Aidan Stradling, linking North East England with Europe
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| Aidan Stradling at Gateshead's Baltic artcentre in North East England |
Aidan Stradling works as a consultant, trainer and adviser with organisations across North East England, the UK and the EU.
He was previously Europe and Government Liaison Manager at the regional assembly in North East England, where he was secretary to the region’s European Strategy Group, lead support officer for local councillors on the EU Committee of the Regions, and chair of the English Regions Network Europe Group.
He has also worked in UK central government on European issues with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Home Office.
You have worked with most European institutions over the last few years. How have they differed?
I first worked extensively with the European Council. My role was to attend Council working group meetings in my policy areas and draft briefings and speaking notes for UK Ministers.
Council meetings focused very much on the 'end game' in EU negotiations, and the European Commission and Parliament were seen respectively as initiator and adviser.
Things have since changed, and the European Parliament now exercises a 'co-decision' role with the Council, and so is involved from the start to the end of the legislative process. The Commission is also far more active – and pro-active – in following through policy development to the implementation stage.
During my time at the Home Office, dealing with what was then the Justice and Home Affairs portfolio, I also had the chance to work with organisations beyond the EU, such as the UN and the Council of Europe.
International co-operation worked best, in my view, when each of these bodies took account of the role and activities of the others.
Can local authorities really have an influence on decisions in the EU?
A recent Eurobarometer survey asked questions about people's perception of whose decisions had the most impact on their lives. High up the list were local councillors and regional governments. Yet most people across Europe felt that at the EU level, it was national governments and MEPs who had the most say in decisions.
It may seem difficult for local councils to influence the EU legislation that they will later be responsible for implementing. But as some 70% of EU legislation is said to be put into practice by local authorities and regional governments, it is important that they are given that chance.
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| Aidan Stradling has worked extensively with North East England's members of the EU Committee of the Regions at its headquarters here in Brussels |
The European Union's Committee of the Regions (CoR) allows local councillors to do just that.
Part of my role at the regional assembly in North East England was to support our three local councillors on the CoR. Having that direct link between the EU and local government made it possible to show how relevant the decisions in Brussels were to effective implementation of policy by local councils in, say, in County Durham or Middlesbrough.
Waste disposal and recycling, energy supply and generation, skills, R&D, climate change: Having a say in how policy on those issues was developed meant that local councils in England, as well as regional governments in other EU member states, could avoid nasty surprises or unnecessary expense when regulations were put into effect.
In my view, there remains more to be done by local authorities in persuading central government to then interpret that legislation, and issue guidance, that allows them to implement changes in the way in which the legislation was meant: to the benefit of local citizens.
Has the abolition of English regional assemblies made a difference to regions' influence in Brussels?
It is too early to say. One thing I soon found out working with my counterparts through the English Regions Network Europe Group was that each region organised its European engagement differently. That was no bad thing, as each region was different, had different priorities, and different needs.
Many of the English regional assemblies supported their region's office in Brussels, and that was vital in keeping Assembly members engaged with the changes and opportunities that came about. North East England's office in Brussels was relaunched in 2007 and has been an excellent resource for all the partners back in the region; indeed, it made the shortlist for the Best Regional Office Award in 2008.
Now that regional assemblies have gone, the European role in most English regions has been picked up by local authority associations, and exercised by newly-formed Local Authority Leaders' Boards. Each region will now develop a Regional Strategy, which will incorporate economic and spatial planning priorities, and, I hope, recognise the value of working with the EU and other countries.
What are the main issues for North East England?
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| Aidan Stradling with Olive Brown,former EU Committee of the Regions memberfrom North East England |
The global economic downturn is affecting everyone. North East England's economy is, though, a mixed one, having a good balance between manufacturing, science, research, renewable energy, high-tech and chemical sectors. Shipbuilding is set to return to the River Tyne.
The regional development agency, One North East, has acted quickly to safeguard and support key areas of the economy. Environment and climate change are top of the agenda now too.
These issues will be addressed at local and regional level. But as well as implementing and reacting to decisions taken at national and European level, it is important that we proactively engage with national government and the EU institutions to make the region’s views known and influence the decisions that our MPs, MEPs and CoR members will be helping take.
How has co-operating at the European level made a difference to your life?
Some of the best examples are practical projects. Many are delivered by partnerships, bringing together people and organisations that might otherwise not have worked together.
I have been involved in culture projects, judicial co-operation projects and work to combat drug misuse. At the same time, we should remember that there is a huge amount of work going on that does not involve, and need not involve, the EU. Getting the right balance, therefore, is important.
In North East England, all the local authorities have signed the EU Covenant of Mayors, making a commitment alongside other towns and cities across Europe to go beyond the objectives of EU energy policy in reducing CO2 emissions through enhanced energy efficiency and cleaner energy production and use. That is one step that, alongside much other work, could lead to making a vital difference.
On a personal note, I am a keen linguist and have greatly enjoyed learning and using other EU languages. While there are plenty of courses and online programmes available, there are few better ways to hone your language skills than by networking in the margins of EU meetings. In a formal EU meeting, it is possible to listen to proceedings in up to 20 languages on the headphones, so I’m spoilt for choice.
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