Local and Regional Authorities'
Role in the EU Enlargement

OPINIONS FROM THREE INFLUENTIAL EU-POLITICIANS

The European Union Politicians are themselves preparing for the EU enlargement in the Baltic Sea Region. It will not only be a great change for the new member countries and their cities. Also the European Union will develop and change.
We sent some questions to three politicians who are active in the European Union. We wanted to find out their opinions and insights about central EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament and the Committee of Regions) expectations towards the role of local and regional authorities in the accession process.
What are the present activities, strategies or policies of your Institution for the benefit of the accession process with special emphasis on local and regional authorities?
Roger Kaliff:
The main effort at the moment is to create a comprehensive policy on the issue. COR is preparing a document on the matter to be adopted in November 1999 at a conference in Brussels. COR and the local and regional authorities from the six present countries will use the possibility to exchange experiences. The outcome will be a guideline for the COR policy and a recommendation to the other European institutions.
Riita Myller:
The European parliament has emphasised the importance of the cross-border and trans-regional cooperation in supporting the accession process of the candidate members. Proposals

have been made in order to improve better coordination between Interreg and Phare/Tacis -programmes. The parliament has also succeeded to get earmarked part of the Tacisbudget to cross-border cooperation. It has been annually 30 m euros since 1996. In the current budget there is also 10 m euros for developing the trans-regional cooperation in the Baltic region.
Malou Lindholm:
Unfortunately too little. We thought that Agenda 2000 should deal with the accession process more than it turned out to do, and most EU-parliamentarians were disappointed. Considerable sums were allocated, but mainly for adjusting the legal system to the EU legislation. But the important reforms were pushed ahead. Formally the Agenda 2000 is valid until year 2006, and if any country will join the EU before that, many transitory rules will be necessary. One very concrete example is the agricultural sector, which will be very difficult to solve. I have submitted several proposals on more participation by local and regional authorities in regional policy matters but also on accession issues. Mostly they have been accepted in the committees and in pleno.
What is, or should be, the role of local and regional authorities in present and future EU and what is, or should be, their role in the accession process?
Roger Kaliff:
The EU project may not only be a process for the national governments. The accession 

process must be a process also for the citizens. This means that large groups of politicians in the accession countries must be involved in the preparations for EU membership. The experience from the new EU countries, like Sweden, shows how necessary this is in the accession countries. This task is even more important in the accession countries, where the EU accession process goes hand in hand with building a sustainable local and regional democracy.
Riitta Myller:
Any regional development is -of course -up to the local actors. The role of the union is to decide upon strategies and finances, but the cooperation and the work itself should be based on regions themselves in cooperation with their own national governments. 
Malou Lindholm:
Until now there has been mostly talks and mainly at the national governmental level. The local and regional authorities have been absent in the discussion. It is important for the local and regional authorities to search for information and mentally prepare for the accession. Perhaps the authorities should start local EU offices, so that the citizens do not only have to turn to the capital for information. Also the opposite information flow is important. The EU institutions need information from the local and regional level. Discuss with your national government and with the negotiators - in that way Brussels will also get information on the needs. You have to link the local level with the national level. New