​​​Regional and local leaders gathered in Lipica (SI) on 24 September to discuss how to timely deliver recovery investments on the ground and avoid delays and overlapping among EU policies. Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, and Slovenian Minister of Finance, Andrej Sircelj, as well as leading members of the European Parliament stressed that only by working with regions and cities national recovery plans can succeed.

The work of the European Commission's Fit for Future Platform (F4F) has taken on speed and its subgroups and experts are about to carry out consultations on selected EU legislation in order to check whether it is futureproof and fit for purpose.

Regions, cities and villages also ask for a strong role in running EU investment for recovery to ensure that funds reach those most affected by the pandemic.

​​​Local communities' needs will weigh more in the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) investment decisions and regions will be among leading actors in shaping, implementing and assessing the national CAP strategic plans. This crucial result was achieved thanks to the work of the CoR, its intense cooperation with the European Parliament and – more recently - with the EU Commission. Regional and local leaders are ready to use the new CAP to deliver the Green Deal on the ground but urge Member States to set adequate rules to make this happen.