When the plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe took place this weekend in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the voice of more than one million local and regional elected politicians was heard more clearly than ever thanks to an expanded delegation. In total, 30 regional and local delegates attended the second plenary meeting of the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

S vedúcimi predstaviteľmi miest a regiónov dnes diskutovala podpredsedníčka Európskej komisie pre demokraciu a demografiu Dubravkou Šuica. Členovia Európskeho výboru regiónov (VR) ocenili snahu Komisie zabezpečiť, aby mali zástupcovia regiónov, miest a obcí na konferencii primerané zastúpenie. Zopakovali svoju výzvu, aby sa zaručilo, že sa diskusia o budúcnosti Európy prostredníctvom miestnych a regionálnych orgánov dostane k občanom a že sa v nej bude reagovať na ich požiadavky. 

Members of the European Parliament and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) discussed with Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira the new programming period 2021-27 and the territorial aspects of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). They asked the European Commission to ensure the full respect of the partnership principle and the multilevel governance, and to provide recommendations to Member States and relevant managing authorities to improve partnership processes. They also called on Member States to guarantee a broader territorial implementation of the RRF, and on the European Commission to guarantee that the National Recovery Plans will be built in full respect of articles 175 and 174 TFEU and prioritise less developed and transition regions, as well as the Regions most impacted by the socio-economic repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis. 

In an opinion adopted by the plenary session today, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) welcomes the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy but warns that we are at the same time experiencing regression in respect of EU values, with some authorities continuously using anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric and even adopting discriminatory policies and legislation. The assembly of EU's regions and cities argues that European funds should not be granted to governments promoting structural discrimination mechanisms against LGBTIQ people and suggests providing more financial support to equality and diversity programmes at local level. 

At the event "Cities fostering democracy in the European Union: Urban perspectives for the Conference on the Future of Europe", co-organised by the European Committee of the Regions, Eurocities and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), local and regional leaders set out their expectations for the Conference on the Future of Europe, and shared their experiences on strengthening local democracy. Examples of innovative participative exercises, green projects, digital services to citizens or integration of communities were discussed. The event led to the adoption of conclusions which will feed the Conference on the future of Europe. 

Nový celoeurópsky systém na ochranu priemyselných a remeselných zemepisných označení, ktorý by sa inšpiroval úspešným modelom používaným pre poľnohospodárske výrobky a potraviny, by bol prospešný pre remeselníkov aj miestne hospodárstvo. Vďaka nemu by sa zlepšila právna ochrana špičkových výrobkov, zefektívnil by sa boj proti falšovaniu a podporilo vytváranie a udržanie pracovných miest. Návrh je uvedený v stanovisku, ktoré vypracovala Martine Pinville, poslankyňa regionálneho zastupiteľstva Nouvelle-Aquitaine a ktoré plenárne zhromaždenie Európskeho výboru regiónov (VR) (jednomyseľne) prijalo v stredu 13. októbra.