Policy Focus

Share lessons of enlargement, says EU regions chief

EU regional commissioner Danuta Hübner says the EU has a “positive duty” to share its experience of regional policy with the rest of the world.

The Polish official responsible for regional affairs says that EU enlargement has had a “great impact” in promoting jobs and growth in the 27-member region.

She says the EU and its member states can now spread this “good practice” to other parts of Europe and further afield.

Hübner said, “"Europe has learned much about the process of regional development and regional policy over the last 20 years.

“Our experience of welcoming new member states has been so instructive that we feel that we have a positive duty to share this knowledge with regions and countries in other parts of the world.

“The factors which make regional policy so successful in Europe include elements like de-centralising responsibility, involving a wide spectrum of civil society and a strong partnership with regional authorities.

“These and other factors can have great impact in promoting growth and balanced development in the regions of Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as in nearer neighbours.”

She was speaking ahead of a high level conference in the Moroccan port city of Tangiers next week (12-15 May).

The meeting has been organized by the recently formed Forum of Global Associations of Regions on Cohesion Policy and Globalisation (FOGAR) and the Rennes-based Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions. FOGAR is the umbrella body for nearly 60 regional bodies around the world.

Addressing the main theme of the event, Hübner said she would, in particular, press the Moroccan authorities to take “full advantage” of cross border co-operation in the EU.

During her visit, Hübner will meet Morocco's director of local government, Nour-Eddine Boutayeb., and the president of the regional council of Tangiers-Tetouan, Abdelhadi Benallal.

Her visit to Morocco is the first ever to the country and the first to Tangiers by a serving EU commissioner and comes at a time of increasing links between the EU and north Africa.

According to the commission, Morocco is an increasingly important trade partner for the EU - between 1994 and 2004 trade volumes grew by over 80 per cent.

The EU is Morocco's main trading partner accounting for over 60 per cent of all its trade.

Between 2000 and 2005 Morocco received over €800m as its part of the so-called MEDA programme which covers trade support, poverty reduction, the environment and human rights.