Ħames xhur qabel it-taħdidiet dwar il-klima tal- COP24 tan-NU f’Katowice, il-Polonja, il-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni (KtR) organizza dibattitu ta’ livell għoli dwar l-azzjoni klimatika. Il-mexxejja lokali u reġjonali tal-UE adottaw opinjoni dwar il-Governanza Klimatika wara l-2020 , li tiddefinixxi l-pożizzjoni tagħha dwar kif jiġi implimentat il-ftehim ta’ Pariġi fil-prattika – l-hekk imsejħa ġabra ta' regoli ta' Pariġi . Mingħajr l-involviment formali tal-gvernijiet lokali u reġjonali, tibqa’ differenza bejn il-wegħdiet klimatiċi u l-kisbiet meħtieġa biex iż-żjieda fit-temperatura tinżel sew taħt it-2°C. Il-KtR jappoġġja l-proposta tar-relatur Andrew Cooper (UK/AE) biex jitnaqqas id-distakk fl-emissjonijiet permezz ta’ Kontributi Determinati fil-livell Lokali (LDCs). 

It-tisħiħ tal-Unjoni Monetarja Ewropea (EMU) irid jindirizza d-defiċit demokratiku attwali tagħha u jgħin it-tnedija mill-ġdid tal-investiment pubbliku li għadu baxx b’mod inkwetanti. Dan huwa l-messaġġ ewlieni li twassal mir-reġjuni u l-bliet tal-UE permezz tal-Opinjoni adottata fil-5 ta’ Lulju matul is-sessjoni plenarja tal-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni (KtR), l-assemblea tal-UE li tirrappreżenta l-awtoritajiet lokali u reġjonali. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has welcomed the proposal which should improve the transparency and predictability of working conditions across the EU for all different forms of employment contract. The opinion drafted by Isolde Ries (DE/PES), First Vice-President of the Saarland Regional Parliament, urges to pay special attention to non-standard forms of employment and to the estimated 4 to 6 million workers in the EU with on-demand and intermittent employment contracts. 

​The complexity but also the potential of strategic public procurement and the need for improved administrative capacity is the centre of the opinion written by Adrian Ovidiu Teban (RO/EPP), Mayor of Cugir. The members of the European Committee of the Regions adopted the proposals on the Public Procurement Package during their plenary session on 4 July in Brussels. 

How much cheese is in the cheese? Do we know what we are eating? Questions such as these – and, in particular, a wish to instil good eating habits at a young age – prompted the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 4 July to urge the creation of a mandatory European colour-coded labelling system.  

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and local and regional government associations from across the European Union committed themselves on 4 July to working together towards a more sustainable, inclusive and innovative Europe. At the invitation of the CoR, and in cooperation with the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), leaders of EU towns, cities and regions gathered in Brussels to debate the main challenges confronting them in the context of the ongoing political reflection on the Future of Europe.  

In a series of recommendations adopted on 4 July concerning the proposal for a directive on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relations in the food supply chain, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) argues that the European Union must do more to safeguard farmers' incomes. The recommendations will cushion against the negative impact of the high volatility of agricultural product prices, in order to keep up agriculture throughout the EU and preserve vibrant rural communities. 

​Only the regions with the most credible and promising entrepreneurial vision are awarded the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) each year, an initiative organised by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). This year the jury selected the principality of Asturias, province of Gelderland, and region of Thessaly as worthy winners for their outstanding strategies and commitment to boosting entrepreneurship within their territories. 

Europe's local and regional governments called on the EU today to step up its efforts to overcome the obstacles that are holding back cooperation across border regions. Members of the European Committee of the Regions – the EU's assembly of local and regional governments – argued that investing in cross-border cooperation is an investment in the future of Europe and welcomed the European Commission's recent set of proposals to improve the situation. The report presented by János Ádám Karácsony (HU/EPP) and adopted unanimously highlights the untapped potential of the European border regions and the legal, administrative, physical and cultural obstacles which still need to be overcome. Border regions reflect, the Committee argues, the diversity and richness of the European Union and can be laboratories when it comes to the resolution of problems that effect citizens' daily lives. 

The strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the Urban Agenda for the EU is the subject of an opinion adopted during the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 4 July in Brussels. Rapporteur and Cork city Councillor Kieran McCarthy (IE/EA) calls on the EU institutions to reaffirm their commitment to urban matters and place the process on a formal footing. He welcomes the early signs in this direction proposed in the framework for regional development and cohesion policy beyond 2020. 

​The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) welcomes the recognition of the role of mayors in the European Action Plan to help local elected representatives protect public spaces against terrorist attacks. The CoR - the assembly of elected local and regional representatives of the European Union - calls on the European Commission to ensure the continuity of the new fund for supporting transnational projects protecting public spaces. It calls on the Member States, regions and cities to incorporate the protection of public spaces into the infrastructure investment carried out under the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund.  

The European Union's hopes of working more closely with countries on its eastern borders risk being undermined by inadequate funding, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) argues in a report that expresses "concern" that the European Commission has not set aside "more funding for new instruments" in its proposals for the 2021–27 budget. 

Il-mexxejja lokali u reġjonali tal-UE ser jiltaqgħu fi Brussell fl-4 u l-5 ta’ Lulju biex jiddiskutu l-kwistjonijiet li huma l-aktar importanti għar-reġjuni u l-bliet. Fl-ewwel jum tal-plenarja tiegħu, mexxejja mill-assoċjazzjonijiet nazzjonali tal-awtoritajiet lokali u reġjonali ser jingħaqdu mal-membri tal-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni (KtR) biex jipproponu kif għandha tinħoloq Ewropa innovattiva, sostenibbli u inklużiva. L-għada, u ftit żmien wara li l-UE żiedet il-miri tagħha għall-enerġija u l-klima għall-2030, Miguel Arias Cañete, il-Kummissarju tal-UE għall-Azzjoni Klimatika u l-Enerġija, il-Mibgħut Speċjali tal-Polonja għat-Tibdil fil-Klima u l-mexxejja tal-bliet ta’ Bonn (ospitant tat-taħdidiet dwar il-klima tal-COP 23) u Katowice (l-ospitant tal-COP24) ser imexxu d-diskussjonijiet dwar dak li l-UE trid tagħmel biex tirrispetta l-impenji tagħha li saru fil-Ftehim ta’ Pariġi dwar il-klima. Ser jitħabbru wkoll ir-rebbieħa tal-Premju “Reġjun Intraprenditorjali Ewropew” għall-2019 u jiġu ċċelebrati dawk ir-reġjuni li għandhom l-aktar strateġiji intraprenditorjali ta’ suċċess fl-Ewropa. Il-membri tal-KtR ser jiffokaw l-attenzjoni wkoll fuq tnejn mill-aktar kwistjonijiet lokali u reġjonali urġenti –– il-politika tal-UE dwar il-migrazzjoni u l-politika reġjonali –– u jiddiskutu l-pjani tal-Awstrija għall-Presidenza tal-UE li jmiss tagħha għal perjodu ta’ sitt xhur.