This year's European Green Capital is Lisbon. Its mayor, Fernando Medina (PT/PES), is a member of the European Committee of the Regions, and we asked him to introduce some of the achievements that have placed Lisbon at the forefront of Europe's greenest cities - and best places to live. 

The Kick-Off meeting of the 18th European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 takes place on 30 January at the European Commission. Please follow the web-streaming and ask questions on social media using the hashtag #EURegionsWeek. 

The Just Transition Fund and Mechanism proposed by the European Commission today have taken on board the EU's regions' and cities' demands for place-based tools to address the transition towards climate neutrality. But Europe's local and regional leaders warn against diverting funds from EU regional funds - cohesion policy - and centralising the new fund's governance.  

The Secretary-General of the European Committee of the Regions invites the European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation to submit their applications for the 2020 edition of the award "Building Europe across borders" – Award for EGTCs.  

​The network of regional hubs has concluded its second consultation, on the implementation of the EU's Air Quality Directives. It has once again been a very extensive consultation, reaching more than 170 local and regional stakeholders, who have all provided unique data, based on their "user experience" of this EU policy. 

Konferenca COP25 se je zaključila brez doseženega dogovora o pravilih za dosledno izvajanje Pariškega sporazuma. Regionalni kazalniki v okviru pariškega pravilnika in poziv k sodelovanju na več ravneh niso bili vključeni v sklepno besedilo. Kljub vsemu se je v Madridu pokazalo, da so mesta in regije po vsem svetu trdno zavezani ambicioznejšim podnebnim ciljem in ukrepom. Delegacija Evropskega odbora regij (OR) je izrecno opozarjala na njihovo ključno vlogo v boju proti globalnemu segrevanju ter na nujnost, da ta vloga v svetovnem podnebnem upravljanju dobi formalno obliko. Konferenca COP26 bo potekala decembra 2020 v Glasgowu in naj bi po pričakovanjih prinesla predvsem večje podnebne obveznosti ter ukrepanje na več ravneh. Fotografije OR s konference COP25 

While national governments fall short in agreeing on carbon neutrality objectives, local and regional representatives shared their will to commit and deliver ambitious climate policies during the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy. At the COTER Commission meeting that took place today at the European Committee of the Regions, local and regional leaders and representatives of the European Commission exchanged their views. 

Early December, the final evaluation of the CoR's Communication Strategy 2015-2020 was published. Carried out by an external contractor, the works consisted of an online survey (350 replies), structured interviews (25) and a cost-efficiency analysis of the tools and channels employed 

Dr. Blížkovský, bili ste član občinskega sveta Brna, profesor ekonomije, javni uslužbenec v Češki republiki in nazadnje javnih uslužbenec EU. Kaj imajo skupnega te izkušnje? Skoraj vedno sem v poklicnem življenju opravljal javno funkcijo, tudi kot lokalni politik. Svojo poklicno pot sem začel v izjemnem zgodovinskem trenutku. Srednje- in vzhodnoevropske države – med njimi tudi Češka republika, ki je bila tedaj del Češkoslovaške – so bile tik pred tem, da postanejo svobodne, demokratične in neodvisne nacionalne države. 

Turkey would like to increase its participation in cross-border programmes and to see an upgrading in relations between Turkey and the European Committee of the Regions, Faruk Kaymakci, Turkey's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs, told local and regional politicians from the European Union and Turkey on 27 November.  

Evropska komisija je objavila sporočilo Evropski zeleni dogovor, ki mu je priložen časovni načrt izvajanja. Med načrtovanimi ukrepi so ambicioznejši energetski in podnebni cilji ter nove strategije in zakonodaja za prilagajanje podnebnim spremembam, izboljšanje kakovosti zraka in zaščito biotske raznovrstnosti. Medtem ko so na podnebni konferenci COP25 pogajanja o pravilih mednarodnega trga ogljika zastala, je skupščina predstavnikov lokalnih in regionalnih oblasti EU pozvala pogodbenice Pariškega sporazuma, naj okrepijo sodelovanje z mesti in regionalnimi oblastmi, saj bo le tako mogoče učinkovito ukrepati proti podnebnim spremembam in zaustaviti globalno segrevanje. 

2021-2027, the #CohesionAlliance – an EU-wide alliance calling for a stronger cohesion policy after 2020 – has demanded budgetary allocations aimed at delivering a greener, more inclusive and smarter Europe be preserved. The Alliance also warned against any centralisation, which would weaken the role of regional and local governments in managing funds. 

15. novembra so vse kontaktne točke mreže regionalnih središč preko orodja EU Survey prejele vprašalnike, namenjene posvetovanju v okviru mreže o čezmejnemu zdravstvenem varstvu. Kontaktne točke morajo do 13. januarja 2020 do polnoči zbrati povratne informacije od zainteresiranih strani, izpolniti vprašalnik in ga poslati tajništvu regionalnih središč.  

During the 137th European Committee of the Regions (CoR) Plenary, that took place on 4-5 December in Brussels, regional and local leaders delivered their recommendations for the preparation of the next generation of cohesion programmes, which set the basis for cohesion policy implementation for the 2021-2027 period. In the opinion on "The challenges of metropolitan regions and their position in the future Cohesion Policy post 2020" , drafted by Juraj Droba (SK/ECR) , Chairman of Bratislava Self-Governing Region, the CoR called for increased recognition of the contribution of metropolitan regions (MRs) to the objectives of cohesion policy. The CoR also stresses that although MRS are seen as engines of Member States' economies, they have to address economic, fiscal and territorial challenges, while at the same coping with an expanding demand for quality public services and limited financial resources. 

​Declaration “JOIN, BOOST, SUSTAIN” for greater uptake of digital solutions and the creation of the European Way of digital transformation was kicked-off in Oulu on 10 December.  

Members of the European Committee of the Regions debated the Conference on the Future of Europe on 9 December, voicing support for a process of active listening to citizens and arguing that the conference should be accompanied by a broad shift towards a more transparent and open way of governance. They also called for cities and regions to be involved in the Conference, an argument supported by MEP Daniel Freund, coordinator of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO), who said that the involvement of regions and cities would be critical to the success of the Conference. 

Evropski odbor regij (OR) je predstavil svoje zahteve glede evropskega zelenega dogovora, ki ga je treba po njegovem mnenju uresničiti, če želimo do leta 2050 doseči podnebno nevtralnost. Odbor poudarja, da v ta namen na vseh področjih – od energije, mobilnosti, kmetijstva, biotske raznovrstnosti in digitalizacije pa do krožnega gospodarstva – potrebujemo jasen akcijski načrt z merljivimi cilji, usmerjenimi ukrepi in ustreznim financiranjem, pripravljen v sodelovanju z lokalnimi in regionalnimi oblastmi. Le tako se lahko Evropa odzove na izredne podnebne razmere. 

The members of the European Committee of theRegions (CoR) discussed the European Commission'sannual Competition Policy Report during theirDecember plenary session in Brussels. The opinion drafted by Dominique Lévêque (FR/PES) calls for future legislation to account for themore complex state activity needed to unlockregions' full economic potential in the green anddigital transformation.  

Evropska unija bi morala v prizadevanja v boju proti dezinformacijam nujno vključiti lokalne in regionalne oblasti, pravi Evropski odbor regij v poročilu, sprejetem 5. decembra. Skupščina EU, ki združuje lokalne in regionalne politike, je EU tudi pozvala, naj poveča pritisk na platforme družbenih medijev, da bi se te hitreje, učinkoviteje in ustrezneje odzivale na dezinformacije. 

Partnerstvu Evropske unije s šestimi državami na njeni vzhodni meji, vključno z Ukrajino, bi bilo treba v naslednjem desetletju nameniti bistveno več sredstev. Tako je Evropski odbor regij 5. decembra zapisal med priporočili, v katerih je EU pozval k večjim prizadevanjem, da bi se koristi sodelovanja razširile tudi zunaj nacionalnih prestolnic. Odbor je med mnogimi konkretnimi predlogi pozval še k ustanovitvi akademije za usposabljanje javnih uslužbencev lokalne in regionalne uprave ter k večji podpori za lokalne čezmejne projekte. 

Lokalni in regionalni voditelji so novega evropskega komisarja za delovna mesta in socialne pravice Nicolasa Schmita opozorili, da mora EU določiti jasna pravila za gospodarstvo platform, ki bodo zagotavljala pravice delavcev in enake konkurenčne pogoje za spletne in nespletne gospodarske dejavnosti na enotnem trgu. 

Trgovinski spori med EU in ZDA so prizadeli evropske regionalne agroživilske proizvode. Mesta in regije EU so na plenarnem zasedanju izrazili globoko zaskrbljenost, ker ameriške tarife škodijo proizvodnim sektorjem, lokalnim gospodarstvom in velikemu številu družinskih podjetij. Na pobudo španske delegacije bo Evropski odbor regij (OR) več pozivov o trgovinskih sporazumih vključil v mnenje, ki ga bo sprejel maja 2020. V odziv na pomoč, ki jo je EU dala Airbusu, so ZDA 18. oktobra 2019 uvedle tarife v vrednosti 6,9 milijarde EUR, ki veljajo za več kot 1 400 proizvodov. 

On 5 December, Jacques Blanc (FR/EPP), mayor of La Canourge and the European Committee of the Regions' rapporteur on pastoralism, spoke at a hearing on wolves held in Brussels by the European Parliament. He called for the Member States to have more resources and more flexibility to manage their populations of large carnivores. 

The potential of the rail sector in delivering EU policy priorities is the main topic and title of the opinion adopted by the members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) during their December plenary session. Pascal Mangin (FR/EPP), Regional Councillor of Grand Est, highlights in his opinion ways to make the transport sector greener by making better use of rail and how rail can contribute to greater economic and social cohesion in Europe's regions. 

​At a hearing held at the European Parliament on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Guillaume Cros (FR/PES), Vice-President of the Occitan Region and European Committee of the Regions rapporteur on the CAP, pointed out that according to the Court of Auditors report of 20 November, environmental aspects are not given sufficient weight among the many challenges to the future CAP that have been identified. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations also match the aims of the Green Deal announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

At its December plenary session, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted an opinion on a macro-regional strategy for the Carpathians, following an initiative by the Marshal of the Podkarpackie region Władysław Ortyl (PL/ECR). Putting in place a fifth macro-regional strategy would mean additional funding for all regions in the Carpathians, both EU and non-EU such as Ukraine, Serbia and Moldova.  

Na današnji konferenci je nova evropska komisarka za notranje zadeve Ylva Johansson pohvalila mesta, kraje in vasi po vsej Evropski uniji, ki si prizadevajo za vključevanje beguncev in migrantov. Predsednik Evropskega odbora regij Karl-Heinz Lambertz je to podporo pozdravil in dejal, da je v Evropi pri migracijah potreben „pravičnejši, bolj pragmatičen in vključujoč pristop, s katerim bi podprli regije in mesta“. 

Gospodarske zbornice in regionalne oblasti lahko pomembno prispevajo k izboljšanju izvajanja v Evropski uniji, saj so najbližje lokalnim podjetjem in lahko zagotavljajo regionalno relevantne informacije. Da bi ugotovila, kakšne so potrebe in zahteve posameznih regij, vas OR in EUROCHAMBRES vabita k sodelovanju v anketi. Anketa se osredotoča na pomembnejše sporazume o prosti trgovini (tiste v veljavi in tiste, ki so bili sklenjeni, vendar še ne veljajo), v njej pa lahko sodelujete do sredine oktobra. Rezultati bodo predstavljeni na delavnici, ki jo novembra 2019 skupaj pripravljata OR in EUROCHAMBRES. 

Predsednik Evropskega odbora regij (OR) Karl-Heinz Lambertz bo 4. decembra v okviru razprave s predsednikom Evropskega parlamenta Davidom Sassolijem imel že tretji govor o stanju v Evropski uniji: stališče regij in mest . V tem govoru ob 25-letnici OR bo predstavil pričakovanja regij in mest v novem mandatu institucij EU. Na plenarnem zasedanju bodo člani OR med drugim z novim evropskim komisarjem Nicolasom Schmitom razpravljali o krepitvi socialnih pravic ter po razpravi z izvršnim podpredsednikom Evropske komisije Fransom Timmermansom sprejeli stališče o evropskem zelenem dogovoru. 

Brain drain and negative effects of demographic change have been key concerns for the SEDEC Commission of the European Committee of the Regions during the current mandate period, which is nearing its end. At its last meeting of the year on 27 November, SEDEC members adopted an opinion drafted by Emil Boc (RO/EPP), mayor of Cluj-Napoca, which urges to address the challenge of brain drain in coordination with all levels of government. Otherwise, "the phenomenon will have long-term and permanent effects on the future of the European Union", the draft opinion warns.