EU countries shall adapt to 90 000 pages of aquis communautaire. When Sweden entered, it was "only" 30 000 pages. These demands are enormous, and EU has to show flexibility. 
In what way will local and regional authorities in the accession countries benefit from or notice your institutions when their country becomes member of the EU? 
Roger Kaliff:
The local and regional authorities will get a role in the union and can mirror experiences from the whole of Europe into their own authority. This demands also more information and know-how. 
Riitta Myller:
I personally consider the close cooperation between the Europaen parliament and the regions as a system of exchanging information. For us it is important to be acquainted with the situation in the accession countries also from the point of regional interests. For example in the area of environmental issues the local viewpoints should never be excluded. 
Malou Lindholm:
Now that the Amsterdam treaty has lead to more influence for the Parliament, it will attract more attention. One important way is direct contact between the local and regional authorities and individual EU parliamentarians. But to that, you have to leave the strict party policy thinking and go beyond the party boundaries. Local politicians should make contact with politicians who are members of some committee or delegation and discuss concrete issues from their community. This is valid also for local politicians in the accession countries -look up the politicians at the EU Parliament homepage. If you have a special question, look for a politician, regardless of party affiliation who belongs to a committee that handles that type of questions, for example transport, regional policy or environment. I am for example vice-chairman of the Lithuanian delegation of the European Parliament. 
In what way should the local and regional authorities act during the accession process? Is the present local and regional authority activity sufficient in order to get a good start of the EU membership? What are the crucial issues? 
Roger Kaliff:
It is important to activate, make contacts and search for information. It is also important to have an intensified contact with the national government. This is an important 

field of work for COR - we try to bring local and regional authorities and the national governments together. All fields of local and regional authority activity are equally important in the preparation phase, you cannot emphasise only some fields. 
Riitta Myller:
Please see the answer on the previous question. 
Malou Lindholm:
The best way is to co-operate inside and outside EU. You have to have networks in two dimensions - horizontally with other regions and cities across Europe, and vertically to various national and European institutions. It is also important to become stable. A great problem is lack of continuation and unstable democracies in the accession countries. Therefore it is very difficult to create sustainable networks. Another important task is to initiate discussions among the citizens on the pros and cons of EU membership. The citizens must know what it is about. Otherwise there is a great risk of a back-lash, which is bad for EU as well as for the own country. 
Do you have any special comment regarding local and regional authorities and the accession process? 
Roger Kaliff:
All kinds of contact creating activity is important. The UBC co-operation is extremely important for a successful accession process. Equally important are city twinning, engagements in Euroregions and similar engagements. The COR has an overall responsibility for good co-operation and more contacts between the European Union and local and regional authorities. 
Riitta Myller:
I just want to repeat that development can never be transferred from top to bottom. Only support and resources could and should be given. The best way to maximise the outcome is to strengthen direct cooperation between the Baltic cities and regions. This is one very important element also in building the EU-policy on Nordic dimension 
Malou Lindholm:
The local and regional issues have been absent in the discussion. Only some years ago there was a lot of talking about the Regions of Europe but now it has disappeared from the agenda. I also would like to emphasise that citizens and local politicians in the accession countries should not be afraid to make contact with the EU Parliamentarians. We need contact as much as you do.