European Union Governance System: The Importance Of The Committee Of The Regions

The initial point is the Globalization process; this brings instability and insecurity for the States’ developments, mainly in economic, social and political structures. To face these challenges in a fairer and inclusive path, the States has decided strategically to cooperate with each other through the creation of an institution, this process is called new Regionalism. The New Regionalism reflects a cohesion approach where regional and local authorities develop a policy to contribute from the ‘bottom up’ to the integration process.

Indubitably, the idea of cooperation among local and regional authorities is an essential instrument to support the States in the process of integration and a track to the challenges of globalization. In addition, these institutions instigated by the new regionalism can be successful in providing methods of organization, management and economic dialogue between different actors, influencing the context of governance, also in a multi-level perspective.

For instance, European States is well-advanced in the cooperative commitment, contributing to the European Governance process, where States adopt a European Union institutional architecture and decision-making structure, guided by the guarantee of human rights, the rule of law and the democratic system. Moreover, the European Union policy can be seen as a unifying solidarity mechanism, rising a cohesion process that can be considered at the same time decentralized and differentiated empower.

Given the reputation of the European States’ integration as a reference for the regionalism process, is significant to investigate the importance of the Committee of the Regions in the promotion of Multi-level Governance between the European States.

Without a doubt, the European States are one step forward in integration and international cooperation, they created a consultative body to put into practice the principles of multi-level governance in a European conceptual approach. Through the EU’s Assembly of Regional and Local Representatives, the Committee of The Regions (CoR) was established in 1994 by the Maastricht Treaty aimed to bring citizens closer to the European Union.

The professor Bekemans highlights the importance of the CoR for the “regionalism”, which represents the “EU institutional system as a ‘bottom-up regionalism’ that balances and excels the primitive ‘top-down (charitable) regionalism’ carried out by the European Community”.

The CoR is a supra-national body with 350 members between regional presidents, mayors or elected representatives of regions and cities from all 28 Member States of the European Union. Guided by the principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, the Committee of the Regions is playing a significant role in the Europeanisation process.

The main activities performed by the Committee have a consultative approach, however, it is important to emphasize the relevance of the practices of the Committee of the Regions as a promoter of inclusive dialogue, also encouraging the participation of the civil society in the process, for instance, associations, NGOs, experts, and academics can be part of surveys, consultations and events.

Furthermore, the committee is increasing its accomplishments, not limiting to the consultative method, but pushing the boundaries beyond its formal role by creating a systematic dialogue among States leaders with good practices of European governance.

As mention by Dr. Bekemans, good governance requires the institutions to provide an “efficient, equitable and responsible functioning of a market economy, a sound financial system, prevention of anti-competitive behavior, socially responsible corporate governance and a system for property rights and contracts.

In this view, in 2001, the European Commission adopted the White Paper on Governance, providing an initial concept of governance, not yet mentioning the multi-level perspective, but considering some recommendations for local authorities to promote good governance and placing the importance of communication between sub-national authorities and the EU. Also, highlighting the consultative role of the Committee of the Regions, and remarking as an important leader in the systematic dialogue for good practices in governing.

Further, the CoR elaborated the White Paper on Multi-level Governance (2009), adopting the idea of the MLG and setting strategies in relation to how decisions must be made in the European Union. And defining Multi-Level Governance as ‘coordinated action by the EU, the Member States, and regional and local authorities according to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and in partnership, taking the form of operational and institutionalized cooperation in the drawing-up and implementation of the European Union’s policies’.

The Multi-Level Governance requires the implementation of EU and national law and policy at the regional and local level; and the involvement of local and regional authorities in EU law-making and policy-making both at EU and national level. According to Dr. Carlo Panara: “MLG is a procedural principle in that it commands a method of governance based on participation and involvement of sub-national authorities in EU lawmaking and policymaking”.

Then, we can say that MLG is a guiding principle, providing a partnership perspective between institutions – local and regional authorities, aiming in coordinate action in formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating European Union policies.

With this in mind, the CoR move forward elaborating a draft of the European Union Charter of Multi-Level Governance. This initiative intended to lead the participation by local and regional authorities in the multi-level governance process, through a democratic and inclusive process.

The Charter is based on the principle of MLG and its endeavor is fully respecting “the equal legitimacy and accountability of each level within their respective competencies and the principle of loyal cooperation”. The Charter is being well implemented and supported by the authorities, whilst more than 220 already signed up.

However, is important to mention the political aspect of this document and also the Charter is not binding. But we cannot deny the coherence of its provision and the initiative to contribute to deeper European Union integration by strength the relation between States territories and overcoming the administrative issues in regulation and policy implementation and the geographical frontiers.

Finally, we can see the importance of the Committee of the Regions in the consultation and systematic dialogue to the implementation of the European Union’s policies. In addition, we can highlight its new role as an assistant to the regional and local authorities on a path to multi-level governance. The Committee of the Regions aims to strengthen the MLG principle in the different strategic priorities of the EU and in the different stages of the decision-making process at the European level.

With no doubt, the CoR has been playing an essential role by strengthening the integration process between different level of authority, developing policies and leading the debate of European Governance. Showing the necessity of a shared responsibility – local and regional – to achieve the multi-level governance in various stages of the decision-making cycle, and based on the values of freedom, security, diversity, fairness, and solidarity at various levels.

From this standpoint, the Multi-level governance principle intends to take into account differentiated territorial potentialities into policies agendas and timelines of different levels of government, considering diverse levels of knowledge, involvement, and capabilities existing at the regional and local level. This is crucial to an effective coordinated and integrated process and is a precondition to deliver the strengthen of territorial cohesion.

Notwithstanding, we have to keep in mind that other States still struggling to realize a path to develop good governance. Then, we can consider the European System as a model, take its achievements and learn from its challenges.

Nevertheless, to optimize the system of governance we need to provide an effective administration of justice, it is necessary to promote human rights, guarantee equality between gender, provide education for citizens and empower the youth. In this view, we have to ensure respect for the differences, especially the youth, because they are the leaders of tomorrow, and they can start to do a difference in their community today.

Further, we have to consider the application of the Multi-level Level Governance principle, as a guide in the partnerships and relations between local and regional authorities as an essential tool to the development of a culture of participatory democracy.

Among the recommendations, we can mention: we have to start questioning the model of the current state, where is necessary a transparent and public consultation as a decisive mechanism to make the Local and Regional authorities’ involvement real; institutions have to coordinate their activities in order to ensure that Local and Regional authorities have enough resources to make their contribution and must guarantee the respect of the democratic system and promote the human rights; adopt innovative instruments for implementation in partnership and the importance address of good practices of governance; and incentive the participation of the civil society in the process, as a cooperation form of a democratic system.

Finally, we can say that to achieve a higher system of governance is necessary to provide a democratic political system, offering to the citizens’ inclusiveness, representative and honest government, from a decentralization perspective and rebuild the institutions to contain all actors in the process and align the policies to contribute to global governance. Highlighting in the system the guarantee of human rights, such as gender equality, freedom of expression and quality education system.