The European Committee of the Regions, together with the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) and the Polish city of Gdańsk, have presented the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award to Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne, for her courage and work on the promotion of freedom, solidarity and equality. 

Rural areas account for almost 30% of the EU population and 80% of its territory, making them a vital part of Europe's recovery and development The European Commission's long-term vision for the future of rural areas is a promising start but making it a reality will require political will from every level of government, stakeholders and citizens alike, the European Committee of the Regions warned on Wednesday.  

The European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission will intensify their cooperation to ensure that regions across the Union can benefit fully from unprecedented levels of EU investment as they recover from the pandemic. The aim is to support local and regional authorities in effectively using the €500 billion available in EU structural funds and national co-funding and secure their consistency and complementarity with the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

The EU's support for a rural revival, delivering cohesion policy, the European Green Deal and the Conference on the Future of Europe will be central themes at the upcoming plenary of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). The two-day plenary, which will be held remotely and streamed live, will be addressed by five European Commissioners and will see Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne, presented with the first Mayor Pawel Adamowicz Award. 

"On behalf of the European Committee of the Regions, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Roberta Metsola for her election as President of the European Parliament, becoming the youngest president in its history and the first female president in over twenty years." 

Henriette Reker, the Mayor of Cologne, was today named as the first winner of an award created in honour of Mayor Paweł Adamowicz of Gdańsk, who was murdered in January 2019 while fulfilling his public duties. 

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions, said on 11 January: I am deeply saddened by the sudden death of David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament. The European Union and Italy cry the passing away of a true European. 

A permanent process of consultation with citizens, through their local and regional representatives, would be a major improvement to European democracy, according to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). As the latest round of debates under the Conference on the Future of Europe takes place in Strasbourg this weekend, the CoR has published an interim report based on the input given by citizens during local dialogues on the nine main themes of the Conference. The input from nearly 130 dialogues with citizens across the EU clearly shows that local and regional leaders are seen as key actors in this consultation process. The ideas collected during these dialogues were submitted to the digital platform of the Conference and will reflect the voice of citizens alongside the European citizens' panels organised as part of the Conference. 

​On 17, 18 and 23 November, participants of the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) programme Young Elected Politicians (YEP) gathered in a Forum to formulate their recommendations for the future of Europe, with a focus on digitalisation. Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES), Chair of the Commission for social policy, education, employment, research and culture (SEDEC) of the CoR, Member of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) and Chair of Kerava City Council, opened the workshop on digitalisation. 

De leden van het in het EU-actieplan om de verontreiniging van lucht, water en bodem naar nul terug te dringen aangekondigde stakeholdersplatform zijn vandaag voor het eerst bijeengekomen voor de formulering van het werkprogramma 2022-2024, dat de uitvoering van het actieplan moet ondersteunen. Het platform is een gezamenlijk initiatief van de Europese Commissie en het Europees Comité van de Regio’s. 

Post-pandemic sustainable economic growth agenda discussed at meeting of Turkish and EU local leaders to close a year of improvement in the tenor of EU-Turkey relations. 

EU's cities and regions are looking forward to strengthening further their cooperation with the European Commission in the fields of research and innovation, education and culture. Through the Joint Action Plan which enters its second year, regions and cities will play their part in the success of the European Year of Youth 2022, in strengthening democratic values through education, in the New European Bauhaus initiative, in delivering the EU Missions, in reinforcing the territorial dimension of the European Research Area (ERA) and the synergies between Horizon Europe and Structural Funds, as well as in developing a new pilot project of smart specialisation strategies for sustainability (S4). 

President Maia Sandu of Moldova has emphasised the empowerment of local authorities will be central to the success of reforms in her country, pledging to increase funding available to them. Speaking on the eve of a summit of the Eastern Partnership, she also urged local public administrations "to build partnerships, support each other and share good practices". 

​Members of the European Committee of the Regions were invited to represent the EU's regions and cities at the yearly European Education Summit organised by the European Commission on 9 December. This provided an opportunity to underline the essential contribution of local and regional authorities to developing high-quality digital education and skills, to reinforcing active European citizenship and to responding to future challenges in the field of education and training. This year's event was organised fully online. 

​​Members of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) adopted a draft opinion on the zero emission road transport policy and the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure for all cities and regions in the EU. During their meeting on 10 December, local and regional leaders also debated on the conclusion of the European Year of Rail 2021 and the relations with the United Kingdom.  

​​On 10 December the members of the European Commission's Fit for Future (F4F) Platform adopted eight opinions that aim at simplifying EU laws, and reducing unnecessary costs. Since local and regional authorities are implementing 70% of EU legislation, it is of great importance to have feedback from local and regional representatives in the F4F platform. The European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) was represented by its members Mark Speich (DE/EPP), Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES) and Ulrika Landergren (SE/RE), who presented opinions respectively on public procurement, environmental reporting and patients' rights in cross-border healthcare.  

​​​"The unprecedented volume of investments that is about to be allocated requires unprecedented cooperation between Brussels, Rome and the regions," President Apostolos Tzitzikostas told Italian regional and local leaders during a visit to Rome on 9 December in which he also underlined the particular importance that Italy will play in the European Union's economic recovery from the pandemic. 

The 8th meeting of the Green Deal Going Local working group focused on an assessment of Glasgow's COP26 climate conclusions and the prospects for enhanced cooperation with the United Nations in view of the next COP27 summit, due to take place in Egypt in 2022. Members exchanged on the 2022 European Commission Work Programme, and explored synergies with the European Commission's "Next Generation EU" campaign, which also aims at raising awareness on the Green Deal and mobilising youth to take climate action. During the meeting, members raised concerns about energy prices, which risks delaying the much-needed social, economic and green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic across the EU.  

The Emissions Trading Scheme system should not damage territorial cohesion or put the most vulnerable citizens and territories at risk. This was one of the key messages of the 4th Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogue, an initiative of the European Committee of the Regions to boost exchanges between EU, national and local and regional governments as to improve the EU's energy governance. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) stressed within the opinion adopted by unanimity at the Plenary Meeting on the 2nd of December, that the European Commission's report on competition policy 2020 must be followed by bold acts. The EU should take the needs of SMEs into account to create a fair and level playing field for the benefit of all EU citizens, considering the implications of the pandemic and the consequences of substantially increased amounts of state aid. Therefore, any COVID-19-related aid should be granted only to businesses that are experiencing the immediate financial impact of the pandemic. 

​On 30 November 2021, the Anna Lindh Foundation organised, in the framework of celebrations for the Day of the Mediterranean on 28 November and on the margins of the UFM Regional Forum, the award ceremony of the EuroMed Capital for Dialogue Award 2021 – a new initiative by this institution to promote intercultural dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region. 

In het cohesiebeleid moet aandacht worden besteed aan gendergelijkheid en de arbeidsparticipatie van vrouwen, die van cruciaal belang zijn voor een grotere economische en sociale cohesie in Europa. Dit is de strekking van een advies dat op 2 december jl. is uitgebracht door het Europees Comité van de Regio’s (CvdR) en werd opgesteld door Donatella Porzi, lid van de regioraad van Umbrië (Italië). Volgens lokale en regionale bestuurders is het van essentieel belang dat het genderperspectief wordt meegenomen in de nationale herstel- en veerkrachtsplannen. 

Council of Europe leader calls for support for local media and emphasises the "major role" of local and regional authorities in tackling disinformation and hate. 

Organic farming, through its positive environmental and climate impact in terms of improved carbon sequestration and soil health, biodiversity conservation and animal welfare, contributes to the objectives of the European Green Deal and targets of the EU Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted on 2 December the opinion on EU action plan for organic farming. 

The Climate Pact Ambassadors of the European Committee of the Regions and the Directorate General Climate Action of the European Commission debated on the first CoR Climate Ambassadors event on the possibilities offered by the initiative whose purpose is to get individuals, communities and organisations involved in climate actions and build a greener Europe. Climate Pact Ambassadors play a key role in the CoR's actions for the Climate Pact . 

Het economisch en sociaal herstel en de groene en digitale transitie hebben alleen kans van slagen als de lokale en regionale overheden rechtstreeks worden betrokken bij de voorbereiding en uitvoering van de nationale herstel- en veerkrachtplannen. Een nauw partnerschap tussen alle bestuursniveaus, de sociale partners en ngo’s is van het allergrootste belang om ervoor te zorgen dat de plannen afgestemd zijn op de territoriale behoeften en om overlappingen met andere EU-beleidsmaatregelen en -fondsen te voorkomen. Dat zijn de belangrijkste boodschappen die het Europees Comité van de Regio’s (CvdR) naar de nationale regeringen en EU-instellingen stuurt in een advies van rapporteur Rob Jonkman, wethouder van Opsterland, Nederland. De tekst is met eenparigheid van stemmen aangenomen tijdens de plenaire vergadering van het CvdR op 1 december. 

Regions and cities are calling on the European Commission to provide more support to all levels of government in the endeavour to end homelessness in Europe by 2030. In a debate with Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) welcomed the establishment of the European Platform for Combating Homelessness. An opinion adopted by the plenary session today underlines the role of local and regional authorities in developing a housing-led approach and a right mix of prevention measures that address both structural and personal causes of homelessness. 

Europe's regions and cities have welcomed the proposal to designate 2022 as the European Year of Youth. The resolution adopted today by the European Committee of the Regions' plenary session underlines the key role of local and regional authorities in promoting youth participation in local democracy and urges to mainstream a youth perspective in all EU policy areas. Bearing in mind the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on young people and their education, employment, income and mental health, the Committee calls to strengthen efforts to tackle youth unemployment and precarious working conditions and to improve access to housing, education and training. 

De regio’s en steden van de EU benadrukken dat zij een essentiële rol spelen bij het stimuleren van investeringen in artificiële intelligentie (AI) en het vergroten van het vertrouwen in AI-oplossingen. Het Europees Comité van de Regio’s (CvdR) heeft een advies goedgekeurd waarin wordt opgeroepen tot meer transparantie en strengere informatievereisten, met name voor AI-systemen met een hoog risico. Het wijst ook op de grote risico’s en de implicaties voor de mensenrechten van sociale classificatie, een middel dat alleen voor specifieke doeleinden zou mogen worden gebruikt en altijd onder menselijk toezicht dient te staan om schendingen van het recht op waardigheid en non-discriminatie en van de waarden gelijkheid en rechtvaardigheid te voorkomen. 

Sustainable Development Goals and public participation in focus at Cities and Regions for International Partnerships forum. 

The blue economy employs close to 4.5 million people and generates around €650 billion in turnover and €176 billion in gross value added in the EU. Aquaculture – fish farming - accounts for 20% of fish and shellfish supply in the EU. The sector is composed of 15,000 enterprises and employs 70,000 people. As part of the blue economy, fisheries and aquaculture are key to boosting the COVID-19 economic recovery, creating jobs and offering sustainable development opportunities to coastal and rural populations. Yet red tape and insufficient investments continue to hinder the full development of a European aquaculture sector. 

De EU heeft een strategie nodig die de industrie kan helpen om de uitstoot van broeikasgassen te verminderen en klimaatneutraliteit te bereiken, en tegelijkertijd kan helpen om de druk van de COVID-19-pandemie te boven te komen. Het Europees Comité van de Regio’s heeft vandaag in zijn advies ‘De industriestrategie 2020 actualiseren: naar een sterkere eengemaakte markt voor het herstel van Europa’ een reeks concrete maatregelen goedgekeurd om dit te bereiken, waaronder de versterking van de rol van de kmo’s en de territoriale dimensie van de industriestrategie van de EU, de bevordering van plaatsgebonden innovatiebeleid, slimmespecialisatiestrategieën en nauwere banden tussen industriële en regionale ecosystemen . 

Registration is now open for the 9th European Summit of Regions and Cities, scheduled to take place in Marseille (France) on 3-4 March 2022, in the context of the incoming French Presidency of the Council of the EU. 

De Conferentie over de toekomst van Europa is een uitgelezen kans om de EU dichter bij de burgers te brengen en hun gevoel van verbondenheid met het Europese project te versterken. Voorwaarde is wèl dat het Europees Comité van de Regio’s in de conclusies van de Conferentie namens de lokale en regionale overheden een coördinerende en communicerende rol krijgt in het toekomstige Europese besluitvormingsproces. Aldus luiden de bevindingen van Herman Van Rompuy, voormalig voorzitter van de Europese Raad en voorzitter van de CvdR-groep op hoog niveau inzake Europese democratie tijdens een debat over de toekomst van de democratie in Europa tijdens een zitting van het Europees Comité van de Regio’s. 

The European Union's debate on its future should result in deeper and more systematic collaboration with local and regional authorities, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) said on 1 December in recommendations that likewise called for direct consultation with the public to become a greater part of the life of the Union. The CoR, which brings together governors, mayors and councillors from across the EU, underlined the need for a regional perspective to become standard by suggesting that, whenever the EU chooses not to make an assessment of the impact of legislation on regions, it should be obliged to provide a public explanation. 

French President Emmanuel Macron discussed European values and the renewal of democracy with members of the European Committee of the Regions during the plenary session on 1 December. The French President stressed "the representativeness and importance of the CoR" and the fundamental role of subsidiarity and cohesion.  

On 29 November 2021, ARLEM vice-president André Viola, member of the Member of the Departmental Council of Aude (France), addressed the co-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean and ministers of foreign affairs at the UfM Sixth Regional Forum held in the framework of the celebrations of the Day of the Mediterranean of 28 of November. 

Co-organised by the CoR, East Poland House and Polish rail operator PKP, the conference brought together local and regional authorities, sectoral stakeholders and EU institutions. The importance of close cooperation between all levels of governance and sectoral stakeholders for the shift to rail objectives set out under the EU Green Deal and in the context of the European Year of Rail 2021 (EYR 2021) was underscored from the outset by Marie-Antoinette MAUPERTUIS (FR/EA), second Vice-President of the CoR's COTER Commission. The focus on regional rail was particularly welcomed in particular by Alberto Mazzola, Executive Director of the Community of European Railways (CER), who called for regional rail to be more prominently addressed at EU level, recalling that most passenger rail journeys in the EU are made at local and regional level.  

The chairman of the CoR's High-Level Group on European Democracy – Herman Van Rompuy, former President of the European Council – will lead a debate on 1 December on strengthening European democracy in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

​​​​Moving towards zero-pollution, making the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) work for EU cities and regions along with gender equality and climate change are three of the main topics discussed at the ENVE commission meeting on 23 and 24 November. The meeting hosted the award ceremony of the Transformative Action Awards 2021. The conclusions of the COP26 climate summit have been part of the discussions with members celebrating the Glasgow Climate Pact reference to 'the urgent need for multilevel and cooperative action' to tackle the climate crisis. 

​​2021 marks the fifth anniversary of the Transformative Action Award, which recognises ongoing or concluded Transformative Actions - inspired by the 15 pathways outlined in the Basque Declaration - that accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, in addition to spearheading the socio-cultural, socio-economic and technological transformation of societies. The Transformative Action Award is organised by ICLEI Europe, the Basque Country and the City of Aalborg with the support of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Investment Bank. 

The European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) met on 22 November to discuss and adopt a draft opinion on the EU Long-term vision for rural areas, which should take into account the specific needs of European territories and the differences among them. During the meeting, members also presented their expectations and hope for tourism in the next decade and exchanged views on the future EU State aid rules for agriculture, rural areas and forestry; on the Health Emergency Response Authority ​and on the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030. 

The transfer of more powers and funds to local government – coupled with specific efforts to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability – have boosted public trust and made possible significant increases in investment in public services in Ukraine, leaders of local-government associations and city mayors told the European Committee of the Regions on 18 November. 

We are pleased to share the third edition of the COP26 Glasgow Chronicles series, bringing you a summary of the activities - and updates on the negotiations, that the members of the European Committee of the Regions delivered during the second week of COP26, the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that was hosted by the UK in Glasgow from 31 October to 13 November 2021. On the closing day, the CoR published a COP26 political declaration endorsed by several partners. The COP26 conclusions are gathered in the Glasgow Climate Pact. Following the end of Glasgow climate talks, the LGMA constituency, gathering subnational governments in the UNFCCC system, published that 'Multilevel action is the beacon of hope to keep the 1.5 degree goal alive'. Already in July 2017, the CoR published that 'Cities and regions can bridge the emissions gap'. 

Het Europees Comité van de Regio’s (CvdR) heeft de inschrijving geopend voor de editie 2023 van de onderscheiding voor de meest ondernemende regio van Europa, die in het teken staat van “Ondernemerschap en veerkrachtige gemeenschappen”. Regio’s, steden en andere gemeenten met een strategie om kleine en middelgrote ondernemingen de komende twee jaar te ondersteunen kunnen naar de onderscheiding meedingen. Inzenden is mogelijk t/m 29 maart 2022. 

De toekomst van de Europese democratie vereist een permanente dialoog tussen de burgers en hun verkozen vertegenwoordigers en een duidelijk besef van de noodzaak van een grotere betrokkenheid bij het Europese project op elk bestuursniveau. Dit is een van de belangrijkste conclusies van de werkzaamheden van de CvdR-groep op hoog niveau inzake Europese democratie, voorgezeten door Herman Van Rompuy, voormalig voorzitter van de Europese Raad, en die vandaag werden gepresenteerd in de commissie Burgerschap, Governance, Institutionele en Externe Aangelegenheden (CIVEX) van het CvdR. 

This year's edition of the ESPAS Annual Conference, co-hosted by the EP and the EC, will see a high-level contribution by former CoR President Markku Markkula (FI/EPP). The ESPAS 2021 Conference will be held online on 18-19 November, under the headline 'Shaping Europe's future: Global trends and strategic choices.' 

​After two weeks of negotiations, the latest COP26 conclusions highlight the urgent need for multilevel and cooperative action. The reference was deleted in previous drafts, but reinserted after the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), speaking on behalf of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities Constituency, called for it to be included during the COP26 stocktaking plenary session on 11 November, the cities and regions day at COP26. The latest draft also urges Parties to further integrate adaptation into local, national and regional planning and recognise the important role of non-Party stakeholders in contributing to the goals of the Paris Agreement. Looking ahead to the COP27, a coalition of international networks – led by the CoR and representing cities and regions worldwide – today adopted a political declaration in support of further strengthening multilevel collaboration as a prerequisite to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C by the end of the century. 

​The event took place on 12 November 2021 in fully remote format, co-organised by CEI and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro (UOM). Roberto Ciambetti (IT/ECR), President of the Regional Council of Veneto and Co-Chair of the Joint Consultative Committee between the CoR and Montenegro, represented the Committee of the Regions. 

Joint Consultative Committee between the European Committee of the Regions and Montenegro held its 16th meeting on 3 November 2021, in Brussels-based hybrid format, under the joint leadership of its two Co-Chairs, Roberto Ciambetti (IT/ECR), President of the Regional Council of Veneto, and Aleksandar Kašćelan, Mayor of Cetinje.