Partenalia members met with CoR President Vasco Alves Cordeiro on October 11th to discuss the network’s recent joining of the new Cohesion Alliance (2.0) which took place during the Conference on the fight against Rural Depopulation in Segovia on March 23rd.
Partenalia has indeed renewed its staunch support to the initiative emanating from the CoR following its backing of the previous Alliance. Beyond what is a key and inherent feature of the role of Local Intermediate Authorities ((NUTS III administration), the promotion of territorial cohesion, the recent evolutions of the international context have shed light on the undeniable necessity for a strong Cohesion Policy.
Vice-President Bartolomé Nofuentes, recently named special advisor to Eastern Europe for EU funds by the European Commission, conveyed key messages gathered amongst Partenalia members in order to voice the concerns and needs of European Local Intermediate Authorities and thanked President Alves Cordeiro for maintaining the long-standing cooperation between the two organisations they represent.
He insisted on the significance of paying very close attention to the terms used to refer to Local Intermediate Authorities – Provincia, Département, Judet, Kreis, Powiat, County Council – in texts emanating from EU institutions and bodies; especially opinions and eligibility criteria of European calls for proposals.
Indeed, the term is sometimes “lost in translation” as it is translated either into “regions”, “local authorities” or even “cities”.
President Alves Cordeiro explained that he refers globally to the levels of government represented by the CoR as “subnational governments”. He agreed that what may appear as a minor semantics issue can actually bring about significant exclusion of the Local Intermediate level of government from key texts of the European Institutions, among which the CoR itself, and therefore not only deprive it of legitimate recognition and visibility but also barring it from direct access to certain call for proposals.
Following the meeting with President Alves Cordeiro, Partenalia and the CoR will continue to work hand in hand to ensure greater recognition of the crucial role of Local Intermediate Authorities within European subsidiarity, notably as efficient manager of EU funds which enable them to serve the actual needs of the citizens thanks to their profound awareness of the reality and challenges face by their constituents and the socio-economic fabric of their respective territories.
The more direct the access to EU funds related to Local Intermediate Authorities’ competences the more visible the results of the action of the EU will be visible by citizens at the local level.
Vice-President Nofuentes also presented the Valencia Declaration adopted on the occasion of the biannual Subsidiarity Conference held in Valencia last November. In the Declaration, the members already expressed their support to the new Cohesion Alliance but also to the Marseille Manifesto. In particular, the fifth point calling for the European Committee of the Regions to “be gradually upgraded beyond its current consultative function towards a binding role in a limited number of policy areas with a clear territorial dimension while avoiding additional complexity in the EU”.
Vice-President Nofuentes assured that Partenalia will strive to send the CoR relevant information based on the perspective of Local Intermediate Authorities on issues directly related to their competences for the CoR Presidency to have as many constructive insights from this level of government as possible.
Vice-President Nofuentes invited President Alves Cordeiro to participate in the Partenalia Conference which will take place in Timişoara, 2023 European Capital of culture and capital of the province of Timiș (member) on November 15th and will take a close look at the role of Local Intermediate Authorities as cultural catalysts, notably with the participation of Mrs. Tanya Hristova, Chair of the SEDEC Commission, to be confirmed.
Finally Partenalia members have expressed their interest in organising local events to showcase the importance of the Cohesion Policy in their respective territories, raise the awareness of citizens as to its concrete positive impact and therefore give visibility to the new Cohesion Alliance.
President Alves Cordeiro officially welcomed Partenalia into the Cohesion Alliance and thanked the delegation for their support.
