10.00-10.15 : WELCOME

WELCOMING STATEMENT
Sir JEREMY BEECHAM, Member of Newcastle City Council, Chair of the Local Government Association (United Kingdom)

10.15-12.15 : TOWARDS A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

Key-note speaker : Ms HILARY ARMSTRONG, Minister for Local Government (United Kingdom)

Debate
Only a combined effort between the European Commission, Member States and the regional and local authorities can ensure that programmes match regional and local needs in a sustainable manner... Partnership with the local/regional authorities is essential not only in the implementation period, but also in the programming and negotiating procedures. Has partnership with regional and local authorities worked satisfactorily in the past? What has been the level of partnership in the different countries? What can be done to ensure a more direct expression of local and regional interests? How should local/regional authorities promote an improved public/private partnership and what should be the role of the social partners?

Moderator : Mr JOHN PALMER, Former European Editor of The Guardian, Director of European Policy Centre, Brussels

Panel :
Mr PIETRO BADALONI, President of the Lazio Region (Italy)
Mr JOÃO SOÃRES, Mayor of Lisbon (Portugal)
Mr APOSTOLOS KIMISSIS, President of the Hellenic Agency for Local Development and Local Government (EETAA) (Greece)
Mr PIERRE MAILLE, Mayor of Brest (France)
Mr BENT HANSEN, County Mayor of Viborg (Denmark)
Mr RODNEY BICKERSTAFFE, General Secretary of Unison (United Kingdom), Member of the European Federation of Public Services Union
Mr PETER AGAR, Deputy Director-General, Confederation of British Industry

12.15-13.30 : BUFFET - LUNCH
Hosted by THE EUROPEAN

13.30-15.00 : URBAN AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT - COMPLEMENTARY STRANDS OF A EUROPEAN STRUCTURAL POLICY?

Key-note speaker : Mr Jean-Charles-Leygues, Directer, DG XVI, European Commission

Debate
The Commission proposes a new Objective 2 for all regions with major economic and social restructuring needs. These will include rural areas in serious decline due to lack of economic diversification and urban districts faced with problems of exclusion, urban congestion and unemployment resulting from loss of economic activities. How can we create and preserve sustainable develop-ment and quality of life in both rural and urban areas? What sort of balanced development of European regions and cities should we strive for? What will be the role of medium-sized cities especially in sparsely populated rural regions (Objective 6)? Does the European Commission's communication on urban policy adequately reflect these needs?

Moderator : Mr JOHN PALMER, Former European Editor of The Guardian, Director of European Policy Centre, Brussels

Panel :
Mr KEN BODFISH, Deputy Leader Brighton and Hove (United Kingdom)
Mr JOSU ORTUONDO LARREA, Mayor of Bilbao (Spain)
Ms MARGOT WIKSTRÖM, Deputy Mayor of Oumeå (Sweden)
Mr ANTONIO FALCONIO, President of the Abruzzo Region (Italy)
Ms CLAUDE DU GRANDRUT, Deputy Mayor of Senlis, Vice-President of the Picardie Region (France)
Mr WT VAN GELDER, Queen's Commissioner of Zeeland Province (Netherlands)
Mr JOHANNES UNGVÄRI, Mayor of Altenburg (Germany)

15.00-15.30 COFFEE BREAK

15.30-17.00 : A LOCAL GOVERNMENT VIEW ON ENLARGEMENT

Key-note speaker : Mr MIGUEL ARIAS CAÑETE, Chair of the Committee on Regional Policy of the European Parliament

Debate
After the year 2000, new Member States will join the European Community that have regions structurally, economically or socially more deprived than current members. The new structural funds must be capable of promoting economic and social cohesion across the whole of the European Union, assisting the most needy territories or social groups whether they be from present Member States or new ones. What are the expectations of our Central and Eastern European partners for accession? What transition measures are necessary now? What contribution can interregional co-operation make? What have we learnt from the different waves of accession about the role of strong democratic local/regional government in implementing structural policies to improve social and economic cohesion?

Moderator : Mr JOHN PALMER, Former European Editor of The Guardian, Director of European Policy Centre, Brussels

Panel :
Dr MICHAEL HÄUPL, Mayor and Governor of Vienna (Austria)
Mr DIMITRIOS AVRAMOPOULOS, Mayor of Athens (Greece)
Mr JAN OLBRYCHT, Mayor of Cieszyn, (Poland)
Mr JOAN CLOS, Mayor of Barcelona (Spain)
Mr CARLO MEINTZ, Vice-President of the Luxembourg Parliament (Luxembourg)
Dr REMBERT BEHRENDT, Secretary of State of Saxony-Anhalt (Germany), President of RETI
Mr JORMA SEPPÄNEN, Chair of Oulu City Council (Finland)
Mr STEFAN SOFIANSKI, Mayor of Sofia (Bulgaria)

17.00-17.15 : CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUDING REMARKS
Mr V GISCARD D'ESTAING, President of CEMR, & President of the Auvergne Region (France)

17.30 : RECEPTION