On 27 November 2023, ARLEM Vice-president, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, addressed the ministers of foreign affairs of the UfM attending the UfM 8th Regional Forum gathered in Barcelona on the critical situation in Israel and Gaza. 

On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, called on Member States to redouble their efforts to stop all forms of gender-based violence and build on the role and capacity of local and regional authorities to reinforce the protection of women. 

The European Committee of the Regions will on 29 November lay out its position on the long-term future of cohesion policy – the largest item in the European Union's budget – with recommendations that emphasise the fundamental importance of maintaining substantial regionally targeted support so that the EU's regions can address structural challenges such as climate change, digitalisation and depopulation.  

Representatives of EU regions and cities met with EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius at the EU Clean Air Forum in Rotterdam to highlight the need to align the EU's air quality directive with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines by 2035. The proposal for directive is currently subject of trilogue negotiations between the European Commission, European Parliament and the Council of the EU. 

​Members of the NAT commission met on November 23 to exchange views on mental health as a crucial aspect of the well-being of EU citizens and on the impact of new genomic techniques and of the plant reproductive material regulation's reform on agricultural and food production systems at local and regional level.  

Just a week ahead of the COP28, the CoR's Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) held a debate with high-level representatives of the European Commission to assess the progress made in the EU's energy and climate transition. While the EU’s net greenhouse gas emissions decreased by around 3% in 2022, the EU and Member States still need to accelerate emissions reduction to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This is becoming even more urgent as record temperatures, heavy floods, wildfires and other climate disasters are impacting infrastructure and people's health across Europe. 

CIVEX meeting discusses humanitarian support in conflict zones, enlargement, and democratic participation. Local and regional authorities can best provide emergency support during the humanitarian crises in Ukraine and Gaza by making in-kind donations through the European Union's civil-protection mechanism and by joining calls for the respect of international humanitarian law, members of the European Committee of the Regions heard on 21 November. 

​Even though cities and regions are in most cases showing more ambition than national governments, the first Global Stocktake will conclude that the world is not doing enough to combat climate change, MEP Bas Eickhout (NL/Greens) told in a briefing with the European Committee of the Regions' delegation to the UNFCCC COP28, which will take place in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December. 

Cross-border cooperation in dealing with emergencies, affordable housing and the greening of freight transport were among the main topics discussed by local and regional leaders at the meeting of the commission responsible for territorial cohesion and EU budget (COTER) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). The meeting began with a strong message from the COTER Chair and Major of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc, on the importance of Cohesion Policy as the main EU investment policy to fight social, economic and territorial disparities. 

W​hich are the main barriers faced by local and regional authorities in the implementation of the European Green Deal? What are the main missing elements of the Green Deal and how it should be improved to help cities and regions advance towards climate-neutrality and support the wellbeing of Europeans? These were some of the questions the CoR's Green Deal Going Local Working Group discussed on 15 November as part of a strategic foresight exercise supported by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).  

Decentralisation, accountability and inclusiveness are key to Ukraine's reconstruction, mayors say. Ukraine should take a 'whole-of-society' approach, continue decentralisation, and increase the financial independence of local communities as it seeks to re-build and recover in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion, Ukrainian and EU politicians said at a conference that brought over 100 Ukrainian mayors to Brussels on 9-10 November. 

Evropská města, regiony a obce, které chtějí představit svou strategii, jak podporovat zakládání, inovace a růst malých a středních podniků, podělit se o své zkušenosti a obohatit je, se nyní mohou přihlásit do soutěže o ocenění Evropský podnikatelsky zaměřený region (EER) pro rok 2025, kterou pořádá Evropský výbor regionů (VR) ve spolupráci s GŘ GROW Evropské komise. 

On 14 November, CoR members Markku Markkula (FI/EPP) and Christophe Rouillon (FR/PES) took part in a Council working party meeting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Later this month, the Council of the EU is expected to adopt conclusions specifically on SDGs at local level. The Spanish presidency of the Council is aiming to have the conclusions approved on 27 or 30 November. 

​​Prioritizing social goals over profit has become a crucial part of our economic landscape. In this interview, Ricardo Rio (PT/EPP), Mayor of Braga and rapporteur for the CoR opinion on Creating an enabling environment for the social economy, highlights the significance of the social economy within regions and cities, its relation to the green transition, and the potential challenges faced along with strategies to bolster collaboration. Through funding support, policy alignment, and regulatory simplification, regions and cities can unlock the full potential of the social economy, ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable future for all. 

Evropský automobilový průmysl si stále drží vedoucí postavení, pokud jde o inovace v celosvětovém automobilovém odvětví. Evropské regiony s automobilovým průmyslem však mohou zaostat, nebude-li tomuto odvětví poskytnuto odpovídající financování a nebude-li zajištěna rekvalifikace pracovní síly a podpůrná infrastruktura. Na druhé politické schůzi Aliance regionů s automobilovým průmyslem, která se konala 9. listopadu v Pamploně, přijaly členské regiony „Navarrské prohlášení“ a projednaly s GŘ GROW Evropské komise otázku podpory potřebné k zajištění spravedlivé transformace v dotčených evropských regionech. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, has welcomed the European Commission's proposal to start accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova, to grant candidate status to Georgia and open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once they comply with membership criteria.  

Logroño declaration calls to consider the needs of rural areas in all EU policies and to earmark EU funds for projects in rural areas. Europe's local and regional leaders have warned that the EU's long-term sustainable development cannot be achieved without strong and sustainable rural areas and the complete integration of rural communities into the European project. 

The Green Deal Funding Alert is a newsletter that keeps you informed about funding opportunities and initiatives that support sustainable development and the transition to climate neutrality. This edition focuses on the EU mission and Horizon Europe 

Regional and local representatives from the European Committee of the Regions’ commission for natural resources (NAT) shared the results of a survey on the regional dimension of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) National Strategic Plans during a joint hearing with the European Parliament AGRI Committee. Results indicate that the current CAP is less flexible and risks overlooking regional needs.  

Democracy in Europe requires a rapid increase in the number of women in politics, say local leaders of the European Committee of the Regions in a debate with MEPs, NGOs and experts. Regional and local leaders across the European Union, non-governmental organisations and researchers attending the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) conference "Local and regional strategies for closing the gender gap in politics: Roads taken and what´s next?" call on decision-makers to introduce concrete solutions like quotas or parity requirements to achieve gender equality in political representation. 

Chair of CoR Commission CIVEX Patrick Molinoz meets MEP Magdalena Adamowicz to seal the possibility for MEPs to nominate future laureates of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award alongside the CoR members and alternates. The request was taken to the top level. 

Local and regional leaders from the three shores of Mediterranean pay tribute to innocent civilian victims in the Middle East. Regional and local politicians from across the Mediterranean have urged national governments to establish a Euro-Mediterranean approach to disaster risk reduction, to ensure that authorities are better prepared for earthquakes, water scarcity, floods and wildfires. 

The Turkish city of İzmir and a business that is easing the transition to electric vehicles have been named as winners of an award that recognises successful collaboration between young entrepreneurs and local authorities in the Mediterranean region. 

​​​​Digital resilience across European regions and cities varies widely. Some public authorities have been actively pursuing their digital resilience for years, some have been falling behind due to a lack of funds, human resources and administrative capacity. Members of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) gathered in Wismar, Germany, on 18-19 October, to discuss how better connectivity, technologies and skills can help prevent digital divides and accelerate the digital transition​. 

Gdańsk pledges €220,000 to support Lviv's rehabilitation efforts during a visit by a delegation from the European Committee of the Regions. Representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) have travelled to Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine, to see how see how cities and regions in the EU can help Ukrainian local and regional governments with their emergency needs, with reconstruction and with EU-related reforms.  

At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), the European Union will formally advocate for an increased involvement of local and regional governments in the implementation of international climate agreements, recognising their leadership in accelerating and broadening climate action. The Council of the EU approved today conclusions that will serve as the EU’s general negotiating position for the COP28, to be held in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December. EU regions and cities consider this as a crucial step and warn that any delay in implementing effective mitigation and adaptation measures in partnership with local and regional governments will further amplify climate risks, resulting in increasing biodiversity loss, health risks and permanent loss and damage. 

City and regional representatives working on strategic foresight came together for the first time as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities at an event organised by the European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission. 

Regional development MEPs and local leaders counterparts from the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) discussed the parameters of the new EU Cohesion Policy beyond 2027. "Future of the Cohesion Policy beyond 2027" was the topic of the annual joint meeting of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) of the European Parliament and the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) of the European Committee of the Regions. 

Regional development MEPs and local leaders from the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) discussed the parameters of the new EU Cohesion Policy beyond 2027. "Future of the Cohesion Policy beyond 2027" was the topic of the annual joint meeting of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) of the European Parliament and the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) of the European Committee of the Regions. 

Members of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) ask the European Commission to table a new proposal to finally set up a European Cross-Border Mechanism (ECBM), a tool that has the potential to make life of citizens, workers and industries in border regions easier. The current proposal, backed by both the CoR and the European Parliament, is currently blocked by Member States. 

The European Committee of the Regions has urged the EU to create a clear framework for the drone sector to unlock its full economic potential. This would require the involvement of local leaders, addressing regulatory shortcomings, and regular reviews of technological, infrastructural, financing and skills gaps, the CoR argues in an opinion on "a Drone Strategy 2.0" by Władysław Ortyl, President of the Podkarpackie Region, adopted on 10 October.​ 

A European transition strategy is needed to help phase out traditionally fuelled combustion engines, the European Committee of the Regions said in an opinion adopted on on 11 October.The strategy should focus on developing new green and digital technologies, reskilling the workforce, and supporting the most affected regions, also through an adequate assessment of the territorial impact of the digital and green transition of this strategic industry. 

The European Union's main funding tool for Ukraine should be expanded and be more focused on building up the capacity of Ukraine's local and regional authorities, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) says in a set of recommendations that also call for the support plan for Ukraine to use the EU's own regional-development policy as a building block. 

In this European Year of Skills 2023, designed to stimulate lifelong learning, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted at its plenary session an opinion on mentoring. 

Local and regional leaders are crucial political actors to identify long-term trends and future challenges in order to improve EU policymaking and legislation. This is why the EU strategic foresight work can have a real impact only if regions and cities are involved. This is the key message of the opinion adopted by the European Committee of the Regions during the plenary session on 11 October. 

The European Committee of the Regions has published its 2023 EU Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities and had a debate on the most pressing challenges for cities and regions in Europe with Francina Armengol, president of the Congress of Deputies of Spain, and Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy and Employment. 

​The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in partnership with the European Parliament held a pivotal workshop, on 11 October, to discuss the Pilot Project Proposal titled "Stimulating Local and Regional New European Bauhaus Grassroots Projects". This project is aimed at bridging the gap in financial support for smaller, grassroots NEB projects across Europe. 

Local and regional leaders warmly welcomed comments by European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, supporting their role in implementing the European Health Union. Commissioner Kyriakides discussed with the members of the European Committee of the Regions key issues including EU's preparations for future health crises and citizens' access to care outside their country of residence. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has called for changes to European fiscal rules to make them more effective and increase their democratic legitimacy, in an opinion led by Elio Di Rupo (BE/PES), Minister-President of Wallonia. 

In the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Walloon Region will join forces to organise the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities in Mons, the European Capital of Culture 2015, on 18-19 March 2024. 

The revision of the Union's 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and measures to strengthen investment in critical technologies in Europe (STEP) should reinforce the long-term objectives of cohesion policy and respect the 'do no harm to cohesion' principle. These are the key demands included in the opinion on the Review and proposal for the revision of the MFF 2021-2027 led by José Manuel Ribeiro, Mayor of Valongo, and adopted at the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 10 October. 

Cities and regions have welcomed the new EU legislation which aims to promote the repair of goods and ban so-called 'greenwashing'. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, delivered his annual address on the State of Regions and Cities in the European Union, which coincides with the publication of the 2023 EU Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities, during the opening event of the European Week of Regions and Cities . The Report includes a survey, conducted in cooperation with IPSOS, of local and regional leaders in all of the 27 EU Member States. 

Also on the agenda: Ukraine, Health Union, EU budget, economic governance, and COP28. On 9 October, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, will present the 2023 report on the State of Regions and Cities. The annual report, which is accompanied by a survey of nearly 3,000 local and regional representatives, presents the views of local and regional authorities on key issues affecting citizens on the ground across the European Union.  

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​​International networks of Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency have agreed to pursue common goals at the COP28 – 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – which will take place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The position paper, which advocates for the recognition of the crucial role of subnational governments in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, was presented today to the European audience at the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions' ENVE Commission in Málaga, Spain. 

Can Europe afford the Green Deal in the wake of a global pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine? What are the challenges ahead and how can local and regional politicians make a difference? In this interview, Joško Klisović (HR/PES), President of the Assembly of Zagreb, delves into the multifaceted field of the European Green Deal. As rapporteur for the CoR opinion "Towards a multilevel Green Deal governance: the revision of the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action regulation", Mr Klisović provides valuable perspectives on the transformative impact of the Green Deal on regions and cities, its relevance in changing global contexts, and the crucial role local and regional authorities play in its successful implementation. 

At the meeting held in Murcia, Spain, the President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) stressed the need for bold and transformative reform of Cohesion Policy to make it more agile, more transparent and more accessible to regions and cities. 

This is the latest edition of the Green Deal Funding Alert. It is a monthly newsletter that keeps you informed about funding opportunities and initiatives that support sustainable development and transition to climate neutrality. Read on to find out how your local government can benefit from these initiatives! 

Members of the CoR's Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) are gathering this week in Málaga, Spain. On Thursday, the first day of the meeting, members adopted two opinions on the governance of European Green Deal and on the European Hydrogen Bank, and had a discussion on the impact of the Green Deal in coastal areas. The two-day event is part of the official programme of the Spanish EU Council Presidency.