The 11th plenary session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local
Assembly (ARLEM) was held in Barcelona, Spain on 22 and 23 January 2020 at the
invitation of Ms Ada Colau Ballano, Mayor of Barcelona and hosted by the Union for
the Mediterranean where the very first ARLEM plenary was held in 2010.
The Assembly adopted two reports: on "Euro-Mediterranean
integration: The role of regional and local authorities" by the rapporteur
Jihad Khair, Mayor of Beit Sahour, Palestine and on "Blue
Economy for local and regional authorities in the Mediterranean" by the
rapporteur Vincenzo Bianco, member of Catania City Council, Italy.
In 2020 ARLEM will prepare reports on digitalisation of small and medium
enterprises (rapporteur Ms Lizzy Delaricha, Mayor of Ganei Tikval, Israel) and on
agriculture and food security in climate sensitive regions (rapporteur Ms Agnès
Rampal, IMC-CPMR, Member of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Council).
The Plenary adopted the Action Plan for the next term of office as well
as the Recommendations for 2020. During its new term of offcie ARLEM will focus
on sustainable economic development, climate action in the Mediterranean and
women's empowerment.
ARLEM's current term of office ended on 25 January 2020. The plenary
assembly decided to appoint by acclamation Musa Hadid (Mayor of Ramallah,
Palestine) as co-president of ARLEM from the Mediterranean
partners group. The new co-president from the European Union group will be the
new president of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) to elected on 13
February.
The winners of the ARLEM Award 2020 - Young local entrepreneurship in
the Mediterranean were awarded at a special ceremony. They are Ms Leila Rima
Boussada (Algeria) and the local antenna of ANSEJ, the agency supporting young
entrepreneurs at local level.