The CoR has adopted during the plenary session in June 2009 the first White Paper on multilevel governance. As proposed by CoR president Luc Van den Brande (BE/EPP) and first vice-president and Mayor of Dunkirk Michel Delebarre (FR/PES), the White Paper calls on the EU institutions and Member States to step up the involvement of local and regional authorities in the preparation and implementation of EU policies.
As stated in the White Paper, multilevel governance and subsidiarity are closely linked "The implementation of multilevel governance depends on respect for the principle of subsidiarity, which prevents decisions from being restricted to a single tier of government and which guarantees that policies are conceived and applied at the most appropriate level. Respect for the principle of subsidiarity and multilevel governance are indissociable: one indicates the responsibilities of the different tiers of government, whilst the other emphasises their interaction."
The adoption of the White Paper is the opening salvo in the CoR's public consultation and opens the door to consultation with the EU institutions (particularly the Commission and the Parliament) and within the Member States. The White Paper will be the CoR's first contribution to the work of the group of wise men on the future of Europe. These two initiatives will enable the CoR to prepare an action plan which will run alongside the programme of the new Commission and Parliament.
Please find below a copy of the first White Paper on multilevel governance.
Ref. CoR 89/2009