The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is drafting an opinion on "Experiences and lessons learned by regions and cities during the COVID-19 crisis". It highlights the crucial role of local and regional authorities in the response to the crisis and in the recovery and aims to bring forward recommendations to the EU level based on evidence from the ground.  

The European Committee of the Regions is in the process of elaborating its position on the recently published European Commission Communication "A Union of Equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025". An exchange of views on the basis of a Working Document by the Rapporteur, Ms Yoomi Renström (SE-PES), is scheduled on 25 November 2020, within the framework of the meeting of the CoR Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC).  

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is in the process of elaborating its position on the recently published European Commission's Migration and Asylum Pact. An exchange of views is scheduled on 4 December, within the framework of the meeting of the CoR Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX). 

We live in a time of multiple and multi-dimensional transitions. The green and digital transitions, the demographic change and the COVID-19 pandemic are reshaping our way of life and work. These changes highlight the need for a paradigm-shift on skills. A novel European skills agenda will drive the twin transition and ensure recovery from the social-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On 11 September 2020, the European Committee of the Regions' Bureau approved the proposal by the SEDEC commission to draft an own-initiative opinion on the Restart of Cultural and Creative Sectors. The SEDEC commission will adopt the draft opinion on the Restart of Cultural and Creative Sectors, with Giuseppe VARACALLI (IT/Renew Europe) as rapporteur, at its meeting on 25 November 2020. 

The German Presidency has requested that the European Committee of the Regions provides insight into how cohesion policy could help overcoming the economic crisis resulting from the ongoing pandemic, and promote growth through innovation and economic change. By means of this written consultation, the CoR rapporteur for this opinion, Mr Michiel Rijsberman, would like to consult relevant stakeholders and gather their input in order to draft the opinion.  

​The topic of public transport is extremely important for local and regional authorities (LRAs) as it is within their core competencies to provide public service to their citizens. Therefore, the European Committee of the Regions has decided to issue an own-initiative opinion on the "Challenges for public transport in metropolitan regions", to be drafted by Adam STRUZIK (PL/EPP), Marshal of the Mazovian Voivodeship. 

Around 70% of EU policies are implemented at the local and regional level. At the same time, EU policies affect people's daily lives in ways that policy makers cannot always foresee. This, combined with the lack of information on the EU and outright disinformation campaigns sometimes leads to a perception of the EU as distant from the people.  

The European Committee of the Regions is currently drafting an opinion on the Farm to Fork Strategy to bring forward a local and regional dimension. The rapporteur, Guido Milana (PES/IT), would like to have your views on this topic. 

Európska komisia prijala v januári 2020 oznámenie Silná sociálna Európa pre spravodlivé transformácie so zámerom začať rozsiahlu diskusiu o vykonávaní Európskeho piliera sociálnych práv. Oznámenie je zároveň plánom realizácie najdôležitejších opatrení, ktoré Komisia ohlásila na obdobie rokov 2020 – 2021. Komisia do decembra 2020 vypracuje akčný plán na rok 2021 na základe príspevkov zainteresovaných strán, ktoré sa vyjadria k tomu, či sú potrebné ďalšie politické opatrenia sprevádzané (alebo nie) legislatívnymi iniciatívami na európskej úrovni. 

Európska komisia predstavila 5. marca 2020 svoju stratégiu pre rodovú rovnosť v Európe. Jej cieľom je dosiahnuť rodovo rovnoprávnu Európu, v ktorej by nedochádzalo k rodovo motivovanému násiliu a diskriminácii z dôvodu pohlavia a kde by sa nevyskytovala štrukturálna nerovnosť medzi ženami a mužmi. V stratégii sa tiež spomína, že v tomto roku si pripomíname 25. výročie prijatia Pekinskej deklarácie a akčnej platformy, a takisto sa odkazuje na ciele udržateľného rozvoja, najmä cieľ č. 5. Komisia SEDEC prijme na svojej schôdzi 9. júla 2020 návrh stanoviska na tému „Únia rovnosti: stratégia pre rodovú rovnosť na roky 2020 – 2025“, ktorého spravodajkyňou bude Concepción Andreu Rodríguez (ES/SES). 

Jednotný trh EÚ bol vytvorený pred viac ako 25 rokmi a odvtedy je základným kameňom hospodárskeho rozvoja EÚ. Považuje sa za jeden z najväčších úspechov EÚ a je jadrom hospodárskej a politickej integrácie EÚ.