AER, Statement on the Ratification of the European Constitutional Treaty (24-25 november 2005)
1. The Assembly of European Regions (AER) reiterates that the European Constitutional Treaty is the pinnacle of the European integration process to date, since its beginnings in 1952. The Treaty was elaborated in a thorough process by representatives of governments and with the consensus of all EU Member States.
2. The AER believes that the Constitutional Treaty represents a concrete step forward for the regions, and welcomes the emphasis that the Treaty places upon the role of the regions in Europe and upon the principle of subsidiarity. Many concerns raised by the AER during the drafting process were taken into account in the final text of the Treaty, including:
a. The extension of the principle of subsidiarity to the regional and local levels and the constant recourse to this principle in the legislative drafting phase
b. The inclusion of territorial cohesion within the Union’s objectives
c. The recognition of regional identities
d. The increased consultation of the regions in the legislative drafting phase
3. The AER:
(i) Welcomes the decisions of Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia to ratify the European Constitution;
(ii) Regrets that France and the Netherlands did not ratify the Constitutional Treaty;
(iii) Urges the European Union, the Member States and the regions to work together to ensure that the European citizens are properly informed about the advantages of European integration, of the Constitutional Treaty and the future of the European Union;
(iv) Undertakes to play a central role in this process by providing clear information to the citizens, interpreting the concerns of the regions, through its member regions;
4. The AER stresses that many of the concerns raised during the ratification debate, such as the effects of the liberalisation of services and the pursuit of economic objectives without full recognition of the social dimensions, need to be addressed, and highlights the fact that the AER is working towards ensuring that the voice of the citizen is heard on these issues at the European level;
5. The AER commits itself to ensure that the gains for the regions embodied in the European Constitutional Treaty are attained regardless of the final outcome of the ratification process;
6. The AER urges the EU and its Member States to continue with the ratification and take the necessary action to ensure that a Constitutional Treaty can be approved by the citizens and Member States;
7. The regions commit themselves to contribute, through cross-border and interregional co-operation, to improved understanding between the people of Europe and cohesion in the EU.
Adopted by the AER General Assembly
Strasbourg, 24-25 November 2005
The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is the political voice of the regions and the key partner for the European and international institutions on the core issues of regional competence. The AER promotes the diversity of the regions and translates this diversity into a strength. It promotes subsidiarity and democratic regional structures and enables the regions to form the essential link between Europe and its citizens. The AER represents 250 European regions and 12 interregional associations.
