MINUTES OF THE CPMR POLITICAL BUREAU MEETING BREST (BRITTANY, F) 18 FEBRUARY 2006

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1 CRPMPRV A0 CONFÉRENCE DES RÉGIONS PÉRIPHERIQUES MARITIMES D EUROPE CONFERENCE OF PERIPHERAL MARITIME REGIONS OF EUROPE 6, rue Saint-Martin RENNES - F Tel. : + 33 (0) Fax : + 33 (0) e.mail : secretariat@crpm.org web : Participants MINUTES OF THE CPMR POLITICAL BUREAU MEETING BREST (BRITTANY, F) 18 FEBRUARY 2006 President: Vice-Presidents: Claudio MARTINI, Presidente della Regione Toscana (Italy) Gunn Marit HELGESEN, President North Sea Commission - Mayor of Telemark (NO) Kathleen MATHESON, Councillor, Highland Council (UK) Sergios TSIFTIS, Secretary General of Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean, Gr) Vice-President representing the new EU Members: Giovanna DEBONO, Hon. Minister of Gozo (Malta) Full members: Cyprus Finland France Greece Lithuania Malta Norway Poland United Kingdom Charalambos ELIADES, Acting District Officer, Ammochostos (Famagusta) Esko KURVINEN, Vice-President of Oulu Region Jean-Yves LE DRIAN, President of Brittany Region See Vice-President, Mr TSIFTIS Irina ROZOVA, Deputy Governor, Klaipeda County See Vice-President, Mrs Debono Roald BERGSAKER, County Mayor of Rogaland Janusz Kazimierz KRZYZEWSKI, Marshal of Podlaskie Region See Vice-President, Mrs MATHESON Geographical Commissions: Atlantic Arc Commission Jean-Michel ARRIVÉ, Executive Secretary (F) Balkan & Black Sea Regional Commission Anthony PAPADIMITRIOU, Executive Secretary (GR) Baltic Sea Commission Inge ANDERSSON, President of the Baltic Sea Commission Chairman of Västerbotten (S) Marko MÄLLY, Executive Secretary Islands Commission Jean-Didier HACHE, Executive Secretary (F) Intermediterranean Commission Angelo PARELLO, Executive Secretary (I) Massimo MACALUSO, Technical Director (I) North Sea Commission Gunn Marit HELGESEN, President of the North Sea Commission Mayor of Telemark (NO) Lars HAUKVIK, Executive Secretary (NO) Minutes Reference CRPMPRV A0 - page 1

2 Alternate representatives of Presidents of Commissions (*): Baltic Sea Commission : Christel LILJESTRÖM, Chairman of the Regional Council of Itä-Uusimaa (FIN) North Sea Commission : Audrey FINDLAY, Leader of the Council, Aberdeenshire Council (UK), Vice- President of the North Sea Commission Administrative Council: Yves MORVAN, President Jacques BOULAU, Treasurer Alternate members: Finland Harri HELMINEN, President of Kymenlaakso France Paul VERGÈS, President of la Réunion Island in charge of CPMR relations with the Indian Ocean Area Sweden Roland ANDERSSON, Chairman of Västra Götaland United Kingdom Roy PERRY, Executive Member, Hampshire County Council CPMR General Secretariat: Xavier GIZARD, Secretary General Patrick ANVROIN, Director Philippe CICHOWLAZ, Director François DESRENTES, Director Julie GOURDEN, Project Officer Enrico MAYRHOFER, Communications Director Carol THOMAS, The CPMR s Permanent Delegate in Brussels Marie-Agnès CHARON, Head of Secretariat Observers: Kari AALTO, Manager of International Affairs, Council of Oulu Region (FIN) Ana CALVO LÓPEZ, Jefe de Servicio de Asuntos UE, Región Murcia (E) Patrice CAROLLO, Chef de la Mission Mer, Conseil Régional de Bretagne (F) Rita CUTAJAR, Director EU Affairs, Ministry for Gozo (MT) Jean-Yves DALLEAU, Conseiller Technique à la Présidence des R.U.P., Chargé de Mission, Conseil Régional de la Réunion (F) Piero DI MAGGIO, Dirigente Superiore, Regione Siciliana (I) Cinzia FELCI, Responsabile Area Relazioni con l'ue, Ufficio di Bruxelles della Regione Lazio (I) Paolo GIANNARELLI, Consigliere del Presidente per le Politiche Europee (I) Christian GUYONVARC H, Vice-Président, Conseil Régional de Bretagne (F) Paul KANE, European Executive, Aberdeenshire Council (UK) Tommy KARLSSON, International Director, Stockholm County (S) Joseph B. MICALLEF, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Gozo (MT) Javier MORALES FEBLES, Comisionado de Acción Exterior, Presidencia del Gobierno de Canarias (E) Josefina MORENO BOLARÍN, Jefe de Sección de Coordinacción Juridica, Región Murcia (E) Jörgen NIEMANN, European Officer, Västra Götaland (S) Bjørn REISZ, Chief Planning Officer, Telemark County (N) María José RODRÍGUEZ, Asesora UE, Gobierno del Principado de Asturias (E) Per RØEN, International Liaison Officer, Rogaland County Council (NO) Keijo SAHRMAN, Director of Regional and Industrial Development / Expert to the Mr Kurvinen (FIN) Stelios SPANOUDAKIS, Director of the Office of the Secretary General, Region of Crete (GR) Gordon SUMMERS, Principal European Officer, Highland Council (UK) Maria TIKMANIDI, Advisor to the Secretary General, Region of Crete (GR) Jean-Louis URBAIN, Chargé de Mission Euro Méditerranée, Conseil Régional de Provence-Alpes-Côte d Azur (F) Tapio VÄLINORO, Executive Director, Regional Council of Kymenlaakso (FIN) Marion ZAMMIT, Communications Co-ordinator, Ministry for Gozo (MT) Minutes Reference CRPMPRV A0 - page 2

3 OPENING SESSION The minutes of the Political Bureau meeting held in Madeira on 3 November 2005 were unanimously adopted. The Political Bureau approved the meeting s draft agenda. Jean-Yves Le Drian, President (Brittany) and Claudio Martini, President of the CPMR, opened the work of the Political Bureau. They expressed their satisfaction that Commissioner Borg had been so supportive and attentive during the Europe of the Sea seminar on the previous day. THE INSTITUTIONAL FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Xavier Gizard, Secretary General (CPMR), introduced the session on the adoption of the EU s financial perspectives for and its institutional future. He said that the agreement reached by the Council in December 2005 contains a clause providing for a revision of the EU s budget structure in 2008, and that a debate on the EU s institutional future (revision of the draft Constitutional Treaty) is starting to take place and 2009 will therefore be decisive for clarifying the EU s ambitions and ensuring that this is reflected in the financial perspectives for The CPMR must be in a position to advance proposals at the end of Working arrangements for 2006 were therefore proposed. They notably provide for discussions on: - the future of European agricultural policy, - the role of the regions in globalisation, - the impact of demographic change in Europe, As well as many other important matters which need to be given consideration to prepare for the future. With this in mind, Mr Gizard presented a cooperation agreement which is currently being prepared with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The aim is to strengthen the ability of the member regions to cooperate with other regions on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, in the Balkans, the Black Sea, Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. This agreement is due to be signed by President Martini at the seminar on The Role of the Regions in Globalisation which will take place in the Azores on 23 and 24 June The seminar will be organised by the CPMR, hosted by President César, and placed under the patronage of European Commission President Barroso, the UNDP s Administrator and Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organisation. Philippe Cichowlaz, Director (CPMR), explained the financial compromise which was reached in December 2005, and set out a comparison between the different proposals made by the European Commission and the Luxembourg and UK Presidencies since Roy Perry, Executive Member (Hampshire County Council), queried the meaning of the paragraph in the Draft Opinion on the Financial Perspectives and the Institutional Future of the EU, which calls for more modern forms of collectively raising EU money clearly identified own resources. He said that the British regions could not adopt a paper referring to/calling for a European levy/tax. Jean-Yves Le Drian, President (Brittany) and Xavier Gizard, Secretary General (CPMR), said that this paragraph does not refer to any particular type of solution. Christian Guyonvarc h, Vice-President (Brittany), observed that the European Commission is said to have written to the member states last week in order to give information on indicative budget allocations for future regional policy. While this information has been sent to the regions in certain countries, to his knowledge this is not the case in France. He suggested that the CPMR Political Bureau should adopt a position stating that information on budget allocations should be sent out to all European regions. Xavier Gizard, Secretary General (CPMR), proposed that this point should be included in the Opinion on the Financial Perspectives and the Institutional Future of the EU. Thus amended, the Political Bureau Opinion was unanimously adopted, as was the work programme. Minutes Reference CRPMPRV A0 - page 3

4 EXAMINATION OF POLICY POSITIONS RELATED TO CURRENT EU AFFAIRS: Green Paper on EU Maritime Policy Patrick Anvroin, Director (CPMR), presented the CPMR s second contribution to the Green Paper on future EU maritime policy. Kathleen Matheson, Councillor (Highland), asked for the second contribution to refer to the remotest maritime regions alongside islands and outermost regions, as happened with the Concluding Opinion adopted on the previous day. It was decided that the contribution should be changed accordingly. Jean-Yves Le Drian, President (Brittany), expressed concern that Commissioner Borg does not seem convinced that the Green Paper will automatically lead on to a White Paper. He also stressed that training and human resources issues are of utmost concern for the regions as far as CPMR activities are concerned. Lastly, he said he believed that when the Erika III Package is assessed, a progress report should be made on maritime safety instruments. Roy PERRY, Executive Member (Hampshire County Council), said that he was satisfied with the balance stuck between islands and outermost regions in the Draft Opinion. However, he felt that point 2.15 on the monitoring of port activities should not state that such monitoring be carried out at European level. It should just state the need for ports to be well monitored. The contribution will be changed accordingly. The Political Bureau adopted the CPMR s second contribution to the Green Paper, Regions: legitimate partners in an ambitious EU maritime policy Mid-term Review of the White Paper on EU Transport Policy Patrick Anvroin, Director (CPMR), presented the CPMR s response to the public consultation organised by the European Commission on the Mid-term Review of the White Paper on European Transport Policy. He also outlined future priorities. Green Paper on Climate Change The paper was adopted by the Political Bureau François Desrentes, Director (CPMR), presented the Draft Address on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Maritime Regions and proposed to the Political Bureau that a specialised CPMR working group should be set up, comprising representatives of regions bordering Europe s sea basins. Claudio Martini (President CPMR) asked if there were any comments. Paul Verges (President, Île de la Réunion) expressed his satisfaction with the paper and said that Europe is the continent with the most coastal areas. The rise in sea levels due to climate change will create extensive problems in both northern Europe and in southern regions such as Provence-Alpes-Côte d Azur (which depends on the Alps for its water resources, but these are threatened by melting glaciers). The temperature change we are likely to witness now is equal to that which occurred after the last ice age. Gunn Marit Helgesen, President of the North Sea Commission and Mayor of Telemark, said that the North Sea Commission has also examined the issue of climate change in the past. The paper was adopted by the Political Bureau Minutes Reference CRPMPRV A0 - page 4

5 Review of EU Sustainable Development Strategy François Desrentes, Director (CPMR), presented the Thematic Strategy on the Protection and Conservation of the Marine Environment. He stressed the need for a new policy instrument, which could take the form of a Directive. The paper was adopted by the Political Bureau UPDATE ON 2005 ACCOUNTS AND THE DRAFT 2006 BUDGET Claudio Martini, President (CPMR), gave the floor to the members of the Administrate Council so that they could present the CPMR s accounts. Yves Morvan, President of the Administrative Council provided details of the attached accounts, which are still estimates because they will only be concluded by the statutory auditor in March The 2005 budget provided for a deficit of 44,440. It is not likely to be as high as this for the CPMR and its geographical commissions. Mr Morvan said that part of the CPMR s reserves were spent on associative projects, in accordance with the decisions adopted by the Galati Political Bureau in June 2005: - Organisation of a seminar in Barcelona on 25 and 26 November 2005; - Relaunch of the CPMR s website; - Contribution to the Europe of the Sea project; - Support for two seminars organised by the North Sea Commission. Jacques Boulau, Treasurer of the Administrative Council, said that two regions, Calabria and Tangier- Tetouan, have not paid their dues for three years. Claudio Martini took the floor to say that he had met the President of Calabria, who had assured him that the dues would soon be paid. Jacques Boulau also provided some details on the Gederi interregional cooperation project, which the CPMR, in agreement with the regions concerned, has decided to halt. Mr Bouleau said that Gederi aims to improve the management of islands in areas identified as being weak points. The project was approved at the Islands Commission s General Assembly in Gederi was launched in September 2003 for a period of four years. It brought together twelve partners, including ten members of the Islands Commission. Two employees were taken on. The CPMR effectively had to commit advance funds for the project over three years, totalling 550,000. The two people specially recruited for the project have been laid off. To date, 334,000 have been paid over or committed by the Corsica Territorial Authority. A balance of is outstanding, and the CPMR is working to ensure that this is paid by the summer. The Administrative Council is overseeing the management of this matter in cooperation with the CPMR s statutory auditor. A detailed presentation will be made at the next Political Bureau meeting. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS AND WITHDRAWALS Xavier Gizard, Secretary General (CPMR) presented the Results of the Madeira General Assembly Member Satisfaction Survey. He expressed his satisfaction with the results and emphasised that more than 60% of the regions responded (see attached document). Mr Gizard announced to the Political Bureau that Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) has applied for membership. The application was approved unanimously. However, he said that the Isle of Wight (UK), Finnmark (NO) and Gloucestershire (UK) have decided to withdraw from the CPMR, and that Tangier Region has not paid its dues for three years. He referred the decision to strike it off to the Political Bureau. Minutes Reference CRPMPRV A0 - page 5

6 Piero di Maggio, Manager responsible for Euro-Mediterranean relations (Sicily), stressed that Tangier Region is prepared to pay, but there is a formal problem related to the central government having to authorise payment. He asked for a decision to be deferred for a few months. Claudio Martini proposed that the Political Bureau should wait until its meeting in Gozo before taking a decision on the matter, and proposed to establish amicable links with the Moroccan Embassy, with a view to recovering the outstanding dues. End of discussion on this point Giovanna Debono, Minister of Gozo (Malta), took the floor to present the next Political Bureau meeting in Gozo (Malta), which will take place on 5 May She said she was delighted to have this opportunity to hold the meeting in Gozo, and was confident that a significant number of CPMR Political Bureau members would come. She also provided some practical information on the island and the various ways of getting there. Anthony Papadimitriou, Executive Secretary of the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission (GR) took the floor to tell the Political Bureau that the Balkan and Black Sea Regional Commission s next meeting will not take place in June, but probably in September in Samos (GR) or Rijeka (HR). Xavier Gizard, Secretary General (CPMR), reminded participants that the next General Assembly will take place in Murcia (E). The European Commissioner for regional policy, Danuta Hübner, will attend. It should be noted that there are currently no plans for a CPMR Political Bureau meeting between Malta and Murcia, and he proposed that the participants should take a decision in Malta regarding the possibility of setting a date for another one during the summer. Claudio Martini brought the meeting to a close and cordially thanked the region of Brittany and city of Brest for their warm welcome. Jean-Yves Le Drian thanked all of the participants. End of the meeting Minutes Reference CRPMPRV A0 - page 6