Fit for Future Platform (F4F)

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About

The F4F Platform replaced the REFIT Platform, which was set up in 2015 as a main instrument of the European Commission's Better Regulation Agenda with the aim of achieving the objectives of the Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT). The CoR participated in the REFIT Platform with one CoR member in the Stakeholder Group. The REFIT Platform ended its mandate in October 2019.

The European Commission's Decision establishing the Fit for Future (F4F) Platform, adopted on 11 May 2020, provides for an increased role of the CoR with three CoR members in the Government Group of the Platform and the CoR Network of Regional Hubs (RegHub) as a separate subgroup supporting the Platform's work with consultations on the ground.

The F4F Platform brings together Member States and national, regional and local authorities, the CoR, the EESC and other stakeholders, and is composed of two groups – the Government Group and the Stakeholder Group.

The F4F Platform works on legislative simplification and burden reduction, and examines whether identified Union legislation and its objectives remain appropriate given the need to tackle new challenges, and how digitalisation and an increased use of electronic tools can support these objectives. The Platform considers the efficiency of Union legislation, also addressing legislative density.

The F4F Platform appoints rapporteurs for each topic included in the Annual Work Programme. The opinions provide recommendations to the Commission on the potential for simplification of EU laws and reducing unnecessary costs, by taking also into account legislative density and the need to ensure existing legislation is future-proof. 

Objectives

Local and regional authorities are tasked with the implementation of a majority of EU laws and are most immediately affected by Union legislation. It is therefore important that EU laws bring the most added value at the least added administrative burden and are developed in a clear and transparent manner, while fully respecting the fundamental principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. None of this can be achieved if local and regional authorities are not fully involved, and their input is fully recognised and respected in the EU Better Regulation agenda, throughout every phase of the policymaking process.

The CoR has been constantly advocating that giving greater consideration to the expertise of local and regional authorities in the drafting and implementation of EU law will lead to better regulation and greater democratic legitimacy in the EU.

With its participation in the F4F Platform, the CoR strives to achieve the following objectives:

  • Strengthen the role of local and regional authorities in the democratic functioning of the European Union
  • Promote the principles of active subsidiarity and multilevel governance in the EU Better Regulation agenda
  • Contribute to the EU’s better regulation efforts by bringing a local and regional perspective to the evaluation of EU legislation.
  • Increase the involvement of local and regional authorities in the design of EU legislation and in the improvement of its implementation.

CoR representatives 

  • Mark Speich (DE/EPP) – since July 2020
  • Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES) – since July 2020
  • Ulrica Landergren (SE/Renew) – from July 2020 to September 2022
  • Michiel Rijsberman (NL/Renew) – from December 2022 to July 2023

Contribution

Since the establishment of the Platform, the CoR has become the most active member delivering 25% of all Platform's opinions.

The opinions drafted by the CoR rapporteurs are evidence based and backed up by stakeholder consultations through the CoR RegHub Network. The consultation process of gathering evidence through the RegHub allows the CoR to reach out to targeted stakeholders at local and regional level who implement EU legislation and are best placed to provide information on its effectiveness, implementation difficulties and potential for simplification and burden reduction.

F4F opinions 2024

 F4F opinions 2023

The CoR members drafted 2, out of 8 opinions adopted by the Platform:

F4F opinions 2022

The CoR members drafted 2, out of 10 opinions adopted by the Platform:

F4F opinions 2021

The CoR members drafted 3, out of 15 opinions adopted by the Platform:

The Fit for Future Platform held its final plenary meeting on 17 October 2024, making the end of its four-year mandate 2020-2024. The renewal of the Platform by the European Commission is expected by the end of 2025. 

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