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UCLG-MEWA Newsletter-5
Stages in the recognition of local and regional authorities in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership 25.03.2013
One of the missions entrusted to the Mediterranean Commission of UCLG upon its creation was the organisation of the permanent Forum of Local and Regional Authorities of the Mediterranean (FLRAM). The Forum is an opportunity for political expression, debates and exchanges between local and regional authorities from the three shores of the Mediterranean. It is also an event during which they contribute to define and promote policies for local and regional development and governance. Finally, it is a special occasion for local governments to address themselves to national and international bodies voicing their opinions and aspirations.
The first Forum was held in June 2008 in Marseille a month before the summit of heads of State and Government of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). The final declaration of the Forum was directly addressed to the heads of State encouraging them to reinforce the role of local and regional governments in the implementation of a renewed Euro-Mediterranean partnership capable of reaching shared objectives of sustainable and inclusive economic growth and stability for the region. Local and regional authorities also called for the creation of an organ that would formally represent local and regional governments in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
The second Forum took place in May 2010 in Barcelona, also before a summit of heads of State and Government of the Union for the Mediterranean that was to be held a month later. The summit was postponed, but the Forum was largely devoted to Euro-Mediterranean issues and provided an occasion to examine the changes that had taken place in the partnership and to take stock on the role of local and regional authorities within this framework.
Developments between 2008 and 2010 fostered hopes for a partnership that would be more locally oriented and a governance that would take better account of decentralised levels.
The effective creation in 2010 of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (EMRLA) gave local and regional governments the possibility of bringing a local and regional dimension to the UfM and its projects. The priority sectors identified offered multiple opportunities for the participation of local and regional authorities. Lastly, the prospect of a UfM project on sustainable urban development was seen as particularly favourable for the participation of decentralised authorities as well as relevant, in view of the crucial challenges that need to be addressed in the Mediterranean region.
However, reasons for concern were also raised. The world financial and economic crisis had a negative impact on the already fragile situation of the population, economic actors and local governments in the region. To address this urgent situation, it seemed essential to formulate and give priority to the implementation of policies for social cohesion and economic development, and to make provision for additional financial resources.
Moreover, at the end of the Barcelona Forum, local and regional authorities drew attention to the fact that the Mediterranean did not seem to be a priority in the future European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). More in general, they remarked it was not likely that their role would undergo a positive change during the 2014-2020 period.
