AM KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT EU CONFERENCE
Christine Chapman AM was this week, the keynote speaker at an EU conference on jobs and growth in Palma, Majorca. (18th January 2010)
The conference organised by the EU’s Committee of the Regions and the Spanish Government, comes as Spain takes the helm in the rotating EU Council presidency system, under which presidency is passed around the 27 EU member states every six months.
Themes of the conference included the future of the Lisbon Strategy and local and regional responses to the financial crisis.
The Cynon Valley AM spoke on behalf of the Committee of the Regions as its rapporteur on the future of the strategy, presenting the key messages from her report adopted in Brussels in December 2009, as well as making reference to the actions that have been taken in Wales in response to the economic crisis.
Christine Chapman said :
"This conference comes at a critical moment as the European Commission is expected to present its proposals on the future strategy in February, which is expected to be agreed by EU Heads of State and Government when they meet at the European Summit in March. I have argued strongly that the EU needs to take a new approach, that business as usual is not the right option, and have called for a ‘sustainable Europe strategy’, based on the premise that the world’s resources are finite and that economic growth has a cost.
"My report highlights the growing levels of social inequality and poverty in Europe and the subsequent need for a ‘renewed and invigorated’ social policy to address this. The public consternation with excessive bank bonuses encapsulates perfectly the need for change.
The AM continued :
"I will also be highlighting the importance of recognising the essential role played by Europe´s local and regional areas in delivering strategic priorities into action on the ground. The European Commission must listen to us when we call for greater recognition of the role we play. Finally, I will reiterate the strong support across Europe´s regions for a continuation of an EU-wide cohesion policy, and emphasising how useful it has been on the ground to be able to draw from Structural Funds programmes to support initiatives aimed at mitigating against the effects of the economic downturn, such as the PROACT and REACT initiatives in Wales."
The audience included Committee of the Regions members, politicians and officials from Spanish Government, and Spanish autonomous regions, representatives from EU networks and other stakeholders.
ENDS
Notes to Editors :
1. Christine Chapman has been the National Assembly for Wales’ representative at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels since 2008.
2. The Committee of the Regions established in 1994, is the political assembly that provides regional and local authorities with a voice in Euorpean Union policy development and legislation. The Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties oblige the European Commission and Council to consult on the CoR whenever new proposals are made that would affect the regional or local level.
Themes of the conference included the future of the Lisbon Strategy and local and regional responses to the financial crisis.
The Cynon Valley AM spoke on behalf of the Committee of the Regions as its rapporteur on the future of the strategy, presenting the key messages from her report adopted in Brussels in December 2009, as well as making reference to the actions that have been taken in Wales in response to the economic crisis.
Christine Chapman said :
"This conference comes at a critical moment as the European Commission is expected to present its proposals on the future strategy in February, which is expected to be agreed by EU Heads of State and Government when they meet at the European Summit in March. I have argued strongly that the EU needs to take a new approach, that business as usual is not the right option, and have called for a ‘sustainable Europe strategy’, based on the premise that the world’s resources are finite and that economic growth has a cost.
"My report highlights the growing levels of social inequality and poverty in Europe and the subsequent need for a ‘renewed and invigorated’ social policy to address this. The public consternation with excessive bank bonuses encapsulates perfectly the need for change.
The AM continued :
"I will also be highlighting the importance of recognising the essential role played by Europe´s local and regional areas in delivering strategic priorities into action on the ground. The European Commission must listen to us when we call for greater recognition of the role we play. Finally, I will reiterate the strong support across Europe´s regions for a continuation of an EU-wide cohesion policy, and emphasising how useful it has been on the ground to be able to draw from Structural Funds programmes to support initiatives aimed at mitigating against the effects of the economic downturn, such as the PROACT and REACT initiatives in Wales."
The audience included Committee of the Regions members, politicians and officials from Spanish Government, and Spanish autonomous regions, representatives from EU networks and other stakeholders.
ENDS
Notes to Editors :
1. Christine Chapman has been the National Assembly for Wales’ representative at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels since 2008.
2. The Committee of the Regions established in 1994, is the political assembly that provides regional and local authorities with a voice in Euorpean Union policy development and legislation. The Maastricht and Amsterdam Treaties oblige the European Commission and Council to consult on the CoR whenever new proposals are made that would affect the regional or local level.
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