond, IWA Director, at: johnosmond@iwa.org.uk