With the Gloria storm as an unexpected guest, the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) has celebrated its 10th anniversary in the city where it held its first meeting: Barcelona. The Catalan capital welcomed over 100 representatives of local and regional authorities from the three shores of the Mediterranean, with climate change at the top of the agenda. The region is acknowledged to be particularly vulnerable to global warming.  

 

The Just Transition Fund and Mechanism proposed by the European Commission today have taken on board the EU's regions' and cities' demands for place-based tools to address the transition towards climate neutrality. But Europe's local and regional leaders warn against diverting funds from EU regional funds - cohesion policy - and centralising the new fund's governance.  

The Secretary-General of the European Committee of the Regions invites the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation to submit their applications for the 2020 edition of the award "Building Europe across borders" – Award for EGTCs.  

While national governments fall short in agreeing on carbon neutrality objectives, local and regional representatives shared their will to commit and deliver ambitious climate policies during the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy. At the COTER Commission meeting that took place today at the European Committee of the Regions, local and regional leaders and representatives of the European Commission exchanged their views. 

The European Commission released its communication and timeline for the European Green Deal. Upgrading energy and climate targets along with new strategies and legislation for climate adaptation, air quality and biodiversity protection are amongst the measures ahead. While COP25 negotiations block on international carbon market rules, the EU's assembly of local and regional representatives calls on the Parties of the Paris agreement to foster cooperation with cities and regional governments as the only way to deliver effective climate action and reverse global warming.