European Committee of the Regions and Government of Québec sign cooperation agreement

  Agreement covers areas such as climate action, the energy transition, and democratic participation.   The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Government of Québec on 11 December signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen collaboration on shared priorities, including climate action, the economy, and a strengthened role for regions and cities in addressing global challenges.   The agreement was formalised in Brussels during a plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), by Kata Tüttő, the CoR's President, and Christopher Skeete, Québec’s Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie.

In the accompanying debate with Minister Skeete, members of the CoR – councillors, mayors and governors representing local and regional authorities from all 27 EU Member States – emphasised the value of upgrading contacts and forging closer collaboration with Québec.

The agreement reflects a shared commitment to democratic governance, social cohesion, and sustainability. It establishes a formal framework for cooperation, chiefly through collaboration in multilateral settings, joint initiatives, and exchanges of best practices. Seven priority areas have been identified: economy; culture; education and youth; women in politics; democracy, multilevel governance and citizen participation; environment, biodiversity, and the fight against climate change; and energy transition.

The agreement follows the signing of a Letter of Intent in March 2024. Since then, the two parties have intensified exchanges through high-level meetings, participation in CoR conferences and commission meetings, and meetings on the margins of major international events, including the UN Climate Change Conferences (COP 29 and 30) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 16). 

Quotes:

Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions: "The European Committee of the Regions' cooperation with Québec reflects a shared belief: that regions and cities are engines of progress on both our sides of the Atlantic. When we work together, we strengthen our territories and the democratic values that unite us. Québec is a strategic partner for us, and our collaboration will continue to grow in the coming years thanks to our Cooperation Agreement." 

Christopher Skeete, Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie of Québec: "The agreement with the European Committee of the Regions reflects the strong alignment and shared interests between Québec and Europe. In today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical context, Québec has every reason to strengthen its ties with stable and reliable partners. This initiative opens the door to enhanced collaboration across several strategic areas.” 

More information:  

• The debate can be re-watched on the CoR's website. Photos are available on the CoR's Flickr account. For further audiovisual material, please contact the CoR's audiovisual team.  

• The Government of Québec is a key subnational actor in Canada, with broad powers in areas such as environment, culture, and international relations. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR), the EU's assembly of local and regional representative, has a consultative role in EU law-making. 

• A Letter of Intent was signed in March 2024 by the then CoR President, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and Québec’s Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie at the time, Martine Biron. The agreement was approved by the CoR Bureau in July 2025. Christopher Skeete was appointed Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie of Québec in September 2025. 

Contacts;

European Committee of the Regions: Andrew Gardner, tel: +32 473 843 981, andrew.gardner@cor.europa.eu 

Gouvernement du Québec: Catherine Mussely, Attachée Affaires publiques et communication, tel: +32 472 285 586, Catherine.Mussely@mri.gouv.qc.ca