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. 

Regions and cities demand more ambition on reducing the use of pesticides to help farmers to cope better with the economic, energy and climate crisis by promoting sustainable food systems and protecting health and nature Reneging on commitments made with the adoption of EU's Farm to Fork strategy and on raising standards for sustainable food production will have seriously detrimental impacts on the environment and risk deepening the economic effect of the climate and food price crises. But farmers need more support, including with a new national fund for pest management that could be financed by a risk-based taxation on pesticides, by contributions of retailers, or by penalty payments. This was the key message of local and regional leaders in the opinion adopted on 15 March in the European Committee of the Regions plenary session, calling on EU Member States to help farmers reduce the use of pesticides and related risks by introducing dedicated measures in their strategic plans funded by EU's Common Agriculture Policy. 

EU regional and local leaders supported the European Commission's proposals to revise a directive on protecting workers from the effects of asbestos, while stressing that the directive deals with asbestos in a very fragmented way and that the broad spectrum of asbestos regulation should be strengthened by a European strategy for asbestos removal, which would ensure an integrated approach of different policies and implement systemic and effective solutions in all Member States on inventory, monitoring, safe disposal, storage, education and training methods. 

The key challenges and future objectives of Cohesion Policy were the main focus of the high-level event organised by the #CohesionAlliance on 16 March. The EU-wide coalition of 12,000 signatories advocating for a stronger Cohesion Policy launched two calls addressed to European local and regional authorities to collect their feedback on the future role and design of cohesion policy, and to showcase the unique role of this policy in supporting cities' and regions' development in every corner of Europe.  

Representatives of the EU's cities and regions have welcomed the European Commission's increased efforts to reduce territorial disparities and support the regions facing development challenges, such as depopulation and brain drain. However, the measures recently presented in the Harnessing Talent in Europe's regions communication need to be supported by tailor-made approaches steered by a reinforced cohesion policy, with a particular focus on rural areas whose future depends on retaining and attracting young talent.  

EU regions and cities stand ready to work together with the Swedish EU Council Presidency to achieve the "greener, safer and freer" Europe that Sweden has made the key focus of its presidency. Erik Slottner, Sweden's minister for Public Administration, intervened in the European Committee of the Regions' plenary session today to present a state of play of the presidency priorities: supporting Ukraine against Russia's aggression, boosting Europe's competitiveness, speeding up the green and energy transitions, and ensuring democratic values and the rule of law. 

Leaders at every of the European Union and beyond, participarting in the European Committee of the Regions conference to mark International Women's Day have united to call on decision-makers to accelerate efforts to achieve gender equality.  

The European Committee of the Regions will on 15 March adopt a resolution on one of the major developmental challenges facing regions in the EU – the combined effects of a shrinking working-age population, a low share of graduates, and the departure of young people in search of better economic opportunities. The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, will welcome Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President for Democracy and Demography of the European Commission, to discuss with regional and local leaders this 'talent trap'. In all, 82 regions, home to nearly 30% of the EU's population, are believed to be at risk of being trapped. 

The challenges the EU is facing need strong democratic legitimacy at regional and local level. Participatory democracy can support local and regional authorities when developing and implementing policies. To ensure this, the European Committee of the Regions and the Bertelsmann Stiftung on 9 March launched a new project to support local and regional politicians in mainstreaming citizen participation in their decision-making, in particular on EU-related topics.  

On International Women's Day, we recognise all that women have achieved thanks to their continuous and relentless fight for their rights, but we also recognise the work that still needs to be done to make gender equality a reality for women and girls at local and regional level, but also in the European Union and across the globe. 

On 7 March, the 12th meeting of the Green Deal Going Local (GDGL) working group adopted its 2023 roadmap and discussed ways to boost green investments and innovative financing to allow local and regional authorities to push the climate-neutral transition forward. The 2023 roadmap includes three main political objectives: reinforcing multi-level governance, mobilising financial resources and moving towards a fairer Green Deal. 

​The debate on the future of Cohesion Policy has already started, and we need to come together to make sure it will continue as the EU's biggest investment policy, supporting the development of regions and cities. We need to remind all EU and national decision-makers of the indispensable role that Cohesion Policy plays in the European integration process. The need to show that cohesion is a fundamental value of the European Union is more pressing than ever! 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is launching its 2023 call for application for the Young Elected Politician Programme (YEP), opening the doors for the first time for young local and regional representatives from EU candidate countries to join the YEP initiative this year.​ 

Ukraine's president and the country's national, local and regional leaders can count on the enduring support of cities and regions in the European Union, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, told Ukraine's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on 4 March. President Cordeiro stressed the importance of Ukraine's local and regional governments to the reconstruction of Ukraine, suggesting that they could be in the "vanguard of development" in Ukraine. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, was the guest of today's debate at the "Nueva Economía Fórum", a high-level event hosted in Madrid to exchange ideas among representatives of EU institutions, national governments, business and media. 

At a meeting held on 24 February – exactly a year after Russia attempted to seize Kyiv and force the capitulation of Ukraine – members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) pledged to provide ongoing humanitarian support and emergency supplies, as well as to support the reconstruction of Ukraine's cities and regions and the country's preparations for accession to the EU. The meeting was also attended by a number of associations, governors, mayors and local councillors involved in the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, whose work is being coordinated by the CoR. 

The freshly published Communication on the two-year anniversary of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), adopted on 21 February by the European Commission, does not address any concerns raised by local and regional leaders on the territorial impact of the €724 billion financial instrument. The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and the CoR rapporteur on the RRF, Rob Jonkman, jointly call on the European Commission to finally investigate the effective contribution of the RRF to cohesion in Europe and the added value of the financed projects. 

This year the #EURegionsWeek will welcome an increased number of participants to onsite sessions and exhibition spaces in Brussels. The event will take place from 9 – 12 October 2023. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) are launching a survey to take stock of the progress made by cities and regions in implementing the SDGs, assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak on the SDGs and analyse how current crises such as the war in Ukraine are affecting the work on the SDGs and in particular the areas of energy and food, which emerged as political priorities in the current context. 

​Innovation, research, culture and education are key to the EU's competitiveness, cohesion, and ability to lead the green and digital transitions. Close cooperation between the European Committee of the Regions and Commissioner Mariya Gabriel's services is therefore important for maximising the positive impact of EU action in Europe's regions and cities. In an exchange of views with Isidro Ballesteros, an expert in Commissioner Gabriel's cabinet on 17 February, SEDEC members took stock of recent developments and in particular the implementation of the Partnerships for Regional Innovation pilot action that was launched last year. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and the Chair of the CoR Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget ( COTER ), Emil Boc, have been appointed as co-rapporteurs of the opinion on the future of cohesion policy post-2027. Together with the work of the new #CohesionAlliance, the opinion will be a strategic milestone to design the common position of cities and regions on how to shape the future of the main investment policy of the EU. 

​Reducing harmful pollution in urban water, protecting citizens from asbestos and improving air quality were three of the main topics discussed at the meeting of the ENVE Commission of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 14 February. The priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the results of the United Nations convention on biodiversity – COP15 – were also on the discussion table, along with the priorities of the ENVE commission for 2023. 

​The European industrial policy and its impact on regions and cities, including strategies to reskill workers in the framework of the green transition, the reform of the EU economic governance framework and the improvement of the public sector interoperability, were the main topics discussed during the meeting of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 15 February. 

Regions and cities want to tap into the potential of social economy and social entrepreneurship to support the transition towards more socially and environmentally sustainable and more resilient economic models in the EU. However, the EU must put in place more favourable framework conditions for the social economy to flourish. This requires tackling the current diversity of definitions and legal frameworks and facilitating access to finance and markets. These are the key messages of an opinion drafted by Ricardo Rio (PT/EPP), Mayor of Braga, and adopted at the European Committee of the Regions' plenary session on 8 February. 

Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation continue at an alarming rate in the EU and worldwide. Up to 1 million of the estimated 8 million plant and animal species on Earth are at risk of extinction — many of them within decades — according to the UN. In Europe, the European Commission estimates that more than 80 percent of the habitats are in “poor” shape. Although the EU has a legal framework, strategies and action plans to protect nature and restore habitats and species, restoration has been small-scale, and the implementation and enforcement of legislation has been insufficient. It is in this context that the European Committee of the Regions welcomes the European Commission's EU Nature Restoration Law, especially its first ever legally binding targets and calls for streamlining biodiversity funding and provide technical support to cities and regions. 

National Recovery and Resilience Plans may be less efficient and have less impact than desired if regions and cities are not effectively involved in their implementation, members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) said on 8 February in an opinion critical of some national governments' EU-funded efforts to boost recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recommendations unanimously adopted at a Plenary of the CoR, local and regional leaders urged Member States and the European Commission to transform the current centralised governance of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) into a multi-level approach, to boost the digital and green transitions, strengthen cohesion and avoid overlaps with other financial instruments. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the additional pressure triggered by Russia's war against Ukraine and an increasing number of natural disasters make it of urgent importance to deploy a renewed and ambitious support strategy for Europe's outermost regions – This is the key message delivered by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) during its 8 February plenary session. 

EU regional and local leaders have supported the European Commission's proposals for a European Health Data Space, while stressing that health-care services must fully protect patients' privacy and data rights. 

Local and regional authorities are often the first actors to implement EU and national measures to counteract the consequences of crises that affect the Single Market. Their relevance and needs should not be overlooked and especially internal EU borders must remain open as much as possible, to limit the impact of the crisis on workers and businesses on the ground. This is the main message of the opinion on the Single Market Emergency Instrument that was adopted during the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 8 February. 

Without massive plans for skills upgrade and social cohesion, the green and digital transitions will fail, representatives of EU regions and cities warned in an exchange with Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, today at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). Local and regional leaders stressed that the European Year of Skills 2023 should translate into more financial and political support for local and regional authorities to develop training, upskilling and reskilling policies that are adapted to the needs of each territory. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the sharp increase in energy prices and rising inflation have hit low-income households hardest, increasing poverty and inequality. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) believes therefore that the implementation of the Council Recommendation on an adequate minimum income should be fast-tracked across the EU Member States. The opinion was drafted by Chair of Kerava City Council Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES) and adopted at the plenary session on 8 February. 

Lokalne in regionalne oblasti EU imajo osrednjo vlogo pri podpiranju ljudi, ki jih je prizadela energetska kriza, ter pri izvajanju ukrepov za varčevanje z energijo in kontinuiteto energetske dejavnosti.Želijo biti bolj vključene v energetske reforme, ki trenutno potekajo, da bi zagotovile strateške naložbe za pospešitev prehoda na čisto energijo. Evropski odbor regij v nujni resoluciji poziva EU, naj oblikuje resnično energetsko unijo in ustvari sinergije med instrumenti financiranja EU, da bi pospešili projekte trajnostne energije na lokalni ravni ter uvedli programe za krepitev zmogljivosti in strokovno izpopolnjevanje, s čimer bi prispevali k evropskemu letu spretnosti 2023. 

Lokalne in regionalne oblasti bi morale biti v središču upravljanja certificiranja ogljičnega kmetovanja, da bi podprli razvoj projektov, prilagojenih lokalnim potrebam in v skladu z regionalnimi strategijami za kmetijstvo in podeželje. To so ključna sporočila iz mnenja Regionalne strategije prilagajanja za doseganje nizkoogljičnega kmetijstva, ki ga je pripravil Loïg Chesnais-Girard, predsednik regionalnega sveta Bretanje, in ki je bilo sprejeto na 153. plenarnem zasedanju OR kot odziv na predlog uredbe Komisije o certificiranju odvzemov ogljika v EU. Novi sistem EU za certificiranje odvzemov ogljika bi moral upoštevati celotne kmetije, vse emisije toplogrednih plinov in ne le CO2, ter vključevati močno socialno, okoljsko in gospodarsko razsežnost, sicer bo lahko ogrožena prehranska varnost v EU. 

Faced with the risk of a slowdown in the fight against the climate crisis and of increasing territorial and social disparities, local and regional leaders have called for greater EU engagement to accelerate efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the EU and get on track with the 2030 deadline. 

Za vključujoč digitalni prehod v mestih in na podeželju bodo potrebne večje naložbe v omrežno infrastrukturo, posodobljene strategije za digitalno odpornost ter boljše sodelovanje z nacionalnimi vladami in med državami članicami. To so zaključki z razprave zMargrethe Vestager, izvršno podpredsednico Evropske komisije za Evropo, pripravljeno na digitalno dobo,ki je potekala 8. februarja na plenarnem zasedanju Evropskega odbora regij (OR). 

Občina Michałowo na Poljskem je prejela nagrado župana Pawła Adamowicza kot priznanje za njeno podporo svobodi, solidarnosti in enakosti. Podelil ji jo je predsednik Evropskega odbora regij Vasco Alves Cordeiro v navzočnosti evropske komisarke za notranje zadeve Ylve Johansson na plenarnem zasedanju Evropskega odbora regij 8. februarja v Bruslju. 

The news reaching us from Türkiye and Syria, following the earthquake on Monday February 6, are tragic and heart-breaking. 

​The European Union's efforts to reduce its reliance on Russia for energy will feature prominently at a meeting of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 8-9 February, with a resolution focused on the challenges facing EU cities and regions. 

Two sets of recommendations – on the future of the Eastern Partnership and media freedom – won preliminary support from members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 1 February. Both opinions secured strong backing at a meeting of the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) and are now poised for adoption at the CoR's plenary on 15-16 March. 

Short-term accommodation rentals represent nearly one-third of the total EU supply of tourist accommodation, and this has been boosted by the rise of online platforms. During a debate promoted by the Commission for Natural Resources of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), local and regional leaders discussed the implications of a trend that, over the years, has created opportunities for travellers, SMEs and local economies, especially in rural areas, but has also raised concerns in big European cities facing excessive tourism flows and a growing demand for affordable housing. 

The Fit for Future (F4F) Platform plenary– an evaluation tool established by the European Commission for better and less burdensome EU legislation - met on 27 January to discuss and adopt its 2023 work programme. Two opinions out of eight that were retained to be analysed in 2023 in view of the revision of the EU legislation will be drafted by CoR members Anne Karjalainen (FI/PSE) and Michiel Rijsberman (NL/Renew Europe), respectively on the review of the EU Directive 2014/24/EU of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and on the Digital Europe programme. Both topics were ranked as high priorities by the F4F platform participants and are of great relevance for local and regional authorities. 

The benefits and potential pitfalls of short-term rentals were the main topics of debate at the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions' commission for Natural Resources (NAT) on 31 January. A lively debate including local representatives, MEPs and representatives from the short-term rental sector concluded that while there were clear benefits to the local economy of these rentals, more regulation was needed to ensure local accommodation needs are prioritised. 

​​2023 is the European Year of Skills during which the European Commission will shine light on what is done to support training and lifelong learning. Up-skilling however is not a panacea to all forms of unemployment and today's interviewe​e Yonnec Polet (BE/PES) holds that a reallocation of public resources is necessary to create employment where the market otherwise won't. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and the Minister-President of Wallonia, Elio Di Rupo, visited two projects in Mons and Charleroi co-financed by European structural funds in order to showcase the impact of European cohesion policy on the daily lives of citizens. 

The CoR has just launched a study on Digital Resilience, which will investigate the state of play of digital resilience across local and regional authorities (LRAs) from the EU27 countries and understand which solutions and funds are used at the subnational level to strengthen it.