CoR members regret lack of regional and local dimension in EU–UK relations

Members of the European Committee of the Regions have lamented the lack of 'territorial depth' in the post-Brexit relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, calling on 15 May for the Committee – as a representative of local and regional authorities in the EU – to be given a seat in the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly created in the wake of the UK's departure from the EU.

Their opinion was supported by MEP Sandro Gozi (FR/Renew Europe), co-chair of the European Parliament–UK Parliamentary Partnership Assembly, who told a plenary session of the CoR that "we must add territorial depth to the EU-British relationship". He underscored his agreement, saying that "the major gap is the territorial and regional dimension of EU-British relations".

The debate took place just days before a UK-EU summit, to be held in London on 19 May, and amid hopes that disputes over fishing rights could be overcome and that agreements could be reached on defence cooperation and youth mobility. The UK government has said it hopes for a 're-set' in relations.

The chair of the CoR's UK Contact Group – Karl Vanlouwe (BE/European Alliance), member of the Flemish Parliament – called for "a stronger and more meaningful role for local and regional authorities within the 're-set' negotiations and an increased focus on regenerating cross-border links at the local level".

Local and regional representatives highlighted the asymmetrical impacts of Brexit on port, fishing, and border regions, citing logistical disruptions, trade declines, and the halt of cooperation programmes such as Interreg and Erasmus+. 

Regret at the loss of opportunities for young people – such as the Erasmus+ programme for education, training, youth and sport – was expressed repeatedly, with Francois Decoster (FR/Renew Europe), vice-president of the Hauts-de-France region, saying: "I simply wish for this re-set, this new beginning, to address our peoples first, to allow us to reconnect."

Ilpo Heltimoinen (FI/ECR), from Lappeenranta City Council, said that cooperation needs to advance "in a more pragmatic way… particularly in areas where we can be strong together, such as energy security, resilience, defence, and technology", but "it must start from the grassroots", with "student and researcher exchanges, mobility programmes, cultural and scientific partnerships, and business and tourism cooperation". These, he said "offer enormous potential".

Fauzaya Talhauoi (BE/PES) of Antwerp city council said that "we [in Flanders] we feel the negative impact of Brexit in our daily lives", adding that "It's the private individuals, small and medium-sized businesses that have suffered".

"The lack of involvement in the governments of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement is problematic, because the territorial impacts are not taken into account, either in the agreement's implementation and in its monitoring," said Carlos Carvalho (PT/EPP), mayor of Tabuaço, citing problems in fisheries management and "difficulties for the local and regional authorities to react in case of non-respect of the agreement as the example of the sewage management" as examples. "Mayors and local leaders are stepping up to maintain international ties, engage in peer learning and lobby for shared interests," he said, describing "city diplomacy" as a "crucial tool".

Dan Boyle (IE/Greens) of Cork City Council emphasised the importance of the inter-regional collaboration. "We need," he argued "to find replacements and enhanced programmes, such as the Interreg programme, which has proved so successful in the past and has allowed local and regional governments to adopt best practices and highest standards through that cooperation between countries."

Politicians from Scotland and Wales spoke during the session, with Alun Davies of the Welsh parliament – the Senedd – saying that "Now is the time to work harder, now is the time to work more closely, now is the time when we need to build bridges and not borders." Shona Morrison, President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, said that Scottish local government is committed "to maintaining political dialogue and positive EU relations", noting that "five years on [since Brexit] we are still working to fully understand new trading arrangements as well as the legal and economic consequences".

The CoR's UK Contact Group met later on 15 May, during which CoR members and politicians from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland discussed in more depth the challenges to and opportunities in cross-border cooperation, as well as the state of play in EU-UK relations.  

Quotes:  

• Karl Vanlouwe (BE/FR), member of the Flemish Parliament and chair of the CoR's UK Contact Group: "Restoring EU-UK relations requires a comprehensive understanding of how the needs and views of local communities on both sides have evolved since Brexit. It is therefore essential that local and regional voices are involved in a multi-level approach to forging EU-UK cooperation that transcends national-level exchanges. By meaningfully including devolved governments throughout the negotiation process and promoting exchange between local communities, we can simultaneously strengthen our macro- and regional-level ties to create a robust foundation for sustainable cooperation."
• Sandro Gozi (FR/Renew Europe), co-chair of European Union-United Kingdom Parliamentary Partnership Assembly: "It is essential to work with a two-part approach. First, we must fully and effectively implement what we have already agreed upon with the British—the Trade and Cooperation Agreements, the Windsor Framework. But in this new phase we must address the major gaps. And the major gap is the territorial and regional dimension of EU-British relations. This is doubly problematic: first, because we cannot imagine a relationship with a major European country — especially one that used to be a member of the EU — without considering the regional and local dimension. Second, because the local and regional authorities of the EU, many of them, are on the front lines and are suffering the most from the consequences of Brexit."