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.  

The COVID-19 crisis is both an intensely local moment – with hundreds of millions unable to leave their neighbourhoods – and a global experience, with almost every country now working to suppress or contain the virus.  

Members can also share their experiences directly via the European Committee of the Regions and its COVID-19 Exchange Platform. Please write to covid19@cor.europa.eu. A thanks to all those who have provided input, including First Vice-President Vasco Cordeiro, Governor of the Azores and a range of national associations. The following is a sample of the responses so far. 

Our planet is running out of resources. With global consumption expected to double in the next decades and without signs of global warming decreasing anytime soon, there is an urgent need to decouple economic growth from resource use by manufacturing products that are durable, reusable and reparable. Boosting circularity will help the environment, but will also be pivotal to the post COVID-19 economic recovery. With an upcoming opinion by Tjisse STELPSTRA (NL/ECR), regional minister of the Province of Drenthe, the CoR aims at strengthening the local and regional pillar of the new Circular Economy Action plan to place cities and regions at its core. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has substantial repercussions on the European economies. The ECON Commission of the European Committee of the Regions prepares regular economic bulletins on recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different economic response measures planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. 

​​​CoR NAT Commission Bulletin​: Updates on the COVID-19 crisis from Committee of the Regions' Commission for natural resources, with focus on health, food production and disaster response, from and for the European regions.  

The call for partners of the European Week of Regions and Cities remains open. The organizers have extended the application deadline until 17 April 2020. The #EURegionsWeek 2020 will offer a timely occasion to debate on the challenges the worldwide pandemic paused to our European ways of living including the solutions for a European recovery. The digital dimension of the event will be reinforced. 

How are cities and regions across Europe reaching out out to migrants and refugees and what other measures are being taken? Please share your good practices by sending us an e-mail to: integration@cor.europa.eu 

Members can also share their experiences directly via the European Committee of the Regions and its COVID-19 Exchange Platform. Please write to covid19@cor.europa.eu. A thanks to all those who have provided input, including First Vice-President Vasco Cordeiro, Governor of the Azores and a range of national associations. The following is a sample of the responses so far.  

The Covid-19 pandemic has substantial repercussions on the European economies. The SEDEC Commission of the European Committee of the Regions prepares regular bulletins on recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-cultural impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different response measures planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. 

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

Declaración del presidente del Comité Europeo de las Regiones, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, sobre las medidas propuestas por la Comisión Europea el 2 de abril de 2020 

La decisión de la Unión Europea de iniciar las conversaciones de adhesión con Macedonia del Norte y Albania es «la decisión correcta para la UE y una excelente oportunidad para los Balcanes Occidentales», afirmaron el pasado 25 de marzo los líderes del Comité Europeo de las Regiones después de que los Estados miembros de la UE invitaran oficialmente a estos dos países a la mesa de negociaciones. 

The European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of the Regions will take part in the worldwide Earth Hour initiative over the last weekend of March. The lights in their buildings will be switched off from 10 p.m. on Friday 27 March to 6 a.m. on Monday 30 March.  

La herramienta automática eTranslation de la Comisión Europea ya está disponible para todas las pequeñas y medianas empresas europeas (pymes). 

La nueva plataforma de intercambio de información ayudará a compartir necesidades y soluciones frente al virus, fomentará el apoyo mutuo y actuará como mecanismo para comprobar si las medidas de la UE son realistas a nivel local y regional. El CDR también proporcionará a las comunidades locales información práctica sobre las acciones de apoyo de la UE, en particular las medidas de carácter financiero . 

​All local and regional leaders are working together with EU and national authorities to fight the #CoronaVirus and help all the citizens of the EU. ​​Here are somes messages from young local leaders around Europe.  

Cada día en toda Europa, miles de responsables locales y regionales están liderando la batalla por limitar la propagación del virus y gestionar su impacto sobre el terreno. Como presidente del Comité Europeo de las Regiones, y gobernador de la región de Macedonia Central, he podido comprobar la profesionalidad, la dedicación y el coraje de todos aquellos que están liderando la batalla contra el COVID-19. Estamos movilizando a nuestras comunidades para proteger a los ciudadanos más débiles y garantizar el mayor grado de continuidad posible en nuestras economías. 

The deadline for submitting applications to become partners of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 was extended until 17 April. 

​In this brand new podcast​, powered by Interact, you’ll hear how the Interreg community works with everyone from fisherman to farmers, city planners to entrepreneurs, forging stronger bonds across borders, tackling pressing issues such as climate change and investing in young Europeans. Join us on our journey across this great continent.  

En respuesta al brote de coronavirus, las instituciones de la UE, los Estados miembros y los entes regionales y locales evalúan la situación a diario y emprenden acciones inmediatas, al mismo tiempo que formulan propuestas a medio plazo para contrarrestar los efectos de la crisis. 

Following the measures introduced in many EU countries in relation to the Covid-19 epidemic outbreak, the secretariat of the European Entrepreneurial Region secretariat has decided to extend the deadline for applications for the EER 2021 award to 15 April by midnight. 

En razón del brote de coronavirus, el pleno del CDR de los días 25 y 26 de marzo se ha aplazado hasta una fecha ulterior, al igual que el resto de las reuniones y actividades de las comisiones y otros órganos del CDR, de momento hasta el 4 de mayo de 2020, incluido. 

«Tras una detenida deliberación, he decidido posponer el pleno del Comité Europeo de las Regiones, previsto para los días 25 y 26 de marzo, como contribución a los esfuerzos por prevenir y controlar la propagación de la pandemia de coronavirus. Esta línea de actuación refleja medidas ya adoptadas por muchas autoridades locales, regionales, nacionales y de la UE. Esta decisión ya se ha comunicado a todos los miembros del Comité, al personal, a las demás instituciones de la UE y a nuestros socios, con los que estamos en estrecho contacto. 

​​In October 2019, the CoR adopted an opinion on the Socioeconomic structural change in Europe's coal regions. As follow up to this work, the ECON secretariat conducted a survey among European coal regions in transition, to gather their feedback on state aid rules, and on the need to better address the challenges they face at local and regional level.  

​Today we celebrate the International Women's Day, in the spirit of United Nations #GenerationEquality campaign, to drive actions that create the gender-equal world we all deserve. Gender inequality isn't only a women's issue, but a societal and economic one – as it is essential for democracy, and for economies and communities to thrive. 

​Ms. Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth and Mr. Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and member of the Committee of the Regions, participated in a Citizens’ Dialogue on “Horizon Europe – challenges and perspectives”. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions has called on the EU to set out a 5-year action plan to ensure all regions and cities are supported in achieving climate neutrality. President Apostolos Tzitzikostas said that monitoring, investment and support in the short-term at regional level were necessary to ensure Europe is on track to deliver its Climate Law, just unveiled by the European Commission, which would legally commit the EU to being climate-neutral by 2050. 

La Comisión NAT del Comité Europeo de las Regiones inició su nuevo mandato con un debate sobre el coronavirus y su impacto en las comunidades locales con representantes de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. En la reunión, celebrada el 5 de marzo, los miembros también aprobaron un Dictamen sobre la silvicultura y debatieron la asistencia sanitaria transfronteriza, el turismo sostenible y la política alimentaria. El desarrollo rural, la política agrícola común (PAC), la pesca, la silvicultura, la producción de alimentos y la salud pública son algunos de los temas clave de la agenda de la Comisión de Recursos Naturales (NAT) para este nuevo mandato. 

​​Statement of Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the Committee of the regions, following the meeting with David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament.