Seven member states of the Council of Europe signed the third additional protocol to the European Outline Convention on transfrontier cooperation between territorial communities or authorities (the so-called Madrid Outline Convention) at the ministerial meeting in Utrecht on 17 November 2009. This protocol is open for signature by other members states of the Council of Europe signatories of the Madrid Outline Convention.
Since the Madrid Outline Convention in 1980 and its two additional protocols in 1995 and 1998, which have established a sound legal basis for cross-border cooperation in Europe, there have been a number of developments and there is a real need for harmonisation of the groupings formed. The third additional protocol, fully compatible with the European Community regulation on the EGTC, meets this need.
The protocol stipulates that "territorial communities or authorities and other bodies may set up a transfrontier cooperation body in the form of a "Euroregional co-operation grouping" (ECG) on the territory of the member states of the Council of Europe, parties to the protocol". The objective of the ECG shall be "to promote, support and develop, for the benefit of populations, transfrontier and interterritorial cooperation between its members in their common areas of competence and in keeping with the competences established under the national law of the states concerned". The ECG shall be a legal person, it shall have the right to its own budget, it may enter into contracts, hire staff…
The European ministers in Utrecht also signed the "Utrecht Declaration on good governance at local and regional level in turbulent times: the challenge of change".
Further info: www.coe.int/congress
Photo : Ben Buxton Riflemann
Source: Cross-border news, No. 54, November 2009
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