Local perspective presented to Austrian presidency 10-03-2006 The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has delivered its
view on what should be priorities of the Austrian Presidency to Austrian
Chancellor Schûssel on 10 March 2006. CEMR President Häupl and Schûssel debated
issues such as subsidiarity, enlargement, the European Constitution and the
budget for the Structural Funds.
Mr Häupl recalled CEMR's welcome for the Constitution's provisions that gave
a stronger role to local and regional government – such as on subsidiarity - but
said CEMR would ideally like to see the European Charter of Local
Self-Government expressly included in any future constitutional text, making it
part of the “acquis communautaire” (the EU's body of accepted rules). He
welcomed the Austrian government's willingness to make progress in the debate on
the future of Europe.
CEMR's President also took the opportunity to express his concern over
decisions taken to reduce funding for Structural Funds (2007-13), as part of the
overall 7 year EU budget. His main concern is the overall reduction proposed by
the European Council last December, but in particular at the cuts proposed for
co-operation between Europe's local and regional governments. It has been
proposed to cut this element significantly, up to about half of its current
size.
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