Pilar Rojo took part in the Interregional Group of Regions with Legislative Power of the CoR where she assessed the CALRE Presidency for 2014
- She highlighted the “reinforcement” of the CALRE’s collaboration with the European institutions increasing the visibility of regional parliaments in Brussels
The CALRE’s President and President of the Galician Parliament, Pilar Rojo Noguera, presented last 4th December the annual work balance of the CALRE 2014 in the meeting of the interregional group of regions with legislative power of the Committee of the Regions.
Pilar Rojo, the CALRE’s President for 2014, participated at this meeting invited by the Interregional Group President, Mr. Istasse. There, she explained the CALRE Presidency for 2014 has accomplished, to a larger extent, the annual work programme fixed targets.
Strengthening the collaboration with the European Institutions
Pilar Rojo highlighted the strengthened collaboration between the CALRE and the European institutions. Notably, the CALRE’s visibility was increased through the celebration of CALRE’s internal meetings in the Committee of the Regions premises and the CALRE’s participation in different European forums and meetings with European representatives.
In this context, the CALRE joined the Charter for Multilevel Governance in Europe (MLG) of the Committee of the Regions; boosted its cooperation with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe; held meetings with UN representatives and took part in the annual meeting of the Global Community Forum of Taiwan Local Authorities.
Furthermore, the CALRE was established closer ties with different institutions as the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) of the U.S., the Japanese Local Councilors Alliance, the National Assembly of Quebec and the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas. Several representatives from these entities participated at the CALRE’s 2014 General Assembly held last November in Santiago de Compostela (Spain).
Subsidiarity Principle
Pilar Rojo has referred to the reinforcement of the Subsidiarity Principle as a key issue of her mandate, aiming to boost the regional parliaments’ participation in the European legislative process from its first steps.
She also explained the work undertaken by the four CALRE’s working groups for 2014 which were focused on subsidiarity, immigration, e-democracy and cohesion policy. In 2015, the CALRE will add a new working group focused on gender equality.
To a broader extent, she stated the CALRE works developed all along 2014 conferred a greater visibility to the association involving many parliaments in the follow up of its activities.
Commissioner for Regional Policy
During the same journey it was developed the 109 plenary session of the Committee of the Regions where the CALRE’s President for 2014 met the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu.
Agreement proposal addressed to the CoR President
After the finalization of the CoR 109 Plenary session, Pilar Rojo and the new elected President for CALRE 2015, Raffaele Cattaneo, met the CoR President, Michel Lebrun, aiming to reach a formal agreement between both institutions. The main topics discussed were the use of the CoR premises for the CALRE’s internal meetings and the strengthening of its cooperation.