The State of Regions and Cities in the European Union 2022
Understanding Europe from the local and regional perspective
Based on original studies commissioned by the European Committee of the Regions, as well as academic research, contributions from other European institutions and open source documentation, this report provides facts and data for policy-makers and relevant stakeholders. The main findings and recommendations will be echoed in the annual address on the State of Regions and Cities in the European Union, to be delivered by the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro at the plenary session in October 2022.
This year's report focuses on the most pressing challenges that EU cities and regions are facing: the economic and social consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine, the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary recovery, the climate emergency and energy transition, the fight against inequalities, and the future of democracy building on the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
The report will also feature its "Regional and Local Barometer", presenting the views of elected representatives from across Europe surveyed in partnership with IPSOS.
Regional and Local Barometer
In the 27 Member States of the European Union, there are more than one million politicians elected at the subnational level. These local politicians represent a highly diverse set of constituencies at various levels of government, including federal states, regions, provinces, counties, districts or municipalities. The Eurobarometer Flash survey provides an important platform for local politicians in the EU to share their opinion on Europe's challenges and priorities.
The answers reveal what local politicians would prioritise at the EU level, how aware they are of EU-wide initiatives and of EU funding opportunities, what they think of the future of Europe, and what their responses are to the emergency created by the war in Ukraine.
Main findings
- 76% of local politicians said that their regional or local authority receives refugees from Ukraine and at least half of respondents said that their regional or local authority sends material aid to Ukraine
- Two out of four respondents said that the most effective way to rebuild Ukraine is to involve EU regions in the plan of reconstruction
- 88% of local politicians interviewed totally agreed or tended to agree that “cohesion" should be among the key values of the European Union; this number ranged from 68% in Finland to 100% in Portugal.
- When asked about the added value of cohesion policy, compared to other funding streams (national or regional), over six in ten respondents said that cohesion funds were used to support specific types of projects (62%). Close to one in three local politicians said that cohesion funding was used to integrate EU policy into strategies developed at the regional level (31%) while around one in five respondents said that it supports partnership among actors at all institutional levels (20%) and the stability of financing over the long term (16%).
- Regarding the awareness of any EU funding (under Cohesion Policy or NextGenerationEU) received by their city or region in the past two years, 35% of local politicians said that they are aware of any EU funding
- One in ten of respondents stated that they were either fully involved (1%) or partially involved (9%) in the drafting of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans
- 51% respondents said that the key objectives of EU funding should be supporting the green transition of the economy
- 77% of respondents said that the social and economic impact of the war requires adapting EU policies and funding
- 89% of respondents agree that regions and cities should have more influence on the future of the European Union
- More than six in ten respondents (65%) said that regions and cities can be most effectively involved in the debate on the Future of Europe by ensuring a continuous debate on the topic at the regional and local level
The 'Local politicians of the EU and the future of Europe' survey was conducted by IPSOS. Between 25 July and 11 September 2022, 2698 interviews were completed with local and regional politicians in the EU.
