The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Vasco Alves Cordeiro, and the Minister-President of Wallonia, Elio Di Rupo, visited two projects in Mons and Charleroi co-financed by European structural funds in order to showcase the impact of European cohesion policy on the daily lives of citizens. 

The CoR has just launched a study on Digital Resilience, which will investigate the state of play of digital resilience across local and regional authorities (LRAs) from the EU27 countries and understand which solutions and funds are used at the subnational level to strengthen it. 

The CoR would like to inform its valued members that the URBACT call for Action Planning Networks is open. The URBACT call for Action Planning Networks offers cities the opportunity to work together and co-create integrated solutions to their urban challenges. 

Il Premio Paweł Adamowicz è stato conferito al comune polacco di Michałowo per l'aiuto prestato ai rifugiati alla frontiera con la Bielorussia. L'esito di questa edizione del Premio, creato per promuovere il lascito ideale di Paweł Adamowicz, è stato annunciato a Danzica – dove Adamowicz è stato sindaco per un ventennio – presso il Centro europeo di solidarietà. Il prestigioso riconoscimento sarà consegnato al sindaco di Michałowo Marek Nazarko nel corso della sessione plenaria del CdR dell'8 febbraio a Bruxelles. 

​The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) are taking part in this solidarity initiative by turning off the lights of the EESC-CoR buildings today 21 December between 20:00 – 21:00. We invite all regions and cities to switch off their festive lights tonight at 8 pm local time and join "The Hour for Ukraine". 

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Let´s shape EuroPCom 2023 together, with the help of your ideas! Let us know your proposals for session topics or suggestions for inspiring speakers! Please submit the filled in form by 20 January 2023! 

Since 1987, the Erasmus programme has been connecting people and regions in Europe and all around the world. These ties have boosted European identity and introduced young people to new cultures, languages and professional vocations. Speaking at the closing event of the 35th anniversary year, Tanya Hristova (BG/EPP), Chair of the European Committee of the Regions' SEDEC Commission, called for the European Commission to collaborate with regions and cities to ensure that people from all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and from all EU regions are able to benefit from the programme. 

While air and pesticides pollution have decreased in the EU, harmful noise, nutrient pollution and municipal waste have stalled. Much stronger action is needed if the EU is to achieve its 2030 pollution reduction targets. These are some of the conclusions of the first Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report, the main topic of the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform conference that took place in Brussels on 14 December. The report provides a snapshot of pollution in the EU and includes guidelines to deliver the 2030 targets of the EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan.  

​Two key initiatives linked to the European Pillar of Social Rights were on the agenda of the SEDEC Commission's meeting of 12 December: one on the Council recommendation for adequate minimum income and the other on the proposal for a European Care Strategy. Members also adopted a set of recommendations for creating an enabling environment for the social economy and elected a new First Vice-Chair, Mayor of Alimos Andreas Kondylis (EL/Renew). 

Cities and regions should urgently consider donating power generators and heating equipment to Ukraine to cope with the worst of the winter, the European Commission and European Committee of the Regions have urged. The call was made in a letter sent on a day when the French government hosted an international con ference – "Standing with the Ukrainian people" – to gather aid to help Ukraine through the winter, as well as a bilateral conference for resilience and reconstruction with the Ukrainian government. 

Chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell Fontelles, the Meeting of ministers of foreign affairs of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) was held on 12 December 2022 in Brussels, at the Council of the EU premises. Commissioner for Enlargement and neighbourhood policy Olivér Várhelyi made the opening speech. Ministers of foreign affairs or their deputies of all 27 EU Member States and the five participating Eastern partner countries (Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) took part. 

The Valea Jiului Development Society Project was announced as the winner of the sixth edition of the Transformative Action Award at a ceremony hosted by the European Committee of the Regions. The Romanian civil society coalition’s transformative action focuses on spearheading systemic change in the Jiu Valley, a former mining region, by strengthening local civil society, promoting sustainable development, fostering collaboration, and encouraging equitable investments. 

The CoR would like to inform its valued members that the application for the “European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award" is now open. Launched by the European Commission in 2021, this award is open to all local authorities in the EU who are building fairer societies by promoting diversity and inclusion in terms of: sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief , disability, age, LGBTIQ identity.  

In the context of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) that is taking place in Montreal, EU cities and regions are pushing for more ambitious biodiversity targets while calling for a formal recognition of subnational governments in protecting ecosystems and restoring natural habitats. Zero pollution and the outcomes of the UN climate talks (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh were additional items in the agenda of the ENVE commission meeting which also hosted the 2022 Transformative Action Award ceremony. 

On 9 December 2022, the recently agreed action plan 2022-2024 with Climate KIC was presented to the ENVE commission. The action plan was designed with the aim to facilitate cooperation between the CoR and Climate KIC and to promote their shared goals and objectives with respect to climate policies, biodiversity, regional development and citizens' engagement. 

Over the last decade, both EU bodies have successfully reduced consumption: -42% electricity, -54% gas, -58% water, -83% waste and -96% paper. In the context of the climate emergency, energy crisis and high inflation, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) have signed a new environmental commitment with concrete actions to reduce energy consumption, waste, pollution and to improve the overall environmental footprint of all their activities.  

​​​On 5th and 6th December, the CoR's Network of Regional Hubs (RegHub) met in Brussels to conduct one of its three annual workshops. This December workshop was particularly important because for the first time, the Network's contact points could attend a Fit for Future Platform (F4F) plenary in person, and see the two CoR-led opinions, to which they contributed, being adopted. Both F4F opinions – on the End-of-life vehicles Directive and the Governments Interoperability Strategy – were adopted by the Platform with unanimity. 

​​The European Committee of the Regions' commission for Economic Policy ( ECON ) has adopted draft opinions on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, the review report on the Recovery and Resilience Facility as well as on the Single Market Emergency Instrument. On the same day, 7 December, a group of Czech glass producers also presented to ECON members crystal glasses from Bohemia, as an example of regional craft excellence that could be better protected through a new EU framework for geographical indications of industrial and craft products. The CoR has been calling since 2015 for the creation of the new system, which is built on a successful model used for agriculture and food. 

Local and regional authorities make EU law happen. Therefore their feedback on how EU rules are implemented on the ground to make them simpler, fewer and less bureaucratic is essential: this was the message of the CoR at the Fit for Future (F4F) Platform plenary on 5 December – a tool established by the European Commission for better and less burdensome EU legislation. Two opinions drafted by CoR members Mark Speich (DE/EPP) and Anne Karjalainen (FI/PSE) on topics that are of great relevance for local and regional authorities – interoperability of data systems and clear rules for end-of-life vehicles - were adopted. 

Local leaders are worried that the new own resources proposed by the European Commission will not be enough to finance the EU's challenges and repay the debt generated by the Recovery Plan. 

Local and regional authorities can play a critical role in countering hate crime and hate speech, breaking down barriers to reporting incidents of hate crime, and preventing discrimination and exclusion. This is the key message delivered by the European Committee of the Regions during the 30 November plenary session, by adopting recommendations that support the European Commission's proposals to add hate speech and hate crime to the list of crimes recognised in EU policy.  

Nel parere adottato il 30 novembre in sessione plenaria, il Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR) sostiene la proposta della Commissione europea di riunire i tre regimi delle indicazioni geografiche (IG) in un sistema unico con disposizioni comuni per i prodotti agricoli e alimentari, i vini e le bevande spiritose. Il CdR accoglie con particolare favore la proposta di delegare parte dell'esame delle domande all'Ufficio dell'Unione europea per la proprietà intellettuale (EUIPO), che dispone di strumenti efficienti da poter mettere al servizio dei produttori di IG per semplificare le procedure di registrazione, oltre che per migliorare il controllo delle IG e combattere le frodi. 

Le isole, le zone rurali, le regioni transfrontaliere e quelle montane hanno bisogno di interventi su misura per rimanere attraenti, affrontare le disuguaglianze e quindi controbilanciare i loro svantaggi geografici: questo è il messaggio formulato dal Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR) in un parere elaborato dalla presidente dell'Assemblea regionale della Corsica. 

The European Committee of the Regions underlines in its opinion that the EU's ambitious innovation policy goals set in the New Innovation Agenda for Europe can only be achieved by reducing fragmentation among projects and stepping up cooperation in cities and regions between businesses, academia and regional and local authorities. Cities and regions also emphasise the need to set up ERA Hubs, as outlined by the Council of the EU one year ago, in order to speed up the emergence of competitive R&I ecosystems across the EU. 

Urban areas with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants house around 66% of Europe's urban dwellers and play an essential role in making the digital and green transitions happen. For this reason, in an opinion adopted by the European Committee of the Regions at the plenary session of 1 December, regional and local leaders demand targeted financial support for smaller urban areas to ensure a balanced territorial development. 

Con l'inflazione e i prezzi elevati dell'energia che continuano a dettare l'agenda politica europea, il Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR) chiede che città e regioni, piccole imprese e famiglie possano accedere direttamente all'assistenza tecnica e finanziaria dell'UE per far fronte alla crisi energetica, aiutare le famiglie più vulnerabili e portare avanti l'azione per il clima. Ai negoziati sul clima della COP27 delle Nazioni Unite che si è appena conclusa, il CdR ha guidato una coalizione di sindaci e reti globalie chiestodi fornire ai governi subnazionali gli strumenti necessari per poter accelerare l'azione per il clima ed accrescere la resilienza. 

Potenziare l'educazione civica, abbassare l'età minima per il voto e incoraggiare i giovani a candidarsi alle elezioni, istituire meccanismi permanenti di consultazione con i giovani, sottoporre la nuova legislazione dell'UE a una valutazione d'impatto dal punto di vista dei giovani, rafforzare i programmi dell'UE per la gioventù: sono queste alcune delle raccomandazioni presentate nella Carta europea dei giovani e della democrazia. Elaborata sotto l'egida del Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR) e del Forum europeo della gioventù, la Carta è il frutto di un processo di co-creazione dal basso in collaborazione con rappresentanti di organizzazioni giovanili e giovani politici eletti a livello locale e regionale di tutta l'UE, ed è stata firmata durante la sessione plenaria del CdR del 1º dicembre. 

Il Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR) ha dato ascolto alle aspettative dei cittadini e sta dando seguito attivamente alle proposte della Conferenza sul futuro dell'Europa, che non possono essere pienamente attuate senza il coinvolgimento attivo del livello locale e regionale. Questo è il messaggio principale dei leader locali e regionali dell'UE in vista dell'evento in cui le tre istituzioni dell'UE che hanno guidato la Conferenza illustreranno ai cittadini in che modo si è dato seguito alle loro proposte. Nella sua ultima relazione, il Comitato europeo delle regioni evidenzia tra l'altro i risultati conseguiti a livello locale e regionale, in tutti i settori politici. In una dichiarazione, la delegazione del Comitato e delle associazioni europee degli enti locali e regionali sottolinea la necessità di un maggiore coinvolgimento delle regioni e delle città in questo nuovo capitolo per la democrazia europea. 

Le città, le regioni e i comuni europei che desiderano presentare, condividere e arricchire la loro strategia ed esperienza nella promozione della crescita sostenibile possono ora candidarsi all'edizione 2024 del premio Regione imprenditoriale europea (EER), promosso dal Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR). Nell'ambito del tema generale Le città e le regioni verso una crescita sostenibile, resiliente e digitale, l'EER 2024 metterà in evidenza le azioni locali e regionali dirette a sostenere, nei prossimi due anni, la transizione verde e digitale delle PMI, rafforzando la competitività e la resilienza a lungo termine delle loro economie locali. Gli enti locali e regionali possono presentare le loro strategie fino al 29 marzo 2023. 

Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the Brittany region and rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions on the opinion "Regional adaptation strategies for low carbon agriculture", commented the European Commission's announcement of an EU framework for the certification of carbon removal. 

Alla sessione plenaria del 30 novembre, i membri del Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR) hanno adottato all'unanimità un parere sulla 'Strategia dell'UE per prodotti tessili sostenibili e circolari' elaborato da Luca Menesini, sindaco di Capannori e presidente della provincia di Lucca. Il CdR sostiene l'introduzione dell'obbligo di raccolta differenziata dei prodotti tessili entro il 2025, ma chiede la definizione di obiettivi specifici per la prevenzione, il riutilizzo e il riciclaggio di tali rifiuti nella revisione della direttiva quadro dell'UE sui rifiuti, prevista per il 2024. 

Potenziare l'educazione civica, abbassare l'età minima per il voto e incoraggiare i giovani a candidarsi alle elezioni, istituire meccanismi permanenti di consultazione con i giovani, sottoporre la nuova legislazione dell'UE a una valutazione d'impatto dal punto di vista dei giovani, rafforzare i programmi dell'UE per la gioventù: sono queste alcune delle raccomandazioni presentate nella Carta europea dei giovani e della democrazia. Elaborata sotto l'egida del Comitato europeo delle regioni (CdR) e del Forum europeo della gioventù, la Carta è il frutto di un processo di co-creazione dal basso in collaborazione con rappresentanti di organizzazioni giovanili e giovani politici eletti a livello locale e regionale di tutta l'UE, ed è stata firmata durante la sessione plenaria del CdR del 1º dicembre. 

La guerra della Russia contro l'Ucraina minaccia l'approvvigionamento alimentare mondiale e ha ulteriormente destabilizzato i mercati agricoli, provocando un aumento dei prezzi già elevati dei prodotti alimentari, dei mangimi, dell'energia e dei fertilizzanti. Durante la sessione plenaria del 30 novembre, i membri del Comitato europeo delle Regioni (CdR) hanno discusso con il commissario europeo per l'Agricoltura, Janusz Wojciechowski, come rendere il sistema alimentare europeo più sostenibile e preparato alle crisi future. In aula sono intervenuti il Presidente della Regione Abruzzo Marsilio, l'assessore all'Agricoltura della Regione Campania Caputo, e il consigliere comunale di Olevano Romano Milana. 

Following the first political meeting of the Alliance on 29 November, members from both European and Ukrainian cities and regions adopted the following joint view on the urgent need to stand by Ukraine, by providing emergency support. 

The Presidents of the European Committee of the Regions and of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe have warned that local and regional governments are struggling to cope with the series of crises that have rocked the continent since 2020. 

Today, the European Committee of the Regions hosted the launch of the pilot project “Monitoring the SDGs in the EU regions - Filling the data gaps - REGIONS2030", aiming at providing a framework for regions to monitor the SDGs in their territory. The project was initiated by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, in collaboration with EC’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy and Eurostat, with the support of the European Parliament and the CoR, proposed by MEP Petros Kokkalis in 2021, and approved by the European Commission in 2022. 

The European Committee of the Regions joins Orange The World to show European cities and regions' commitment to stop this violation of women's rights. By designing safer public spaces for women, opening women's shelters, or mainstreaming gender equality across all policies, we make concrete efforts to put an end to the violence that still affects so many women and girls in the EU. 

At the plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions on 30 November and 1 December, Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Marian Jurečka, will address the consequences for European households of the energy crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while Janusz Wojciechowski, European Commissioner for Agriculture, will discuss the war's impact on European food security. 

On 24 November 2022, ARLEM vice-president Mark Speich, State Secretary for Federal, European and International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), addressed the co-presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean and ministers of foreign affairs at the UfM Seventh Regional Forum held as part of the celebrations for the Day of the Mediterranean of 28 November. 

On the occasion of NAT's 15th Commission meeting on 22 November, representatives from the European Commission's DG AGRI, Silvia Michelini, DG RTD, Peter Wehrheim and Roman Brenne, JRC, Marios Avraamides, and of the European Forest Institute, Inazio Martinez de Arano, were invited to participate in a debate with NAT's members on the Bioeconomy. 

​The European Committee of the Regions' commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget ( COTER ) debated on local and regional experiences in facing the current energy crisis during the meeting on 23 November. Members also adopted the opinion on "Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU's outermost regions", drafted by Pedro de Faria e Castro (PT/EPP). 

I membri della #CohesionAlliance– la coalizione paneuropea a cui hanno aderito12 000 firmatariper chiedere una politica di coesione più incisiva – commentano leconclusioni sulla politica di coesioneadottate dal Consiglio "Affari generali" dell'UE. 

​The implementation of Just Transition Plans must be fast-tracked in all Member States 

​The European Committee of the Regions' commission for Natural Resources (NAT) met on 22 November to discuss and adopt opinions on "Regional adaptation strategies for low carbon agriculture" drafted by Loïg Chesnais/Girard (FR/PES) – President of the Brittany Region and on "the European Health Data Space" led by Daniela Cimpean (RO/EPP) – President of Sibiu County Council. They also exchanged views on "Sustainable use of pesticides" – rapporteur Heinz-Joachim Höfer (DE/PES). 

​​COP27 climate talks reached its conclusions on Sunday 20 November after two weeks of negotiations. During the closing plenary, Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew Europe), Mayor of Autun and member of the European Committee of the Regions, took the floor as the representative of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency to the United Nations. You can watch his address here (4:44:16 to 4:47:10). Read here a COP27 negotiations wrap up from the LGMA constituency. 

The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) between the European Committee of the Regions and North Macedonia will hold its twentieth meeting on 24 November 2022 in Skopje. This jubilar meeting is the first fully in person in this EU candidate country after the break caused by COVID-19 pandemic. It is also the first JCC meeting after the opening of the EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia. In addition to the discussion of the country's EU accession process, the meeting will discuss the ongoing energy crisis, caused by the Russian aggression on Ukraine, that is hitting Macedonian municipalities hard. 

The twelfth day of COP27 marked another important step for the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) delegation to Sharm el-Sheikh, where delegates participated to the first-ever Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change, convened by the COP27 Egyptian Presidency. Delegates continued to contribute to events organised by global and European partners, highlighting the importance of local and regional action in the encouraging climate commitments, enabling public-private cooperation, managing air quality, promoting a fair green skills agenda and leading by example on the road towards climate neutrality. 

​​The future of Europe's democratic development, the impact of the war in Ukraine, and threats to media freedoms dominated the agenda when members of the CIVEX commission of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) met on 17 November.  

The EWWR is a leading international campaign promoting waste prevention during a single week in November. It brings together participants from various backgrounds and sectors – schools, public administrations, companies, NGOs but also citizens – to organise awareness-raising actions at different levels: local, regional, national, and even international. The objective of these actions is to change the behaviour surrounding consumption and production patterns and waste generation habits with the aim of contributing to reaching waste reduction and climate neutrality targets.