The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting increased use of digital tools can be seen as an impetus for regional and local authorities to become fit for the digital age. The opinion "Strengthening local governance and representative democracy via new digital technology instruments" presented by Rait Pihelgas (EE/Renew Europe), Chairman of the Järva Municipality Council and adopted at the CoR plenary session on 10 December also stresses that new digital technologies and tools have the potential to improve the quality of decision-making and transparency, promote communication, foster active citizenship and engagement in political life and therefore enhance local democracy on a permanent basis.

The European Union's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Kahn, and the President of Brittany, Loïg Chesnais-Girard, will address the European Committee of the Regions' first fully virtual plenary on 9 December. The debate on Brexit, which comes just over three weeks before the transition period of the United Kingdom's withdrawal comes to an end and with a trade deal yet to be finalised, will discuss the territorial impact and future relations of Brexit on UK-EU regions and cities and the devolved administrations.

Members of the European Committee of the Regions debated with Ms Gabriele Bischoff, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-President of the European Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) in the CoR commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs – CIVEX on the way ahead for the Conference on the Future of Europe. For local and regional leaders, the ongoing crisis makes it even more urgent for the European Union to work to become more effective, democratic and closer to citizens. The CoR welcomes the position of the Council issued on 24 June as an important step in moving forward, since it opens the way for negotiations on the governance, the content and the structure of the Conference. But the committee also urges to start the works as soon as the pandemic situation allows. Ms Bischoff reiterated that local and regional leaders should play an important role in this process.

The political groups in the European Committee of the Regions have collected a many examples of the challenges faced by their members, and their responses, as well as ideas about how the EU could help them.