​​In the framework of the debates that feed into the Conference on the Future of Europe, members of the CoR commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs – CIVEX – discussed on equality as a building block of European democracy. They argued that local and regional authorities play an important role in building up an inclusive democracy and equality because they are the level of governance closest to citizens and can have an influence on these issues. The CIVEX commission also adopted an opinion on better EU law-making emphasising that the territorial dimension of EU policies must be bolstered and that local and regional authorities should be involved in every stage of the EU decision-making process, notably by using the RegHub implementation reports as a tool for examining the legislative proposals.

Η αντιπροσωπεία της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής των Περιφερειών (ΕτΠ) στη Διάσκεψη για το Μέλλον της Ευρώπης συνεδρίασε σήμερα για να προετοιμάσει τη συμβολή της στην εναρκτήρια συνεδρίαση της Ολομέλειας της Διάσκεψης για το Μέλλον της Ευρώπης που θα διεξαχθεί στις 19 Ιουνίου στο Στρασβούργο. Οι αντιπρόσωποι επιθυμούν να αξιοποιήσουν την ευκαιρία που παρέχει η Διάσκεψη προκειμένου να ενισχύσουν τη δημοκρατική διάσταση της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και να αποκαταστήσουν την εμπιστοσύνη των πολιτών στο ευρωπαϊκό εγχείρημα. Η ΕτΠ, ως όργανο της ΕΕ που εκπροσωπεί το εγγύτερο στους πολίτες επίπεδο διακυβέρνησης, δεσμεύεται να εκφράσει τη φωνή των τοπικών και των περιφερειακών αρχών στη Διάσκεψη.

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.

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.