Former Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakoyannis, will chair the Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Energy

Costas Bakoyannis chaired the ENVE commission, representing EU regions and cities on environmental, climate change and energy issues.

The former mayor of Athens and current municipal councillor, Costas Bakoyannis (GR/EPP), was elected today as chair of the Committee on the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) at the European Committee of the Regions.

In his new role, Bakoyannis will be the main voice of EU regions and cities on issues related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection, zero pollution, waste and water management, and energy, for the next two and a half years.

Costas Bakoyannis served as Mayor of Athens from 2019 to 2023 and Governor of the Region of Central Greece from 2014 to 2019. He has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions since 2020.

The ENVE commission is one of the six thematic commissions of the European Committee of the Regions responsible for preparing opinions and preparatory work. It is made up of 90 local and regional leaders, representing all EU Member States. The next ENVE commission meeting will take place on 5 March in Brussels.

Statement

Costas Bakoyannis, newly elected Chair of the ENVE Commission: "The challenge of the coming years is not just to achieve Europe's green goals, but to link environmental policy to economic growth, social cohesion and citizens' security. The crises we are experiencing create opportunities to build cities and regions that are both sustainable, resilient and prosperous. The Committee of the Regions has already gained considerable ground in the international debate. Now is the time to go even further and ensure that local, municipal and regional authorities have a meaningful influence on the decisions shaping Europe's future."

Contacts

Lauri Ouvinen
+32 468117057
Lauri.ounvinen@cor.europa.eu

Paraskevi Georgiou
+30 6982977210
Paraskevi.gorgiou@cor.europa.eu