Today, in a ceremony at the European Committee of the Regions premises in the presence of Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, outgoing President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), donated an olive tree to praise democracy and peace as European fundamental values and as a symbol of commitment to a greener future.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, outgoing President of the European Committee of the Regions and Governor
of the region of Central Macedonia said:
“This tree, named Olea Europa, is more than 100 years old. It has seen
our European Union grow from the brink of war and, like our founding
values, represents peace and democracy. It is a reminder that, as much
as democracy, it is fragile and needs much love and care. It is also a
tribute to the 1.2 million local and regional elected politicians, whom
are the building bloc without which the European Union would not be
able to stand strong and tackle the so many challenges we are currently
facing. But this olive tree is also a ‘Tree for Life’, a symbol of the
green transition we are engaged in and of the commitment of European
cities and regions to deliver a more sustainable, clean and heathier
environment for this and future generations.”
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament said: "The olive tree is a symbol of peace, friendship and perseverance. These
are the same values that are inspiring the heart-warming solidarity
displayed by our European regions and citizens in reaction to the
brutal war in Ukraine. Just like the tree is rooted in the ground, our
project is rooted in our European regions. President Tzitzikostas, you
have always rightly maintained that citizens are at the very heart of
Europe."
Under the presidency of Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Committee of
the Regions placed democracy and the
Conference on the Future of Europe
at the centre of its priorities. President Tzitzikostas also launched the
Green Deal Going Local campaign
and the
‘Trees for Life’
initiative, a call to action to support the reforestation and urban
greening in the EU, which has already gathered more than 322,000 trees and
which comes in support of the
EU’s pledge
to plant 3 billion additional trees by 2030. Green Deal Going Local aims at
placing cities and regions at the heart of the EU’s climate neutral
transition, ensuring no citizen, business nor territory is left behind.
Contact EP: Javier Jiménez Arbelo //
javier.jimenez@europarl.europa.eu
Contact CoR: David Crous Duran //
david.crous@cor.europa.eu