Institutional Affairs at Autumn bureau meeting in Västra Götaland (S)

At the autumn session of the AER bureau and institutional affairs meeting, AER members explored the implications of emerging macro-regions for the regions. 

Do these initiatives mark the beginning of a new trend of EU macro-regionalisation? Which governance mechanisms are employed and what role will these macro-regions play in the future?

These important questions, and their related uncertainties, were at the heart of the debate among regional politicians during AER’s bureau session.

Invited external speakers were: Esko Antola, Profesor and Jean Monnet Chair, University of Turku, Finland - CV and Olivier Baudelet - European Commission, DG REGIO E1.

Professor Esko Antola from the Centrum Balticum in Turku, Finland attempted to define macro-regions as areas “covering a number of administrative regions but with sufficient issues in common to justify a single strategic approach.” He also warned AER’s bureau that any new type of governance requires strict regulation to avoid alienating citizens. 

Despite these potential obstacles, Olivier Baudelet, Administrator at the European Commission’s DG REGIO, explained during the debate that: “For the regions, there is a lot to gain in cooperating better at the level of a macro-region between countries who share common challenges and opportunities.”

Background information:

On 10 June 2009 the European Commission adopted a Communication on the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region following a request from EU Member States. It is the first time that a comprehensive strategy, covering several Community policies, is targeted on a 'macro-region'. These developments have instigated a substantial interest in the macro-region concept suggesting that the Baltic Sea strategy might become a blueprint for for similar EU strategies. At the last European council meeting on 19 June 2009 EU Member states invited the European Commission to develop a strategy for the Danube area.

During the bureau and institutional affairs meeting on 18 september 2009 in Göteborg, Västra Göteland (S), AER members formulated demands to the next European Commission calling upon it to further include regions in the European policy making. AER members adopted following declaration: