Commenting on the conclusion of the European Summit, the President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said: "The measures agreed by the EU Member States are an historic example of solidarity and address an unprecedented threat. The EU budget and the Recovery Plan must now be quickly put at the service of all people in regions, cities and villages across Europe. It is vital to invest EU funds where they are needed and to make the most out of every euro".

The crisis triggered by the COVID 19 pandemic is undermining Europe's economic, territorial and social cohesion and its capacity to deliver a greener, inclusive and smart transition towards a more sustainable future. This is why the #CohesionAlliance – an EU-wide coalition gathering more than 12,000 signatories - urges EU Member States to support a strong Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-27 and recovery plans. The MFF and recovery plans must support cohesion as a fundamental value of the European Union and as a key objective for all its policies and investments. These demands were included in a declaration handed over to EU Cohesion Commissioner Elisa Ferreira and REGI Chair Younous Omarjee during a video conference on 14 July, three days before the European Council meeting in Brussels.

Two weeks ahead of a crucial European Summit, the European Committee of the Regions – EU's assembly of regional and local authorities - calls on Member States for a timely and fair agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the Next Generation EU Plan. In a resolution and a debate with EU's Commissioner in charge for Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn, regions and cities demanded that cohesion becomes the compass a for all EU policies and that the implementation of EU programmes is based on shared responsibilities and partnership.

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted a resolution on 2 July setting out its three priorities for the next five years. The political assembly aims to make the European Union more resilient, sustainable and cohesive, by strengthening the involvement of involving regions and cities in EU policy-making and implementation.