The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and EIB Group have renewed and
reinforced their long-standing cooperation today with the adoption of a new
joint
Action Plan for cooperation in 2021
.
Through its financing, blending activities and advisory services, the EIB
Group – comprised of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European
Investment Fund (EIF) - works with many of Europe's regions and local
authorities. It helps deliver growth, jobs, cohesion and a just transition
while supporting climate action and environmental sustainability as the
EU’s climate bank.
The CoR and the EIB Group have agreed annual joint Action Plans since 2015,
and during the CoR plenary session of October 2020, EIB President Hoyer and
CoR president Tzitzikostas
reaffirmed the two institutions' commitment to this joint work
.
The fundamental objectives and ambitions of the CoR and those of the EIB
Group go hand in hand: from enabling a fair and sustainable economic
transition which leaves no region behind, through implementing the European
Green Deal, to strengthening cohesion and resilience across all EU
territories, or catalysing the post-COVID-19 recovery. In each of those
areas and more, the CoR and the EIB both stand to gain from working closer
together at the service of all EU citizens.
The renewed Action Plan consists of a broad range of joint activities, for
example a brochure on financial assistance available to local and regional
authorities in EU accession and neighbourhood countries, or a workshop to
highlight the opportunities of financing and advisory services for cities
and regions under InvestEU. The plan foresees many such common events and
joint projects as well cooperation between EIB Group specialists and CoR
rapporteurs on relevant files. The joint actions cover many policy areas,
from public investment and cohesion, to the Green Deal and neighbourhood
policy.
The shared objective of planning common activities is to foster awareness,
find synergies, improve policy proposals and implementation, and ultimately
help deliver high-quality EU-supported projects that benefit citizens and
businesses alike. Thanks to this cooperation, the CoR will support Europe's
local and regional authorities by helping to mobilise the EIB Group's
expertise in addressing their needs.