European governments must make a 'generous effort' so that local and regional bodies actively participate in defining policies against the economic crisis. Spain, Belgium and Hungary are working on a 'roadmap' to bring about real European participation by local and regional bodies.

The Third Vice-President of the Spanish Government and Ministry for Territorial Policy, Manuel Chaves, put this collaborative idea to the representatives of the twenty-seven Member States of the EU meeting in  Málaga at the Informal Council of Ministers for Territorial Policy.

'The Spanish Presidency's wish is to go somewhat or much further than what is embodied by the Committee of the Regions, a purely consultative body, but which is not binding for the European institutions,' Mr Chaves explained.

He added that to achieve this, the three successive six-monthly presidencies of the EU, Spain, Belgium and Hungary, are working on a 'roadmap' with the aim of 'making a qualitative leap in the participation of local and regional bodies' in defining and developing the policies of the EU.

For this reason, it is time that we put in place practical mechanisms for multilevel governance', taking advantage of the Treaty of Lisbon's coming into effect and the process of drawing up the Europe 2020 strategy for a more sustainable economy in the next decade.

The Minister for Territorial Policy admitted that it 'is difficult' to work out how to introduce these mechanisms, but stressed that all participating states have emphasised a 'predisposition and wish' to continue with this challenge.

'The governments of the Member States must make a generous effort to facilitate putting in place those mechanisms for multilevel governance,' he insisted.