On the occasion of the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe on 9 May in Strasbourg, the European Committee of the Regions is organising, together with the French government and the main French territorial associations, a local dialogue which will give the floor to local and regional elected representatives from all over Europe and to European citizens. The debate will take place immediately before the official launch of the Conference with the aim of marking its territorial dimension and guaranteeing that it reaches out to people in regions, cities and villages across Europe. Participants will discuss how to best involve local elected politicians and local communities in the Conference and how to ensure a stronger role for local and regional authorities in the Europe of tomorrow. 

Representatives from EU institutions, territorial and youth associations and local and regional leaders discussed today how to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the Conference on the future of Europe by engaging with citizens in the places where they live. The local dialogue was organised by the European Committee of the Regions together with the French government, the city of Strasbourg and the main French territorial associations - Régions de France, the Assembly of Départements de France and the association of French Mayors. Participants endorsed an open letter that calls on local and regional leaders to organise dialogues in their region, cities and villages as a contribution to the Conference and to appoint in their political assembly a councillor on European Affairs. ​ ​​​ 

Local and regional leaders adopted a resolution on the Conference on the Future of Europe (the Conference) at the 144th CoR Plenary session and debated with Herman van Rompuy, former President of the European Council and Chair of the newly established High Level Group on European Democracy (HLG) on the CoR's perspective for the Future of Europe and the CoR's participation in the Conference. 

The CoR points out that large parts of EU environmental legislation including the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the Nature Directives have not been sufficiently implemented 

Regions and cities unanimously back the use of a common document to facilitate free movement in the EU during the pandemic and boost the tourism sector's recovery towards new sustainable models 

The European Union must reduce its dependence on producers outside its borders by encouraging the return of production of critical medicines and of protective equipment to European soil, members of the European Committee of the Regions said on 7 May. The call for "strategic autonomy" is one of the recommendations contained in an opinion on experiences and lessons learned by regions and cities during the COVID-19 crisis.