On 13-14 September, Governor of California Jerry Brown hosted a major climate summit in San Francisco. Just twelve weeks before COP24 in Katowice, local and regional governments from across the globe have shown no rest to push for more climate ambition. And so did the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) which nurtured alliances with US counterparts and demonstrated how European cities and regions are delivering change through world reference coalitions such as the Covenant of Mayors.  

Гласуването за Европейски парламент ще се проведе между 23 и 26 май 2019 г. Преди началото на предизборната кампания Европейският парламент започна изграждането на онлайн общност от подкрепящи каузата да се гласува. Идеята е да обедини хора, които да убедят други хора около себе си, че е важно да се поеме отговорност и да се гласува. За повече информация https://www.thistimeimvoting.eu 

The European Fund for Regional Development (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund (CF) are the most powerful investment programmes in the EU budget, worth more than €240bn until 2020. The European Parliament (EP) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) kicked off today their cooperation to secure that, in the phase 2021-2027, regions and cities keep playing a key role in the fund's management and more resources are devoted to fight against climate change and to social policy. 

Time to finalise your #EURegionsWeek programme! 

 

The proceedings of a one-day conference held on 10 April 2018 in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in Brussels are available now. The event addressed among others questions related to the subsidiarity principle, the possible effects of a "multi-speed Europe" and the governance of macro-regions. It was attended by 180 representatives of regional, national and European parliaments, governments and associations as well as researchers and experts from EU institutions, universities and think tanks.  

​Under the leadership of Elio Di Rupo, Mayor of Mons in Wallonia (Belgium), architects have created a collection of works of art within a chapel of the former convent of the Ursulines. In this renovated 18th century building, visitors can discover 50,000 works of Mons cultural heritage through real and virtual immersion. The collection of works of art – the Artothèque – also reveals how reserve collections work and raises the awareness of the public regarding conservation techniques. 

​The municipal forests of Spišská Belá and Kežmarok, together with Tatras National Park Forests (ŠL TANAP), are set to receive almost EUR 1.5 million in European funding. The mayor of Spišská Belá, Štefan Bieľak, has announced that the Paths to Healthy Forests project is one of several major infrastructure plans under the cross-border cooperation programme between Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine (ENI 2014-2020) to have been successful at the project evaluation stage. 

CoR Secretary-General Jiří Buriánek was a member of a delegation who on 17 July informed EU Commissioner in charge of space issues Elżbieta Bieńkowska about cross-border research cooperation on the Zugspitze and the international activities of the Schneefernerhaus environmental research station in Bavaria. 

Years ago, the port of Ghent was located in the Old Dockyards area, to the east of the historical city centre. However, port activities gradually moved to the new municipal port, which is situated just north of the city. Gradually, the vicinity of the Old Dockyards fell into disrepair, becoming a real ‘no man’s land’. However, things are starting to change now. Thanks to the EU-funded Old Dockyards project, the area is being radically transformed into a brand new vibrant quarter, where citizens can live and work near the waterfront and in a green, sustainable environment.  

Local communities are getting more involved in political decision in six districts of the Austrian capital thanks to an ERDF co-funded project, which has helped a wide variety of sustainable urban development projects. Compared with other big cities around Europe, political decision-making in Vienna has traditionally been centralised to the City of Vienna local authority, with district councils only having a small say in a relatively small range of issues.  

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) today welcomed a wide-ranging set of recommendations that would give local and regional authorities a greater say, alongside national authorities, on the preparation, adoption and implementation of EU policies, noting that the ideas would benefit citizens, increase EU efficiency and improve politics. 

Get ready! The countdown to the opening of registration for this year's European Week of Regions and Cities (8-11 October) has started. On Monday 9 July, you will be able to browse through the programme of this year's event and register online on our new event website.  

European Commission plans intended to reduce Europe's stubbornly high use of climate-changing fuels in its transport system are neither clear enough nor ambitious enough, the European Committee of the Regions argues in a set of recommendations adopted on 5 July.  

Пет месеца преди преговорите по въпросите на климата в рамките на COP24 на ООН в Катовице, Полша, Европейският комитет на регионите (КР) проведе дебат на високо равнище относно действията в областта на климата. Местните и регионалните лидери на ЕС приеха становище относно „Управлението в областта на климата след 2020 г.“ , в което е изложена позицията на Комитета за начините за прилагане на практика на Парижкото споразумение — т.нар. парижки наръчник. Без официалното участие на местните и регионалните органи на управление ще се запазят разликите между ангажиментите по отношение на климата и постиженията, необходими за ограничаването на повишаването на температурата значително под 2°C. КР подкрепя предложението на докладчика Андрю Купър (Обединеното кралство/EA) за преодоляване на разликите по отношение на емисиите посредством определени на местно равнище приноси. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has welcomed the proposal which should improve the transparency and predictability of working conditions across the EU for all different forms of employment contract. The opinion drafted by Isolde Ries (DE/PES), First Vice-President of the Saarland Regional Parliament, urges to pay special attention to non-standard forms of employment and to the estimated 4 to 6 million workers in the EU with on-demand and intermittent employment contracts. 

Укрепването на Икономическия и паричен съюз (ИПС) трябва да преодолее настоящия му демократичен дефицит и да спомогне за възобновяването на публичните инвестиции, които продължават да бъдат на тревожно ниско равнище. Това е основното послание на регионите и градовете на ЕС, което беше изложено в становище, прието на 5 юли на пленарната сесия на Европейския комитет на регионите (КР) – асамблеята на местните и регионалните власти в ЕС. 

Стремежът на Европейския съюз да работи в по-тясно сътрудничество със страните по неговите източни граници може да бъде подкопан поради неадекватно финансиране, се твърди в доклад на Европейския комитет на регионите (КР), който се изразява „загриженост“ поради факта, че Европейската комисия не е заделила „повече средства за нови инструменти“ в своите предложения за бюджета за 2021 – 2027 г. 

In a series of recommendations adopted on 4 July concerning the proposal for a directive on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relations in the food supply chain, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) argues that the European Union must do more to safeguard farmers' incomes. The recommendations will cushion against the negative impact of the high volatility of agricultural product prices, in order to keep up agriculture throughout the EU and preserve vibrant rural communities. 

​Only the regions with the most credible and promising entrepreneurial vision are awarded the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) each year, an initiative organised by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). This year the jury selected the principality of Asturias, province of Gelderland, and region of Thessaly as worthy winners for their outstanding strategies and commitment to boosting entrepreneurship within their territories. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and local and regional government associations from across the European Union committed themselves on 4 July to working together towards a more sustainable, inclusive and innovative Europe. At the invitation of the CoR, and in cooperation with the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), leaders of EU towns, cities and regions gathered in Brussels to debate the main challenges confronting them in the context of the ongoing political reflection on the Future of Europe.  

Местни и регионални лидери от ЕС ще се съберат в Брюксел на 4 и 5 юли, за да обсъдят въпросите, които са от най-голямо значение за регионите и градовете. На първия ден от пленарното заседание към членовете на Европейския комитет на регионите (КР) ще се присъединят лидери от национални сдружения на местните и регионалните власти, за да предложат начини за създаване на устойчива, приобщаваща и иновационна Европа. На следващия ден, и не дълго след като ЕС увеличи своите цели в областта на енергетиката и климата за 2030 г., Мигел Ариас Канете, комисарят на ЕС по въпросите на климата и енергетиката, специалният пратеник на Полша за изменението на климата и градските лидери от Бон (домакин на разговорите за климата на COP23) и Катовице (домакин на COP24) ще водят дискусии за това какво трябва да направи ЕС, за да изпълни ангажиментите, поети в Парижкото споразумение относно изменението на климата. Ще бъдат обявени носителите на наградата „Предприемчив европейски регион“ за 2019 г., като ще бъдат удостоени регионите с най-успешни предприемачески стратегии в Европа. Членовете на КР ще насочат вниманието си и към два от най-належащите местни и регионални въпроса — политиката на ЕС в областта на миграцията и регионалната политика — и ще обсъдят плановете на Австрия за предстоящото шестмесечно председателство на ЕС. 

Europe's cities are invited to come to Lisbon on 13-14 September 2018 for the 2018 edition of the URBACT City Festival. Celebrating cities as actors of change in Europe, URBACT's Festival is open to all EU cities whether they have had the chance to take part in an URBACT network or not. 

The challenges and opportunities of digitalisation for small and medium-sized enterprises in lagging and remote areas was at the heart of a conference by the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) commission for Economic Policy (ECON) in Bucharest on 22 June. On the invitation of Robert Sorin Negoiţă (RO/PES), Mayor of Bucharest District 3, and in presence of the Romanian Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea, the participants discussed the role of local and regional authorities, available EU instruments and synergies for cooperation via interregional programmes. 

The SEDEC commission of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) met in Logroño, Spain, on 25 June, to prepare its position on different programme proposals related to the next EU budget. During an exchange of views with Nikola Dobroslavic (HR/EPP), CoR rapporteur on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027, members welcomed the proposed doubling of budget for Erasmus and the increase of investment in research and innovation, while recalling that strong cohesion policy must keep on supporting regions and cities in their efforts to bridge digital and innovation gaps.  

President Karl-Heinz Lambertz said: 'The EU has set the pace in the global race against climate change and is starting to deliver on its promises set out in Paris. The renewable energy and energy efficiency targets are an important step towards Europe's sustainable energy transition. 

Fair taxation and investment towards a low-carbon, resource efficient and circular economy were the main topics discussed at the meeting of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 21 June. The meeting took place in Bucharest at the invitation of the head of the Romanian CoR delegation Robert Sorin Negoiţă (RO/EPP), Mayor of Bucharest District 3. 

Ahead of the Employment and Social Affairs Council meeting of 21 June, Nathalie Sarrabezolles, Rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions on the Work-Life Balance Directive and President of the Finistère Departmental Council (France/PSE), underlines the need for the swift adoption of a strong Directive, which will be a decisive step in the meaningful implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights and will impact positively upon the lives of millions of working parents.  

 

​A high level round table centering around the need for an effective patent strategy in space applications took place on 11 of June at the Galileo Agency in Prague under the presence of high level experts including the president of the Czech Patent Office and Member of the EPO administrative Board, Mr Josef Kratochvil, the Executive Director of the Galileo Agency, Mr Carlo Desdorides , the Galileo Envoy of the Czech Republic , Mr Karel Dobes and intellectual property manager of the European Commission, Mr Giancarlo Caratti.