Transcript Scotland in Europe – a tentative start

Adrian Colwell
Visiting Senior Research Fellow
November 2007
EU27
Scotland
2003 Partnership
Agreement: Themes
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Growing Scotland’s
Economy
Excellent Public Services
Stronger, Safer
Communities
Confident, Democratic
Scotland
Extensive commitments
Big legislative programme
2003 Coalition
Government
2007 Programme for
Government:Objectives
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Wealthier and fairer
Healthier
Safer and stronger
Smarter
Greener
Focused commitments
Small legislative programme,
emphasis on non legislative
measures – 11 Bills Sep’07
2007 Minority
Government
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Smaller Government & smaller Scottish Cabinet
– 6 full members, FM & 5 Cabinet Secretaries
Dep FM & CS Health & Wellbeing
CS Finance & Sustainable Growth
CS Education & Lifelong Learning
CS Justice
CS Rural Affairs & Environment
More joined up politically with larger Directorates
Consultation Papers – Housing / Economy
Spending Review 2007
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Work with UK government to increase Scotland’s
role in Devolved areas –lead in fishery negotiations.
Seek creation of EU Renewable and Low Carbon
Energy Research Centre in Scotland
Energy collaboration via a north sea grid
Improve direct contacts with the Commission
Closer relations with other parliaments
Reform Parliamentary scrutiny of EU legislative
proposals
Enhance procedures for implementing EU
legislation & post-implementation monitoring
With Scotland receiving reduced
funding from the
EU does the EU continue to
matter?
The European Union
 Faces globalisation
 Economic challenge from USA, China & SE
Asia
How does the EU27 remain
 Competitive?
 create jobs?
 support sustainable growth & development?
 The
Lisbon agenda for jobs &
growth
 The goals for environmental
sustainability set in Gothenburg
 The principles of effective
governance agreed in Warsaw
The EU has:
 27 Member States
 Internal market - 493 million citizens
 economic and social disparities
between countries & 268 regions
 one region in four GDP per inhabitant
under 75% of the average of the EU27
 Improve
the attractiveness of
regions & cities
 Encourage innovation,
entrepreneurship & growth of the
knowledge economy
 Create more & better jobs
Key Questions:
 How to address the social impact of
migration across EU
 How best to tackle social deprivation &
its economic impact
 How to minimise crime
 How best to secure the energy
efficiency design of buildings & waste
minimisation
The ability to:
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use financial innovation techniques
build in environmental management &
waste minimisation techniques
design regeneration approaches to secure
sustainable growth & reduce pollution
tackle land remediation
effectively consult & engage the community
 Bristol
 Leipzig
Accord (Dec 2005)
Charter (May 2007)
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Create high quality public spaces
Modernise infrastructure networks & improve
energy efficiency
Proactive innovation & educational policies
Consider deprived neighbourhoods in context of
whole city
Upgrade the physical environment
Strengthen local economy & local labour market
policy
Education & training policies for children & young
people
Promote efficient & affordable urban transport
Demographics & an ageing Europe.
 Climate Change impact on land use
& securing sustainable economic
growth.
 Security of energy supply.
 Maintaining the value of assets.
 Addressing the spatial impacts of
growth.
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Examine economic and physical
development
Develop EU skills of politicians, senior
policy makers and practitioners
Learn from EU practice as well as policy by
building policy links
Need a forum for regular dialogue with key
EU & EC officials
Need a forum for debate on EU trends
affecting Scotland
‘An invasion of armies
can be resisted, but
not an idea whose
time has come’
- Victor Hugo