Support and solidarity with citizens of southern Mediterranean Countries is proclaimed unanimously by the Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership in a letter to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Baroness Catherine Margaret Ashton.
On behalf of the CSF, the co-chair of the Steering Committee, Ulad Vialichka and Antonella Valmorbida, proclaimed support and solidarity with civil societies of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and other countries of the Southern Neighborhood, which are striving for democracy and better life.
The statement is the expression of the deep grieve about all victims of the violent confrontation with the forces opposing the democratic changes, and the particular concern about the people in disgrace and immigrants in great need.

The Civil Society Forum calls the EU to provide them with necessary support in order to confirm the real values of solidarity on which the EU is funded.
The respect for the fundamental human rights and democracy are considered by the CSV among the fundamental basis for prosperity and welfare of all countries all over the world.

Ulad Vialichka and Antonella Valmorbida welcomed the changes in the North Africa region with a hope for a better future for this region.
“Therefore – says the statement – it is so important for the EU to find a proper balance between its engagement in the East and in the South. Both directions are equally important for the future security of the EU borders and Europe as a continent even though they are facing different challenges and problems. However, we would like to strongly recommend having a look at the two great political dimensions of the European neighborhood policy – the East and the South – as a two sides of the same coin, that need to be treated equally in terms of political and financial attention. All actions undertaken by the European Union in regard to the Mediterranean Region should not be made on the account of the Eastern Partnership. This would be in contradiction with the goals of the European neighborhood policy”.
The reference is to the letter by the Foreign Ministers of France, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Slovenia that suggests shifting funds from the East to the South.

“We understand – the statement says – that the dynamics and scale of the North African developments need an appropriate and fast reaction of the EU. At the same time we recommend that the decisions on how to support the democratic changes in the concerned countries must take into consideration wider aspects of the European Neighborhood Policy and should not undermine the commitments already made by the Union in the Eastern Partnership policy. We, at the Civil Society Forum, a community of hundreds of civil society organisations from the EU member states and EaP partner countries, express our readiness to share existing experience with civil society organisations from Northern Africa and Middle East and to contribute to the discussion about the lessons learnt from the implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy”.

In this respect, the Civil Society Forum of EaP will take the contact with the Civil Society organisations and coordination in the South and recommend inviting some of their representatives to take part in the future CSF meeting which will take place in Poznan this year.
The statement also recommends the European Union to take in due count the role of civil society in the next actions in the future Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean.

The local governments of the South East Europe countries want to be involved in a realistic roadmap of integration.

In a declaration signed on the 10th of March, mayors and elected representatives of the local and regional governments of south-east Europe, meeting in occasion of NEXPO, the NALAS international Municipal Fair, that was held in Sarajevo, ask the EU to include the local government dimension in its strategic and operational planning for EU enlargement, and to involve them, in particular via their national associations, in relevant consultation and dialogue.

“Countries and people of South East Europe – says the declaration – need to take their proper place very soon, within the European Union. This will mark another major step towards unifying our continent and thereby enhancing our common goals of peace, stability and sustainable prosperity”.
But to maintain the prospect of EU membership a credible attractive for the citizens, the EU needs to set out a clear, realistic target timetable and roadmap for each State, taking its situation into due account, also on the basis that the necessary steps must be taken in a timely manner to fulfill the criteria for membership, and each country needs to take all necessary steps with each level of government playing its part, the mayors say.

“At present – the declaration underlines – it seems as if the EU’s institutions are under-estimating the essential role of the region’s local governments in preparing for EU integration”.
On the basis of these considerations, in their document mayors and representatives call on the EU’s Institutions to include the local government dimension in its strategic and operational planning for EU enlargement, to involve them in relevant consultations and dialogue and to ensure that relevant accession-related financing programmes are available to assist local government in preparing for accession and achieving a high quality development.
Mayors and representatives ask their national governments to complete and adequate the processes of decentralisation, with the transfer of the necessary competences, financial and human resources, involving local government associations at all stages in the processes of decentralisation, financial decision-making and preparation for EU membership.

On April 5th and 6th, 2011 the Association of European Regions (AER) will hold its Second Black Sea Regional Policy Conference in Batumi, Adjara, Georgia.
The objectives of the conference are to: raise awareness about current political discussions on the Black Sea, inform about possibilities of interregional cooperation in the framework of EU programmes and develop first joint projects of interregional cooperation in the Black Sea area.

As far as the Expected Outcomes are concerned, they are:
Intelligence gathering: Latest information on European policies in the Black Sea area
Networking and finding new partners;
Concrete project proposals which can be submitted to the EU – CBC Black Sea programme.
The working languages at the conference will be: English, French, German, Turkish and Georgian. Registration for the conference is open until March 18, 2011.
Please find more information about the conference, the agenda and registration form here: http://www.aer.eu/events/standing-committee-on-institutional-affairs/2011/second-aer-black-sea-regional-policy-conference.html

The members of the Governing Board of Asael, the Association of municipalities of Aragon Region (Spain) that was dissolved in late 2009 swept away by a scandal, former President Jesus Alone in the head, will be liable personally for debts left.
ALDA, with its other partners, decided to take legal action on the basis of the Spanish Law on Associations (the “Ley Organica 1 / 2002, de 22 de marzo, reguladora del Derecho de Asociacion).
“We are forced to choose the legal way -said Antonella Valmorbida, Director of ALDA-because all our efforts to resolve the issue amicably have not been successful. The Aragon institutions we questioned, as Asael was an association of local authorities, ignored our calls or answered that the issue does not concern them. A rubber wall has been raised around Asael and its administrators that were all mayors of Aragon towns”.

But the Spanish Law on Associations is clear and says that administrators are responsible of debts of their Association debts, caused by malicious reasons, and also for culpable negligence, and that they have to pay with their personal assets.
“It’s clear-stated the Director of Alda, AntonellaValmorbida- that during the Sol management of Asael, in recent years none of the administrators has exercised effective control, to avoid accumulating debts and that European funds were not used for the purpose for which they were assigned to Asael, to support project activities”.

The projects were developed in the years 2008-2009 and were Bandair, Emanzipar and Eclau. The other ALDA members partners of the project managed by Asael were the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy), the City of Bydgoszcz (Poland), Baltisfem (Lithuania), the Local Councils’ Association, Association of Municipalities (Malta), the Institute of Enterpreneurship, an NGO (Greece), the Association for the development of mountain communities (Bulgaria).
The credit of ALDA and its partners amounts around to 115.000 (ALDA 30,180, City of Bydgoszcz 31,000, Baltifem, 24,000, Institute of Enterpreuneurship, 9,700, Province of Reggio Emilia 9,000, Association for Development of Mountain Municipalities, 9,000, Local Councils’Association, 1,800).
This is an amount of money that Asael has to pay to its partners for activities under the project, personal taxes, social contributions. Some of them could have lots of serious financial difficulties if they will not be paid.

“We believe that the situation has been largely overlooked bye very one here in Aragon – still says the Director of ALDA, Antonella Valmorbida – by the risk that it may have in relations with the European Community. The Commission’s representative office in Madrid is aware of what happened and shares our position. TheCommission’s anti-fraud office is investigating possible embezzlement of which has been discussed in newspapers in the region. We are willing to go all the way to guarantee our rights, and we believe that it’ll be hard that any other European project could have partners entities such as the Aragonese Famcp, one of which vice president is the current President of Asael, whose responsibilities, if not for Sol’s management facts, is now due to elude any response.”

Asael’s former partners do not understand how institutions and political forces in Aragon do not exercise all is in their power to success fully resolve the issue, which also includes former employees of Asael remained without payment.

“We know that the former president of Asael, JesusSol, was very close to the President of PAR, Jose Angel Biel, who is vice president and spokesman of the regional government, and that the majority of members of Municipality member of Asael were led by mayors of the PAR. Can the PAR, which will celebrate its congress in the next days – still says Antonella Valmorbida – ignore the moral issue internally? And do the other parties in government and in the opposition not have the heart to safeguard the image of the region of Aragon in Europe? And how do they believe that, at the upcoming May elections, they can nominate again those outgoing mayors responsible for this failure?”

These are questions which the public of the region should demand answers, because the ethics of elected representatives and the institutions they governed has been called into question.

“We regret being forced to give public evidence of this situation – concluded the Director of ALDA, AntonellaValmorbida-but silence would be complicit in unlawful conduct. And we are even more regretful for the thirty years of history of Asael, its efficient staff and the president himself Sol, who we always had, until these facts have emerged, a very good account on. Asael was our partner and Sol was a member of our Board. It’s a real shame that things have had this outcome.”

A clear definition and extension of the competences of local authorities, appropriate local and regional financial means and autonomy, improvement of governance through increased transparence and participation and strengthening of capacities for public services.
These are the four central needs of local authorities in the Western Balkans indicated by Keith Withmore, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, in his conclusion speech of the conference on the European perspective of the Western Balkans and the contribution of local and regional authorities that took place in Paris, in the French Senate, on 18th and 19th of February.
Mr Keith Whitmore underlined also the involvement of the Congress in the Balkans (citing explicitly the LDAs and their existence since 1993 and ALDA’s work).

The conference united representatives of local authorities and other stakeholders of European decentralised cooperation. It was an excellent occasion for French local authorities and authorities from the Western Balkans to meet and exchange their views on the strategies and priorities of European integration.

A central point of reflection was the role of local authorities’ international cooperation in the integration process. Further subjects discussed included the role of good local governance and public local policy for European integration.
The pause of enlargement is a chance to rethink the relationship between the EU and the Western Balkans, underlined the debate, and the governments in the Balkans have to act now, and at the same time, the EU has to speed up the accession procedures and propose viable political solution to problems such as the Kosovo issue. Many participants also demanded a greater implication of local authorities in the accession process.

Per Vinther, President of ALDA, was present at the conference and informed about its activities in decentralised cooperation in one of the workshops. The project of decentralised cooperation between Lower Normandy and the Republic of Macedonia was at the centre of attention.
The conference was organised by the French Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AFCCRE) in cooperation with the municipality of Dijon and the Community of Greater Dijon.

On 18th and 19th February, a conference on the European perspective of the Western Balkans and the contribution of local and regional authorities will take place in Paris.
The conference will unite representatives of local authorities and other stakeholders of European decentralised cooperation. It will be an excellent occasion for French local authorities and authorities from the Western Balkans to meet and exchange their views on the strategies and priorities of European integration.

A central point of reflection will be the role of local authorities’ international cooperation in the integration process. Further subjects to be discussed include the role of good local governance and public local policy for European integration.

Per Vinther, President of ALDA, will be present at this conference and will inform about its activities in decentralised cooperation in one of the workshops. The project of decentralised cooperation between Lower Normandy and the Republic of Macedonia will be at the centre of attention.

The conference is organised by the French Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AFCCRE) in cooperation with the municipality of Dijon and the Community of Greater Dijon.
It will take place in the French Senate.