Committee of the Regions' leadership steps up cooperation with Irish Presidency on ‘right to stay’ and future EU budget

Leading members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) gathered in Mullingar to strengthen cooperation with the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU in building a Europe that works for all territories. The meeting ended with the adoption of the Mullingar Declaration on ‘A future worth staying for’, which urges the EU to place territorial cohesion at the heart of its next long-term EU budget.

The CoR Bureau - the Committee’s political driving force - welcomed the European Commission's forthcoming ‘Right to Stay Strategy’, stressing that mobility must remain a choice rather than a necessity caused by a lack of opportunities and that people should be able to thrive in their regions.

In the Mullingar Declaration, members called for a strong place-based approach and a central role for local and regional authorities in shaping and implementing the strategy. They argued that only policies tailored to territorial realities can effectively tackle regional disparities and ensure that all citizens can build their future in the places they call home. Local and regional leaders therefore warned that centralising decisions on territorial investments in the hands of national governments under the EU budget 2028-2034 could weaken the Union’s ability to address social and economic disparities and respond to local needs. The next EU long-term budget must provide adequate, predictable and place-based investment, including through a strong, visible and well-resourced Cohesion Policy.

The meeting formed part of the official programme of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU and was hosted by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly. It was followed on 23 September by a meeting of the CoR Conference of Presidents, with John Cummins T.D., Ireland’s Minister of State for Local Government, which brought together the leaders of the six political groups to discuss key priorities for Europe's regions and cities.

Quotes

Kata Tüttő, President, European Committee of the Regions, said: “The right to stay is about giving people a real choice about where and how they build their future. From Mullingar, we are making a simple point: Europe’s future depends on strong regions and communities where people can thrive. A future worth staying for requires investment in jobs, housing, connectivity, services and opportunities, in particular through a strong EU cohesion policy in 2028-2034 -- and it requires local and regional authorities to have a decisive role in shaping those investments.”

Jerry Buttimer, Ireland’s Minister of State for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, and Transport, said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to meet this important representative body, which is closest to our 450 million citizens across the EU.As Minister for State with responsibility for Community Development, Charities and Rural Transport, I am very familiar with the opportunities and challenges experienced by communities right across Ireland and beyond. Today’s event is an excellent opportunity to come together and reflect on how we can empower our regions to deliver on the theme of ‘thriving and sustainable communities’.

John Cummins, Ireland’s Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Committee of the Regions to the heartlands of Ireland for this important meeting to discussion pressing issues facing all member states.This committee gives local government is vital and direct voice in EU laws ensuring they fit needs in towns and cities.”

Gillian Coughlan (IE/Renew E.),Chair of the Irish Delegation at the CoR said: “Hosting the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions in Mullingar during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a valuable opportunity to showcase the importance of local and regional government in shaping Europe's future. Through the work of the CoR and the adoption of the Mullingar Declaration, we are reinforcing a simple but powerful message: every region must offer its citizens the opportunity to live, work, prosper and build a future in the place they call home.”

Cllr. Patsy Glennon, Cathaoirleach, Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) said: “We are proud to welcome colleagues from across Europe to the Eastern and Midland Region. Our region encompasses a diverse mix of urban, rural and coastal communities, vibrant towns, innovative enterprises and strong local identities. Hosting the CoR Bureau in Mullingar provides an opportunity to showcase this diversity and the strength and potential of communities across the region, and to highlight the important contribution they make to Ireland’s wider development.”

Background

• Jack Chambers, Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, will address European local and regional leaders during the opening ceremony of the 2026 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities, on 12 October, in Brussels, together with CoR President Tüttő and the European Commission’s Executive Vice President for Cohesion, Raffaele Fitto.
• The bureau of the CoR is composed of the President, the First Vice-President, the 27 other Vice-Presidents (one for each Member States), 26 other members and the presidents of the six political groups. List of members.
• The Conference of presidents of the CoR is composed of the President, the First Vice-President and the presidents of the six political groups.

Contact:

Matteo Miglietta
Tel. +32 470895382
Matteo.Miglietta@cor.europa.eu

Ângela Machado

Tel: +32 475 41 31 58

Angela.machado@cor.europa.eu