On 15 July 2002, Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, gives an address at the meeting with the Presidents of the Regions of Europe held in Bellagio, in which he sets out the essential ingredients for good governance. These include the important role that the regions and local authorities could play in this regard, the use of White Papers for the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, the importance of transparency, the increased participation of civil society and representatives of municipalities, towns and regions, as well as improvements to the quality of EU legislation and EU rules. He also highlights the meaningful division of competences between the Member States and the EU and stresses the need for a simplification of the allocation and exercise of these competences, which are to be regulated by the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity.