Resolution on Community regional policy and the role of the regions.pdf

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Resolution on Community regional policy and the role of the regions and

Annexed Community Charter for Regionalization

Minutes of the Sitting of 18 November 1988

Official Journal C 326, 19 December 1988

This resolution was based on an own-initiative report, European Parliament Session

Document A2-0218/88/Parts A and B

19. .12.

Official Journal of the European Communities

No C 326/289

Friday, 18 November 1988

3. Community regional policy and the role of the regions

Doc. A2- 218/88

RESOLUTION

on Community regional policy and the role of the regions

The European Parliament,

having regard to its resolution of 13 April 1984 on the role of the regions in the construction

of a democratic Europe and the outcome of the Conference of the Regions (I),

having regard to the Joint Declaration of 18 June 1984 (l) by the Council , the Commission

and Parliament on the need to involve the regions in the Community decision-making

process

having regard to the final communique of the first Conference of the Regions , convened by

Parliament in 1984

having regard to Article 130a of the EEC Treaty,

) OJ No C 127 , 14. 5.1984 , p. 240.

(0) OJ No C 72 , 18. 1985 , p. 59.

No C 326/290

Official Journal of the European Communities

19. 12.

Friday, 18 November 1988

having regard to the Draft Treaty on the European Union , of February 1984 , the preamble

to wb.ich stressed the need to enable local and regional authorities to participate in European

integration,

having regard to the outcome of the conciliation procedure of2Q June 1988 with the Council

and Commission on the regulation on the tasks of the Structural Funds and their effective-

ness and on coordination of their activities between themselves and with the operations of

the European Investment Bank and the other existing financial instruments (I

having regard to the six reports of the Committee on Regional Policy and Regional Planning

in the context of the Major Topic (Doc. A2- 218/88)

(l),

having regard to the setting-up of a Consultative Council of regional and local authorities

approved by the Commission on 24 June 1988 (3),

having regard to the work on behalf of regionalization carried out by the Standing Confer-

nce of Local and Regional authorities of the Council of Europe, and by the European

Regional Associations (the Assembly of the European Regions, the Council of European

Municipalities and Regions and the various sectoral associations),

Community regional policy has so far failed to bring about a gradual narrowing of the

disparities between the Community' s regions

1. Points out that while regional disparities narrowed in the first phase of Community

integration, the alignment process has not only subsequently come to a halt, but has even been

reserved; the scale of regional disparities is now close to what it was in 1970;

2. Points out in addition that Spanish .and Portuguese accession has led to a further , serious

widening of these disparities, with the result that over 20 % of the Community population now

lives in backward regions;

3. Notes , moreover , that regional disparities have widened perceptibly in the last ten years

with regard to unemployment, which has particularly affected the less developed regions and

declining industrial regions;

4. Believes that these developments have resulted from the insufficient degree of economic

integration attained so far and, likewise, from the limited scope both of the policies imple-

mented by the Community and of the instruments of assistance under those policies;

5. Points out that Community regional policy came into being very late and that its appointed

purpose was to seek to ' offset' the disadvantages caused by the other Community policies rather

than to direct economic growth as a whole towards convergence;

) OJ No L 185, 15. 1988, p. 9.

(0) Report I: Community regional policy and the regional impact of structural interventions

Rapporteur: Mr Musso.

Report 2: The Member States' regional policies and the extent to which they are consistent with the Community

regional policy

Rapporteur: Mr Vandemeulebroucke.

Report 3: The physical planning programmes , development programmes and programmes for the improvement of the

socio-economic situation of the regions

Rapporteur: MrP. Beazley.

Report 4: Regionalization in the commjInity as a factor of regional development

Rapporteur: Mr O' Donnell.

Report 5: Democratization of regional policy in the Community and the creation of a Council of the Regions

Rapporteur: Mrs Andre.

Report 6: Relations between the Community institutions and regional and local authorities

Rapporteur: Mr Arbeloa Muru.

(Coordinating rapporteur of the resoMion: Mr DePasquale).

(') OJ No L247 , 6. 1988 , p. 23.

19. 12.

Official Journal of the European Communities

No C 326/291

Friday, 18 November 1988

6. Points out , more particularly, that the results achieved in the past under the structural

funds have been extremely modest and believes that the main reasons are to be sought , inter alia

in the fact that:

(a) the resources earmarked for the Community structural funds have been extremely meagre,

accounting for no more than about 0, 12 % of Community GDP;

(b) the objectives assigned to the funds have been too many, too diverse, and too vague;

(d) the share-out of contributions has extended to too many projects, with the result that the

efficiency and aims of the proposed projects have not been considered in sufficient depth

and the dispersion of aid has detracted from its clear-cut effectiveness;

(e) virtually all of the funding has been channelled into infrastructures , whereas productive

investment has been very limited;

(f) Community aid has very often taken the form of ' refunds ' to the Member States and there

has been no clear and apparent ' additionality' in relation to national assistance;

(g) at the operational level , regional development programmes, which could have allowed

assistance to be planned in accordance with predetermined priorities , have proved too

vague and all-embracing to achieve the desired effect, namely selection of projects on the

basis of their impact on a region s economic development;

II. The next stages of European integration (single market and monetary cooperation) demand

fresh progress towards economic and social cohesion

7. States categorically that liberalization of the markets , consolidation of the EMS . and of

monetary cooperation , and the pursuit of technological innovation call for a wider and more

complete concept of regional policy and of a strategy of cohesion which , by mobilizing greater

resources, appropriately combines the objective of a fairer share-out of resources with redistri-

bution of the benefits deriving from the single market and Community policies;

, 8. Stresses that a policy of convergence and of reduction of regional disparities cannot be

implemented in the absence of an overall economic policy to promote growth and generate

employment;

9. Urges the Community institutions to implement as soon as possible the ' cooperative

strategy for more employment-creating growth' already agreed upon by the Council of Ministers

on 20 December 1985 (I);

10. Shares the view that the faster GDP growth rate resulting from completion of the internal

market is not sufficient in itself to reduce regional disparities; it must therefore be regarded as

additional' to the boost to growth that can be brought about by specific economic policy

measures; these must seek to modify the relationship between growth and employment and the

relationship between productive efficiency and the geographical siting of investment without

however , abandoning the commitment to technical progress, which must , on the contrary, be

encouraged;

11. Warns that , unless the enlargement of the market is carried out under the conditions

referred to above, it may lead to a further and extremely serious widening of regional dispari-

ties;

85/619/EEC - OJ No L 377 31.12. 1985.

No C 326/292

Official Journal of the European Communities

19. 12.

Friday, 18 November 1988

12. Calls, therefore , on the Commission to consIder , in the context of the completion of the

internal market, what measures could be taken at regional level to prevent any adverse effects on

backward or declining regions; in other words, the aim would be to establish a system for

encouraging investment in the weakest regions by means of fiscal, financial , legislative and

administrative measures; in this connection the European Parliament has, for example , advo-

cated a ' regional preferenc~ ' when public contracts are opened up to free competition;

III. Proposed changes to community regional policy

13. Is convinced that substantial progress in bringing development and income levels in the

Community regions closer together can be achieved only if Community regional policy is not

confined to action taken by the various funds but is considered as an integral part of all

Community policies and is taken into account when defining their objectives; it is therefore

essential regularly to examine the compatibility of such policies with regional development;

14. Stresses that , in order for the process of restoring balance between the Community regions

to get under way, it is essential to coordinate the Member States ' economic policies so as to

channel development to those areaS where it is most needed and where there is the largest labour

supply, either in regions suffering from structural under- development or in areas and sectors in

industrial decline, to be identified on the basis of objective criteria established at Community

level;

15. Confirms its view that further improvements in the effectiveness of the regional policy

instruments are essential and should relate to the following aspect1;:

(a) the regional development programmes should form the basis for all operations; they should

be defined at regional level and should indicate clearly the economic development guide-

lines and the options chosen with regard to sectors and areas; these priorities and the

detailed arrengements for their implementation will be the subject of consultation between

the regional authority, the state concerned and the Commission (partnership) which will

lead to the conclusion of a programme-contract;

(b) the contribution from the structural funds and from any other Community instrument, as

well as the element of additionality with respect to the national contribution will be set out

clearly in the programme; wherever possible , the resources should preferably be spent in an

integrated fashion , and in any event efforts should be made to prevent a redefinition of the

measures and subprogrammes according to the terms of reference of , or constraints on

eligibility for aid from , each fund;

and control system it will use in following the implementation of the programmes by the

regional authorities will need

to be defined;

(d) the financial resources must be subject to regular and substantial increases; a global figure

intended as a guide and covering a period of several years , will be laid down for each region

on the basis of social and economic criteria and of estimates and forecasts concerning

general economic , sectoral , employment, etc. trends;

(e) operations in the context of supraregional programmes are admissible if they are justified by

regional planning policy, transfrontier or inter-regional cooperation , environmental impact

etc.

(f) to balance the relationship between infrastructures and productive ventures greater weight

will need to be given to increases in risk-capital and to measures connected with indigenous

productive and service operations, the provision of professional project planning and

management services and investment required to provide essential services for industry

where these are not already available;

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