The EU's support for a rural revival, delivering cohesion policy, the European Green Deal and the Conference on the Future of Europe will be central themes at the upcoming plenary of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). The two-day plenary, which will be held remotely and streamed live, will be addressed by five European Commissioners and will see Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne, presented with the first Mayor Pawel Adamowicz Award. 

Henriette Reker, the Mayor of Cologne, was today named as the first winner of an award created in honour of Mayor Paweł Adamowicz of Gdańsk, who was murdered in January 2019 while fulfilling his public duties. 

A permanent process of consultation with citizens, through their local and regional representatives, would be a major improvement to European democracy, according to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). As the latest round of debates under the Conference on the Future of Europe takes place in Strasbourg this weekend, the CoR has published an interim report based on the input given by citizens during local dialogues on the nine main themes of the Conference. The input from nearly 130 dialogues with citizens across the EU clearly shows that local and regional leaders are seen as key actors in this consultation process. The ideas collected during these dialogues were submitted to the digital platform of the Conference and will reflect the voice of citizens alongside the European citizens' panels organised as part of the Conference. 

President Maia Sandu of Moldova has emphasised the empowerment of local authorities will be central to the success of reforms in her country, pledging to increase funding available to them. Speaking on the eve of a summit of the Eastern Partnership, she also urged local public administrations "to build partnerships, support each other and share good practices". 

​​Members of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) adopted a draft opinion on the zero emission road transport policy and the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure for all cities and regions in the EU. During their meeting on 10 December, local and regional leaders also debated on the conclusion of the European Year of Rail 2021 and the relations with the United Kingdom.  

The 8th meeting of the Green Deal Going Local working group focused on an assessment of Glasgow's COP26 climate conclusions and the prospects for enhanced cooperation with the United Nations in view of the next COP27 summit, due to take place in Egypt in 2022. Members exchanged on the 2022 European Commission Work Programme, and explored synergies with the European Commission's "Next Generation EU" campaign, which also aims at raising awareness on the Green Deal and mobilising youth to take climate action. During the meeting, members raised concerns about energy prices, which risks delaying the much-needed social, economic and green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic across the EU.