On 6 December from 11am Michel Barnier, the European Union's Chief Negotiator for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union, will discuss Brexit and its impact on regions and cities with local leaders from all the EU's member states. His visit to the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels comes on the eve of UK parliaments crucial vote on the agreed Withdrawal Agreement

EU local and regional leaders gathered in Sofia on 7 June calling for averting the 10% cuts to cohesion policy planned by the European Commission in its proposal for the EU budget 2021-2027. Together with the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, they called for securing sufficient resources and improving rules in order to ensure that reducing disparities by involving local actors remains the key objective and function of the future European structural and investment funds.

Cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) can reduce air pollution, benefit disadvantaged users and communities and trigger new business opportunities for local economies. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) urges the European Commission to think not just of cars, but also waterways, air and rail. Rules, funding and clear technical requirements are needed to boost C-ITS harmonised development across sectors.

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Karl-Heinz Lambertz, will deliver the first-ever " State of the European Union: the View of Regions and Cities " address during the CoRs' plenary session on 10 October in Brussels. The address will be followed by a debate with the European Council's President Donald Tusk and EU local leaders on the future of Europe. EU Commissioner for climate action and energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, will then set out the EU's priorities for the UN climate talks in Bonn as EU cities and regions revitalise a climate coalition with their US and Canadian counterparts.