Τα όργανα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης πρέπει να αναθεωρήσουν τις προτάσεις που περιέχονται στο Νέο σύμφωνο για τη μετανάστευση και το άσυλο κατά τρόπους που θα παρέχουν μεγαλύτερη στήριξη στις περιφέρειες στα σύνορα της ΕΕ, θα εξασφαλίζουν μεγαλύτερη προστασία για τους ευάλωτους και θα μειώνουν τον χρόνο παραμονής στα κέντρα υποδοχής στα σύνορα της ΕΕ, επισημαίνει η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών (ΕτΠ) σε σειρά συστάσεων που εκδόθηκαν στις 19 Μαρτίου.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, will on 17 March make his first address to the European Committee of the Regions, starting a plenary session that will bring into focus local and regional perspectives on policies to end the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote a green and inclusive economic recovery. Four European Commissioners will lead debate about COVID-19 vaccinations and building resilience in EU's regions, the economic recovery package, the Green Deal, and integration of migrants. An award to honour the memory of Paweł Adamowicz, late mayor of Gdańsk, will be launched and the winners of the European Entrepreneurial Region Award will be announced.

Local and regional politicians from the European Union voiced short-term relief mixed with long-term caution and concern at their first meeting with UK counterparts since the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement was settled on 24 December. Politicians from both the EU and the United Kingdom emphasised a wish to develop new ties in the wake of an agreement that ended most region-to-region programmes and envisages no role for regions in overseeing and developing the deal.

The European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions are joining forces to develop a new partnership to increase support to the work on integration that is performed by EU cities and regions. The partnership was announced by the President of the Committee of the Regions (COR), Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, at today's COR plenary session.