In a context of multiplication of crises, EU local and regional leaders debated at the meeting of the European Committee of the Regions' commission for Natural Resources (NAT) on 30 March on how to make regions more resilient in agriculture, health and food systems. They argued that European Union should not only be reacting to crises but also be able to anticipate them by defining vulnerabilities criteria at local and regional level and integrating them into EU policy-making. Health claim labelling on food and alcoholic products was also discussed at the meeting. 

Local and regional authorities, representatives of the European Commission and other European institutions, academia and civil society attending the European Committee of the Regions conference discussed how to promote the integration of migrants and refugees, intercultural interaction and social cohesion in increasingly diverse societies. 

The Commission launched the ninth edition of the European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital).The prize is awarded to European cities that are front-runners of innovations that benefit their citizens. 

Lead representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) joined European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Elisa Ferreira for the launch of a call for expression of interest to establish 100 Regional Innovation Valleys in Europe. The launch took place on 28 March during a high-level event gathering EU territories that participate in the Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI) pilot action.  

On 29 March 2023, ENVE Chair Rafal Trzaskowski and Martin Horn, Mayor of Freiburg and President of ICLEI Europe and have presented the CoR-ICLEI action plan 2023-2024. The action plan has been designed with the aim to facilitate cooperation between the CoR and ICLEI and to promote their shared goals and objectives with respect to climate policies, biodiversity, regional development and citizens' engagement. 

Less-developed regions have improved their performances, triggering significant economic advantages for their citizens, but big differences remain in particular between large urban areas and the rest 

Η υποβολή υποψηφιοτήτων για τα βραβεία βιολογικής παραγωγής της ΕΕ για το 2023 έχει πλέον ξεκινήσει. Τα Ευρωπαϊκά Βραβεία Βιολογικής Παραγωγής, που διοργανώνονται από κοινού από την Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών, την Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή, την Ευρωπαϊκή Οικονομική και Κοινωνική Επιτροπή, την COPA-COGECA και την IFOAM Organics Europe, έχουν ως στόχο να επιβραβεύσουν διάφορους παράγοντες ολόκληρης της αλυσίδας αξίας των βιολογικών προϊόντων, οι οποίοι ανέπτυξαν καινοτόμα, βιώσιμα και ελπιδοφόρα έργα που δημιουργούν πραγματική προστιθέμενη αξία για τη βιολογική παραγωγή και κατανάλωση. Προβλέπονται οκτώ βραβεία σε επτά διαφορετικές κατηγορίες, 3 εκ των οποίων (για την καλύτερη βιολογική περιφέρεια, τον καλύτερο βιολογικό δήμο και την καλύτερη βιοπεριφέρεια) θα απονεμηθούν από την ΕτΠ. Οι νικητές θα ανακοινωθούν στις 25 Σεπτεμβρίου 2023, Ευρωπαϊκή Ημέρα Βιολογικής Παραγωγής.Η Isilda Gomes, πρόεδρος της επιτροπής «Φυσικοί πόροι» (NAT), δήλωσε: «Η αυξανόμενη καταναλωτική ζήτηση για καλύτερη ποιότητα, πιο βιώσιμα, πιο τοπικά και υγιεινά τρόφιμα, συμπεριλαμβανομένων των βιολογικών προϊόντων, μπορεί να δημιουργήσει νέες ευκαιρίες για την αγροτική οικονομία. Η βιολογική γεωργία έχει καταστεί σημαντική πηγή απασχόλησης και εισοδήματος που συμβάλλει στην επίτευξη των στόχων του μακρόπνοου οράματος για τις αγροτικές περιοχές. Αυτός είναι ο λόγος για τον οποίο η ΕτΠ υποστηρίζει σθεναρά τον στόχο της ΕΕ που ορίζεται στη στρατηγική «Από το αγρόκτημα στο πιάτο» για βιολογική καλλιέργεια τουλάχιστον του 25% της γεωργικής γης της ΕΕ έως το 2030. Η φιλοδοξία αυτή μπορεί να επιτευχθεί μόνο μέσω εργαλείων πολιτικής που στηρίζουν την ανάπτυξη του κλάδου βιολογικών προϊόντων, συμπεριλαμβανομένων βραβείων όπως αυτά, που επιβραβεύουν την αριστεία στην αλυσίδα βιολογικών τροφίμων και τονώνουν τόσο την παραγωγή όσο και την κατανάλωση βιολογικών προϊόντων.Στην ιδιαίτερη πατρίδα μου, το Πορτιμάο, στηρίζουμε σθεναρά τον στόχο της στρατηγικής «Από το αγρόκτημα στο πιάτο» και συνεργαζόμαστε με τοπικούς παραγωγούς για την επίτευξή του, βοηθώντας τους να βελτιώσουν τις πωλήσεις των προϊόντων τους στην αγορά της πόλης και παρέχοντας στους κατοίκους της περιοχής πρόσβαση σε τρόφιμα καλύτερης ποιότητας, προστατεύοντας παράλληλα τις αγροτικές μας κοινότητες».Οι αιτήσεις μπορούν να αποσταλούν έως τις 14 Μαΐου μέσω των ακόλουθων συνδέσμων:ΒιοπεριφέρειεςΠεριφέρειεςΔήμοιΓια τυχόν ερωτήσεις σχετικά με τις αιτήσεις, επικοινωνήστε με τη διεύθυνση EuorganicawardsCoR@cor.europa.eu 

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. 

Increased transparency and free access to critical information on short-term rentals in order to fight illegal activities and ensure the availability of affordable housing for local communities: these are the main requests that European cities and regions addressed to the EU institutions through an opinion drafted by Roberto Ciambetti, President of the Veneto Regional Council, adopted by unanimity on 15 March at the plenary of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). 

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. 

In the latest regulation on CO2 emission performance standards for cars and vans, European legislators fully took on board regions' and cities' demand to involve the territorial impact of the transition in industrial regions, especially those – such as the regions with an automotive industry– that are undergoing a twin digital and green transition . The European Parliament further tasked the European Commission to report and funding needs and gaps to ensure a just transition in the automotive supply industry, building upon the work done by the European Committee of the Regions' Automotive Regions Alliance. Members of the European Parliament adopted the proposal during their plenary session on 14 February, teaming up with the European Committee of the Regions in an effort achieve a just and fair transition towards a decarbonised road transport sector. 

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. 

Οι τοπικές και οι περιφερειακές αρχές της ΕΕ βρίσκονται στην πρώτη γραμμή για τη στήριξη των ανθρώπων που έχουν πληγεί από την ενεργειακή κρίση και για την εφαρμογή μέτρων με στόχο τη διασφάλιση της εξοικονόμησης ενέργειας και τη διατήρηση του ενεργειακού εφοδιασμού. Επιθυμούν να συμμετέχουν περισσότερο στις εν εξελίξει ενεργειακές μεταρρυθμίσεις για την εξασφάλιση στρατηγικών επενδύσεων προκειμένου να επιταχυνθεί η μετάβαση σε καθαρές μορφές ενέργειας. Με επείγον ψήφισμά της, η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή των Περιφερειών καλεί την ΕΕ να οικοδομήσει μια πραγματική Ενεργειακή Ένωση και να σφυρηλατήσει συνέργειες μεταξύ των χρηματοδοτικών μέσων της ΕΕ για την επιτάχυνση έργων βιώσιμης ενέργειας σε τοπικό επίπεδο καθώς και προγραμμάτων ανάπτυξης ικανοτήτων και αναβάθμισης δεξιοτήτων, προκειμένου να υλοποιηθούν οι στόχοι του Ευρωπαϊκού Έτους Δεξιοτήτων 2023. 

Οι τοπικές και οι περιφερειακές αρχές θα πρέπει να βρίσκονται στο επίκεντρο της διακυβέρνησης της πιστοποίησης σε σχέση με την ανθρακοδεσμευτική γεωργία προς στήριξη της ανάπτυξης έργων προσαρμοσμένων στις τοπικές ανάγκες και σύμφωνα με τις περιφερειακές γεωργικές και αγροτικές στρατηγικές. Αυτό είναι το βασικό μήνυμα της γνωμοδότησης με θέμα «Περιφερειακές στρατηγικές προσαρμογής για την επίτευξη γεωργίας χαμηλών ανθρακούχων εκπομπών» του Loïg Chesnais-Girard, προέδρου του περιφερειακού συμβουλίου της Βρετάνης, η οποία εγκρίθηκε κατά την 153η σύνοδο ολομέλειας της ΕτΠ ως απάντηση στο σχέδιο κανονισμού της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής σχετικά με την ενωσιακή πιστοποίηση για τις απορροφήσεις άνθρακα. Το νέο ενωσιακό σύστημα πιστοποίησης για την απορρόφηση άνθρακα θα πρέπει να λαμβάνει υπόψη το σύνολο της εκμετάλλευσης, όλες τις εκπομπές αερίων του θερμοκηπίου και όχι μόνον το διοξείδιο του άνθρακα, και να έχει ισχυρή κοινωνική, περιβαλλοντική και οικονομική διάσταση, ειδάλλως ελλοχεύει ο κίνδυνος να υπονομευτεί η επισιτιστική ασφάλεια στην ΕΕ. 

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. 

Η επίτευξη μιας ψηφιακής μετάβασης χωρίς αποκλεισμούς στις αστικές και αγροτικές περιοχές θα απαιτήσει αυξημένες επενδύσεις σε υποδομές δικτύου, επικαιροποιημένες στρατηγικές ψηφιακής ανθεκτικότητας και καλύτερη συνεργασία με τις εθνικές κυβερνήσεις και μεταξύ των κρατών μελών. Αυτά ήταν τα συμπεράσματα της συζήτησης με τη Margrethe Vestager, εκτελεστική αντιπρόεδρο της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής για μια Ευρώπη έτοιμη για την ψηφιακή εποχή, που πραγματοποιήθηκε κατά τη σύνοδο ολομέλειας της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής των Περιφερειών (ΕτΠ) στις 8 Φεβρουαρίου. 

Ο Δήμος Μιχαλόβου της Πολωνίας τιμήθηκε με το βραβείο «Πάβελ Ανταμόβιτς» σε αναγνώριση της υποστήριξής του στην ελευθερία, την αλληλεγγύη και την ισότητα. Το βραβείο απονεμήθηκε από τον Πρόεδρο της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής των Περιφερειών κ. Vasco Alves Cordeiro, παρουσία της Ευρωπαίας Επιτρόπου Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων κ. Ylva Johansson, στη σύνοδο ολομέλειας της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής των Περιφερειών στις Βρυξέλλες που διεξήχθη στις 8 Φεβρουαρίου.