Support for Ukraine dominated discussions of local and regional leaders from across the European Union when they met in the European Capital of Culture on 18-19 September, with strong calls for an increase in the EU's long-term funding for Ukraine to enable its reconstruction, strengthen its decentralisation process and support it along its path towards European accession.​​ 

The European Committee of the Regions President, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, invites local and elected politicians across Europe to become member of the European network of local and regional councillors and join forces in bringing Europe closer to local communities in view of the European elections!​ 

​The reaction of the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, to the State of the EU speech delivered by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. "Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union speech comes at a time, when people across many cities and regions in Europe need to cope with the consequences of rising costs, disasters and extreme weathers, and many more uncertainties. In Europe's cities and regions, people need to be offered perspectives with a visible, tangible support of the European Union.  

The European Committee of the Regions, together with the Free State of Saxony, has today launched the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance – a political network of regions engaged to strengthen Europe’s capacity to produce semiconductors and microelectronics, reducing its dependency from supplies from third countries. The Alliance aims to identify and help remove the obstacles to the industry’s strategic development by improving the legal framework, promoting public and private investment, supporting the sharing of knowledge and the development of strong and resilient value chains.  

The EURegionsWeek side events have started on the 9th of September and will continue until the 9th of November 2023. Take a look and explore the more than 70 events about regional and urban policy.  

Eastern Partnership viewed as a cornerstone of EU relations with the region at a moment when war, pandemic, and economic transitions are testing cities' and regions' resilience and decentralisation processes. Local and regional governments in the Black Sea region and Caucasus need additional support as they try to cope with war and instability across the region, local and regional leaders said on 7 September at the annual meeting of the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP).  

This is the latest edition of the Green Deal Funding Alert. It's a monthly newsletter that keeps you informed about funding opportunities and initiatives that support sustainable development and transition to climate neutrality. This edition focuses on climate adaptation. Read on to find out how your local government can benefit from these initiatives! 

European Committee of the Regions and National Conference of State Legislatures unite to strengthen subnational governments' role in the transatlantic agenda. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) today marked their commitment to bolstering cooperation between subnational authorities in the European Union and the United States of America in the context of the Transatlantic Agenda. 

The 21st edition of the EURegionsWeek under the motto New Challenges for Europe’s cohesion is ready to take off. Register now before the 30th of September. We'll see you in Brussels on 9-12 October 2023! 

The European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee have launched the call for expression of interest to participate in the 8th meeting of the European Migration Forum, which will take place on 4 - 5 December 2023 in Brussels. 

Ahead of the participation on the UN High Level Political Forum on sustainable development, in New York, on 19 July, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen and the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, have addressed a joint letter to all members of the European Committee of the Regions inviting them to increase efforts at local and regional level in implementing the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The debate on the future of cohesion policy is already gathering momentum. EU funding has a major impact on the development at both regional and local level in Sweden. In light of this, SveReg – a Brussels based network made up of representatives from the Swedish city and regional offices – organised a conference. The aim was to share perspectives between local, regional and EU level on the key issues for the next programming period and how Swedish regions and municipalities want to contribute to shape the future of cohesion policy post-2027. 

My main concern is the potential detachment of Cohesion Policy from the citizens, losing the close link between EU support and the beneficiaries. We are observing a shift towards top-down EU or national policies that bypass regional authorities, contradicting the EU's multi-level governance and the subsidiarity principle. This trend makes Cohesion Policy disconnected from the citizens. Cohesion Policy is the only direct policy that brings the EU closer to its citizens, making it tangible and enhancing its legitimacy. 

More attention to local democracy and deeper rule-of-law reforms are needed. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has endorsed the European Commission's mixed assessment of reform progress in the western Balkans and Türkiye in 2022, adding requests for the EU to continue to sharpen its attention to the workings of local and regional authorities in countries seeking to join the EU. The CoR adopted the recommendations on 6 July at a plenary session addressed by the European commissioner in charge of enlargement policy, Olivér Várhelyi. 

Leading regional and local politicians from Ukraine told the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine on 6 July that they are increasingly able to focus on recovery and reconstruction efforts rather than emergency humanitarian needs, and identified a range of areas – from de-mining to urban re-development and economic cooperation – where they are seeking international partners. 

Local and regional leaders back increased financial support for Ukraine but warn of risk of undermining territorial cohesion through a more centralised management of EU funds. 

The EU's climate objectives will require an almost completely decarbonised electricity system by 2035, which is why regions and cities are urging the co-legislators to agree on an ambitious EU electricity market design. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) points out that energy transition requires flexible, decentralised solutions, which must be supported by local and regional authorities. The opinion drafted by Josef Frey (DE/The Greens), Member of Baden-Württemberg State Parliament, was adopted at the CoR plenary session on 5 July. 

In the European Union, one in eight deaths is linked to environmental pollution: air pollution alone means more than 300,000 Europeans die prematurely each year. In a debate with Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU regions and cities underlined their crucial role in implementing pollution-relevant laws, policies and programmes, and pointed out that the costs of an ambitious policy are far outweighed by the benefits for the economy, nature, climate and particularly health.  

In an important step towards enhancing transatlantic cooperation at the sub-national level, a president of the US National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has for the first time addressed a plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).  

Delivering an inclusive digital and green transition of Europe’s industry is crucial for EU’s cohesion and climate ambitions. The EU’s policy to reduce reliance on imports of critical raw materials and increasing the manufacturing of net-zero industry technologies has an enormous impact on regions and cities. Specific challenges of regional and local economies and communities need to be taken into account to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and productivity and at the same time avoid growing territorial disparities. These are the main messages of two opinions on the Critical Raw Materials Package and on the Net-Zero Industry Act adopted during the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 5-6 July. 

A significant workshop focusing on the Coexistence of Livestock Farming and Large Carnivores in Europe was jointly organized by the NAT and ENVE Commissions together with the Intergroup on Biodiversity, Hunting, Countryside of the European Parliament. This event aimed to address the growing challenges faced by shepherds and rural communities due to the increasing number of carnivores in EU Regions. By exploring potential solutions and best practices, the event sought to strike a balance between the protection of EU animal species and the resolution of conflicts at various levels. 

European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are facing mounting challenges through the ongoing green and digital transitions as well as the war in Ukraine. Their competitiveness and resilience is more than ever vital for a more inclusive and sustainable European recovery. Through the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) award, the CoR has awarded for the 2024 edition three European regions for their entrepreneurial strategies for SMEs and industry to promote sustainable growth during the plenary session on 6 July.  

There is currently a wide range of EU initiatives that provide opportunities for cities and regions to accelerate the green transition and facilitate the implementation of the European Green Deal. A new opinion adopted at the European Committee of the Regions' plenary session on 6 July suggests that their impact on the ground could be increased by improving synergies and coordination between the initiatives, embedding them into the national frameworks while providing more targeted support to local and regional authorities. 

In a bilateral meeting held on 5 July, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, focused on the role cohesion policy plays for regions and cities and on the future of cohesion funding as the EU's main long-term investment policy. The European Committee of the Regions' support for the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine's regions and cities was also discussed by the two Presidents. 

One year ahead of the next European elections, local and regional representatives have stressed the risk posed by disinformation to our democratic societies. As the level of government closest to citizens, regional and local authorities have a crucial role to play in the European Union's efforts to defend democracy, Committee of the Regions President Vasco Alves Cordeiro (PT/PES) stressed during a debate with European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourova and with Raphaël Glucksmann, Chair of the European Parliament's Special Committee on foreign interference in democratic processes. Immediately after the debate, the assembly of local elected politicians adopted the opinion on the role of local and regional authorities in combating disinformation and foreign information, manipulation and interferenceby Gustaw Marek Brzezin(PL/EPP),President of Warmińsko-Mazurskie Region. 

Committee of Regions in exchange with top level of European Commission, discussing policy priorities and implications for regions and cities one year ahead of European elections.​​ The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, will meet the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on 5 July to discuss the future of cohesion, the review of the EU's long-term budget, and next year's elections to the European Parliament. 

​Recognising formally the role of subnational governments in global climate negotiations, accelerating and scaling up climate action by working across all levels of governance and sectors, and providing direct EU financing and technical assistance to cities and regions are key demands of the European Committee of the Regions' draft opinion "UNFCCC COP28: the role of subnational authorities in keeping climate ambition on track", which was adopted at the Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) on 29 June after an exchange of views with MEPs Lídia Pereira and Maria Spyraki. 

The monthly Green Deal Funding Alert gives you an overview of funding opportunities and initiatives that may be of interest to your city or region. In this edition, we have highlighted three programmes that offer financial support, guidance and project assistance to European cities and regions as well as companies. Read on to find out how you can benefit from these initiatives! 

On 22 June, the European Commission awarded 15 local initiatives across Europe with the New European Bauhaus prize. Tanya Hristova (BG/EPP), Mayor of Gabrovo and Chair of the Commission for Social Policy, Employment, Education, Research and Culture (SEDEC), represented the CoR at the New European Bauhaus in Regions and Cities event where she participated in a high-level panel discussion alongside Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Regional Policy. 

How Cohesion Policy could continue to effectively tackle social and economic disparities between regions and support their green transition, while giving to territories the means to overcome major and unpredictable crisis: these were the main topics discussed by European local and regional leaders in Sibiu, Romania, on the occasion of the external meeting of the commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). 

Ukraine's local and regional governments should emerge stronger and more effective from Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction process, a representative of the European Union's cities and regions has said at the start of a landmark international conference intended to mobilise support and funding for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. 

Fostering mentoring and creating a European Mentoring Label, stopping gender-based violence, promoting children’s rights and developing a European sports model were among the key topics discussed at the meeting of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) on June 21. 

Patrick Molinoz, vice-president of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in charge of European policies and international actions, was on 20 June elected president of the citizenship, governance, institutional and external affairs commission (CIVEX) of the European Committee of the Regions.  

Upon the invitation of West Pomerania (Poland), the Network of Regional Hubs held its second external workshop, in the city of Szczecin on 13 and 14 June 2023. 

The thematic seminar of the Knowledge Exchange Platform (KEP 2.0) 'Open Science for higher quality, more efficient and impactful research – opportunities for Regions and Cities' was held on June 15, with the aim to highlight how providing open access to research results and data can deliver solutions to major societal challenges and support regional development. 

​The external seminar of the CoR's Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) was held in Tallinn on 6 June. The event was organized in cooperation with the City of Tallinn, European Green Capital 2023, and the OECD. CoR members joined the 5th OECD Roundtable on the circular economy in cities and regions, and had the opportunity to share and learn from relevant initiatives at local and regional level towards the implementation of circular economy solutions. At this occasion, an OECD report of Tallinn's circular economy was published, showing the current situation, indicating the challenges and suggesting recommendations for the transition to a circular economy in Tallinn.  

"Status quo is not an option: beware that the danger of pro-cyclical policies is still very real", rapporteur Elio Di Rupo says ahead of meeting of ministers for economic and financial affairs. Cities and regions representatives have called for European fiscal rules to be more effective and have greater democratic legitimacy. Members of the commission for economic policy on 7 June voiced support for the more country-specific approach of the recent European Commission proposal but insisted that the involvement of local and regional authorities in the definition of the new national mid-term fiscal plans must be mandatory.  

The impact on regions and cities of the EU's policy to reduce reliance on imports of critical raw materials, reducing dependency on net-zero industry technologies and the achievement of a just transition in the automotive industry were amongst the main topics discussed during the meeting of the commission for Economic Policy (ECON) on 7 June.  

Adapting food policy to increase the EU's self-sufficiency is essential in face of climate crisis and war in Ukraine. Russia's attempt to conquer Ukraine and the unfolding climate crisis should accelerate further far-reaching changes in the European Union's food-security policies, leading to changes in production, supply, and regulation, local and regional leaders agreed at a conference co-organised by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Polish region of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region on 2 June.  

The conference “Partnerships for Regional Innovation: From Pilot to Practice" held on 30-31 May brought together participants in the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) pilot and beyond to discuss further joint work, exchange good practices, co-shape the revised PRI Playbook and engage with interested stakeholders on the green and digital transitions. 

The Green Deal Going Local Working Group in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) held its 13th meeting on Tuesday 30 May, with the focus on the multilevel governance of the Green Deal. Participants underlined the need to recognise the engagement of all levels of government in international conventions on climate and biodiversity and to give sub-national authorities a designated role in negotiations and decision-making, as ambitious targets can only be reached through effective action at local and regional level. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has launched its 2023 Young Elected Politicians (YEP) programme, bringing together 150 local and regional politicians from around the EU and, for the first time, from all EU candidate countries. 

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.