La 14 noiembrie, președintele Comitetului European al Regiunilor (CoR), Karl-Heinz Lambertz, s-a întâlnit cu reprezentanțele regiunilor UE la Bruxelles pentru a le prezenta noua rețea-pilot de centre regionale ( #RegHub ) și a discuta despre procedura de selecție a celor 20 de regiuni care să participe la rețea în faza-pilot (2019-2020). Conform cu recomandările Grupului operativ privind subsidiaritatea , scopul proiectului este ca autoritățile locale și regionale să contribuie cu feedback legat de punerea în aplicare a legislației UE în teritoriu, pentru a ajuta, în cele din urmă, la îmbunătățirea legislației UE și a o face mai accesibilă pentru cetățeni. 

Printre principalele teme ale ședinței comisiei ENVE de astăzi s-au numărat COP24, cel de-al 8-lea program de acțiune pentru mediu, reutilizarea apei, programul spațial european și inițiativa privind regiunile carbonifere aflate în tranziție. Orașul Gent a câștigat Premiul pentru activități transformatoare 2018 cu un proiect de lanț alimentar durabil. 

Local and regional leaders have welcomed the adoption of the European Parliament's position on the EU long term budget 2021-2027. Increasing resources up to 1.3% of the EU27's gross national income (GNI), preserving strong cohesion and agricultural policies, as well as identifying new means to fund EU investment for citizens are top priorities of both institutions. Today's Parliament position is a solid basis for upcoming negotiations with the Council and Member States, whose unanimous agreement is compulsory for the budget to be adopted. 

The president of the provincial parliament of Burgenland Christian Illedits (AT/PES) hosted an ENVE seminar last Thursday 8 November in the Austrian city of Pinkafeld. Under three key words – Energy, Education and Sustainability, Burgenland's meeting was the occasion to show how a regional energy model can autonomously supply 100% of its electricity demand from renewable energy sources. The CoR is preparing the adoption of an opinion on local energy communities next plenary session 5-6 December 2018. 

An environmentally, economically and socially robust Europe needs strong urban and rural areas as well as partnership and cooperation between them. This was the conclusion during the high-level event of the #Cohesion Alliance in Klagenfurt, Austria. The event co-organised by the European Committee of the Regions and the province of Carinthia brought together representatives of Austrian provinces, European associations of regions and EU institutions to discuss territorial solidarity between urban, rural and remote areas in Europe as well as synergies between the future EU cohesion and agricultural policies. 

The European Commission has awarded Athens the title of the European Capital of Innovation 2018 for the innovative ways in which it has overcome social and economic challenges and turned them into new opportunities. Mayor Georgios Kaminis (EL/PES), who is a member of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), represented Athens in the award ceremony hosted by Commissioner Carlos Moedas in Lisbon on Tuesday. 

The European Commission has recently published the Call for Proposals on 'Local Authorities: Partnerships for sustainable cities' (EuropeAid/161146/DH/ACT/Multi). 

On 17 October 2018, a delegation of 12 CIVEX members visited the network of the Europe Direct Information Centers' (EDICs) in Bologna (Italy), at the invitation of Ms Simonetta Saliera (IT/PES), CoR member and President of the Emilia Romagna Region Legislative Assembly.  

Olga Zrihen, the vice-president of the Belgian senate and a member of the Walloon parliament, has been chosen by Europe's regions and cities to champion policies that strengthen local economies. 

Sustainable development and coherent, fair and transparent reform of human-resources management will need to be central concerns for Montenegro's mayors well beyond the country's possible accession to the European Union, local and regional leaders from the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) told their Montenegrin counterparts on 18 October. Demands made by the EU are not just pre-conditions, they said, but reflect a basic reality that local and regional authorities within the EU need constantly to adjust policies and procedures to serve local needs.  

Comitetul European al Regiunilor (CoR) a salutat intenția Comisiei Europene de a consolida participarea autorităților locale și regionale la procesul de elaborare a politicilor UE. CoR sprijină propunerile anunțate în comunicarea Comisiei, despre care CoR este convins că vor îmbunătăți calitatea și eficiența politicii UE, acordând un rol mai important orașelor și regiunilor. 

The SEDEC Commission, in charge of Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), adopted on 18 October four opinions on different programmes of the EU's next multiannual budget 2021–2027.  

With more than 6000 registered participants, 800 speakers and more than 300 partners, the European Week of Regions and Cities jointly organized by the European Commission’s Regional and Urban Policy DG and the European Committee of the Regions, beats the record as the biggest edition so far. 

Speaking at a meeting of foreign ministers on 15 October, the foreign-policy chief of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, underlined the importance of working with local and regional authorities to communicate about the EU with citizens of the six Eastern Partnership countries. 

The Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) has launched a prize for young entrepreneurs from the European Union's partner countries in the Mediterranean whose work demonstrates an innovative mind-set. The panel, which will be made up of ARLEM members, particularly wishes to recognise entrepreneurial projects at the local level, developed with the support of local and regional authorities, reflecting the assembly's wish to encourage collaboration between the private sector and public authorities. 

The European Committee of the Regions will host the ceremony of the Transformative Action Award 2018 next November 15 in Brussels. The three finalists are the City of Bologna (Italy), the City of Ghent (Belgium) and the City of Tirana (Albania). The winning city will receive €10.000 to kick-start a transformative action in its territory. 

According to the European Committee of the Regions, education policy strategies in Member States and regions should prioritise cooperation at all levels of governance to align high quality, innovative, digital and learner-centred education with new needs of the labour market. The assembly of EU's cities and regions welcomes the European Commission's proposal for a Digital Education Action Plan but calls for more efforts to reduce the digital divide, to support teachers and educators and to develop young people's media literacy. 

Dans le cadre du prochain budget à long terme de l'UE pour la période 2021-2027, la Commission européenne a proposé un nouveau programme destiné à renforcer et à défendre les droits et les valeurs de l'UE. Par la voix de son rapporteur François Decoster (FR/ADLE), Vice-président des Hauts-de-France, le Comité européen des régions (CdR) salue l'initiative mais insiste sur la nécessité d'inclure des actions spécifiques à destination des élus locaux et régionaux. Les collectivités territoriales restent le niveau de pouvoir le plus proche des citoyens et représentent un relais direct et efficace entre l'UE et les citoyens pour promouvoir l'engagement des citoyens sur les questions européennes. 

Local and regional leaders warn that Europe will never reach its goals over the years 2021-27 without increasing resources to 1.3% of EU27's gross national income (GNI), a position shared by the European Parliament. They oppose cuts to the EU’s cohesion policy and agriculture, and urge Member States and EU institutions to make new means available for cities and regions to invest in jobs, climate action and integration.  

The establishment of a European Labour Authority is a positive step towards fairer cross-border labour mobility in Europe, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) estimates in an opinion drafted by Doris Kampus (AT/PES), Styria's regional minister for social affairs, work and integration. However, the assembly of EU's cities and regions points out the need for a better coordination of national penalties and fines to prevent infringements of EU legislation in the area of free movement of employees, the posting of workers and the coordination of the social security systems.  

With an opinion drawn up by Miloslav Repaský (SK/EA), member of the regional parliament of the Prešov Self-Governing Region, the European Committee of the Regions supports the Commission's initiative that aims to increase the transparency and sustainability of EU risk assessment in the food chain.  

Liderii regionali și locali au solicitat Uniunii Europene să majoreze Fondul pentru azil și migrație cu aproape 6 miliarde EUR în perioada 2021-2027. Într-un avertisment adresat factorilor de decizie din UE, prilejuit de „punerea unui accent excesiv pe controlul la frontiere”, aceștia au cerut ca aproximativ o treime din fond să fie cheltuită pe gestionarea migrației legale și pe integrare și ca anumite cheltuieli pentru integrare să fie obligatorii. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted respective opinions on the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy and the related single-use plastics directive. With alarming concerns over plastics impact on the environment, cities and regions prioritise eco-design and extended producer responsibility to combat plastic pollution. Less than 30% of plastic waste is collected for recycling in Europe. Today, the European Parliament is also voting on the proposed measures for a single-use plastics directive which the CoR asks to extend to any disposable non-degradable plastic item.  

Today, in Brussels, the European Committee of the Regions voted by a large majority to adopt the proposals on the post-2020 future of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)  

With an opinion drawn up by Samuel Azzopardi (MT/EPP), councillor, Rabat Citta Victoria, Local Council, Gozo, the European Committee of the Regions welcomes the publication of the EC's proposal to lay down a minimum EU-wide framework for collective redress scheme mechanisms across the Member States, which could bring a real opportunity for consumers to obtain redress in cases of mass damage. The revision and update of existing consumer rules in response to current challenges ensures that such rules remain relevant and fit for purpose. This should, however, only be considered as a first step in the right direction. 

Regiunile și orașele Uniunii Europene și-au exprimat sprijinul pentru planurile de reducere a cantităților de plastic și de carburanți aruncate în mare, accentuând faptul că este nevoie de reguli clare, de o punere în aplicare coerentă și de taxe moderate pentru a ajuta porturile și navele să păstreze mările curate. Comitetul European al Regiunilor a sprijinit planurile UE și în baza temeiurilor economice, susținând că schimbările propuse vor încuraja turismul și dezvoltarea unei economii circulare. 

During the 16th European Week of Regions and Cities, European Parliament's Committee for Regional Development (REGI) jointly met with the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) on 9 October to discuss how to safeguard and further improve Europe's biggest investment tool after 2020.  

Președintele Comitetului European al Regiunilor, dl Karl-Heinz Lambertz, a rostit azi la Bruxelles al doilea discurs cu tema „Starea Uniunii Europene: perspectiva regiunilor și orașelor” în cadrul unei dezbateri cu președintele Parlamentului European, dl Antonio Tajani. Adresându-se astăzi adunării plenare a CoR în cadrul sesiunii plenare de la Bruxelles, el a susținut că „mai mult decât de o schimbare a orei, Europa are nevoie de o schimbare a direcției și a metodei", prin care regiunile și orașele să aibă un cuvânt mai greu de spus în modelarea viitorului. 

​Lors de l'audition organisée au Parlement européen sur la future PAC, Guillaume Cros, Vice-président de la Région Occitanie et rapporteur du Comité européen des régions, a rappelé que parmi les nombreux défis identifiés pour la future politique agricole commune, celui d'un meilleur équilibre territorial est au cœur des préoccupations du Comité européen des régions. 

Prin intermediul unui aviz elaborat de Christophe Clergeau (FR-PSE), membru al Consiliului Regional Ținuturile Loarei, Comitetul European al Regiunilor își reiterează solicitarea privind o abordare globală a efortului financiar al Uniunii în domeniul cercetării, formării și inovării, și atrage atenția asupra consecințelor scăderii bugetelor politicii de coeziune, care riscă să accentueze disparitățile dintre regiunile europene. Avizul , care a fost adoptat la 9 octombrie, în cadrul sesiunii plenare, subliniază necesitatea de a recunoaște oficial rolul ecosistemelor regionale și al clusterelor de inovare, dar și de a consolida legăturile cu specializarea inteligentă.