Mart Võrklaev's opinion summarises the conclusions of the Broadband Platform and highlights the crucial role of the EU's structural funds in boosting connectivity

On 22 March Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, will discuss progress of the European Union's migration agenda with local and regional politicians, many of whom host refugees and new arrivals from the Middle East and North Africa. The migration debate kicks off the European Committee of the Regions' plenary session in Brussels that will also focus on the EU's possible enlargement to the Western Balkans. Johannes Hahn, the EU's Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiation, will participate in the debate.

The Broadband Platform set up between the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and European Commission's DG CNECT held its second meeting on 2 February. The discussions focalised on the role of Broadband Competence Offices and on boosting broadband investment in view of the discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of the European Union.

The aim of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 is to encourage more people to discover and engage with Europe's cultural heritage and to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space. At the meeting of the CoR's SEDEC commission on 21 February, members discussed two opinions focusing on the role of education and culture for strengthening European identity and social cohesion.