PAPER B
Committee: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, TOURISM
AND LEISURE SERVICES SELECT COMMITTEE
Date: 24 JUNE 2002
Title: ATTENDANCE AT THE XXII
CONFERENCE OF THE CPMR ISLAND COMMISSION AND THE CPMR UK MEMBERS MEETING
REPORT OF THE
HEAD OF PAID SERVICE
SUMMARY/PURPOSE
To
inform Members of content and context of:
1) The XXII Conference of the CPMR Islands
Commission held in the Orkney Islands on 2/3 May 2002
2) The Conference of Peripheral Maritime
Regions (CPMR) UK Members meeting hosted by the Isle of Wight on 9/10 May 2002.
BACKGROUND
1) XXIIth Annual Conference of the Islands
Commission
The Isle of Wight has been a leading member of
the Islands Commission for many years.
The Commission represents the views of 25 democratically elected island
regional authorities within the European Union, and through its work has helped
to raise awareness of island issues and influence policy in Brussels. Councillors Shirley Smart and Harry Rees and
the Principal European Officer attended this conference held in the Orkney
Islands. Principal themes and items on
the agenda were:
i)
Island representations in the field of environment -
including a presentation by Claire Marriott, Coastal Officer on the work of the
Council=s Centre for the Coastal Management Unit.
ii)
Islands and the EU Transport Policy B a
series of presentations by different island regions on their transport issues
and some solutions.
iii)
Governance, Cohesion and Post 2006 B
The implications for Islands B this session formed part of the ongoing deliberations
on the effect that the enlargement of the EU will have on Island regions, how the
potentially damaging impacts could be mitigated and the positive trends could
be used to best advantage. Some of the
key topics are:
Uncertainty
over future financial support post 2006. This includes both funding from Europe (most
areas currently in receipt of structural funding are likely to lose their
special development status) and on state aid (funding from National programmes
which comes under European guidelines and restrictions). Where some funding remains it is likely to
be at much lower levels of intervention that at present.
Environmental
trends in the context of global climate change. Islands are particularly vulnerable with
regard to this with some, eg Reunion in the Indian Ocean, likely to lose
substantial areas of landmass as sea level rises. The Isle of Wight=s
Centre for Coastal Management is an acknowledged leader within Europe on
Climate Change and Coastal Management Issues with the results of their work
influencing policy in Europe.
Trends
and changes in governance and decision making. It is becoming acknowledged that the EU
institutions in Brussels are becoming too bureaucratic and distanced from the
citizen. In an attempt to start addressing this there has been a White Paper
for Governance for Tripartite Contracts which offers the potential for islands
working together to come to agreements with Member States and the EU. By engaging in this debate there is the
potential to ensure that real account is taken of local and regional
authorities= views, and measures introduced that will help
to create a more level playing field for islands, enable them to fulfil their
potential and play a more positive role in the wider European Community.
iv)
Networks, co-operation and relations with other organisations B This session was split between presentations:
· On potential joint island projects
under the Interreg IIIC programme
· From a range
of bodies associated with the Islands Commission on topics such as Aresponding to the challenges of mountain areas@ and the AActivities of the Island Chambers of Commerce@
Resolutions
passed included:
i) Proposal for a rewording of Art 158 of
the Treaty of Amsterdam to make it more robust. At present it gives both EU and Member State institutions the
authority to act in favour of islands, but not the obligation to do so. The rewording links islands with other areas
of permanent disadvantage (eg mountainous regions) and puts an obligation on
the institutions to act in their favour.
ii) The need for Island derogations, which
include islands retaining independent development status and establishing
insularity criteria to be taken into account when looking at funding.
2) Conference of Peripheral Maritime
Regions (CPMR), UK Members Meeting
The
CPMR is an umbrella organisation representing the peripheral and maritime
regions of Europe. Members are
primarily representatives of regional democratically elected bodies (UK
delegates represent Local Authorities) who also belong to at least one of the 5
geographic Commissions which make up the CPMR:
· Islands Commission
· North Sea
Commission
· Atlantic Arc
Commission
· Baltic
Commission
· Mediterranean
Commission
The
Isle of Wight belongs to the Islands Commission (see above). The CPMR is seen
as an association which has credibility in Brussels both through its geographic
commissions and as an umbrella body and is therefore effective as a lobbying
mechanism. There is an ongoing
commitment to influence the European institutions on matters of common interest
from which activities the Isle of Wight can continue to benefit.
In
preparation for the Annual Assembly of the CPMR to be held in September, the UK
members met on 9 / 10 May to discuss and agree common issues to be taken
forward in September. Councillors Smart
and Rees and the Principal European Officer attended this meeting. The main
topics on the agenda were:
i)
Report from the General Secretariat B Key agenda topics for the general Assembly in
September will be Regional Policy, Governance, Transport and Environment
ii)
Rural policy and CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) reform B there continues to be a move away from direct subsidy
under the current CAP system to support for more general rural
development. The big debate centres on
how far the EU Commission will be prepared to go down this road as different
countries have different agendas.
iii)
Progress on the new Interreg Programmes B exchange of information on proposed interregional
projects.
iv)
The White Paper on Transport B concerns were raised that most of the funding was
moving East to the accession countries which would leave little for current
peripheral areas. CPMR therefore has to lobby fiercely for peripheral regions
in the next 1-2 years.
New
thrust was on Aalleviating bottlenecks@ which may open opportunities for diversionary routes
or shifts from road to rail for UK regions.
v)
CPMR Membership of the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Executive. The membership of the CPMR by these bodies and heir roles relative to
the Local Authorities is being closely watched by the English delegates as this
could provide the basis for regional membership in England (by the Regional Assemblies,
or the Regional Development Agencies).
The Scottish Executive has agreed to become a member of the CPMR but not
of the geographical Commissions (eg the Islands Commission). A AMemorandum
of Agreement@ is to be drawn up between the Scottish Executive
and the Local Authorities.
vi)
Election of UK members to the CPMR Political Bureaux B Both the UK Vice President and Alternate are up
for renewal in September. D Ratter
(current Vice president) has intimated his intention to stand down. Procedures for nominating and electing
representatives were agreed.
.
IMPLICATIONS FOR
THE ISLE OF WIGHT
By
working together with other EU islands the Isle of Wight can:
· Continue to raise awareness of the
issues and problems of Islands B
achievements to date include the EU Commission establishing a database of Aisland statistics@, thereby acknowledging that islands have
specific issues. Current work includes
lobbying for a rewording of the EU Treaty (Art 158) to ensure that EU and UK
institutions have to take positive action in favour of islands.
· Influence EU
policy in favour of islands B
achievements include the new Interreg III programme being the first funding
programme to have specific measures for island related projects. Current work includes lobbying for the
Transport White Paper to include sea transport, not just concentrate on road
and rail.
· Provide scope for joint projects
with other islands and to learn from their experiences.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
1)
Cost
of Cllrs Smart and Rees and the Principal European Officer attending the Island
Commission Conference.
2) Cost of hosting
the CPMR UK Members Meeting.
LEGAL
IMPLICATIONS
None
RECOMMENDATION
Members
continue to support the Council=s
active participation in the Islands Commission and the CPMR.
BACKGROUND
PAPERS
Conference
Papers for the XXII Annual Conference of the Islands Commission, and the CPMR
UK Members Meeting of 9-10 May 2002.
Contact
Point : Lesley Williams, Principal European Officer F 3797
A
KAYE
Head
of Paid Service