The International Relations of the Regions

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

on

THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OF THE REGIONS:

SUB-NATIONAL ACTORS, PARA-DIPLOMACY AND MULTI-LEVEL GOVERNANCE

Palacio de la Aljafería, Zaragoza (Spain),

5-6 October 2006

Organised by:

The Manuel Giménez Abad Foundation, Zaragoza

The PhD Programme on the European Union, University of Zaragoza

Cortes de Aragón (Aragon´s Regional Parliament)

In collaboration with:

Gobierno de Aragón

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Madrid

Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe

Université de Rennes

The Compostela Group of Universities

Organising Committee:

Prof Natividad Fernández Sola, University of Zaragoza

Mr Mario Koelling, University of Zaragoza

Dr Stelios Stavridis, Institute of International Economic Relations, Athens

Mr José Tudela Aranda, Manuel Giménez Abad Foundation, Zaragoza

International Advisory Committee:

Prof John Loughlin, Cardiff University

Dr Romain Pasquier, Université de Rennes

The changing international system is facing various new challenges from global terrorism to globalization, to poverty, and human rights violations, but also the spread of democracy and freedom. The world system contains various levels of governance, from the United Nations to the local city or village. In recent years, the regional level has gained importance through democratization, integration and decentralization. The European Union has shown clear signs of such a process thanks to the concept of subsidiarity at the EU level, and to decentralization at the national level (France, UK) but also through the existence of federal or quasi-federal states (Germany, Italy, Spain). The recent EU enlargement has added another dimension to the process. The international relations of the EU, its member states, and other actors, including regional ones, is a topic that deserves constant attention and analysis.

This conference will bring together international experts in order to assess what role the regions play and could exercise in the current multi-level system of governance that characterizes the EU. In more general terms, the external actions of the regions have been described as ´paradiplomacy´. The conference will try to link these two concepts and offer a fresh appraisal of where regional, i.e. sub-national, actors stand in the new world order. Conference papers will be available on the web and an edited book is expected of the event.

PROGRAMME

Thursday, 05th October

At 10,00 hours: Inauguration.

At 10,30 hours:

SESSION 1: THEORY AND CONTEXT

Paradiplomacy revisited, Dr. José M. Magone, Senior Lecturer, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Hull.

An analysis of the most active EU regions in world politics, Professor Agustin Ruiz Robledo, University of Granada, Premio Blas Infante de la Junta de Andalucía.

At 12,00 hours: Coffee Break.

Parliamentary diplomacy: any lessons for regional parliaments?, Dr. Stelios Stavridis, Institute of International Economic Relations, Athens.

Regional Lobbying and the EU Constitutional Treaty: an assessment, Dr. Romain Pasquier, Université de Rennes.

Multi-level governance in the EU and the regions, with or without a Constitution, Gracia Vara Arribas, Senior Lecturer, European Institute of Public Administration, European Centre for the Regions, Barcelona.

At 17,00 hours:

SESSION 2: SECTORIAL AND POLICY AREAS

Political and external relations cooperation among EU regions, Nikki Brown, Head of Europe Division, Scottish Executive.

Economic cooperation and the regions, Mario Koelling, University of Zaragoza.

Regional governments and the challenge of illegal immigration: the example of Andalusia, Dr. Vicente José Rubio Eyre, Lawyer.

At 18,30 hours: Pause.

Energy and Environmental policies: the role of the regions, François Desrentes, Director in charge of Environmental issues, Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe, Rennes.

Regions as Actors of International Relations: Paradiplomacy and Its Impact on Regime Transition, Dr. Anastassia Obydenkova, Researcher, Russian Independent Institute of Social and National Problems (RIISNP). Written paper only.

COMMUNICATIONS:

Bulgarian sub-national authorities on the road to the EU, Pavlina Nikolova, University of the West of England, Bristol.

Friday, 06th October

At 9,30 hours:

SESSION 3: INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

& EUROPEAN REGIONS

The role of the regions in ´world governance´: the setting up of a global network?, François Desrentes, Director in charge of Environmental issues, Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe, Rennes.

Spanish regions(Comunidades Autónomas) and development aid policy: a general evaluation, Carmen González, Policy and Campaigns Department, Coordinator for the Oxfam yearbook“La realidad de la ayuda” (The Reality of Help).

At 10,45 hours: Coffee Break.

European regions and international cooperation: the case of the German Länder, Klaus Bochow, Head of the Committee for European Affairs and development cooperation, State Parliament of Brandenburg.

Aragón and Development Cooperation, Juan Carlos Martín Mallén, Director General de Asuntos Europeos y Acción Exterior, Gobierno de Aragón.

At 12,15 hours:

SESSION4/ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION:

WHAT NEXT FOR THE REGIONS?

Professor Andrew Petter, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria.

Professor Francesc Morata, Autonomous University of Barcelona.

Professor José Luis de Castro Ruano, University of the Bask Country.

Kyriakos Triantaphyllides, Member of the European Parliament, Member of the Committee on Regional Development

CLOSING SPEECH.-

1

Palacio de la Aljafería – Calle de los Diputados, s/n– 50004 ZARAGOZA

Teléfono 976 28 97 15 - Fax 976 28 96 65