European Parliament President to join cities and regions as they share their views on the main challenges facing the European Union
The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Karl-Heinz Lambertz, will deliver his second "State of the European Union: the View of Regions and Cities" address on 9 October, 3 pm, in Brussels. The address will take place in plenary session during a special
"Future of Europe" debate
with European Parliament President, Antonio Tajani.
The debate will be followed by the adoption of the CoR's
report
on the "Future of Europe", which is
the culmination of a two-year engagement with citizens and consultation of local and regional authorities, as requested by European Council President Donald Tusk.
CoR President Lambertz's speech will give a local and regional dimension to EU priorities and a closer look at what is actually happening in the streets and territories of Europe.
The speech will focus on the most pressing issues facing cities and regions in the European Union: the next EU long-term budget negotiations (the
CoR report will be adopted the same day), the future of EU regional policy ("cohesion" policy), integration , EU democracy (including regions and cities in the EU decision-making process, and initiatives at local level to reconnect citizens to Europe), as well as sustainable development and territorial cooperation.
This exercise is also to be seen in the wider context of the ongoing political debate on the future of Europe, whilst looking ahead to the
2019 European elections and
post-Brexit Europe. In this regards, following the debate with President Tajani, the CoR will adopt its
recommendations on the future of Europe, as the outcome of an extensive consultation reaching out to more than 40.000 citizens and 110 local and regional authorities across 30 European countries.
In his address, President Lambertz will also launch the CoR's 8th European Summit of Regions and Cities, to be jointly organised with the Romanian EU Presidency and Romanian municipalities on 14-15 March 2019 in Bucharest. The Summit will be the largest political gathering of mayors, regional presidents and local leaders from across Europe next year with more than 800 participants, including leaders of the EU institutions.
President Lambertz' speech and the debate will be web streamed live on
www.cor.europa.eu/sotreg.go
and on Twitter via
#SOTREG
View our SOTREG
video trailer
Notes to the editors: "The State of the Union: the View of Regions and Cities" delivered by the President of the European Committee of the Regions aims to take stock of the current situation of EU cities and regions and looks ahead to the main challenges facing Europe. The speech is followed by a plenary debate with all CoR members and high level EU politicians.