RS Representative at The 11th plenary session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly
The Head of the Republic of Srpska Representation in Brussels participated in The 11th Plenary Session of the Euro-Mediterranean Local and Regional Assembly (ARLEM) that took place in Barcelona on 22 and 23 January at the invitation of Mrs Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona.
During the two-day stay, the ARLEM members adopted the recommendations and the calendar for the ARLEM activities in 2020. Additionally, in the course of the two round tables, the Assembly also decided the main topics and the rapporteurs for the upcoming year.
Furthermore, The Plenary Session adopted three draft ARLEM reports: on "Regional integration in the Mediterranean region", on "Blue Economy in the Mediterranean" and on "Climate action in the Mediterranean".
Last but not least, The Assembly ended up the event with the award ceremony of the ARLEM prize, devoted to young local entrepreneurs from the partner countries.
(*Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Turkey)
ARLEM brings together representatives of local and regional government in the EU – most of them members of the European Committee of the Regions – and their counterparts from Mediterranean states from the western Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa.
Definition of ARLEM
A local and regional institution within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), created in 2010 in Barcelona. ARLEM is a common project of the Committee of the Regions, of the territorial collectives from the three shores of the Mediterranean, as well as the international and European associations that represent the local and regional authorities which are active in the region.
ARLEM is a joint and permanent assembly formed by 84 members 42 from the European Union and of 42 from Mediterranean partner countries. It is presided by two co-presidents and has a bureau, also joint, of 8 members
Goals
To give the Euro-Mediterranean partnership a territorial dimension which complements the parliamentary dimension given that it was established within the framework of the Barcelona process.
To involve more closely the territorial collectives in specific projects of the Union for the Mediterranean so as to contribute to the regional and urban development.
To foster the meeting between the territorial collectives of the three shores of the Mediterranean and to create stable networks to exchange best practices.
To offer representatives from the local and regional collectives of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership the possibility of establishing a direct dialogue with the institutions of the UfM and the European institutions.
Participation of Barcelona
The councillor of International Relations of Barcelona City Council and the president of the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur are the representatives of the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and ARLEM.