The first week (5-11 October) out of three of this year's #EURegionsWeek is dedicated to the thematic cluster Empowering Citizens. Check out the online programme and discover interesting working sessions on various topics. 

The third week (19 to 22 October) of this extended edition of the #EURegionsWeek will revolve around the theme Green Europe. The programme is fully dedicated to the Green Europe theme. Check out our programme and register in order to have the sessions added to your agenda! 

The Covid-19 pandemic has substantial repercussions on the European economies. The ECON Commission of the European Committee of the Regions prepares regular economic bulletins on recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different economic response measures planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. 

The RegHub secretariat has recently carried out a complete evaluation of the RegHub pilot project.  

The European Union cannot succeed without regions and cities. It is local and regional authorities that are bringing the EU through the COVID-19 pandemic. It is cohesion between regions that is the heart of European solidarity. It is the engagement by regional and local politicians that will deliver the more ambitious targets for climate change announced yesterday. I am confident President Ursula von der Leyen will build an even stronger partnership with our Committee as it is the one million regional and local elected politicians who are Europe's safety net, who are key actors in managing the pandemic and who will be crucial actors in fostering our recovery. 

The European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Natural Resources (NAT) met for the first time after the summer break to discuss sustainable tourism and the responses needed at EU level to face the challenges posed by the Coronavirus and its impact on local communities. At the meeting on 18 September, members also adopted opinions on the Farm to Fork strategy, on EU4Health, on rural revival and on the EU's civil-protection mechanism – all policies with the potential to help build resilient communities across the EU. Members of the commission also exchanged views on agro-ecology.  

On 16 September, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will, in her first State of the Union speech, share her vision for a stronger Europe and a better world after the pandemic, get familiar with this key moment of democracy. 

Člani predsedstva* Evropskega odbora regij (OR) so 11. septembra razpravljali o učinkih koronavirusne krize na vasi, mesta in regije ter o potrebi po izboljšanju delovanja Evropske unije. Na spletnem dogodku sta sodelovala tudi ministrski predsednik dežele Severno Porenje-Vestfalija Armin Laschet in podpredsednik Evropske komisije Maroš Šefčovič. 

The 2020 edition of the European Natura 2000 Award includes 27 finalists. You can vote now for your favourite project to win the European Citizens’ Award. 

We, the members of the Bureau of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), call on the Belarusian authorities to ensure the respect of fundamental values, human rights and freedoms, and we strongly condemn all violence, repression and arrests of peaceful protesters. 

During his video statement on the occassion of the meeting of the CoR Bureau on 11 September, Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, once again pointed to the important role the Network of Regional Hubs (RegHub) can play for linking the levels of policymaking and contribute to a more resilient society by providing evaluative evidence on EU policies. 

If you are interested in sharing your experiences, expectations and ideas on how DG TRADE could feed into national / regional level debates and vice versa, please take part in our on-line survey. The deadline for responses is 18 September.  

V središču razprave s komisarko EU za energijo Kadri Simson je bila vloga mest in regij pri okrevanju po krizi zaradi COVID-19, saj morajo postati ključno gonilo pri pospešitvi prehoda na zeleno gospodarstvo. Člani komisije za okolje, podnebne spremembe in energijo Evropskega odbora regij so ponovno poudarili, da morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti sodelovati pri opredelitvi in izvajanju prednostnih naložb, med drugimi sklada Next Generation EU in mehanizma EU za okrevanje in odpornost. Na dnevnem redu so bili še val prenove stavb, biotska raznovrstnost, krožno gospodarstvo in prilagajanje na podnebne spremembe. 

Evropski odbor regij svoje člane in mlade izvoljene politike poziva k predstavitvi najboljših praks s področja nizkoogljičnih projektov, da bi po vsej Evropi zbrali, prikazali, spodbujali in posnemali tovrstne projekte. Je vaše mesto ali regija vodilna na področju trajnosti? Ste ponosni na projekte, ki jih v vaši skupnosti izvajate v okviru prednostnih nalog zelenega dogovora? Potem je ta poziv namenjen vam. 

This year the EURegionsWeek will be fully digital and will offer to participants more than 500 digital working sessions to discover over three consecutive weeks in October, from 5-22 October. The registration is open from 27 August to 27 September 2020. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our world and our way of living with dire loses and substantial consequences on every aspect of our daily existence. The Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and the EU Budget (COTER) at the European Committee of the Regions will prepare regular bulletins on the policy fields within its remits reflecting recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different actions and response measures planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level.​ 

V tem intervjuju član občinskega sveta Bettembourg Roby Biwer (LU/PES) odgovarja na pet vprašanj o pomenu biotske raznovrstnosti pri preprečevanju izbruha nove pandemije, boju proti podnebnim spremembam in prehodu na večjo trajnost v okviru evropskega načrta za okrevanje. Roby Biwer je poročevalec za mnenje Biotsko raznovrstna mesta in regije po letu 2020 , ki bo predvidoma sprejeto na naslednjem, oktobrskem plenarnem zasedanju. Mnenje predlaga prispevek lokalnih in regionalnih oblasti k strategiji EU za biotsko raznovrstnost do leta 2030 , ki jo je Evropska komisija predstavila 20. maja 2020. Poleg tega bo OR na 15. zasedanju konference pogodbenic Konvencije Združenih narodov o biološki raznovrstnosti ( UN CBD COP 15 ), ki bo med 17. in 30. majem 2021 v Kunmingu na Kitajskem, izpostavil pomembno vlogo, ki jo imajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti pri zaščiti biotske raznovrstnosti. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our world and our way of living, with the loss of thousands of lives and unprecedented consequences for every aspect of our daily existence. The Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) at the European Committee of the Regions is preparing regular bulletins on the policy fields within its remits, reflecting recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different actions and response measures being planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. 

Tjisse Stelpstra (NL/ECR), član izvršnega sveta pokrajine Drenthe, v tem intervjuju odgovarja na šest vprašanj o novem akcijskem načrtu za krožno gospodarstvo in predlogih EU, kako s proizvodnjo in potrošnjo trajnostnih izdelkov, ki jih je mogoče znova uporabiti in popraviti, pretrgati tesno povezavo med gospodarsko rastjo in rabo virov. Potem ko je Evropska komisija 11. marca 2020 objavila novi akcijski načrt za krožno gospodarstvo, je Tjisse Stelpstra prevzel odgovornost za pripravo prispevka Evropskega odbora regij k tej temi v obliki mnenja , ki bo sprejeto na plenarnem zasedanju od 12. do 14. oktobra 2020. Krožno gospodarstvo je eden temeljnih stebrov evropskega zelenega dogovora – strategije EU za rast, s katero naj bi do leta 2050 dosegli podnebno nevtralnost. 

Predsednik Evropskega odbora regij (OR) Apostolos Tzitzikostas je ob zaključku evropskega vrha povedal: „Ukrepi, o katerih so se dogovorile države članice EU, so zgodovinski primer solidarnosti, namen teh ukrepov pa je obvladovanje te grožnje brez primere. Zdaj moramo poskrbeti, da bosta proračun EU in načrt okrevanja hitro prinesla koristi državljanom v vseh evropskih regijah, mestih in vaseh. Evropska sredstva moramo vložiti tam, kjer so potrebna, in vsak evro kar najbolj izkoristiti.“ 

Kriza, ki jo je sprožila pandemija COVID-19, ogroža ekonomsko, teritorialno in socialno kohezijo v Evropi ter njeno zmožnost, da izvede okolju prijaznejši, vključujoči in pametni prehod na bolj trajnostno prihodnost. Zato vseevropsko zavezništvo za kohezijo #CohesionAlliance, ki združuje več kot 12.000 podpisnikov, poziva države članice EU, naj podprejo močan večletni finančni okvir za obdobje 2021–2027 in načrte okrevanja, ki morajo krepiti kohezijo kot temeljno vrednoto Evropske unije ter poglavitni cilj vseh njenih politik in naložb. Te zahteve so bile vključene v izjavo , ki je bila na videokonferenci 14. julija, tri dni pred zasedanjem Evropskega sveta v Bruslju, predana evropski komisarki za kohezijo Elisi Ferreiri in predsedniku odbora REGI Younousu Omarjeeju. 

V tem intervjuju Vojko Obersnel (HR/PES), župan Reke in poročevalec za mnenje o Skladu za pravični prehod (SPP), odgovarja na pet vprašanj o pobudi EU za podporo regijam, ki jih je prehod na nizkoogljično gospodarstvo najbolj prizadel. Zaradi COVID-19 se je predlagani proračun za SPP povečal s 7,5 na 40 milijard EUR. Evropski odbor regij je na plenarnem zasedanju julija 2020 sprejel mnenje o SPP, v katerem je poudaril, da pozdravlja podporo EU za socialno pravičen in trajnosten prehod na zeleno gospodarstvo. 

The network of regional hubs has concluded its third consultation on the first and only EU Directive on the rights of patients in cross-border healthcare. Reaching out to more than 140 local and regional stakeholders active in the area of healthcare provision, this consultation has again been extensive and is providing unique data, based on stakeholders' "user experience" of this EU policy. 

​Catalan Health System makes https://stopcovid19.cat/en/ available altruistically for the International community. A free access cooperative platform to help prevent the global expansion of SARS Cov-2. The main objective is to share the work done with the maximum number of institutions, governments and International organizations. ​ 

The members of the European Committee of the Region's commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) discussed and adopted opinions on "Equivalent standards of living" and the "European Year of Rail 2021". At the meeting on 10 July, members also exchanged their views on the challenges for public transport in cities and metropolitan regions. 

​As a continuation of our successful webinars, we are inviting you to our 5th edition of the "Digital Masterclasses" series. Join us for a talk on inclusivity in online communication. This time, the webinar will introduce both academic and practical perspectives on effective strategies of connecting with diverse audiences online. 

The EU's recovery efforts after the Covid-19 pandemic must have a strong social dimension in order to maintain social security networks, safeguard workers' jobs and avoid wrongful dismissals, members of local and regional governments highlighted in a debate with Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Social Rights and Jobs. An opinion discussed at the European Committee of the Regions' SEDEC commission on Thursday points out the close link between the EU's social agenda, the Green Deal and the digital transition and calls for more investment in youth, education and life-long learning. 

Concepción Andreu Rodríguez (ES/PES), predsednica avtonomne skupnosti La Rioja, v intervjuju govori o strategiji EU za enakost spolov in vplivu pandemije COVID-19 na ženske. Concha Andreu je poročevalka za mnenje, ki ga je ta teden sprejela komisija za socialno politiko, izobraževanje, zaposlovanje, raziskave in kulturo (SEDEC) v Evropskem odboru regij (OR). Njegovo sprejetje je predvideno na oktobrskem plenarnem zasedanju. 

The European Commission recently published its report: “Annual report 2019 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and on relations with national parliaments“. In the report, the RegHub network is mentioned several times in connection with the COM's efforts to better integrate the experiences of the regional and local level in the future legislative procedure. For the RegHub network it is a further proof of the appreciation of its work by the European Commission. 

Side events must relate to the thematic priorities of the #EURegionsWeek 2020 and must be organised digitally between 5-9 October 2020, 12-16 October 2020 or 19‑22 October 2020. The application must be submitted by 2 September 2020 at the latest. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has substantial repercussions on the European economies. The ECON Commission of the European Committee of the Regions prepares regular economic bulletins on recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different economic response measures planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. 

This year, the European Week of Regions and Cities will spread over three consecutive weeks in October (5-22/10/2020). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related health and safety measures, the majority of the 500 sessions will be in fully digital format. Registration for the 18th European Week of Regions and Cities will open on 27 August 2020. To view the recording of the meeting and the slides presented, check the event website Partners' page! 

Evropska skupščina lokalnih in regionalnih politikov je podala priporočila glede Sklada za pravični prehod , katerega cilj je podpreti regije pri reševanju izzivov zelenega prehoda. Poročevalec Vojko Obersnel (HR/PES), župan Reke, poziva k obsežni podpori EU, da ne bi pri prehodu na oživljeno in okolju prijazno gospodarstvo pozabili na nobeno osebo niti na noben kraj. 

Evropski odbor regij, skupščina regionalnih in lokalnih oblasti EU, je dva tedna pred odločilnim evropskim vrhom države članice pozval k pravočasnemu in poštenemu dogovoru o večletnem finančnem okviru in instrumentu „Next Generation EU“. V resoluciji in razpravi z evropskim komisarjem za proračun in upravo Johannesom Hahnom so regije in mesta pozvali, naj kohezija usmerja vse politike EU ter naj izvajanje programov EU temelji na deljeni odgovornosti in partnerstvu. 

Evropski odbor regij (OR) je 2. julija sprejel resolucijo , v kateri si je določil tri prednostne naloge za naslednjih pet let. Politična skupščina želi, da Evropska unija postane bolj odporna, trajnostna in kohezivna, kar bi dosegli z večjo vključitvijo regij in mest v oblikovanje in izvajanje politik EU. 

Evropski odbor regij je na julijskem plenarnem zasedanju skoraj soglasno sprejel mnenje, ki ga je pripravil Roby Biwer , z naslovom Okrepitev ukrepov EU za zaščito in obnovo svetovnih gozdov . Poročevalec za mnenje OR poziva k uvedbi trdne sheme certificiranja in trdnega informacijskega sistema EU, ki bosta zagotavljala trajnostne gozdarske proizvode in pregledne dobavne verige iz držav, ki niso članice EU. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted at the July plenary session the opinion The Future of EU Clean Air policy in the framework of the zero-pollution ambition drafted by János Ádám Karácsony (HU/EPP), member of the Local Government of Tahitótfalu. In the context of the COVID-19, the rapporteur of the CoR opinion stresses the possible link between pollution and the gravity of infection’s consequences. Therefore, fighting air pollution must be among the top priorities of the recovery plan. Pollution reduction during lockdown showed the importance of a healthier environment. Local leaders encourage Member States to deliver and update their National Air Pollution Control Programmes as a matter of urgency and to take LRAs' contributions on board. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted the opinion "European Climate Law: enshrining the 2050 climate neutrality objective​" by rapporteur Juanma Moreno (ES/EPP), President of Andalusia. The European Climate Law, as the legal pillar of the Green Deal, needs to fully engage cities and regions in the design of the trajectory towards 2050. Members request local and regional climate inventories and objectives and call for a permanent Multilevel Energy Dialogue Platform and a European climate neutrality observatory. Data for monitoring progress should be collected at regional, rather than national level. Renewables rather than nuclear energy should power the path towards climate-neutrality. 

In a debate with the European Commissioner for Internal market, Thierry Breton, CoR members highlighted the success of the online Exchange Platform created by the CoR to enable local and regional governments share the best practises in responding the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on this successful example, CoR members proposed Commissioner Breton to jointly promote the digitalisation and the innovative use of digital platforms to support the European Commission's work in strategic fields as transport, tourism, social and education services.The assembly of EU regions and cities, also asked for a stronger support to relaunch the tourism industry, highlighting in particular the vital role of regional airport and of the airlines that connect them. Regional and local leaders stressed that the pandemic boosted the adoption of digital and innovative solutions but, at the same time, made visible persisting massive digital gaps. 

The Chair of the CoR's Working Group on the Western Balkans, Mr Nikola Dobroslavić welcomes the end of the Mostar conflict which will lead to the first local elections in Mostar since 2008. The agreement reached between the party leaders to divide political power in the city of Bosnia-Herzegovina is a historic one.  

The European Committee of the Regions is to adopt an opinion on the 'Fitness Check of the Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive' by rapporteur Piotr Całbecki (PL/EPP), president of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region. In the context of the COVID-19 and unabated global warming, Piotr Całbecki calls for a paradigm shift that places circularity and sustainability at the centre of water management policies. The opinion was discussed during the plenary session alongside a high-level debate on the European Green Deal. Read here an interview with rapporteur Piotr Całbecki on the next steps to improve water quality and sustainability. 

Lokalni in regionalni voditelji Evrope so med razpravo z Dubravko Šuico, podpredsednico Evropske komisije, pristojno za demokracijo in demografijo, institucije EU pozvali, naj tesno sodelujejo z lokalnimi vladami, da bi ublažili teritorialne in družbeno-gospodarske posledice demografskih sprememb. V več kot 40 % regij EU se prebivalstvo zmanjšuje, zato se Evropski odbor regij zavzema za vključitev demografske razsežnosti v vse politike EU in v razpravo o prihodnosti Evrope. 

The European Committee of the Regions has adopted the opinion 'Towards a Roadmap for Clean Hydrogen – the contribution of local and regional authorities to a climate-neutral Europe'. The rapporteur is Birgit Honé (DE/PES), Minister for Federal and European Affairs and Regional Development of Lower Saxony. The opinion sets out a wide range of specific legislative and non-legislative measures for the development of a green hydrogen economy as a crucial building block of decarbonisation, in particular in the industry and certain transport sectors. Hydrogen currently accounts for less than 1% of Europe’s energy consumption and most of it is not produced through renewable energy sources.  

Lokalni in regionalni voditelji so podprli predlog Evropske komisije, da se EU namenijo dodatna sredstva v višini 2 milijard EUR za neposreden odziv na prihodnje krize. Člani Evropskega odbora regij so med razpravo z evropskim komisarjem za krizno upravljanje Janezom Lenarčičem o izkušnjah, pridobljenih pri spoprijemanju s pandemijo COVID-19, poleg tega pozvali k oblikovanju novih pravil, s katerimi bi imeli regije in mesta v kriznih časih neposreden dostop do podpore EU. 

On June 22 and 23rd, the final workshop of the first phase of the project “Fostering collaboration through mapping, analysing and interlinking of European Entrepreneurial Regions” took place. 

Despite the challenging circumstances created by the covid-19 crisis, the regional hubs have continued their work. Thanks to their resilience, the continuity of the RegHub consultations has been maintained. Here is a short overview of the ongoing consultation activity. 

During a recent speech at a Commission workshop with national experts on "One in-One out", Commissioner Šefčovič confirmed the Commission is stepping up its collaboration with its partners, including the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Commission's representations in Member States, national authorities and other representative associations – in part to help identify which policies can be simplified and their burdens reduced. 

Removing unjustified obstacles to the cross-border provision of services would speed up economic recovery in Europe, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) believes. The opinion drafted by Jean-Luc Vanraes (BE/Renew Europe), Member of Uccle Municipal Council, will be adopted in the CoR plenary session this week. 

In this interview, Michael Murphy (IE/EPP), Member of Tipperary County Council, answers five questions on the importance of global trade for Europe's local economies, both in tackling the consequences of the pandemic and in promoting sustainability. The Chair of the CoR's Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) is the rapporteur of the opinion 'Implementation of Free Trade Agreement (FTAs): the regional and local perspective' to be adopted at the 1-2 July plenary session. 

Johannes Hahn, evropski komisar za proračun EU, bo z lokalnimi in regionalnimi voditelji 2. julija, na plenarnem zasedanju Evropskega odbora regij, razpravljal o načrtu Evropske unije za okrevanje ter dolgoročnem proračunu, ki se zdaj sprejema. Zasedanje bodo zaznamovale težave v gospodarstvu in zdravstvu, ki jih je povzročila pandemija. Udeležili se ga bodo še trije evropski komisarji, ki bodo ravno tako spregovorili o političnem odzivu EU na krizo: podpredsednica Dubravka Šuica bo z udeleženci razpravljala o vprašanjih, povezanih z demokracijo in demografijo, komisar Thierry Breton bo odgovarjal na vprašanja o notranjem trgu, komisar Janez Lenarčič pa bo podal pregled nekaterih ukrepov EU na področju kriznega upravljanja.