Local and regional leaders stressed today that Europe must draw the right lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and pave the way for a green recovery by empowering its cities and regions to lead the fight against climate change. This message emerged from the debate of the Members of the European Committee of the Regions with Svenja Schulze, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. The European Committee of the Regions also called on all the EU27 Heads of State and Government to raise their ambition and agree this week on at least a 55% emissions reducing target for 2030.

Ahead of a crucial EU Summit, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has put forward a series of proposals to deliver the Green Deal locally. In an opinion by rapporteur Andries Gryffroy (BE/EA), a member of the Flemish Parliament, cities and regions demand to be at the core of Green Deal initiatives, calling for direct access to EU funds and a European Regional Scoreboard to assess their climate actions and impact.

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.

As announced today, a political agreement on the EU's long-term budget and COVID-19 recovery package has been reached by the German presidency of the Council and the European Parliament’s negotiators. Cities and regions welcome the agreement but underscore the need to roll the agreement out urgently so as to redress the unprecedented crisis caused by the pandemic. The agreement was announced while the Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) of the European Committee of the Regions was holding an online meeting on Tuesday, 10 November 2020.