Regions need a greater say on Europe's future: ALDE study days on regional autonomy

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 26th Jun 2006

Delivering a key note speech to Liberal Democrats at the opening of the meeting in the Åland Parliament today, ALDE's leader Graham Watson stressed that the power of Woodrow Wilson's idea of self-determination is not yet spent. "Although Member States got cold feet in the 1990s about drive for devolution of power, the regions and stateless nations or peoples of Europe still have an important role to play and will not rest until all our citizens have found a voice in European Union structures. The striving of the human spirit for greater say in government decisions continues unabated" said Graham Watson.

Local MEP Henrik Lax introduced the conference: "The autonomous Åland has, like Finland, transferred substantial powers to the EU. Nevertheless, Åland has no independent legal or institutional means to really defend its rights within the EU. It is therefore of utmost importance that autonomous regions also have real influence over decision-making that affects them if Europe is to raise public support for the common project in all corners of the Union."

ALDE Members and staff are on the Åland Islands, Swedish speaking but part of Finland, for the group study days which will take place under the heading "Autonomous regions, legitimacy and European governance". During their stay they will meet with the Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen to discuss Finland's priorities for its 6 month EU Presidency. These discussions will continue with other government ministers in Helsinki on Wednesday and Thursday.