​​​​​The European Committee of the Regions welcomes the European Union’s pledge today to help Ukraine rebuild its cities, villages and infrastructure. As the voice of regions and municipalities within the EU and given our long-standing cooperation with our Ukrainian partners, our Committee is ready to firmly engage in the reconstruction process. We consider that the direct involvement of EU and Ukrainian local authorities must be the building block of the reconstruction. We stand ready to launch an Alliance to provide Ukraine’s regional and local authorities with the practical support that they will need over the coming years to rebuild Ukraine in Europe. 

Komisija je danes objavila imena 63 regij, sedmih mest in štirih držav članic, ki so bili izbrani v okviru pilotnega projekta za partnerstva za regionalne inovacije, pobude, razvite sodelovanju z Odborom regij. Udeleženci pilotnega ukrepa so pripravljeni z drugimi deliti dobre prakse ter skupaj razviti in preskušati orodja za mobilizacijo različnih virov financiranja in politik ter povezovanje regionalnih in nacionalnih programov s pobudami EU za zeleno in digitalno preobrazbo. Ta partnerstva bodo prispevala k novemu inovacijskemu programu za Evropo, v okviru katerega se z inovacijami spodbuja prehod na trajnostnost, ob povezovanju lokalnih strategij s pobudami na ravni EU. 

On 3-4 May a delegation of the European Committee of the Regions visited the scientific site of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission based in Ispra, Italy. It was the first official visit of a delegation from a European institution to JRC Ispra after the Covid break. 

Upon the invitation of the Regional Hub of Alentejo, the European Committee of the Regions' Network of Regional Hubs (RegHub) organised its first external workshop, in the World Heritage City of Évora (Alentejo, Portugal) in the framework of the EU Smart Communities Summit. 

​Markku Markkula (FI/EPP), member of Espoo City Council and President of the Helsinki Region, has drafted the European Committee of the Regions' opinion on European missions. The opinion was adopted at the CoR plenary session on 27-28 April. In this interview, Markkula explains how the missions can contribute to the EU's efforts to accelerate the green and digital transitions and move towards climate neutralit 

At the occasion of the 5th United Nations' International Day of Living Together in Peace on 16 May 2022, the European Committee of the Regions would like to encourage you to watch the documentary film “All of Us” (Nous Tous by Pierre Pirard, 2021) and to sign the Universal Declaration of Living Together in Peace. 

Would you like to organise a side event of the #EURegionsWeek 2022? The side events are related to the thematic priorities of the #EURegionsWeek 2022 and they must be organised between 10 October and 10 November 2022 in a hybrid or digital format. 

Facilitating cities and regions’ access to finance and boost investment opportunities in sustainable energy and climate action is part of the joint Action Plan of the European Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank.  

​​Economic support and long-term financial programmes are needed to overcome ongoing raising energy prices and inflation across Europe caused by the war in Ukraine. Members of the Commission for Economic Policy of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) underlined the urgency of further collaboration between local and regional authorities to become independent from Russian trade and energy supplies.  

​Local and regional authorities spearheading the implementation of Local Green Deals and civil society organisations advancing the sustainable urban transformation in Europe can now apply and win 10,000 EUR. 

​The European Committee of the Regions, Régions de France and the Grand Est region discussed on 9 May with 200 young people their expectations of the Conference on the future of Europe and how to encourage the participation of young people in public debate 

The European Committee of the Regions and European Commission held the 4th meeting of the Broadband Platform on 6 May, focusing on ways to improve the digital infrastructure in the European Union by adding the concept of digital cohesion to the ones of social, economic and territorial cohesion recognised by the Treaties. 

Brutalna invazija na Ukrajino nas je spomnila, da 27 držav članic EU kljub razlikam tesno povezuje zavezanost miru, skupnim temeljnim vrednotam, demokraciji in solidarnosti. Vendar pa zaupanje javnosti v EU ostaja nizko: zaradi rezultatov nedavnih predsedniških volitev v Franciji si lahko malo oddahnemo, niso pa razlog za slavje, saj je 41 % volivcev glasovalo za skrajno desnico. Danes, na dan Evrope, je po letu razprav v okviru Konference o prihodnosti Evrope čas za odkrit razmislek o spremembi načina delovanja EU, da bo bolj učinkovita, odzivna in bliže ljudem, ki jim služi. 

The Publications Office of the EU has created a visual booklet in all EU languages to help Ukrainian and English speakers overcome the first communication barriers. It is proving very popular in classrooms around Europe. 

The European Parliament has established a new award scheme, the European Democracy Sites, run by the House of European History. For 2022, the goal is to nominate one site per member state of the European Union. The scheme will support the visibility of a historical site and its efforts to connect with other historical sites and educational institutions.  

On 29 and 30 April, the Conference on the Future of Europe Plenary session met for the last time and agreed to a set of 49 proposals which include more than 300 measures on how to achieve them, across 9 topics - from European democracy to climate change via economic growth and jobs,- based on 178 recommendations from the European Citizens' Panels, input from the National Panels and events, and 43 734 contributions on 16 274 ideas recorded on the multilingual digital platform.  

On 9 May, we mark the anniversary of the historic Schuman Declaration, which laid the foundation for what is now the European Union. Given Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, Europe Day 2022 is an even more important moment to reaffirm our attachment to peace, showcase our unity and solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and stand up for universal values, like freedom and democracy in a rules-based global order. 

While the EU is focusing on reducing its energy dependence from Russian fossil fuels through REPowerEU,cities and regions remain crucial to speed up the deployment of renewable energies and improve energy efficiency while ensuring citizens' engagement and support through open participatory processes. In an event organised by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Commission (EC), local and regional leaders have shared their experiences in delivering the European Green Deal locally – including through EU flagship initiatives such as the Covenant of Mayors and the European Climate Pact . The meeting also included a presentation of Green Deal Going Local , the CoR campaign to place cities and regions at the heart of the EU's transition towards climate-neutrality.  

The European Committee of the Regions has called for the European Union to create a "vulnerability scoreboard" as part of efforts to increase the resilience of regions. Recent crises demonstrate that health is not only an internal policy but an important element of Europe's geopolitical security. Achieving strategic autonomy in health means being able to protect its citizens against all types of disasters, to foresight and analyse threats and to act swiftly when a crisis arises. 

The energy crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine highlight the importance of alternative energy sources and rapid decarbonisation in the EU in order to ensure greater environmental justice in cities and municipalities, and to avoid inequalities caused by energy crises. By adopting an opinion at the CoR plenary session on 28 April calling for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to be adapted to the needs of EU cities and regions, the members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) sent a clear signal. ​ 

Deležniška platforma za ničelno onesnaževanje , skupna pobuda Evropskega odbora regij in Evropske komisije, se je 25. aprila sestala na drugi seji, na kateri sta bila v ospredju zdravje in akcijski načrt za ničelno onesnaževanje kot glavno sredstvo za zmanjšanje onesnaževanja voda, zraka in tal ter neenakosti v EU. 

Hundred European cities were selected on Thursday by the European Commission to participate in the Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, with the aim of achieving climate neutrality by 2030 through the development of smart solutions. In addition to EUR 360 million of Horizon Europe funding for 2022 and 2023, the cities involved will benefit from tailor-made advice and assistance, as well as opportunities to participate in large innovation actions and pilot projects. The European Committee of the Regions' rapporteur Markku Markkula, Member of Espoo City Council, considers this as a huge opportunity for these cities. 

Lokalne in regionalne oblasti EU imajo kot raven upravljanja, ki je najbližja državljanom, ključno vlogo pri spodbujanju evropskih vrednot in udeležbe državljanov v demokratičnih procesih. Lokalni in regionalni voditelji se strinjajo, da je treba v skladu s pozivi državljanov na Konferenci o prihodnosti Evrope v izobraževanju nujno spodbujati evropsko demokracijo. To je bilo na plenarnem zasedanju Evropskega odbora regij (OR) 28. aprila glavno sporočilo razprave o spodbujanju evropskih vrednot z izobraževanjem, da bi okrepili državljanstvo EU. Člani OR so sprejeli tudi mnenje o krepitvi demokracije in integritete volitev, v katerem poudarjajo potrebo po odprti, pravični, pluralistični in demokratični udeležbi na lokalni in regionalni ravni. 

Maroš Šefčovič, podpredsednik Evropske komisije, je pozdravil prizadevanja Odbora regij in njegovih članov za sodelovanje z Združenim kraljestvom na lokalni in regionalni ravni, četudi v mejah brexita, za kakršnega se je odločila vlada Združenega kraljestva. 

Evropski župani in regionalni voditelji sodelujejo s svojimi ukrajinskimi kolegi, da bi organizirali prevoz in bivanje otrok iz ukrajinskih lokalnih skupnosti, ki jih je vojna najbolj prizadela. Projekt je bil predstavljen na plenarnem zasedanju Evropskega odbora regij (OR), skupščine lokalnih in regionalnih oblasti EU. 

The New European Bauhaus initiative, which connects the European Green Deal to our daily lives and living spaces, is as a key opportunity to harness the creative potential of regions and municipalities, provide jobs locally and create accepted and sustainable solutions, the European Committee of the Regions believes. The opinion drafted by Cork City Councillor Kieran McCarthy (IE/EA) points out, however, that this requires strong local and regional engagement, which is why the European Commission must ensure that cities and regions are at the centre of the initiative and receive technical assistance and appropriate funding. In this regard, the Commission has confirmed it is developing a voucher scheme as proposed in McCarthy's opinion. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has underlined the major flaws of the current European economic governance and said that it is imperative to avoid new austerity policies in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine. In recommendations adopted at the plenary session, local and regional leaders called for the establishment of a "golden co-financing rule" for structural funds and welcomed the steps made so far towards a fairer tax system, including a proposal for a global minimum level of taxation for multinational groups in the Union. They expressed concern, however, that the new rules could increase red tape for businesses.  

In an opinion drafted by Emil Boc (RO/EPP), Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) underlines the importance of anchoring the European strategy for universities at local level. It points out that universities have a crucial role in addressing global challenges: by generating new research knowledge and promoting new innovation, they support the green and digital transitions and the EU's other key policy goals. Universities can also provide solutions and tools for tackling some of the major problems facing the EU, such as brain drain and rural exodus. 

Trajnostno in učinkovito upravljanje kmetijstva in gozdarstva je odločilno za ohranitev in zaščito krajine, preživetje podeželskega gospodarstva in boj proti odseljevanju s podeželja, s tem pa za preprečevanje razlik v razvoju. Lokalni in regionalni voditelji pozivajo Evropsko unijo, naj podpre MSP ter mikropodjetja na podeželju, zlasti s poenostavljenimi pravili o državni pomoči. 

Energetska kriza, ki jo je povzročila Putinova invazija na Ukrajino, je še povečala potrebo po postopni odpravi odvisnosti EU od nafte, plina in premoga. Glede na sedanje geopolitične razmere in njihove posledice za energetske trge je Evropski odbor regij – skupščina izvoljenih lokalnih in regionalnih voditeljev EU – sprejel resolucijo o načrtu REPowerEU in tako prispeval k energetski strategiji Evropske komisije, katere cilj je do leta 2030 doseči neodvisnost od uvoza energije iz Rusije. Lokalni voditelji poudarjajo, da sedanje grožnje za energetsko varnost in oskrbo Evrope ne smejo ogroziti prehoda na podnebno nevtralnost. 

At its Plenary Session of 27 April, the CoR adopted an opinion on Strengthening the EU-UK relationship at subnational level and remedying the territorial impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, presented by rapporteur Michael Murphy (IE/EPP), Councillor, Tipperary County Council, Mayor of Clonmel Borough District. 

Karl-Heinz Lambertz, coordinator of the Subsidiarity Steering Group at the European Committee of the Regions, addressed the Interparliamentary Committee Meeting with National Parliaments on "The EU Subsidiarity Mechanism", which the European Parliament's JURI Committee held in Brussels on 25 April 2022. 

Evropski odbor regij (OR) je med razpravo z ukrajinskimi regionalnimi in lokalnimi voditelji 27. aprila pozval k „strožjim sankcijam proti Rusiji“, zahteval takojšnjo izpustitev ukrajinskih županov in javnih uslužbencev, ki so jih ugrabile ruske okupacijske sile, ter ponudil strokovno znanje regij in mest EU v pomoč ukrajinskim lokalnim in regionalnim oblastem pri prizadevanjih za obnovo. To sporočilo je predsednik OR Tzitzikostas pozneje posredoval ukrajinskemu predsedniku Volodimirju Zelenskemu na ukrajinskem kongresu lokalnih in regionalnih oblasti. 

Ukrainian local leaders will address the European Committee of the Regions' plenary on 27 April from 1:30pm-4pm (CET). From Ukraine, the mayors of Kyiv, Lviv, Mariupol and Melitopol, as well the leader of Kharkiv District Council will join the EU's local and regional leaders to explain the current situation facing their cities and how the EU, its regions and cities can best help in providing humanitarian support and protecting Ukrainian refugees. The European Commissioners for regional policy, Elisa Ferreira, and crisis management, Janez Lenarčič, as well as the Mayor of Rome, will also join the debate, which will be streamed live. The Committee will then adopt a resolution calling for the immediate release of kidnapped Ukrainian mayors and tools to be put at the disposal of local authorities to help them to shelter refugees. 

In times when the resilience of our common European project is put to the test by several crises, the need to act to defend and promote our European values is now more pressing than ever before. The CoR has launched an online map of activities and experiences constituting a first concrete step towards a community of best practices at local and regional level to promote European values through education and culture.  

​In the aftermath of the Russian aggression to Ukraine, on 25 February the Commission launched the first version of the webpage 'EU solidarity with Ukraine', with immediate, strong messages on the measures adopted by the EU in reaction to the aggression, and to express the EU support to Ukraine and its people. The page now continues to provide up-to-date information in all languages to citizens, international partners and the media, adding content and resources around-the-clock. 

The Team Europe Partnerships Portal (TEPP) is a new platform that will support partner countries in finding innovative and effective tools to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals, and build inclusive and sustainable societies among all Team Europe Actors. 

The SEDEC Commission of the European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) are inviting local and regional authorities to share their experiences on digital education and skills through this survey​. The deadline for submitting your answers is 23 May 2022. 

​The 12th edition of the Week of Innovative Regions in Europe (WIRE) will be held at Université Paris-Saclay under the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 11, 12 & 13 May 2022. The theme of this year's edition is: "Towards a leading Europe in breakthrough innovation: unleashing the potential of regions". 

Members of the European Committee of the Regions express satisfaction with the Conference on the Future of Europe as recommendations take shape. European citizens' call for “more transparency, inclusiveness, and participation" can be partially answered by involving local and regional politicians more in the work of the European Union, the president of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) said on 8 April. 

​​​​We call for immediate release of all Ukrainian mayors and local leaders who are protecting their communities from Russian army's atrocities. Abductions and violences against them show that our democracy and core values are under attack. We must stand united in solidarity!  

A strong European initiative is needed to make fresh money and concrete means available to provide long-term support for regions and cities who are welcoming Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. The request came up during a debate between local leaders and representatives from the European Commission, at the meeting of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget ( COTER ). CoR members welcomed the initiatives taken so far by the EU institutions to cope with the emergency, and in particular the simplified procedures allowing regions and cities to redirect cohesion funds towards initiatives for refugees. However, several members, in particular from Polish regions, underlined the need for fresh money as the cohesion resources for the 2014-20 period have already been all allocated or spent. 

Common rules and fast-tracked access are needed to maximize the impact of €17 billion EU support package on the ground: this is the message delivered by leaders of the six political groups in the European Committee of the Regions at an emergency meeting near Poland's border with Ukraine on 6 April attended by Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions, Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Younous Omarjee, chairman of the European Parliament's committee on regional development, and Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, chairwoman of the Kharkiv District Council. The meeting was hosted by the president of the Podkarpackie Region, Władysław Ortyl, and the mayor of Rzeszów, Konrad Fijołek. 

Local and regional leaders of European islands stressed the need of more particular consideration in the debates of the Conference on the Future of Europe (COFE) as well as the lack of a long-term strategy for EU islands to reduce regional disparities.  

The need for assistance and support to all people displaced by the conflict in the Ukraine and giving them access to the labour market, housing and other social services was the main message during a debate in the meeting of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 1 April. CoR members highlighted their support for Ukrainian refugees and underlined the need for a properly managed social support. 

The European Union has turned to its regions and cities to help support the millions of Ukrainian refugees fleeing war. Following the adoption of a 10-point strategy that aims to protect refugees, the EU is putting in place practical, logistical and advocacy support. To help the humanitarian efforts, the European Committee of the Regions launched an Info-Support Hub to support regions and cities welcoming displaced people  

Up to ten million Ukrainians have been displaced by the war, the United Nations said on 23 March, of which 3.5 million have fled the country. More than half the country’s children have now been forced to find new homes – 2.5 million within Ukraine and another 1.8 million outside Ukraine. The strain on the social services provided by local and regional authorities in Ukraine, in neighbouring countries and – increasingly – across the EU is colossal. 

Evropski odbor regij bo nagrade za najboljšo ekološko regijo, najboljše ekološko mesto in najboljšo ekoregijo podelil 23. septembra 2022 na ekološkem dnevu EU. 

As a result of the war in Ukraine, the European Commission adopted on the 23rd of March a communication, presenting a set of short-term and medium-term actions. They aim to ensure global food security and to support farmers and consumers in the EU. Following this decision, Ulrika Landergren, the Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) chairperson of the Committee of the Regions, gave her stance on the effects of the war on the Agri-food sector. 

The COSME-funded project ‘Fostering collaboration through mapping, analysing, and interlinking of European Entrepreneurial Regions’, concluded in January 2022, had the objective of strengthening the impact of existing regional actions aimed at supporting innovative SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups in the context of the European Entrepreneurial Regions initiative.