RLEG initiative. High Level Event. Bilbao 2023.

RLEG is a joint initiative of a group of leading European regions with legislative powers  that share a common basis of values and principles and that have met regularly, informally and openly, since 2018.

RLEG are the level of government with law-making powers closest to citizens and whose active role increases transparency, allows for better governance and offers opportunities for democratic involvement in public policy-making. The Governments of these regions hold both political and technical expertise and need to be stronger involved in the entire EU policy cycle.

Moreover, better regional data to elaborate and implement EU policies and more regional specific recommendations should be incorporated in the European political process. In this sense, RLEG pro-actively accept their responsibilities and are prepared to work together with Member States and EU institutions to shape and implement, where appropriate, effective policies in the interests of the citizens.

The current approach of RLEG will be to contribute to the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFOE) in the post COVID context, in particular, in the pillar dealing with institutional debates, to deepen and implement the principle of multilevel governance, and to encourage other debates related to the principle of subsidiarity.

10:00 - 10:10 Welcome by Ms. Marian Elorza , General Secretary for Foreign Affairs , Basque Government
10:10 - 10:20 Opening of the event by the Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu
10:20 - 10:40 Presentation and adoption of the RLEG Initiative Political Declaration. Ms. Marian Elorza.
10:40 - 11:15 Interventions of the Presidents and Authorities of RLEG Initiative

11:15 - 11:30 Coffee Break

11:30 - 11:50 Role of the Regions with Legislative powers in the EU: paving the way for the future

• Prof. Igor Filibi . Research Fellow on International Relations by the Basque Public University and General Secretary of EUROBASK

11:50 - 13:00 Panel discussion: Moderated by Prof. Sandrina Antunes, Researcher at the Research Center in Political Science(CICP-Universidade do Minho) and Research Fellow at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

• Mr. Herman Van Rompuy - President Emeritus of the European Council (online)
• Mr. Alain Lamassoure - former MEP, member of the Convention, former French Minister for Budget and European Affaires
• Ms.Alison Hunter - European Policy Centre Senior Adviser
• MEP François Alfonsi – MEP (online)
• Mr. Colin Scicluna - Head of the Cabinet Vice-President Dubravka Suica

13:00 - 13:10 Conclusions by Prof. Sandrina Antunes,
13:10 - 13:15 Closing remarks by Ms. Marian Elorza.