The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our world and our way of living, with the loss of thousands of lives and unprecedented consequences for every aspect of our daily existence. The Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) at the European Committee of the Regions produces regular bulletins on the policy fields within its remit, reflecting recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different actions and response measures being planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. 

​First Vice-President Vasco Cordeiro and SEDEC Commission chair Anne Karjalainen represented the European Committee of the Regions at the EU Social Summit in Porto on 7-8 May. They welcomed the commitment of the EU Heads of State and Government to strengthen the pledge to work towards a Social Europe, to reinforce social cohesion and to reach the new EU headline targets on jobs, skills and poverty reduction. However, they regretted that the final Summit Declaration lacks reference to the role of regional and local governments. 

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. ​ ​​​ 

Na 144. plenarnom zasjedanju OR-a lokalni i regionalni čelnici i čelnice usvojili su Rezoluciju o konferenciji o budućnosti Europe (dalje u tekstu: „konferencija“) i održali raspravu s bivšim predsjednikom Europskog vijeća i predsjednikom novoosnovane Skupine na visokoj razini za europsku demokraciju Hermanom Van Rompuyem o OR-ovoj viziji budućnosti Europe i njegovu sudjelovanju na konferenciji. Skupina na visokoj razini – neovisno savjetodavno tijelo čija je zadaća pružiti potporu OR-u – provest će stratešku političku analizu s naglaskom na izazovima s kojima se suočavaju lokalne i regionalne vlasti. Blisko će surađivati s članovima i članicama OR-a, posebno s Konferencijom predsjednika i članovima i članicama izaslanstva OR-a na konferenciji. 

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