The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Commission jointly held the sixth meeting of the Broadband Platform on 25 May. Members learnt about the latest policy initiatives on digital transformation, such as the European Commission's proposal on Gigabit Infrastructure, the proposal on the Cyber Solidarity Act and discussed challenges and opportunities linked to connectivity, digital resilience and a digital maturity assessment for cities, villages and regions in Europe.  

Important role of local government in reconstruction in spotlight ahead of international Ukraine Recovery Conference. The governments of Ukraine, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and representatives of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the European Commission and the OECD have agreed that continuing Ukraine's pre-war efforts to decentralise government will help to bolster Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction and to drive forward its ambition to join the EU. 

​At a joint debate at the Committee of the Regions' Plenary sitting, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and the newly elected President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Oliver Röpke, underlined their joint commitment for a social Europe that leaves no one behind, ahead of their participation in the Porto Social Forum on Saturday, 27 May, Portugal. 

With nearly 6 million Europeans who have been actively seeking employment for at least a year, long-term unemployment has a significant social impact. Its high cost to society would be offset by providing unemployed people with decent jobs at local level, the European Committee of the Regions underlines in an opinion drafted by Yonnec Polet (BE/PES), Deputy Mayor of Berchem-Sainte-Agathe. The opinion, which was adopted at the plenary session on 25 May, calls for the European Commission to take stock of the success of the Youth Guarantee, to earmark some ESF+ funds for local "zero long-term unemployment" initiatives and to set up ad hoc fund to combat long-term unemployment. 

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has thanked cities and regions in the European Union for giving shelter to Ukrainians following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He also urged the EU's cities and regions to join the work of ensuring an "effective recovery of Ukraine", saying that "we will recover every ruin that russia brought with its war… to show that our strength – the strength of our Europe – is obvious". 

Local and regional leaders call on the European Commission to publish the legislative framework for sustainable food systems as planned, later this year. The framework law should create coherence between different food-related policies, promote access to more healthy food, and recognise the crucial role of local and regional authorities by setting up an inclusive governance model.  

Two years after its adoption, it is clear that the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-27 does not offer sufficient responses to current crises such as the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, high inflation and the sharp rise in energy costs. The mid-term review of the long-term budget, planned by the European Commission for 20 June 2023, should therefore address regions' and cities' emerging needs and promote economic, social and territorial cohesion. These are the main demands discussed by CoR members with leading MEPs and included in an opinion adopted at the 24 May plenary session. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and UNICEF have signed an agreement to support regional and local administrations in the European Union in their work on child protection, and promote the European Child Guarantee with a focus on refugee children from Ukraine. 

Regional and local administrations have a "key" role to play in the European Union's efforts to promote discrimination-free societies, the President of the Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, defended in a debate focused on promoting diversity in the EU with EU Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli. 

The European Union cannot tackle social, economic and territorial disparities through Cohesion Policy alone. All EU initiatives and policies, like the post-COVID recovery plan NextGenerationEU, should fight against inequalities and promote cohesion, which must be a fundamental value of the European Union. This is the main message of the opinion on the "Do no harm to cohesion" principle, that was adopted by unanimity on 24 May at the Plenary of the European Committee of the Regions. 

Local administrations play a key role in implementing interoperability solutions close to citizens and provide a wide range of services at local level. Carrying out interoperability assessments incurs a significant financial burden, which, in particular in smaller municipalities, may be too high to be sustainable. Members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) therefore call in their opinion on the "Interoperable Europe Act" on the European Commission to use available resources under direct management to cover interoperability related tasks of smaller cities and municipalities to ensure a successful digital transition in the long term. 

The floods that devastated some regions in the north of Italy last week have once again demonstrated the urgency for the European Union to adopt a new collective approach to better deal with risks and crises and improve territorial resilience. This was the main message that local and regional leaders delivered to Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, during a debate held as part of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) plenary session on 24 May. Members of the Committee underlined that a particular focus should be given to tackling social and territorial vulnerabilities at local level, in order to reduce the impact of future crisis. The requests were included in an opinion adopted immediately after the debate, drafted by Christophe Clergeau (FR/PES), member of the Pays de la Loire Regional Council. 

An international conference – co-organised with the Ukrainian, Swiss and UK governments, the OECD and the European Commission – on the role of regions and cities in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction will follow May's plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, today brought the voice of regions and cities to the table of the High-Level Group set up by the European Commission few months ago. The aim of the group, which includes several local and regional representatives, is to reflect on how to maximise the effectiveness of Cohesion Policy in the future in terms of reducing economic, territorial and social disparities in Europe. 

Mr. Alin-Adrian Nica, President of Timiş County Council in Romania, and first vice-chair of the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External affairs (CIVEX) represented the Committee of the Regions at the High-level political conference entitled "Embedding democratic values in Europe's communities" on 15 May 2023 in Reykjavík.  

​On 4 May 2023, ARLEM addressed the ministers at the third conference of the Union for the Mediterranean on Sustainable Urban Development through its rapporteur Abdelaziz Derouiche, president of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of the Councils of the Prefectures. The meeting took place in Zagreb under the Co-Presidency of the European Union (represented by Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms) and Jordan (represented by its Minister of Public Works and Housing Maher Hamdi Abuelsamen), and in the presence of UfM Secretary-General Nasser Kamel. 

Ukraine and the skills challenges in countries seeking membership of the European Union were centre-stage at the annual Enlargement Day conference organised by the European Committee of the Regions, following a year that has seen the EU recognise Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina as candidates for membership and start accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. 

Enlargement conference includes Ukraine for the first time, and Lviv opens representation in Brussels. 

A delegation of the European Union's local and regional representatives has gathered in Veszprém, Hungary, European Capital of Culture of 2023 for a study visit organised by the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC). 

​"Our main challenge is to cement Cohesion Policy at the main EU investment instrument at the heart of the EU, whilst ensuring that it addresses new 'cohesion' challenges in all corners of Europe." 

The European Union's local and regional leaders gathering in Sweden's northernmost town Kiruna have today adopted a declaration which calls for the EU institutions to take account of the specific situation of remote areas in the EU budget and highlights the role of cohesion policy in ensuring sustainable place-based development in all corners of Europe.  

The monthly Green Deal Funding Alert gives you an overview of funding opportunities and initiatives that could be interesting for your region or city.  

​The European Committee of the Regions and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) are launching a survey on the role of local and regional authorities in the design and implementation of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). 

The earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria should galvanise countries in the Mediterranean to review their civil-protection mechanisms, members of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) said on 25 April at a meeting in Morocco. 

Social, economic and territorial cohesion should be promoted not only via the dedicated EU policy, but by the European Union as a whole, and financed by an adequate European budget. These are the requests included into two draft opinions adopted on 24 April by the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU budget (COTER). Local and regional leaders also discussed on how cohesion policy and other EU instruments should ensure a just transition of those regions with a strong automotive sector that are most affected by the transition towards a zero-emission economy.  

The European Committee of the Regions' SEDEC Commission held its external meeting in Tampere this week, allowing members to discover how Finland's third largest city is addressing the problem of homelessness. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia's war in Ukraine have increased poverty and precarity in Europe, including homelessness. In Tampere, representatives of cities and regions highlighted the success of the Finnish experience and called for more support from the EU and national governments to develop effective prevention measures and housing-led solutions. 

High-level delegation from European Committee of the Regions in Kyiv to step up cooperation between the EU's and Ukraine's cities and regions on reconstruction. At the International Summit of Cities and Regions in Kyiv on 20 April, the European Committee of the Regions called for local democracy and good governance to be foundation stones of Ukraine's reconstruction. 

​The Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform (ZPSP), a joint initiative of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Commission (EC), held its 4th meeting on Thursday, 20 April 2023, focusing on zero pollution production and consumption, on initiatives for developing local actions for green and digital transformation across Europe and on the efforts on zero pollution of the CoR's Green Deal Going Local campaign. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, met on 20 April with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, in the context of his participation in the International Summit of Regions and Cities, convened by the Ukrainian authorities, to debate the role of local and regional authorities to support Ukraine's reconstruction. 

The European Union's enlargement and its capacity to prepare for systemic shocks and to counter foreign interference in its information space were the focuses of attention when the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) met on 18 April. 

The registration to EuroPCom 2023 is now open. The 14th edition of the annual European Public Communication Conference will take place in a hybrid format in the afternoon on Monday 26 June and in the morning on Tuesday 27 June 2023. 

​The impact on regions and cities of the EU's policy to reduce reliance on imports of critical raw material, in particular from China, was among the main topics discussed during the meeting of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 19 April. Local and regional leaders also adopted a draft opinion on the European Interoperable Act and were presented the LORDIMAS tool, an instrument to track the digital transformation that will be launched soon. 

The Enlargement Day is the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) annual flagship event on EU enlargement policy dialogue and capacity-building, first held in 2015. For programme and registration details, please go to the event website. The 2023 event is organized in co-operation with the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. 

In response to a request by the CoR, TAIEX has recently opened up to local authorities in the Western Balkans. For these peer-to-peer exchanges to succeed, TAIEX relies on public officials employed in EU Member States who are keen to share their knowledge and expertise with their peers in our partner countries – also at local level. The European Commission is now looking to expand its TAIEX expert database, particularly for local level expertise. 

Meeting the objectives of the EU Green Deal in an increasingly complex global context requires a simplified regulatory framework that guides and supports all businesses and does not stifle their competitiveness. To draw EU policymakers' attention to the importance of developing laws that are targeted, proportionate and meet the objectives for the most vulnerable economic actors, members of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) held a seminar on reducing regulatory burdens on SMEs. 

In a context of multiplication of crises, EU local and regional leaders debated at the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions' commission for Natural Resources (NAT) on 30 March on how to make regions more resilient in agriculture, health and food systems. They argued that European Union should not only be reacting to crises but also be able to anticipate them by defining vulnerabilities criteria at local and regional level and integrating them into EU policy-making. Health claim labelling on food and alcoholic products was also discussed at the meeting. 

On Thursday 30 March, the 2023 high-level conference of the Covenant of Mayors was the opportunity to reflect on how local authorities are responding to the energy crisis and protecting citizens and local business from soaring energy prices. The conference was the occasion to demonstrate that EU local and regional authorities are the ones driving the EU energy and climate ambition forward - while calling for direct funds and innovative financial instruments to make the European Green Deal go local.  

Local and regional authorities, representatives of the European Commission and other European institutions, academia and civil society attending the European Committee of the Regions conference discussed how to promote the integration of migrants and refugees, intercultural interaction and social cohesion in increasingly diverse societies. 

The Commission launched the ninth edition of the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital).The prize is awarded to European cities that are front-runners of innovations that benefit their citizens. 

Lead representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) joined European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Elisa Ferreira for the launch of a call for expression of interest to establish 100 Regional Innovation Valleys in Europe. The launch took place on 28 March during a high-level event gathering EU territories that participate in the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) pilot action.  

On 29 March 2023, ENVE Chair Rafal Trzaskowski and Martin Horn, Mayor of Freiburg and President of ICLEI Europe and have presented the CoR-ICLEI action plan 2023-2024. The action plan has been designed with the aim to facilitate cooperation between the CoR and ICLEI and to promote their shared goals and objectives with respect to climate policies, biodiversity, regional development and citizens' engagement. 

EU members of the European Committee of the Regions' UK Contact Group met on 29 March to discuss recent developments regarding EU-UK relations and to attend a ceremony in the European Parliament marking the 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement, which brought an end to the conflict in Northern Ireland.  

Less-developed regions have improved their performances, triggering significant economic advantages for their citizens, but big differences remain in particular between large urban areas and the rest 

Súťaž o ekologické ocenenia EÚ za rok 2023 práve odštartovala a záujemcovia môžu podávať prihlášky. Organizátormi súťaže sú Európsky výbor regiónov (VR), Európska komisia, Európsky hospodársky a sociálny výbor a združenia COPA-COGECA a IFOAM Organics Europe. Cieľom je zviditeľniť rôznych aktérov hodnotového reťazca ekologickej poľnohospodárskej výroby, ktorí zrealizovali inovatívny, udržateľný a inšpirujúci projekt so skutočnou pridanou hodnotou pre ekologickú poľnohospodársku výrobu a spotrebu. V siedmich kategóriách sa bude udeľovať osem ocenení, pričom o držiteľoch troch z nich – najlepší ekologický región, najlepšie ekologické mesto a najlepší eko-obvod – rozhodne VR. Víťazi budú vyhlásení 25. septembra 2023 pri príležitosti európskeho dňa ekologického poľnohospodárstva.Predsedníčka komisie VR pre prírodné zdroje (NAT) Isilda Gomes v tejto súvislosti uviedla: „Vďaka rastúcemu dopytu spotrebiteľov po kvalitnejších, udržateľnejších a zdravších potravinách z miestnej produkcie vrátane ekologických potravín sa môžu vytvoriť nové príležitosti pre vidiecke hospodárstvo. Ekologické poľnohospodárstvo sa stalo dôležitým zdrojom pracovných miest a príjmov a pomáha realizovať ciele dlhodobej vízie pre vidiecke oblasti. VR preto rozhodne podporuje cieľ EÚ stanovený v stratégii Z farmy na stôl, t. j. dosiahnuť, aby sa do roku 2030 obhospodarovalo ekologickým spôsobom 25 % poľnohospodárskej pôdy. Túto ambíciu bude možné naplniť len prostredníctvom politických nástrojov, ktoré podporujú rozvoj ekologickej poľnohospodárskej výroby, vrátane ocenení ako sú tieto, keďže vyzdvihujú excelentnosť v ekologickom potravinovom reťazci a stimulujú ekologickú poľnohospodársku výrobu aj spotrebu. U nás v Portimão aktívne podporujeme cieľ stratégie z Farmy na stôl a spolu s miestnymi poľnohospodármi pracujeme na jeho dosiahnutí. Usilujeme sa o to, aby sa zlepšil predaj ich výrobkov na mestskom trhu a aby miestni obyvatelia mali k dispozícii kvalitnejšie potraviny, pričom zároveň chránime naše vidiecke komunity.“Prihlášky sa môžu zasielať do 14. mája prostredníctvom týchto odkazov:Eko-obvodyRegiónyMestáSvoje prípadné otázky v súvislosti s prihláškami môžete zaslať na adresu:EuorganicawardsCoR@cor.europa.eu 

A devastating earthquake hit Türkiye and Syria last 6 February, Europe’s worst natural disaster in a century according to the World Health Organisation. More than 50,000 people have been killed and millions of people affected, including injured and left homeless people. 

On 21 and 22 March, the Mayor of Gabrovo, Tanya Hristova (BG/EPP) - the Chair of the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) - will represent the EU's assembly of local and regional authorities at the 'European Innovation Days' in San Francisco, California. The high-level delegation of entrepreneurs, investors, local and regional leaders and other innovation actors is led by Mariya Gabriel - European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. 

Ways to show solidarity with Ukraine in focus at CoR plenary, as Swedish Presidency welcomes European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. It is "very important" for local and regional authorities to be involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union has stressed, voicing support for the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine and hailing Ukraine's decentralisation process as an important factor in the Ukraine's resilience in the face of Russia's invasion.  

War in Ukraine has reinforced case for the EU to tailor cooperation to match the different priorities of the EU's neighbours to the east, European Committee of the Regions argues. 

Secure and sustainable access to digital infrastructure, skills and services are vital to accelerate the development of Europe's rural areas and of so-called 'smart' villages in particular. This was the main message of the demands of the opinion on "Targets and tools for a smart rural Europe" by Radim SRŠEŇ, Mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky, adopted during the European Committee of the Regions plenary session on Wednesday. 

Regions and cities play a major role in regulating and supporting the media and cultural sectors in the EU. In order to ensure media freedom and pluralism, and to preserve the integrity of the European information space, they demand that the EU's intervention does not overlap with existing systems of media supervision and avoids any overregulation. Local leaders also call for a closer cooperation between media regulatory authorities and stress that the European Board for Media Services proposed by the European Commission must be protected against any political and business influence. These demands are included in the opinion on the European Media Freedom Act, led by Mark Speich (DE/EPP), which was adopted during the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 16 March.