The President of the European Committee of the Regions Apostolos Tzitzikostas intervened today at the informal meeting of Ministers responsible for cohesion policy. The debate focused on how to ensure synergies between cohesion policy and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EUR 672.5 billion instrument that is the cornerstone of the recovery instrument Next Generation EU, known also as the Recovery Plan for Europe. 

Populism, nationalism, disinformation, hate speech and conspiracy theories are widespread in the European public and political sphere, which is leading to polarisation and intolerance. The deterioration of fundamental rights in one Member State has a negative impact across the EU. Therefore, in the 8th meeting of the CIVEX Commission, members welcomed the European Commission's initiative on the European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP) and adopted an opinion that puts forward a set of proposals for tackling disinformation and hate speech, as well as for promoting media literacy and critical thinking, including the setting up of a European agency linked with the CoR. The members also pointed out that local and regional leaders can play an important role in strengthening citizenship, as they are the closest authorities to citizens and the ones that aremost trusted, according to the EU annual regional and local barometer published in October 2020 . 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development (OECD) invite representatives of local and regional authorities across Europe to participate in a survey on the Sustainable Development Goals. The consultation is open until Friday 15 May 2021. 

​​The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Mr Apostolos Tzitzikostas, officially launched the Network of Former Members of the European Committee of the Regions, a new CoR initiative, at the 144th CoR Plenary in the presence of Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, a former CoR member himself. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our world and our way of living, with the loss of thousands of lives and unprecedented consequences for every aspect of our daily existence. The Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) at the European Committee of the Regions produces regular bulletins on the policy fields within its remit, reflecting recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different actions and response measures being planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. 

During the 4 March 2021 Plenary session of the European Commission's Fit for Future Platform (F4F), the Platform Chair and Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, requested the CoR's RegHub to present a special report on planning and permitting for infrastructure. 

Første næstformand Vasco Cordeiro og formanden for SEDEC-underudvalget, Anne Karjalainen, repræsenterede Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg på EU's sociale topmøde i Porto den 7.-8. maj. De udtrykte tilfredshed med EU's stats- og regeringschefers løfte om at styrke tilsagnet om at arbejde frem mod et socialt Europa, øge den sociale samhørighed og nå EU's nye overordnede mål for beskæftigelse, færdigheder og bekæmpelse af fattigdom. De beklagede imidlertid, at den endelige erklæring fra topmødet ikke nævner de lokale og regionale myndigheders rolle. 

On the occasion of the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe on 9 May in Strasbourg, the European Committee of the Regions is organising, together with the French government and the main French territorial associations, a local dialogue which will give the floor to local and regional elected representatives from all over Europe and to European citizens. The debate will take place immediately before the official launch of the Conference with the aim of marking its territorial dimension and guaranteeing that it reaches out to people in regions, cities and villages across Europe. Participants will discuss how to best involve local elected politicians and local communities in the Conference and how to ensure a stronger role for local and regional authorities in the Europe of tomorrow. 

Representatives from EU institutions, territorial and youth associations and local and regional leaders discussed today how to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the Conference on the future of Europe by engaging with citizens in the places where they live. The local dialogue was organised by the European Committee of the Regions together with the French government, the city of Strasbourg and the main French territorial associations - Régions de France, the Assembly of Départements de France and the association of French Mayors. Participants endorsed an open letter that calls on local and regional leaders to organise dialogues in their region, cities and villages as a contribution to the Conference and to appoint in their political assembly a councillor on European Affairs. ​ ​​​ 

The European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) has launched a mobile app that offers real-time notifications about news, events and opinions based on preferred topics. 

Lokale og regionale ledere vedtog på RU's 144. plenarforsamling en resolution om konferencen om Europas fremtid (konferencen). De drøftede også RU's syn på Europas fremtid og udvalgets deltagelse i konferencen med Herman Van Rompuy, tidligere formand for Det Europæiske Råd og formand for den nyoprettede gruppe på højt plan om europæisk demokrati. Gruppen på højt plan – et uafhængigt rådgivende organ, hvis opgave er at støtte RU – vil udarbejde strategiske politiske analyser med fokus på de lokale og regionale myndigheders udfordringer. Gruppen vil arbejde tæt sammen med RU's medlemmer, navnlig Formandskonferencen og medlemmerne af RU's delegation til konferencen. 

Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg (RU) har fremlagt en række forslag, der sigter mod at beskytte havmiljøet og genoprette havenes økosystemer. RU efterlyser en ny EU-havlov, der skal udstikke kursen på lang sigt med målbare mål og frister for at sikre, at økosystemerne i havene beskyttes og genoprettes. Lokale og regionale ledere foreslår en havfond, der skal bruges til at gøre søtransporten kulstoffri, og opfordrer til, at man fjerner undtagelsen i energibeskatningsdirektivet for brændstof, der anvendes i fiskeriet. RU opfordrer desuden Kommissionen til at foreslå banebrydende nye regler om kvoteforpligtelser for genanvendt kvælstof og fosfor på EU-markedet som led i indsatsen for at mindske nedsivningen af næringssalte til havene i EU og standse algevæksten og spredningen af døde havbunde. 

Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg (RU) har på sin plenarforsamling enstemmigt godkendt en resolution, der blev støttet af alle de politiske grupper, og som udtrykker tilfredshed med Kommissionens forslag om at indføre et nyt digitalt grønt certifikat. De regionale og lokale ledere foreslår imidlertid, at dokumentet af hensyn til klarheden omdøbes til EU COVID-19-certifikat, som foreslået af Europa-Parlamentet. De insisterer på, at det ikke skal være et rejsedokument, og understreger princippet om ikkeforskelsbehandling, navnlig af personer, som ikke er vaccineret. Under en debat om genopretningen af turismen og hotel- og restaurationsbranchen forpligtede RU's medlemmer sig desuden til at gøre covid-19-krisen til en mulighed og bevæge sig væk fra overturisme og hen imod nye modeller, der er sikre, bæredygtige, modstandsdygtige og i overensstemmelse med målene i den europæiske grønne pagt. 

Den Europæiske Union er nødt til at mindske sin afhængighed af producenter fra tredjelande ved at tilskynde til produktion af kritiske lægemidler og værnemidler på europæisk jord, påpegede medlemmer af Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg den 7. maj. Efterlysningen af "strategisk uafhængighed" er en af de anbefalinger, der fremsættes i en udtalelse om Regioners og byers oplevelser og erfaringer under covid - 19 - krisen . 

The Union of Equality builds on local communities' work on the ground: this is the key message that members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) stressed today in a debate with European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli. Local and regional politicians from across Europe welcomed the inclusion of an equality perspective into all EU policies, legislation and funding programmes. 

Cities and regions deem it necessary to establish a coherent and simplified legal framework for the chemicals sector to make the industry greener and more effective. The European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) opinion on Safe and sustainable chemicals for a toxic-free environment in Europe's cities and regions recognises the importance of the new chemicals strategy presented by the European Commission and welcomes the steps leading to its implementation. 

In a bid to make the European education system more digital and resilient, local and regional politicians are calling on Member States to utilise a larger proportion of EU funds to improve digital education and to help close the digital gap between rural and urban areas. The suggestions are part of an opinion on the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 which was drafted by Gillian Coughlan (IE/Renew Europe), Member of the Cork County Council, and discussed by the members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 6 May. 

De lokale og regionale ledere har udtrykt støtte til, at EU kommer til at spille en større rolle i sundhedsspørgsmål, og givet grønt lys for EU's planer om at sikre stabilitet og sikkerhed i forbindelse med forsyningen af kritisk medicin og udstyr. I en række anbefalinger, der blev vedtaget på en plenarforsamling i Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg (RU) den 7.-9. maj, peger de imidlertid også på, at EU's planer, som skal gøre det muligt at modstå sundhedskriser, undermineres af for lidt opmærksomhed omkring betydningen af de lokale og regionale myndigheder, som i to tredjedele af EU-landene spiller en helt central rolle i sundhedssystemerne. 

The accelerated move to digital distribution channels, changed consumer habits and falling advertising revenues jeopardize local media's business cases and independence. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) welcomes the Action Plan proposed by the European Commission but highlights the importance of taking into account the particularly alarming financial situation of local and regional media. In a multilevel political system like the European democracy, smaller media outlets directly in touch with citizens' concerns are critical to securing democratic control and legitimacy, argues the opinion drafted by rapporteur Jan Trei (EE/EPP), Member of Viimsi Rural Municipality Council, which was presented at the CoR's May plenary session. 

The accelerated move to digital distribution channels, changed consumer habits and falling advertising revenues jeopardize local media's business cases and independence. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) welcomes the Action Plan proposed by the European Commission but highlights the importance of taking into account the particularly alarming financial situation of local and regional media. In a multilevel political system like the European democracy, smaller media outlets directly in touch with citizens' concerns are critical to securing democratic control and legitimacy, argues the opinion drafted by rapporteur Jan Trei (EE/EPP), Member of Viimsi Rural Municipality Council, which was presented at the CoR's May plenary session. 

Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg har opfordret Den Europæiske Union til midlertidigt at ophæve patenter på vacciner mod covid-19-virus for at bremse pandemiens hurtige spredning. Det har også presset på for en optrapning af produktionen i Europa og for hurtigere vaccinationer over alt i Europa. 

​The Social Summit in Porto must affirm a strong commitment to the European Pillar of Social Rights and its headline targets, involving all levels of government 

European Parliament's Vice-President for Information policy, Press and Citizens Relations, Othmar Karas, and Vice-President for Relations with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Klára Dobrev, joined the members of the Bureau of the CoR to debate how to better communicate the EU action and achievements to people in regions, cities and villages across Europe. They also discussed how to contribute to the Conference on the future of EU and scale up the cooperation between the only two EU institutions gathering elected officials. 

I dag, blot nogle få dage før konferencen om Europas fremtid begynder, holdt Europa-Parlamentets formand David Sassoli tale på plenarforsamlingen i Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg (RU), hvor han udtrykte enighed med de lokale og regionale ledere i, at konferencen skal udmønte sig i synlige resultater i kommuner og regioner og ikke kun i EU-institutionerne og hovedstæderne. 

For Europe Day (9 May) this year, the EU institutions are throwing open their ‘virtual’ doors so that citizens across Member States can find out more about the European Union and what it does despite the pandemic. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) will publish animated video about its premises, role and functioning. An 'all EU-institution' Europe Day portal presents the various bodies and activities.  

António Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal, and European Parliament President, David Sassoli, will attend on 5 May the CoR Plenary session to discuss social Europe and the upcoming Conference on the future of Europe. On 6 May regional and local leaders will discuss with Commissioner Helena Dalli how to strengthen a Europe of equality. On 7 May a debate on the recovery in the hotel and catering sector will take place with Jens Zimmer Christensen, President of the HOTREC Association, the umbrella association of hotels, restaurants and cafés in Europe. On 7 May Herman Van Rompuy, former President of the European Council, will discuss with regional and local authorities the CoR contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe, in his capacity as chairman of the High-Level Group on European Democracy recently created by the CoR. 

The European Commission has published a new Communication on its better regulation agenda . Building on the existing cooperation with the CoR's RegHub network, the European Commission has put forward a number of opportunities to enhance the role of regional and local authorities to provide input in a shared effort to update and simplify existing EU laws. 

The new European Commission (EC) communication on Better regulation: Joining forces to make better laws sets the scene for better law-making in the European Union and enhances the EC's commitment to make its policymaking processes more transparent, inclusive and efficient. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) welcomes that the Commission commits to involve local and regional authorities more effectively along the entire policy-cycle, and that it acknowledges the need to develop a territorially sensitive approach to legislation.  

Fostering political engagement and increasing citizens' awareness of the benefits of the transition towards climate-neutrality are two key priorities of the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) Green Deal Going Local working group. The CoR calls on local and regional leaders to join the new network of Climate Pact Ambassadors and take part in a structured system to collect cities' and regions' climate commitments ahead of the UN's COP26 climate talks in Glasgow and the UN's COP15 biodiversity summit in Kunming, China. New actions complement ongoing efforts to accelerate the rollout of the European Green Deal in every territory as Member States are submitting their COVID-19 recovery plans.  

​​In this interview, Emma Nohrén (SE/Greens) answers five questions on the role of local and regional authorities in protecting the marine environment. The Vice Mayor of the Swedish Municipality of Lysekil is the rapporteur of a draft opinion which calls for a new EU law on oceans with clear targets and milestones to reduce marine pollution and restore marine ecosystems. With the right support, local and regional authorities can set up new measures and projects that contribute to saving the oceans, while providing employment and boosting the economy. Between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. Plastic accounts for 75% of marine litter in the world’s seas. 

On 14 April 2021, the two Co-Chairs of the Joint Consultative Committee between the CoR and Montenegro (JCC Montenegro), Roberto Ciambetti (IT/ECR) and Aleksandar Kašćelan, Mayor of Cetinje, had a bilateral videoconference meeting. Representatives of the European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR) political group in the CoR, CIVEX Secretariat, and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UOM). 

​While Member States are currently defining their plans and priority investments under the Just Transition Mechanism , the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) brought together local and regional authorities and EU institutions to discuss cities' and regions' involvement in phasing out coal, reducing the footprint of carbon-intensive industries and addressing the social and economic effects of the transition towards a climate-neutral economy. The CoR's Multi-Level Dialogue was attended by representatives from the main beneficiaries of the EUR 150 billion Just Transition Mechanism which include Germany, Poland and Romania. The event is part of the Just Transition Platform meeting which aims to assist EU Member States and regions in the path towards climate neutrality 

Members of the European Committee of the Regions that called for the European Union to establish basic levels of cross-border services that must be provided even in emergencies that lead to the re-imposition of national borders. Speaking at an event focused on cross-border cooperation in the Neisse-Nisa-Nysa Euroregion, Martin Půta (CZ/EPP), governor of the Liberec region, Bernd Lange (DE/EPP), head of Görlitz district council, and Pavel Branda (CZ/ECR), deputy mayor of Rádlo – all of them members of the European Committee of the Regions – said that the coronavirus pandemic had underlined how close the day-to-day ties are in the region, but also the gaps in existing cooperation. The three-country Euroregion also covers part Lower Silesia in Poland. 

In two letters addressed to Maria do Céu Antunes , Minister for Agriculture of Portugal, who is holding the rotating Presidency of the Council, and to Janusz Wojciechowski , Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) call on the co-legislators to ensure a comprehensive and common European approach to the governance of regional interventions in the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The letters were sent ahead of the Agriculture Council's meeting (26 April) and ahead of a new round of negotiations between the European Union's Institutions on the future CAP. The Agriregions Coalition, AREFLH, AREPO and Euromontana have joined the claims of the CoR.  

Local and regional decision-makers, who gathered virtually together for the 7th meeting of the European Committee of the Regions' SEDEC Commission on 22 April, have backed the European Parliament's resolution that declares the entire EU a LGBTIQ Freedom Zone. They called the European Commission to ensure that the fundamental values of the European Union are observed and that no municipality, region or state introduces systemic discriminatory mechanisms, such as "LGBT-free zones" or resolutions "against LGBT ideology" like those adopted by certain local and regional authorities in Poland. 

The European Committee of the Region’s (CoR) commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) adopted two draft opinions during its meeting on 23 April. The opinions cover the opportunities and challenges faced by regional airports and the smart mobility strategy of the EU. COTER members also appointed rapporteurs for three own-initiative opinions and the meeting concluded with the presentation of a study on the application of the partnership principle in cohesion policy programming. 

Borgmesterpagten blev iværksat i 2008 af Kommissionen for at støtte byer og regioner i deres indsats for at nå EU's klima- og energimål for 2020. Pagten styrker nu sin rolle ved at tilpasse sit klimatilsagn til EU's mål om at opnå klimaneutralitet inden 2050 og ved at lancere kammeret af nationale ambassadører for at støtte udrulningen af borgmesterpagten i de enkelte medlemsstater. Borgmesterpagten har over 10.000 underskrivere, som modtager teknisk støtte og økonomisk rådgivning til udformningen og gennemførelsen af energi- og klimaplaner, der bidrager til holde den globale temperaturstigning under 1,5°C – den største ambition i Parisaftalen . 

Medlemmerne af RU's Underudvalg for Økonomisk Politik (ECON) støtter skærpede regler for store internetplatforme i deres forslag til udtalelse om pakken med retsakten om digitale tjenester. På et møde, hvor Europa-Parlamentet, Kommissionen og Rådet deltog, gav medlemmerne af ECON-underudvalget også udtryk for deres bekymring for, at FN's verdensmål for bæredygtig udvikling (SDG) og opfyldelsen af disse inden 2030 ikke tages alvorligt nok af Kommissionen. For at tilskynde Kommissionen til at intensivere sit politiske engagement i denne sag vedtog de forslaget til udtalelse om Opfyldelse af målene for bæredygtig udvikling inden 2030 . 

​The second call for applications for EU City Facility grant is open until the 31 May. All municipalities and local authorities, their groupings, and local public entities aggregating municipalities or local authorities from the EU Member States, EEA-EFTA States and the United Kingdom that have a politically approved climate and energy plan are eligible for the 60.000 EUR grant. 

The European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre organized a joint online workshop on 15 April to underline the role of regional Smart Specialisation Strategies as a cornerstone of EU policies, from the post-pandemic recovery plans to the delivery of the European Green Deal, digital transition and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

I dette interview svarer Enrico Rossi (IT/PES), som er medlem af byrådet i Signa (Firenze) og tidligere regionalrådsformand i Toscana (2010-2020), på seks spørgsmål om udtalelsen om EU-initiativet "Renoveringsbølgen", som blev vedtaget af Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg i marts. Formålet med renoveringsbølgen, som Kommissionen lancerede den 14. oktober 2020 , er at forbedre energieffektiviteten i EU's bygningsmasse, og initiativet er en afgørende etape i køreplanen for den europæiske grønne pagt . Bygningsrenovering bliver afgørende for, at EU kan opnå klimaneutralitet senest i 2050, eftersom 40 % af EU's energiforbrug og 36 % af drivhusgasemissionerne kan henføres til bygninger. I udtalelsen , som Enrico Rossi har udarbejdet, efterlyser byer og regioner en revision af statsstøtteordningerne, mere fleksible budgetregler for at maksimere investeringer og renoveringer, subnationale mål for renovering af bygninger og integration af vedvarende energikilder i renoveringsprojekterne . RU og Kommissionen har netop undertegnet en handlingsplan for at fremskynde renoveringen og dekarboniseringen af bygningsmassen i EU. 

Ordføreren for Det Europæiske Regionsudvalgs udtalelser om reformen af den fælles landbrugspolitik og om agroøkologi, Guillaume Cros , deltog i en offentlig høring i Europa-Parlamentet for at drøfte det europæiske borgerinitiativ "End the Cage Age", hvor han gentog, at RU er imod opdræt af fugle og dyr i bure, sådan som det fremgår af udvalgets udtalelse "Reformen af den fælles landbrugspolitik" , der blev vedtaget i 2018. 

To strengthen the territorial dimension of the New European Bauhaus initiative, the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions organised on 14 April an online workshop with mayors and other high-level representatives of several former European Capitals of Culture and Capitals of Innovation. Participants highlighted to Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Elisa Ferreira that the success of the New Bauhaus project relies on harnessing the creative potential of cities and regions. ​ 

The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) Awards has selected the finalists of its 2020 edition. The high-level jury has shortlisted sixteen creative and effective actions carried out by 8 Member States on the theme of invisible waste. Winners will be announced at the EWWR Awards Ceremony on 1 June 2021 within the framework of the European Green Week. Finalists were selected from a total of 84 nominations from over 10,600 actions that were organised during the 12th edition of the EWWR (21 to 29 November 2020). The 2021 EWWR will take place from 20 to 28 November. The European Committee of the Regions is a member of the EWWR steering committee. 

As the final in a series of three roadmap events leading to a high-level conference on apprenticeships, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Commission's European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) organised on 23 March an online event in close cooperation with the European Association of Regional and Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning (EARLALL), the German delegation at the CoR, and the Basque Government. The live-streamed discussion explored local and regional initiatives for training, upskilling and reskilling health workers, taking into account the future skill needs of the sector. 

Around 2 000 people followed the livestream, including 900 secondary school and university students. ​​​On Friday the 26 March some 2 000 people tuned in to "Europa sostantivo femminile - Social responsibility from a gender perspective", an event broadcasted live from Bologna's City Council Hall which was set up as a TV studio with links to Rome and Brussels. An introduction by the mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola, kicked off the event which included speeches from the European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli, the Italian Minister for Equal Opportunities and Family Elena Bonetti, the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli and vice-president of the Emilia-Romagna Region Elly Schlein. 

Medlemmerne af RU's Underudvalg for Borgerrettigheder, Styreformer og Institutionelle og Eksterne Forbindelser – CIVEX – drøftede med to repræsentanter for Europa-Parlamentet, Antonio Tajani og Helmut Scholz, hvordan man kan involvere en million lokale og regionale politikere i projekter og initiativer, der kan bringe EU tættere på borgerne og gøre konferencen om Europas fremtid til en succes. De anmodede navnlig om, at man involverer medlemmer af RU i pilotprojektet "Building Europe with Local Entities" (BELE), der er blevet lanceret af Europa - Parlamentets Udvalg om Konstitutionelle Anliggender (AFCO). 

Med den fælles handlingsplan for 2021-2027, som Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg (RU) og Under2 Coalition i dag underskrev, styrkes samarbejdet om at fremme klimaindsatsen på regionalt plan. Der bliver større gennemsigtighed, og flere klimadata vil blive offentliggjort, ligesom forvaltningen på flere niveauer af Parisaftalen og den europæiske grønne pagt bliver styrket. Et hovedmål er at sikre, at klimadagsordenen bliver fremmet under genopretningen efter covid-19, så den miljømæssige, økonomiske og sociale modstandsdygtighed bliver øget, og vi bedre kan tackle fremtidige kriser. 

I begyndelsen af Rural Vision Week gav medlemmer af Det Europæiske Regionsudvalg (RU) udtryk for deres bekymring over, at landområderne muligvis får mindre gavn af EU's planer om at bidrage til genopbygningen af et Europa efter covid-19, som er grønnere, mere digitalt og mere modstandsdygtigt. Følgende erklæring, som blev vedtaget af medlemmerne på mødet i RU's Underudvalg for Naturressourcer (NAT), støttes af Europa-Parlamentets tværpolitiske gruppe om landdistrikter, bjergområder og fjerntliggende områder og intelligente landsbyer, som på det kraftigste afviser enhver plan, der ikke følger partnerskabsprincippet og inddrager landområderne i udarbejdelsen heraf. 

Formanden for RU's arbejdsgruppe om Tyrkiet udtrykker bekymring over udtrædelsen af Istanbulkonventionen og presset på oppositionen