The United Nations' climate summit is to kick off in Glasgow in less than two months. Six years after the signature of the Paris Agreement, national governments are to provide concrete answers on how they plan to meet their climate targets. As the world goes through unprecedented heat waves, fires and floods, COP26 will put the spotlight on the need for higher climate ambition to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. The formal inclusion of local and regional governments and their climate contributions remains a key demand that EU cities and regions will put forward in Glasgow, in close cooperation with international networks of sub-national government actors.  

Commenting on today's State of the European Union speech delivered by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said: 

The COVID-19 crisis has shown that cohesion policy is needed now more than ever to strengthen resilience in Europe, protect citizens, bring the recovery to every corner of the European Union and leave no one behind. Since its creation in October 2017, the #CohesionAlliance – an EU-wide alliance of 12,000 signatories advocating for a stronger cohesion policy – has managed to avoid dramatic budgetary cuts after 2020, keep a cohesion policy for all regions in the Union and put forward simpler and more flexible rules. During a videoconference dedicated to the new course of the #CohesionAlliance, its founding members renewed their commitment to join forces and keep cohesion policy as a EU top priority. The #CohesionAlliance will be vigilant that the partnership principle will be fully applied by Member States in the design and implementation of the cohesion policy 2021-27. Coherence and synergies between the recovery instruments and the structural funds are of paramount importance to avoid overlaps and maximise the impact of the European action. 

European Committee of the Regions critical of New Pact on Migration and Asylum at a European Parliament hearing​ Antje Grotheer (DE/PES), rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and Vice-President of Germany's Bremen City Parliament, presented the opinion of EU's cities and regions on the asylum & migration reform package at the hearing of European Parliament's LIBE Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, on 2nd September. She was highly critical of the importance of the first entry criterion in the analysis of asylum applications, a criterion on which Member States “waste too much time", as well as of the failure to take account of the realities of the regions, particularly those on the front line of migration. She urged to this effect for a greater consideration of regional specificities in every aspect of the process. 

​​As rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on the opinion on rural areas, the President of the Region of Andalusia Juanma Moreno, today took part in an exchange meeting between the European Commission and the EU Ministers of Agriculture on the future of rural areas. President Moreno stressed the need to further involve regions and local communities in the implementation of the Next Generation EU funds so as to ensure the sustainable development of rural areas in Europe. The CoR will organise a high-level forum in December dedicated to the recovery of rural areas in the Union.​ 

The deadline for nominations for the 2021 edition of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award has been extended to the end of September. 

Cities are on the frontline for promoting diversity, inclusiveness, social cohesion, and sustainable development and the coronavirus pandemic has even deepened some of the existing social challenges. Thus within its Intercultural Cities and Learning Programme, the Anna Lindh Foundation launches the EuroMed Capital for Dialogue Award – Call for Candidatures. 

The Connecting Europe Express is one of the key initiatives of the European Year of Rail 2021 and aims to draw attention to the many benefits of rail in both the passenger and freight sectors. It also feeds into the EU's overarching goal set out under the European Green Deal of encouraging a 'shift to rail' across the EU in order to decarbonise transport flows and increase sustainable mobility. The importance of the territorial dimension of the initiative has been underlined by the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, in a letter sent to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Apostolos Tzitzikostas, which invited all members of the CoR to join the project and visit the train at one of its destinations. 

Under the heading "Together for recovery", this year programme is focused on the capacity of the EU and of national and regional governments to support European citizens and their local communities with practical measures and public policies aimed at investing in a fairer, greener and more digital future for recovery 

Trade effects of Brexit likely to become clearer only after 1 October, senior EU official tells EU and UK local and regional politicians at meeting that puts spotlight on Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. Movement across the United Kingdom's borders with Ireland and Spain were central issues discussed at a meeting of British and EU local and regional politicians that focused on connections at risk of being lost by the UK's withdrawal from the EU. 

The results of a survey carried out by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) show a clear demand among local and regional authorities to extend the flexibility measures introduced last year to mobilise EU structural funds and state aid in the fight against COVID-19. Regions and cities need extraordinary rules to be maintained in order to secure the continuity of emergency investment and the deployment of crucial initiatives such as job retention schemes. This request is included in a letter co-signed by the CoR President Apostolos Tzitzikostas and the chair of the CoR's COTER commission Isabelle Boudineau, addressed to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the commissioners responsible for the relevant policies.  

B’reazzjoni għall-pakkett tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea “Lesti għall-mira ta' 55%” li għandu l-għan li jnaqqas l-emissjonijiet tal-karbonju tal-UE b’55% sal-2030, il-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni (KtR) jappella sabiex ir-regoli l-ġodda u aġġornati jiżguraw rwol ċentrali u finanzjament dirett għall-bliet u r-reġjuni li għandhom kompetenzi legali u huma qrib iċ-ċittadini fit-tranżizzjoni lejn in-newtralità klimatika. 

​​​Countries in the Western Balkans should use significant new financial support from the European Union to make their economies greener and more digital and to advance their case for EU membership, local and regional leaders heard at the Enlargement Day conference held by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 13 July. The conference – which was addressed by the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission's Acting Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations – also identified the post-pandemic recovery as a major milestone in the history of regions' and cities' involvement in the EU accession process.  

Bringing cross-border cooperation back to the forefront of the EU’s policy agenda is one of the European Committee of the Region’s (CoR) top priorities. The Conference on the Future of Cross-Border Cooperation, organized together with the other founding partners of the European Cross-Border Citizens' Alliance, feeds into this objective. During the event, which took place on 5 July, participants reflected on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, identified the ongoing and future challenges for cross-border regions, and held a debate on the vision for cross-border cooperation as part of the future of Europe. The event took place just a few days after CoR's plenary adopted a resolution on cross-border cooperation which will serve as a contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

The EU's regions and cities are looking forward to the Social Economy Action Plan, which the European Commission is expected to publish before the end of the year. The opinion adopted by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on Thursday underlines that it is essential to harness the full potential of social economy enterprises and organisations to ensure economic recovery, to promote collective entrepreneurship and to create high-quality jobs after the COVID-19 crisis. 

​Aviation has been one of the sectors worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Smaller regional airports have recorded the greatest decline in direct flight connections, particularly in passenger flights. Treviso (Italy) lost 95% of its connections, Vaasa (Finland) 91%, Quimper (France) 87%, and Burgas (Bulgaria) 82%. 

While the climate emergency is still very much a pressing matter, the path towards carbon neutrality must take into account the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis and the specific features of each region. Against this backdrop, rapporteur and Mayor of Autun Vincent Chauvet presented an opinion in today's plenary session that sets out the European Committee of the Regions' positions and demands regarding climate change in view of COP26, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, which will take place in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. 

The work of the European Commission's Fit for Future Platform (F4F) has taken on speed and its subgroups and experts are about to carry out consultations on selected EU legislation in order to check whether it is futureproof and fit for purpose. 

Sabiex is-settur tat-trasport Ewropew jissawwar mill-ġdid b’suċċess u jsir aktar sostenibbli, il-bliet u r-reġjuni fl-UE jeħtiġilhom jagħmlu enfasi akbar fuq it-tħeġġiġ ta’ mobbiltà mingħajr emissjonijiet, il-promozzjoni ta’ modi ta’ trasport attivi u kondiviżi, it-tfassil mill-ġdid tal-mobbiltà urbana u l-konnessjoni aħjar taż-żoni rurali. Dawn is-suġġerimenti jirriżultaw minn Opinjoni dwar Strateġija għal Mobbiltà Sostenibbli u Intelliġenti li ġiet adottata mill-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni (KtR) u ppreżentata mir-relatur Robert van Asten (NL/Renew Europe) matul il-plenarja tal-KtR nhar l-Erbgħa 30 ta’ Ġunju. 

L-Unjoni Ewropea trid toħloq “infrastruttura demokratika ġdida” sabiex tiżgura li l-elezzjonijiet ikunu ħielsa u ġusti, ittejjeb il-pluraliżmu tal-midja u tagħti spinta lill-involviment taċ-ċittadini, qal il-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni fit-30 ta’ Ġunju. F’rakkomandazzjonijiet maħsuba biex isaħħu d-demokrazija, l-ugwaljanza, u r-rispett għad-drittijiet tal-bniedem, il-mexxejja muniċipali u reġjonali enfasizzaw li l-gvernijiet sottonazzjonali jista’ jkollhom rwol importanti fil-promozzjoni tal-litteriżmu medjatiku, il-ħsieb kritiku u t-trasparenza fil-kampanji politiċi, kif ukoll fl-appoġġ tal-parteċipazzjoni taċ-ċittadini fil-politika. 

The European Union should make improving the health of the Mediterranean Sea one of the priorities of its cooperation with countries in its southern neighbourhood, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has said in recommendations that also praise the EU for making support for youth entrepreneurship central to its new strategy for the region.  

Il-mexxejja lokali u reġjonali Ewropej qed jitolbu li l-Għanijiet ta’ Żvilupp Sostenibbli tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti (SDGs) jerġgħu jitqiegħdu fuq quddiem fl-aġenda tal-Unjoni Ewropea, u jitolbu lill-istituzzjonijiet tal-UE u lill-Istati Membri jiżguraw l-implimentazzjoni tagħhom sal-2030. F’ Opinjoni adottata llum mill-plenarja tiegħu, il-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni (KtR) jenfasizza li l-pandemija tal-COVID-19 uriet l-importanza tal-iżvilupp sostenibbli u li l-SDGs jistgħu jgħinu biex noqorbu lejn viżjoni koerenti u olistika fi ħdan l-istrument Next Generation EU . Madankollu, studju reċenti tal-KtR jindika nuqqas ta’ referenza diretta u trasparenti għall-SDGs tan-NU f’ħafna pjani nazzjonali għall-irkupru u r-reżiljenza. 

In a bid to put cross-border cooperation back at the top of the EU's policy agenda, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted a resolution today calling on the European Commission to present a proposal for maintaining cross-border cooperation and cross-border life in the event of future crises. The resolution contains multiple proposals to improve cross-border cooperation and calls on the European Commission to follow up on already existing legislation and treaties, whose implementation could often still be improved. The future of cross-border cooperation will be further discussed during an event organised by the CoR, together with other key European partners, on 5 July. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted its proposals on climate adaptation in the opinion Forging a climate-resilient Europe - the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change. The CoR calls for demand-based policies, market incentives, carbon footprints and handprints in public procurement criteria and to accelerate cooperation with academia and businesses to boost broad-scale innovation, sustainable products, services and nature-based solutions. Despite net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 estimated to drop 35% below 1990 levels, the economic rebound from the COVID-19 risks bringing emissions back up. Around 40% of EU cities with more than 150 000 inhabitants have adopted climate adaptation plans.  

The European energy infrastructure update and expansion is a key enabler for the green energy transition and must be consistent with the Green Deal objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Therefore, last December 2020 the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise the 2013 Trans-European Energy Infrastructure Regulation (TEN-E). In an opinion drafted by the rapporteur Robert Sorin Negoiță (RO/PES) and discussed today, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) calls on the European Commission to ensure that the new regulation takes into account the needs and specificities of EU regions and that it stimulates sustainable energy security, market integration, fair competition, diversification of energy supply and affordable energy for all.  

As Europe's population is ageing, the need for care services is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. In an opinion drafted by Heinrich Dorner (AT/PES), Member of the State Government of Burgenland, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) calls on the European Commission to support cities and regions in addressing care worker shortages and highlights that family members – most often women – carrying out informal care work need adequate social rights and protection. 

The European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) discussed the role of cities and regions in reinforcing the resilience of critical entities during its plenary session on 1 July. To ensure a comprehensive approach, each Member State should have a strategy prepared in cooperation with local and regional authorities, setting out objectives and policy measures based on an assessment of all natural and man-made risks that may affect the provision of essential services. 

Peress li ħafna ajruporti reġjonali jinsabu f’diffikultà biex jirkupraw mit-tbatija ekonomika kkawżata mill-pandemija, il-membri tal-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni adottaw Opinjoni fl-1 ta’ Lulju, li tistieden lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea tiżviluppa regoli aktar flessibbli u effiċjenti dwar l-għajnuna mill-Istat li jippermettu lill-Istati Membri jipprovdu l-appoġġ finanzjarju meħtieġ lill-ajruporti reġjonali. Fl- Opinjoni , li tfasslet minn Władysław Ortyl (PL/KRE), il-KtR enfasizza wkoll li l-appoġġ finanzjarju għandu jiġi investit biex l-ajruporti jsiru aktar sostenibbli sabiex jgħinu biex jintlaħqu l-objettivi stabbiliti fil-Patt Ekoloġiku Ewropew. 

Il-kriżi tal-COVID tenfasizza l-bżonn li t-tfassil tal-politika tal-UE jintrabat mal-ħtiġijiet tal-komunitajiet lokali permezz tar-rwol kruċjali tal-politiċi eletti lokalment: dan huwa l-messaġġ mgħoddi llum mill-membri tal-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni lill-Viċi President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea Maroš Šefčovič. Matul dibattitu fil-plenarja, il-mexxejja lokali u reġjonali tennew l-impenn tagħhom li jtejbu l-leġiżlazzjoni tal-UE billi jikkontribwixxu għall- pjattaforma Fit for Future (F4F) . F’ Riżoluzzjoni bi proposti għall-Programm ta’ Ħidma tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea għall-2022 , il-membri tal-KtR jitolbu li l-Kummissjoni Ewropea tiżgura li l-awtoritajiet lokali u reġjonali jkunu involuti fl-implimentazzjoni tal-Pjani Nazzjonali għall-Irkupru u r-Reżiljenza sabiex jiġu indirizzati b’mod effettiv il-konsegwenzi tal-pandemija fil-prattika . Huma jitolbu wkoll li jiġu estiżi l-miżuri kruċjali ta’ flessibbiltà li ġew introdotti biex jiġu mobilizzati l-fondi strutturali u ta’ investiment Ewropej matul il-kriżi tal-COVID. 

Il-politiċi reġjonali u lokali – rappreżentati fl-UE mill-KtR – u l-Membri tal-Parlament Ewropew – l-unika istituzzjoni tal-UE li l-membri tagħha huma eletti direttament miċ-ċittadini – għandhom jingħaqdu flimkien fil-qafas tal-Konferenza dwar il-Futur tal-Ewropa. L-għan komuni tagħhom għandu jkun li joħorġu fil-beraħ is-sejħa taċ-ċittadini għal Unjoni li jeħtiġilha tkun eqreb lejhom, li tirrispetta l-prinċipju tas-sussidjarjetà u li tħares ’il quddiem hija u tirreaġixxi għall-isfidi ġodda fil-livell globali u lokali. Dan huwa l-messaġġ kondiviż tal-membri tal-KtR matul il- 145 sessjoni plenarja tal-KtR , flimkien ma’ Guy Verhofstadt, Manfred Weber u Iratxe Garcia Perez – tliet rappreżentanti tal-Parlament Ewropew fi ħdan il-Bord Eżekuttiv tal-Konferenza dwar il-Futur tal-Ewropa. It-tliet MEPs enfasizzaw li l-membri tal-KtR huma alleati b’saħħithom għal dibattitu wiesa’, ġenwinament inklużiv, trasparenti u bbilanċjat ġeografikament u politikament dwar il-futur tal-Unjoni Ewropea. 

The publication of the long-term vision for rural areas by the European Commission is a major success for the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), which has been asking for a rural agenda since 2016. Local leaders welcome the proposal of a Rural Pact and Action Plan setting objectives and reinforcing the political ownership for investment on sustainable rural developments. The CoR appreciates the long-term vision of rural areas in all their diversity and the effort to revitalise them in a way that goes beyond agriculture and considers every policy area through the rural lens. As foreseen in the Commission's proposal, the Committee is ready to promote the mobilisation of local communities in the implementation of the rural action plan and vision. At the same time, the CoR demands that EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is coordinated not only with cohesion policy but also with the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

Il-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni jsaħħaħ l-impenn tiegħu fil-konfront tal-proġett leġiżlattiv wiesa’ tal-UE għat-tisħiħ tal-kontroll demokratiku fuq il-pjattaformi tal-internet dominanti u għar-restawr ta’ ekonomija online b’kundizzjonijiet ekwi li tiffunzjona kemm għall-SMEs kif ukoll għall-konsumaturi individwali. Matul is-sessjoni plenarja ta’ Ġunju, il-membri tal-Kumitat adottaw Opinjoni li tappoġġja l-intenzjoni tal-Kummissjoni li ssaħħaħ ir-regolamentazzjoni tas-swieq u s-servizzi diġitali, filwaqt li fl-istess ħin tenfasizza l-innovazzjonijiet u l-kompetenzi tal-bliet u r-reġjuni li jistgħu jikkontribwixxu għal regolamentazzjoni robusta u effettiva. L-Opinjoni tal-KtR dwar l-Att dwar is-Servizzi Diġitali hija integrata f’network usa’ ta’ inizjattivi mmirati lejn it-tisħiħ tal-profil tal-KtR bħala wieħed mill-ixpruni tal-UE għat-trasformazzjoni diġitali inklużiva. 

Il-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni u l-Kummissjoni Ewropea se jiżviluppaw proġetti konġunti biex jappoġġjaw it-tagħlim tal-valuri tal-UE fil-klassi tal-iskola bl-għajnuna tal-awtoritajiet reġjonali u lokali u fuq bażi volontarja. F’dibattitu plenarju ma’ Margaritis Schinas – Viċi President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea responsabbli għall-Promozzjoni tal-Istil ta’ Ħajja Ewropew Tagħna – il-mexxejja reġjonali u lokali enfasizzaw ukoll li s-sistemi edukattivi għandhom jirrispettaw u jippromovu bis-sħiħ il-libertà, l-ugwaljanza, it-tolleranza u n-nondiskriminazzjoni. Huma enfasizzaw ukoll li t-tagħlim dwar l-Unjoni Ewropea, il-valuri, il-wirt kulturali u d-diversità tagħha huwa vitali u għandu jiġi offrut fil-komunitajiet kollha, għall-etajiet kollha u għal kull ċittadin tal-UE. 

​Presidents of regional parliaments with or without legislative powers, Presidents of Regions and other regional entities endorsed today a Declaration which is the starting point of an Alliance of Regions for European Democracy that aims at enhancing the regions' political impact on the European decision making process on matters with direct relevance to the work of local and regional authorities. The endorsement took place during the political event "The place of regions in the European Union architecture in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe" organised by the European Committee of the Regions , the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), and the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The Declaration also calls for the Conference on the Future of Europe to discuss the role of regions in the EU institutional architecture and to improve it to better address citizens' needs. 

When migrants move, it is overwhelmingly to cities that they come. Migrant integration happens in cities, and it is overseen by local governments. EUROCITIES recently published its fourth Integrating Cities Report which gives a direct insight into how cities are integrating migrants today. It is now available to read in full here. 

Il-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni, flimkien man-Network Internazzjonali tal-Bliet ta’ Rifuġju (ICORN) u l-Belt ta’ Gdańsk, qed jiftħu n-nomini għall-edizzjoni tal-2021 tal-Premju “Sindku Paweł Adamowicz” għall-kuraġġ u l-eċċellenza fil-promozzjoni tal-libertà, is-solidarjetà u l-ugwaljanza. 

A large number of citizens and experts took part on 23 June in "Towards a multimodal Adriatic-Ionian major line with multiple connections to the Tyrrhenian coast", an event staged by the Abruzzo Region in collaboration with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) as part of the European Year of Rail 2021. Connecting from L'Aquila and Brussels, speakers included president of the Abruzzo Region and CoR member Marco Marsilio; Portugal's secretary of state for infrastructure, Jorge Delgado on the outlook for the Portuguese Council presidency; the director for Investment, Innovative & Sustainable Transport at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), Herald Ruijters; and Italy's deputy minister for infrastructure and sustainable transport, Alessandro Morelli. 

Three vice-presidents of the European Commission will address the European Committee of the Regions on 30 June, discussing efforts to strengthen and deepen democracy, build inclusive societies, and improve EU legislation. Vice-President Věra Jourová will present the European Democracy Action Plan to empower citizens and build more resilient democracies, Vice-President Margaritis Schinas will highlight the role of education and culture in protecting the European way of life, while Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič will set out the European Commission's work programme as well as the Commission's efforts to embed strategic foresight into its work. Members of the CoR will also discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe with the three MEPs leading the work of the European Parliament in the EU-wide consultation. 

​​​​​​​The webinar looked at the state of digital transformation in European regions, taking stock of the latest research showing an increasing digital divide across European regions and urban-rural communities. Invited speakers shared their views on how public authorities at all levels can facilitate the digital transition of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), showcasing some best practices and collaboration initiatives from the European Entrepreneurial Regions. 

On 13 July 2021, the CoR, in cooperation with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will hold the Enlargement Day.  

​​​Local communities' needs will weigh more in the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) investment decisions and regions will be among leading actors in shaping, implementing and assessing the national CAP strategic plans. This crucial result was achieved thanks to the work of the CoR, its intense cooperation with the European Parliament and – more recently - with the EU Commission. Regional and local leaders are ready to use the new CAP to deliver the Green Deal on the ground but urge Member States to set adequate rules to make this happen.  

Hekk kif il-Kapijiet ta’ Stat u ta’ Gvern tal-UE qed jiltaqgħu fi Brussell biex jirrevedu s-sitwazzjoni attwali tal-irkupru ekonomiku, ir-riżultati ta’ studju ġdid ikkummissjonat mill-Kumitat Ewropew tar-Reġjuni (KtR) jiżvelaw in-nuqqas ta’ involviment tal-awtoritajiet lokali u reġjonali fit-tħejjija u l-implimentazzjoni tal-Pjani Nazzjonali għall-Irkupru u r-Reżiljenza. L-istudju ġie ppreżentat waqt il-laqgħa tal- Kummissjoni għall-Politika Ekonomika (ECON) tal-KtR . Il-membri tal-Kummissjoni ECON esprimew ukoll tħassib serju li minħabba nuqqas ta’ attenzjoni mogħtija lid-disparitajiet territorjali fil-pjani u minħabba l-koordinazzjoni insuffiċjenti mal-miri tal-politika ta’ koeżjoni hemm ir-riskju ta’ fondi li jikkoinċidu. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, has received the International Medal of the Community of Madrid in recognition of his "unconditional support" to the region, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

​​Jari Andersson, member of Sastamala City Council (FI/EPP) has drafted an opinion for the European Committee of the Regions on the EU strategy on the rights of the child and the European Child Guarantee. Mr Andersson's opinion was adopted on Wednesday at the meeting of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) of the CoR. 

There are early signs that changes aimed at making the process of accession to the European Union more dynamic and predictable are yielding results, with local and regional leaders, Serbia's EU ambassador and the European Commission detecting a "new momentum" in the past year.  

Regional leaders from Turkey and the European Union have expressed some optimism that the strains in the relationship between Turkey and the European Union may ease and that a more productive period of contacts and collaboration is possible, with economic sustainability a central theme. 

Albanian municipalities are increasingly focused on improving their capacity to absorb European Union money and implement EU-related reforms, political leaders and government officials said as a meeting with the European Committee of the Regions on 17 June. There were, however, warnings about a continuing imbalance between the level of responsibility they have been given by central government and the funding available to them. 

Montenegro must overcome a period of political tension and administrative disruption and "do its homework" on issues related to the rule of law if it is to maintain the pace of its bid to join the European Union, local and regional leaders from Montenegro were told at a meeting and the European Committee of the Regions on 10 June. 

Over 80 young local and regional young elected politicians (YEPs) from 21 European countries participated in an info session organized by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on the implementation of the Renovation Wave at the local level . They engaged in a debate with the CoR member Rafal Trzaskowski, representatives of the Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) from the CoR, the Covenant of Mayors Initiative, the European Investment Bank, the European Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the European City Facility Initiative, who provided them with the key information, tools and financial support opportunities to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.  

A joint survey of the European Committee of the Regions and the OECD