Rafał Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw, has been elected chair of the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) , in charge of the European Green Deal including energy and climate policies, biodiversity, circular economy and zero pollution. His mandate will last for two and a half years. Mayor Trzaskowski will also chair the Green Deal Going Local Working Group, leading the CoR's efforts to place cities and regions at the heart of the EU's transition towards climate neutrality.  

 

Bulgarian Tanya Hristova (BG/EPP) was elected chair of the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) at the commission's external meeting in Brno, Czech Republic, on 3 October. The Mayor of Gabrovo will chair the SEDEC commission work for two and half years, the second half of the Committee's current five-year mandate. In her new role, Ms Hristova will lead the EU regions' and cities' work on a wide range of topics, including employment and social policies, education and training, culture, equality and youth policy, as well as research, innovation and artificial intelligence. 

Local and regional politicians from across the political spectrum have voiced preliminary support for a fast-tracked set of recommendations intended to ensure that the regions and cities of the European Union can become deeply and effectively involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The rapporteur, Mayor of Florence Daria Nardella , said that "rebuilding is a re-birth" for Ukraine and that the EU's local and regional authorities "should be proud" to help this re-birth, a process that would include a sharp focus on helping Ukraine's transition to a greener and more sustainable economy. 

Rental and housing markets in European cities and regions have significantly come under pressure since the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Members of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget ( COTER ) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) call for increased support for European regions and cities on the frontline of the refugee income to ensure the long-term integration through affordable and accessible housing to all citizens.  

​Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca and former Prime Minister of Romania, was elected chair of the European Committee of the Regions' commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER). His mandate will last two and a half years. 

Enzo Bianco (IT/PES) was elected chair of the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) at the commission´s meeting on 28 September. Mr Bianco, a member of the Catania Municipal Council, will chair the CIVEX commission work for 2.5 years, the second half of the CoR's current five-year mandate. 

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is inviting European regions to express their interest to contribute to the Pilot Project "REGIONS2030: Monitoring the SDGs in the EU regions – Filling the data gaps", supported by the European Parliament. 

​​The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) awarded the prizes for the best region, city and bio-district as part of the European Organic Day. The awards were organized by the CoR together with the European Commission , the European Economic and Social Committee, COPA-COGECA and IFOAM Organics Europe to reward excellence along the European organic value chain. 

​Access to affordable energy and raw materials, friendly business environment and the development of new skills are the most pressing challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU. Local and regional leaders, members of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), gathered in Zwolle (the Netherlands) to discuss how to help SMEs face these challenges to overcome the current crisis and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) , Vasco Alves Cordeiro, has called for higher climate ambition and a dedicated framework for encoding, monitoring and reporting cities' and regions' climate commitments and achievements in the context of the Paris agreement. This was the main message shared at the General Assembly of the Under2Coalition, ​the world's largest network of subnational governments committed to 2050 net zero emissions, which took place in New York, on 19 September 2022, as part of the Climate Week NYC 

​Czech representative Jaroslava Jermanová was elected chair of the European Committee of the Regions' commission for Economic Policy (ECON) at the meeting on 22 September. Ms Jermanová, Councillor of the Central Bohemian Region, will chair ECON's work over the forthcoming two and half years, until the end of the CoR's current five-year mandate. 

Hilary Benn, a senior figure in parliamentary relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, has said that some UK and EU ideas on how to resolve differences over the management of trade in Northern Ireland are "quite close" – and that agreement would provide "an opportunity to move on".  

Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών (ΕτΠ)·δημοσίευσε το πρώτο Εγχειρίδιο για την Πράσινη Συμφωνία, με έμφαση στην κλιματική προσαρμογή. Το εγχειρίδιο αποτελεί διαδραστική εργαλειοθήκη που παρέχει πληροφορίες σχετικά με τα μέσα χρηματοοικονομικής και τεχνικής υποστήριξης για την ανάπτυξη μέτρων προσαρμογής με βάση διάφορες γεωγραφικές περιοχές και περιφερειακές ιδιαιτερότητες. Στόχος είναι να εξοπλιστούν οι ΤΠΑ με σειρά εργαλείων και συστάσεων για την καλύτερη προσαρμογή στην κλιματική αλλαγή, την ελαχιστοποίηση των ευπαθειών και την οικοδόμηση ανθεκτικότητας ενόψει της μείωσης των κινδύνων καταστροφών, καθώς και τις απωλειών και τις ζημιών.Εγχειρίδια είναι διαθέσιμα για κάθε κράτος μέλος της ΕΕ. 

​The registration to EuroPCom 2022 is now open. The 13th edition of the annual European Public Communication Conference takes place online – hybrid for CoR members in the morning on Friday 28 October 2022 under the slogan "Communicating Climate Action". 

Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών παρέχει την πλήρη και ένθερμη υποστήριξή της στους δήμους και τις περιφέρειες της Ουκρανίας, δήλωσε ο Πρόεδρός της Vasco Cordeiro στις 16 Σεπτεμβρίου, επισημαίνοντας ότι οι περιφέρειες και οι δήμοι της ΕΕ θα συνεχίσουν να στηρίζουν τις τοπικές και τις περιφερειακές αρχές της Ουκρανίας σε μακροχρόνιο ορίζοντα. 

President von der Leyen' speech on the State of the European Union is a good sum up of the challenges Europe is facing and a clear demonstration of political will and ambition to overcome them. On behalf of regions and cities from all the Union, represented by the European Committee of Regions I would like to make it clear that we answer her call to win over these challenges and we stand ready to do our part in the European common effort. 

​Europe is rich in diversity. All territories face the same societal challenges, such as climate change, energy crisis, or the interruption of supply chains, but these impact on regions in different ways. Every region has different priorities, different conditions and different assets in face of such challenges. The uniqueness of each territory requires bespoke actions that are tailored to both the specific territorial needs and the availability of tools at the disposal of each region. For example, some places may have a greater need to support the creation of new industries, while others to help existing industries become more sustainable. 

​​ As part of the delegation of the European Union to COP27, local and regional leaders have discussed with the Czech Presidency, the European Commission, and the European Parliament concrete ways to strengthen climate governance and help citizens face global warming and unprecedented energy prices  

Vasco Alves Cordeiro, President of the Committee of the Regions, met yesterday with a delegation of the National Conference of State Legislatures of the United States (NCSL), led by Speaker Scott Saiki, from Hawaii, and discussed opportunities for cooperation on key common challenges. 

 

The 20th edition of EURegionsWeek under the motto New Challenges for Europe's cohesion is ready to take off. 

With the ongoing war in Ukraine, more and more areas in the country are cut off the electricity supply, including hospitals and other places which urgently require access to power. In order to help civilians, the World Wind Energy Association WWEA and the Global 100% Renewable Energy Platform Global100RE (http://www.global100re.org/), supported by Global100RE Ambassador Ruslana (https://ruslana.ua/en/), are calling for donations of equipment which can supply power independently from the national grid, after all small and stand alone solar systems including batteries, power banks etc. 

Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών (ΕτΠ) προσκαλεί εκ νέου τα τακτικά και τα αναπληρωματικά της μέλη, τους νέους αιρετούς πολιτικούς και τα μέλη του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικτύου Τοπικών και Περιφερειακών Συμβούλων να συγκεντρώσουν και να προαγάγουν έργα χαμηλών ανθρακούχων εκπομπών και βιώσιμου χαρακτήρα, καθώς και δεσμεύσεις των οργανισμών τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης ανά την ΕΕ σχετικές με το κλίμα και τον περιορισμό των εκπομπών αερίων του θερμοκηπίου. Έχει ο δήμος ή η περιφέρειά σας κάποιο συγκεκριμένο έργο όπου επιδιώκονται οι σκοποί της Ευρωπαϊκής Πράσινης Συμφωνίας; Έχει ο δήμος ή η περιφέρειά σας θέσει στόχους για τη μείωση των εκπομπών των αερίων του θερμοκηπίου έως το 2030 ή το 2050; Εάν ναι, τότε αυτή η νέα πρόσκληση απευθύνεται ακριβώς σε εσάς! 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, met today the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, in an exchange meant to present the priorities of President Cordeiro at the helm of the CoR for 2022-2025. 

The European Commission has just published its 2021 Annual Burden Survey, explaining and taking stock of the EU's better regulation efforts in 2021, their concrete findings and follow-up. 

The presidents of the European Committee of the Regions and the Association of Ukrainian Cities have congratulated cities and regions that are organising summer camps in the European Union for Ukrainian children, saying that this is an act of solidarity that offers a sense of normality to some of the millions of Ukrainian children whose lives have been shaken by the war.  

The European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee are launching the call for expression of interest to participate to the 7th meeting of the European Migration Forum, which will take place on 20-21 October 2022 in Brussels. The European Migration Forum is a platform for dialogue between civil society and the European institutions on issues relating to migration, asylum and the integratio n of non-EU country nationals. 

​The ENVE commission meeting on 15 July showed that the prospect of the energy crisis is worsening as the approaching winter is a major concern for EU local and regional authorities. The severe droughts across the EU and the tragic collapse of the Marmolada glacier confirm the urgent need to adapt to global warming. The ENVE commission adopted two draft opinions on the energy package on gas, hydrogen and methane, and the role of cities and regions in global climate governance ahead of the United Nations climate summit to take place in November in Egypt. The priorities of the Czech Presidency were also on the discussion table.  

​​​How to better finance the decarbonisation of public transport through cohesion policy and other EU instruments, remove administrative bottlenecks and give cities direct access to EU funds: these were the main issues discussed during a two-day meeting that gathered to Prague local and regional leaders from all over the European Union at the start of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU.​ ​ 

The European Union and any country wishing to join the EU need to do more to address the concerns of young people and secure their participation in politics, local and regional politicians from the EU, the western Balkans, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia at a two-day conference focused on EU enlargement. 

The growing digital divide between urban and rural areas is one of the major challenges faced by citizens and businesses in Europe. EU, national, regional and local governments must therefore intensify cooperation to ensure a decent access to internet and digital services in key areas such as healthcare, education, public services, social inclusion. This was one of the main messages that emerged from the meeting of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 8 July.  

​With the New European Innovation Agenda , the European Commission wants to position Europe as a leading player on the global innovation scene, capable to develop new technologies to address the most pressing societal challenges. The European Committee of the Regions welcomes that the communication published on 5 July puts an important focus on closing the innovation divide between EU regions and reinforcing the links between regional smart specialization strategies, Horizon Europe and other funding mechanisms. 

​With antisemitism worryingly on the rise in Europe and beyond, the European Union is beginning to implement the first ever EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. EU regions and cities have a crucial role in protecting and promoting Jewish cultural heritage as a vital part of Europe's culture and way of life. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 29 June welcomed the increasing attention paid to local and regional government in the European Union's enlargement process, but added that the European Commission should now go further by focusing on encouraging national governments to cooperate more with regional and local governments. The recommendations are contained in the Committee's response to the European Commission's 2021 reports on reforms made by countries wishing to join the European Union.  

One of the Czech Republic's top priority during its six months in the chair of the Council of the European Union will be to cope with the influx of displaced Ukrainians forced to flee because of Russia's invasion, Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Bartoš told the European Committee of the Regions on 30 June. He also pledged to try to make it easier for regions and cities to secure EU funding for the support of refugees and speed up the transition towards safe and sustainable energy. 

Οι ηγέτες των οργανισμών τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης ενέκριναν ψήφισμαμε θέμα την έκβαση και τη συνέχεια που δόθηκε στη «Διάσκεψη για το μέλλον της Ευρώπης» κατά τη σύνοδο ολομέλειας της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής των Περιφερειών (ΕτΠ). Ζητούν δε την ταχεία συνέχιση και εφαρμογή των προτάσεων που διατυπώνονται στην έκθεση σχετικά με το τελικό αποτέλεσμα της Διάσκεψης, έτσι ώστε να ικανοποιηθούν οι προσδοκίες των πολιτών. Επίσης, θεωρούν ότι η φιλόδοξη μεταρρύθμιση της λειτουργίας της ΕΕ για την αντιμετώπιση των μελλοντικών ζητημάτων προϋποθέτει την αναθεώρηση των Συνθηκών. Πλήρως ενεργοί συντελεστές αυτής της μελλοντικής Σύμβασης θα πρέπει να είναι και τα μέλη της ΕτΠ, τα οποία απηχούν τη φωνή άνω του ενός εκατομμυρίου τοπικά και περιφερειακά αιρετών πολιτικών στην Ευρώπη, με μέλημα, μεταξύ άλλων, να ενισχυθεί η τοπική και περιφερειακή διάσταση των πολιτικών της ΕΕ. 

On Thursday, the European assembly of local and regional representatives adopted a series of recommendations on the new proposal for a European directive on the energy performance of buildings. The rapporteur for the opinion is André Viola, representative of Aude Departmental Council. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is a cornerstone of the Fit for 55 package, which aims to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. 

At the request of the Council of the European Union, the EU's assembly of cities and regions has adopted an opinion on the environmental imperatives and social acceptability of the ecological transition. The European Committee of the Regions has greenlighted the proposals of the rapporteur Hanna Zdanowska (PL/EPP), Mayor of Lodz, which puts forward a series of economic and social measures to ensure that the European Green Deal – the EU's sustainable growth strategy to reach climate neutrality by 2050, is grounded in a strong social acceptability and leaves no citizen, territory nor business behind. 

On Thursday, the European assembly of regional and local representatives adopted a series of recommendations to support the implementation of green budgets at local and regional level. The recommendations were prepared at the request of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union. The rapporteur for the opinion is Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew Europe), Mayor of Autun and member of the Green Deal working group of the European Committee of the Regions. The Committee calls on the European Commission and the Member States to exempt green investments from the regional public deficit calculation and to establish effective, participatory and transparent green budgeting, with a clear methodology linked to specific environmental performance indicators. 

Σε συνέχεια της έγκρισης από το Συμβούλιο των γενικών προσεγγίσεών του σχετικά με τους βασικούς φακέλους της «Δέσμης Fit for 55», η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών εξέδωσε τέσσερις γνωμοδοτήσεις που σχετίζονται άμεσα με τον ρόλο των δήμων και των περιφερειών στην υλοποίηση της Ευρωπαϊκής Πράσινης Συμφωνίας – της αναπτυξιακής στρατηγικής της ΕΕ για την επίτευξη κλιματικής ουδετερότητας έως το 2050. Με τις γνωμοδοτήσεις αυτές προτείνονται οικονομικά και χρηματοπιστωτικά μέτρα για την αύξηση των τοπικών «πράσινων» προϋπολογισμών, ζητείται η εφαρμογή της οδηγίας για την ενεργειακή απόδοση των κτιρίων (ΟΕΑΚ), ενώ προβάλλεται η ανάγκη ανάπτυξης κοινωνικών μέτρων για την προστασία των πλέον ευάλωτων ατόμων και για την ενίσχυση του ρόλου των πολιτών στην πράσινη μετάβαση. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has launched the Automotive Regions Alliance – a political network of regions engaged for the successful transition of the European automotive and supply industry. The Alliance aims to bring in the regional perspective into the ongoing debates on decarbonisation of EU transport while securing jobs, competitiveness and ensuring economic and social cohesion in every European territory impacted by the transition. The automotive industry reached a turnover of over 7% of the EU GDP and currently employs over 14 million Europeans, representing 6.1% of total EU employment. The launch event took place during the CoR's plenary session on 30 June and is the starting point for further actions of the Alliance, which is so far composed of 20 regions with a strong automotive and supply sector from seven Member States: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and The Netherlands. The Alliance is open to any new region to join the network. 

Στις 30 Ιουνίου, η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών και οι ενώσεις που εκπροσωπούν τους ευρωπαϊκούς δήμους και τις ευρωπαϊκές περιφέρειες εγκαινίασαν την Ευρωπαϊκή Συμμαχία Δήμων και Περιφερειών για την ανασυγκρότηση της Ουκρανίας με σκοπό να βοηθήσουν τις τοπικές και περιφερειακές αρχές της Ουκρανίας να ανοικοδομήσουν εκ νέου σπίτια, σχολεία, υποδομές και υπηρεσίες που καταστράφηκαν συνεπεία της ρωσικής εισβολής στις 24 Φεβρουαρίου. Η Συμμαχία, η οποία εγκαινιάστηκε επτά μόλις ημέρες αφότου τα κράτη μέλη της ΕΕ συμφώνησαν να αποδεχθούν την Ουκρανία ως υποψήφιο μέλος, έγινε δεκτή από τον Υπουργό κοινοτήτων και εδαφικής ανάπτυξης της Ουκρανίας ως δυνητική «βάση για την ευρωπαϊκή ολοκλήρωση της χώρας μας». 

Barcelona (Spain), Penela Municipality (Portugal) and West Pomerania Region (Poland) have been named European Entrepreneurial Regions (EER) for 2023. The three European territories have been awarded this excellence label by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) for their outstanding entrepreneurial and intelligent growth strategies while taking into account societal challenges. The 2023 edition of the EER revolves around the lead theme "Entrepreneurship and resilient communities".  

The Arctic can provide Europe with knowledge, products, resources and energy which are crucial for achieving the EU's climate goals. At its plenary session on 29 June, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted an opinion drafted by Mirja Vehkaperä (FI/Renew Europe), Chair of Oulu City Board, underlining that EU funding must support the Arctic's potential as a driver of green growth and the digital transition in the EU, while striking a balance with protecting the Arctic nature and fighting climate change. 

Τα μέλη της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής των Περιφερειών (ΕτΠ) εξέλεξαν τον Vasco Alves Cordeiro ως νέο Πρόεδρό τους για τα επόμενα δυόμιση χρόνια. Το μέλος του Περιφερειακού Κοινοβουλίου των Αζορών θα ηγηθεί της συνέλευσης των τοπικών και περιφερειακών εκπροσώπων της ΕΕ, εστιάζοντας στην ενίσχυση της δημοκρατίας, στην προάσπιση της πολιτικής συνοχής, στην επίτευξη των στόχων της Ευρωπαϊκής Πράσινης Συμφωνίας και στην ενίσχυση της περιφερειακής στήριξης στην Ουκρανία. Τα μέλη της ΕτΠ εξέλεξαν επίσης τον Απόστολο Τζιτζικώστα, Περιφερειάρχη Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας, ως νέο Α΄ Αντιπρόεδρο. 

Today, in a ceremony at the European Committee of the Regions premises in the presence of Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, outgoing President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), donated an olive tree to praise democracy and peace as European fundamental values and as a symbol of commitment to a greener future.  

EU cities and regions call on the European Commission to strengthen the criteria for defining the employment status of digital platform workers in order to improve their working conditions. In an opinion drafted by Yonnec Polet (BE/PES), First Deputy Mayor of Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, the European Committee of the Regions also voices its concern about the use of algorithms and stresses that workers must always have the right to a decision taken by a human manager or supervisor. The opinion was adopted by the plenary session on 29 June. 

​​​Members of the European Committee of the Regions, members of the European Parliament, citizens' consultations experts and citizens draft a checklist to be used for future citizens' consultations. 

​​The European Union's response to the refugee crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine shows that it "can learn lessons", the president of the European Committee of the Regions said at a conference on 24 June, going on to call for the EU to reform the its asylum and migration system "to have more justice in the distribution of responsibilities". Such reforms would, he said, also respond to the opinion of EU citizens, articulated in recommendations that recently emerged from the Conference on the Future of Europe.