It was created in 1993, as a network for enhancing the visibility of intermediate local authorities in the process of European integration; fostering territorial cooperation and making them part of the European reality.
Today, it represents the voice of local intermediate authorities in the European arena and offers a privileged working platform in order to promote innovative initiatives and the exchange of best practices on a transnational scale.
Currently, it has 19 members: four French Departments (Bas-Rhin, Nord, Seine-Saint-Denis y Val-de-Marne), five Italian Provinces (Isernia, Novara, Roma, Terni and Torino), eight Spanish Provinces (Alicante, Almería, Badajoz, Barcelona, Cáceres, Castellón, Guipúzcoa and Sevilla) and two Belgian (Hainaut and Liège).
The members of the Political Council met on the last 24th of March in order to validate the activity and financial reports of 2011 and to approve the action plan for 2012. This contains three types of activities for this year: networking, lobbying and joint European projects.
The coordination of Partenalia will foster the exchanges of good practices in the framework of its three working groups: economy and innovation, social affairs and territorial development (focused in 2012 in tourism and new technologies) which develop innovative initiatives in a transnational scale.
The Political Council has also elected the new Presidency, which will be held by the Conseil Général of Val de Marne, and the person of Ms. Abraham-Thisse, and the Vice-Presidencies, which will be held by Diputación de Castellón, and Sr. Sales, and by the Provice of Hainaut and Mr. Hustache.
The Seretariat will be assumed by Diputación de Cáceres, with a delegated mandate in Mr. Mendigutía and the Province of Hainaut will continue in charge of the Treasury, with a mandate to Mr. Bricoult.
The agenda of this meeting, which gathered around twenty members of the Political Council, included the participation of the Belgian Minister of State Mr. Philippe Busquin, former European Commissioner, who presented a debate about the role of the local and intermediate governments in the future of Europe.
Info
Coordination of Partenalia – Paula Osés
Secretariat – Manuel Mendigutía
Partenalia aisbl
Rue Saint-Quentin, 5
B-1000 Bruxelles
partenalia.bxl@skynet.be
www.partenalia.eu