V rámci Európskeho roka železníc 2021 sa v priebehu jedného mesiaca zastaví špeciálny európsky vlak vo viac ako 100 mestách v 26 krajinách naprieč celým kontinentom. 

Commenting on today's State of the European Union speech delivered by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said: 

The United Nations' climate summit is to kick off in Glasgow in less than two months. Six years after the signature of the Paris Agreement, national governments are to provide concrete answers on how they plan to meet their climate targets. As the world goes through unprecedented heat waves, fires and floods, COP26 will put the spotlight on the need for higher climate ambition to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. The formal inclusion of local and regional governments and their climate contributions remains a key demand that EU cities and regions will put forward in Glasgow, in close cooperation with international networks of sub-national government actors.  

Vlak Connecting Europe Express je jednou z hlavných iniciatív Európskeho roka železníc 2021 a jeho zámerom je upriamiť pozornosť na mnohé výhody železničnej osobnej a nákladnej dopravy. Napomáha aj všeobecnému cieľu, ktorý si EÚ stanovila ako súčasť Európskej zelenej dohody: podporovať prechod na železničnú dopravu v celej EÚ a dekarbonizovať tak dopravné toky a zvýšiť udržateľnú mobilitu. Na význam územného rozmeru tejto iniciatívy poukázala európska komisárka pre dopravu Adina Valean v liste predsedovi Európskeho výboru regiónov (VR) Apostolosovi Tzitzikostasovi, ktorý vyzval všetkých členov a členky VR, aby sa zapojili do projektu a prišli si pozrieť vlak na niektorej z jeho zastávok.  

Kríza spôsobená ochorením COVID-19 ukázala, že politika súdržnosti je teraz potrebná viac ako kedykoľvek predtým na to, aby sa posilnila odolnosť v Európe, chránili občania, aby sa obnova dostala do všetkých končín Európskej únie a aby sa na nikoho nezabudlo. Od svojho vzniku v októbri 2017 sa #CohesionAlliance – celoeurópskemu združeniu pozostávajúcemu z 12 000 signatárov , ktorí sa zasadzujú za silnejšiu politiku súdržnosti, podarilo vyhnúť drastickým rozpočtovým škrtom po roku 2020, zachovať politiku súdržnosti pre všetky regióny v Únii a predložiť jednoduchšie a pružnejšie pravidlá. Počas videokonferencie venovanej novému smerovaniu združenia #CohesionAlliance zakladajúci členovia obnovili svoj záväzok spojiť sily a zachovať politiku súdržnosti ako hlavnú prioritu EÚ. #CohesionAlliance bude dohliadať na to, aby členské štáty pri navrhovaní a vykonávaní politiky súdržnosti na roky 2021 – 2027 v plnej miere uplatňovali zásadu partnerstva. Súdržnosť a synergie medzi nástrojmi obnovy a štrukturálnymi fondmi sú mimoriadne dôležité na to, aby sa zabránilo prekrývaniu a aby sa maximalizoval vplyv európskych opatrení. 

European Committee of the Regions critical of New Pact on Migration and Asylum at a European Parliament hearing​ Antje Grotheer (DE/PES), rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum and Vice-President of Germany's Bremen City Parliament, presented the opinion of EU's cities and regions on the asylum & migration reform package at the hearing of European Parliament's LIBE Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, on 2nd September. She was highly critical of the importance of the first entry criterion in the analysis of asylum applications, a criterion on which Member States “waste too much time", as well as of the failure to take account of the realities of the regions, particularly those on the front line of migration. She urged to this effect for a greater consideration of regional specificities in every aspect of the process. 

​​As rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on the opinion on rural areas, the President of the Region of Andalusia Juanma Moreno, today took part in an exchange meeting between the European Commission and the EU Ministers of Agriculture on the future of rural areas. President Moreno stressed the need to further involve regions and local communities in the implementation of the Next Generation EU funds so as to ensure the sustainable development of rural areas in Europe. The CoR will organise a high-level forum in December dedicated to the recovery of rural areas in the Union.​ 

The deadline for nominations for the 2021 edition of the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award has been extended to the end of September. 

Cities are on the frontline for promoting diversity, inclusiveness, social cohesion, and sustainable development and the coronavirus pandemic has even deepened some of the existing social challenges. Thus within its Intercultural Cities and Learning Programme, the Anna Lindh Foundation launches the EuroMed Capital for Dialogue Award – Call for Candidatures. 

The Connecting Europe Express is one of the key initiatives of the European Year of Rail 2021 and aims to draw attention to the many benefits of rail in both the passenger and freight sectors. It also feeds into the EU's overarching goal set out under the European Green Deal of encouraging a 'shift to rail' across the EU in order to decarbonise transport flows and increase sustainable mobility. The importance of the territorial dimension of the initiative has been underlined by the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean, in a letter sent to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Apostolos Tzitzikostas, which invited all members of the CoR to join the project and visit the train at one of its destinations. 

Under the heading "Together for recovery", this year programme is focused on the capacity of the EU and of national and regional governments to support European citizens and their local communities with practical measures and public policies aimed at investing in a fairer, greener and more digital future for recovery 

Trade effects of Brexit likely to become clearer only after 1 October, senior EU official tells EU and UK local and regional politicians at meeting that puts spotlight on Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. Movement across the United Kingdom's borders with Ireland and Spain were central issues discussed at a meeting of British and EU local and regional politicians that focused on connections at risk of being lost by the UK's withdrawal from the EU. 

The results of a survey carried out by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) show a clear demand among local and regional authorities to extend the flexibility measures introduced last year to mobilise EU structural funds and state aid in the fight against COVID-19. Regions and cities need extraordinary rules to be maintained in order to secure the continuity of emergency investment and the deployment of crucial initiatives such as job retention schemes. This request is included in a letter co-signed by the CoR President Apostolos Tzitzikostas and the chair of the CoR's COTER commission Isabelle Boudineau, addressed to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the commissioners responsible for the relevant policies.  

Európsky výbor regiónov (VR) v reakcii na balík návrhov Európskej komisie Fit for 55 , ktorého cieľom je znížiť do roku 2030 emisie CO 2 v EÚ o 55 %, žiada, aby sa v rámci nových a aktualizovaných pravidiel zabezpečila ústredná úloha a priame financovanie pre mestá a regióny, ktoré majú zákonné právomoci v oblasti prechodu ku klimatickej neutralite a sú blízko k ľuďom. 

​​​Countries in the Western Balkans should use significant new financial support from the European Union to make their economies greener and more digital and to advance their case for EU membership, local and regional leaders heard at the Enlargement Day conference held by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on 13 July. The conference – which was addressed by the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission's Acting Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations – also identified the post-pandemic recovery as a major milestone in the history of regions' and cities' involvement in the EU accession process.  

Bringing cross-border cooperation back to the forefront of the EU’s policy agenda is one of the European Committee of the Region’s (CoR) top priorities. The Conference on the Future of Cross-Border Cooperation, organized together with the other founding partners of the European Cross-Border Citizens' Alliance, feeds into this objective. During the event, which took place on 5 July, participants reflected on the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, identified the ongoing and future challenges for cross-border regions, and held a debate on the vision for cross-border cooperation as part of the future of Europe. The event took place just a few days after CoR's plenary adopted a resolution on cross-border cooperation which will serve as a contribution to the Conference on the Future of Europe. 

The EU's regions and cities are looking forward to the Social Economy Action Plan, which the European Commission is expected to publish before the end of the year. The opinion adopted by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on Thursday underlines that it is essential to harness the full potential of social economy enterprises and organisations to ensure economic recovery, to promote collective entrepreneurship and to create high-quality jobs after the COVID-19 crisis. 

​Aviation has been one of the sectors worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Smaller regional airports have recorded the greatest decline in direct flight connections, particularly in passenger flights. Treviso (Italy) lost 95% of its connections, Vaasa (Finland) 91%, Quimper (France) 87%, and Burgas (Bulgaria) 82%. 

While the climate emergency is still very much a pressing matter, the path towards carbon neutrality must take into account the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis and the specific features of each region. Against this backdrop, rapporteur and Mayor of Autun Vincent Chauvet presented an opinion in today's plenary session that sets out the European Committee of the Regions' positions and demands regarding climate change in view of COP26, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, which will take place in November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. 

The work of the European Commission's Fit for Future Platform (F4F) has taken on speed and its subgroups and experts are about to carry out consultations on selected EU legislation in order to check whether it is futureproof and fit for purpose. 

Ak chcú mestá a regióny v EÚ úspešne pretvoriť európsky sektor dopravy a zvýšiť jeho udržateľnosť, musia klásť väčší dôraz na podporu mobility s nulovými emisiami, podporu aktívnych a spoločných spôsobov dopravy, pretvorenie mestskej mobility a lepšie prepojenie vidieckych oblastí. Tieto návrhy sú uvedené v stanovisku na tému Stratégia pre udržateľnú a inteligentnú mobilitu , ktoré na svojom plenárnom zasadnutí v stredu 30. júna prijal Európsky výbor regiónov (VR) a predstavil spravodajca Robert van Asten (NL/RE). 

Ako Európsky výbor regiónov uviedol 30. júna, Európska únia musí vytvoriť „novú demokratickú infraštruktúru s cieľom zabezpečiť slobodné a spravodlivé voľby, zlepšiť pluralitu médií a posilniť angažovanosť občanov. V odporúčaniach, ktoré majú pomôcť posilniť demokraciu, rovnosť a rešpektovanie ľudských práv, miestni a regionálni lídri zdôraznili, že územné samosprávy môžu zohrávať dôležitú úlohu pri podpore mediálnej gramotnosti, kritického myslenia a transparentnosti v politických kampaniach, ako aj pri podpore zapojenia občanov do politiky. 

The European Union should make improving the health of the Mediterranean Sea one of the priorities of its cooperation with countries in its southern neighbourhood, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has said in recommendations that also praise the EU for making support for youth entrepreneurship central to its new strategy for the region.  

Európski miestni a regionálni lídri žiadajú, aby sa ciele OSN v oblasti udržateľného rozvoja opäť zaradili na popredné miesto programu Európskej únie a aby inštitúcie a členské štáty EÚ zabezpečili ich vykonávanie do roku 2030. Európsky výbor regiónov (VR) vo svojom stanovisku , ktoré prijal dnes na svojom plenárnom zasadnutí, zdôrazňuje, že pandémia COVID-19 preukázala dôležitosť udržateľného rozvoja a že ciele udržateľného rozvoja môžu pomôcť posunúť sa k súdržnej a holistickej vízii v rámci nástroja Next Generation EU . Nedávna štúdia VR však poukazuje na nedostatok výslovného a transparentného odkazu na spomínané ciele v mnohých národných plánoch obnovy a odolnosti. 

In a bid to put cross-border cooperation back at the top of the EU's policy agenda, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted a resolution today calling on the European Commission to present a proposal for maintaining cross-border cooperation and cross-border life in the event of future crises. The resolution contains multiple proposals to improve cross-border cooperation and calls on the European Commission to follow up on already existing legislation and treaties, whose implementation could often still be improved. The future of cross-border cooperation will be further discussed during an event organised by the CoR, together with other key European partners, on 5 July. 

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted its proposals on climate adaptation in the opinion Forging a climate-resilient Europe - the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change. The CoR calls for demand-based policies, market incentives, carbon footprints and handprints in public procurement criteria and to accelerate cooperation with academia and businesses to boost broad-scale innovation, sustainable products, services and nature-based solutions. Despite net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 estimated to drop 35% below 1990 levels, the economic rebound from the COVID-19 risks bringing emissions back up. Around 40% of EU cities with more than 150 000 inhabitants have adopted climate adaptation plans.  

The European energy infrastructure update and expansion is a key enabler for the green energy transition and must be consistent with the Green Deal objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Therefore, last December 2020 the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise the 2013 Trans-European Energy Infrastructure Regulation (TEN-E). In an opinion drafted by the rapporteur Robert Sorin Negoiță (RO/PES) and discussed today, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) calls on the European Commission to ensure that the new regulation takes into account the needs and specificities of EU regions and that it stimulates sustainable energy security, market integration, fair competition, diversification of energy supply and affordable energy for all.  

As Europe's population is ageing, the need for care services is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. In an opinion drafted by Heinrich Dorner (AT/PES), Member of the State Government of Burgenland, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) calls on the European Commission to support cities and regions in addressing care worker shortages and highlights that family members – most often women – carrying out informal care work need adequate social rights and protection. 

The European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) discussed the role of cities and regions in reinforcing the resilience of critical entities during its plenary session on 1 July. To ensure a comprehensive approach, each Member State should have a strategy prepared in cooperation with local and regional authorities, setting out objectives and policy measures based on an assessment of all natural and man-made risks that may affect the provision of essential services. 

Keďže mnohé regionálne letiská sa snažia zotaviť z hospodárskych ťažkostí spôsobených pandémiou, členovia Európskeho výboru regiónov prijali 1. júla stanovisko, v ktorom vyzývajú Európsku komisiu, aby vypracovala pružnejšie a účinnejšie pravidlá verejnej pomoci, ktoré členským štátom umožnia poskytovať regionálnym letiskám finančnú pomoc. V stanovisku , ktoré vypracoval Władysław Ortyl (PL/EKR), VR zdôraznil aj to, že finančné prostriedky sa musia investovať do zlepšenia udržateľnosti letísk, čím sa prispeje k dosiahnutiu cieľov Európskej zelenej dohody. 

Koronavírusová kríza ukázala, že je nevyhnutné zosúladiť tvorbu politiky EÚ s potrebami miestnych komunít tým, že sa rozhodujúcou úlohou poveria miestne volení politici. Toto posolstvo dnes členovia Európskeho výboru regiónov predostreli podpredsedovi Európskej komisie Marošovi Šefčovičovi. Miestni a regionálni lídri počas plenárnej rozpravy zopakovali svoj záväzok pomôcť zlepšiť právne predpisy EÚ tým, že sa budú podieľať na práci platformy Fit for Future (F4F). V uznesení s návrhmi k pracovnému programu Európskej komisie na rok 2022 členovia VR vyzvali Európsku komisiu, aby zabezpečila zapojenie miestnych a regionálnych samospráv do vykonávania národných plánov obnovy a odolnosti s cieľom účinne odstraňovať miestne dôsledky pandémie. Zároveň žiadajú rozšírenie rozhodujúcich flexibilných opatrení, ktoré boli zavedené počas koronavírusovej krízy na mobilizáciu európskych štrukturálnych a investičných fondov. 

Regionálni a miestni volení politici, ktorých v EÚ zastupuje Európsky výbor regiónov (VR), a poslanci Európskeho parlamentu, jedinej inštitúcie EÚ, ktorej členov volia priamo občania, by mali v rámci Konferencie o budúcnosti Európy spojiť svoje sily. Ich spoločným cieľom by malo byť presadiť požiadavku občanov, že Únia k nim má mať bližšie, má rešpektovať zásadu subsidiarity a predvídavo reagovať na nové celosvetové aj miestne výzvy. To je posolstvo, o ktorom členovia výboru debatovali na 145. plenárnom zasadnutí VR s pozvanými hosťami, ktorými boli traja zástupcovia Európskeho parlamentu vo výkonnej rade konferencie Guy Verhofstadt, Manfred Weber a Iratxe García Pérez. Europoslanci zdôraznili, že členovia VR sú ich silnými spojencami v úsilí rozprúdiť širokú, skutočne inkluzívnu, transparentnú a geograficky aj politicky vyváženú diskusiu o budúcnosti Európy. 

The publication of the long-term vision for rural areas by the European Commission is a major success for the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), which has been asking for a rural agenda since 2016. Local leaders welcome the proposal of a Rural Pact and Action Plan setting objectives and reinforcing the political ownership for investment on sustainable rural developments. The CoR appreciates the long-term vision of rural areas in all their diversity and the effort to revitalise them in a way that goes beyond agriculture and considers every policy area through the rural lens. As foreseen in the Commission's proposal, the Committee is ready to promote the mobilisation of local communities in the implementation of the rural action plan and vision. At the same time, the CoR demands that EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is coordinated not only with cohesion policy but also with the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

Európsky výbor regiónov posilňuje svoju angažovanosť v rozsiahlom legislatívnom projekte EÚ, ktorý má zvýšiť demokratickú kontrolu nad dominantnými internetovými platformami a obnoviť rovnaké podmienky v internetovom hospodárstve v záujme MSP, ako aj v záujme spotrebiteľov. Na júnovom plenárnom zasadnutí členovia výboru prijali stanovisko , v ktorom podporili zámer Európskej komisie sprísniť reguláciu digitálnych trhov a služieb a zároveň vyzdvihli inovácie a kompetencie, ktorými môžu mestá a regióny podporiť vytvorenie riadnej a účinnej regulácie. Stanovisko VR k balíku predpisov o digitálnych službách je súčasťou širšieho súboru iniciatív zameraných na väčšie zviditeľnenie VR ako jednej z hnacích síl inkluzívnej digitálnej transformácie EÚ. 

Európsky výbor regiónov a Európska komisia s pomocou regionálnych a miestnych samospráv vypracujú na dobrovoľnej báze spoločné projekty zamerané na to, aby sa hodnoty EÚ dostali do školských osnov. Počas plenárnej diskusie s podpredsedom Komisie zodpovedným za podporu nášho európskeho spôsobu života Margaritisom Schinasom miestni a regionálni lídri zdôraznili aj to, že systémy vzdelávania by mali v plnej miere rešpektovať a podporovať slobodu, rovnosť, toleranciu a nediskrimináciu. Poukázali tiež na to, že je nevyhnutné učiť sa o Európskej únii, jej hodnotách, kultúrnom dedičstve a diverzite a tieto poznatky sa musia sprostredkúvať vo všetkých komunitách, pre všetky vekové skupiny a všetkým občanom EÚ. 

​Presidents of regional parliaments with or without legislative powers, Presidents of Regions and other regional entities endorsed today a Declaration which is the starting point of an Alliance of Regions for European Democracy that aims at enhancing the regions' political impact on the European decision making process on matters with direct relevance to the work of local and regional authorities. The endorsement took place during the political event "The place of regions in the European Union architecture in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe" organised by the European Committee of the Regions , the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), and the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The Declaration also calls for the Conference on the Future of Europe to discuss the role of regions in the EU institutional architecture and to improve it to better address citizens' needs. 

When migrants move, it is overwhelmingly to cities that they come. Migrant integration happens in cities, and it is overseen by local governments. EUROCITIES recently published its fourth Integrating Cities Report which gives a direct insight into how cities are integrating migrants today. It is now available to read in full here. 

Európsky výbor regiónov spolu s Medzinárodnou sieťou miest poskytujúcich útočisko (ICORN) a mestom Gdansk otvárajú nominácie na Cenu primátora Pawla Adamowicza za odvahu a mimoriadny prínos pri presadzovaní slobody, solidarity a rovnosti za rok 2021. 

A large number of citizens and experts took part on 23 June in "Towards a multimodal Adriatic-Ionian major line with multiple connections to the Tyrrhenian coast", an event staged by the Abruzzo Region in collaboration with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) as part of the European Year of Rail 2021. Connecting from L'Aquila and Brussels, speakers included president of the Abruzzo Region and CoR member Marco Marsilio; Portugal's secretary of state for infrastructure, Jorge Delgado on the outlook for the Portuguese Council presidency; the director for Investment, Innovative & Sustainable Transport at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), Herald Ruijters; and Italy's deputy minister for infrastructure and sustainable transport, Alessandro Morelli. 

Three vice-presidents of the European Commission will address the European Committee of the Regions on 30 June, discussing efforts to strengthen and deepen democracy, build inclusive societies, and improve EU legislation. Vice-President Věra Jourová will present the European Democracy Action Plan to empower citizens and build more resilient democracies, Vice-President Margaritis Schinas will highlight the role of education and culture in protecting the European way of life, while Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič will set out the European Commission's work programme as well as the Commission's efforts to embed strategic foresight into its work. Members of the CoR will also discuss the Conference on the Future of Europe with the three MEPs leading the work of the European Parliament in the EU-wide consultation. 

​​​​​​​The webinar looked at the state of digital transformation in European regions, taking stock of the latest research showing an increasing digital divide across European regions and urban-rural communities. Invited speakers shared their views on how public authorities at all levels can facilitate the digital transition of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), showcasing some best practices and collaboration initiatives from the European Entrepreneurial Regions. 

On 13 July 2021, the CoR, in cooperation with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will hold the Enlargement Day.  

​​​Local communities' needs will weigh more in the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) investment decisions and regions will be among leading actors in shaping, implementing and assessing the national CAP strategic plans. This crucial result was achieved thanks to the work of the CoR, its intense cooperation with the European Parliament and – more recently - with the EU Commission. Regional and local leaders are ready to use the new CAP to deliver the Green Deal on the ground but urge Member States to set adequate rules to make this happen.  

Zatiaľ čo hlavy štátov a predsedovia vlád EÚ sa stretávajú v Bruseli s cieľom preskúmať súčasný stav oživenia hospodárstva, výsledky novej štúdie , ktorú zadal Európsky výbor regiónov (VR), poukazujú na nedostatočné zapojenie miestnych a regionálnych samospráv do prípravy a realizácie národných plánov obnovy a odolnosti. Štúdia bola prezentovaná na schôdzi komisie VR pre hospodársku politiku (ECON) . Členovia a členky komisie ECON taktiež vyjadrili vážne obavy, že vzhľadom na nedostatočnú pozornosť venovanú v plánoch územným rozdielom a nedostatočnú koordináciu s cieľmi politiky súdržnosti by sa mohlo stať, že sa zdroje financovania budú prekrývať. 

The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, has received the International Medal of the Community of Madrid in recognition of his "unconditional support" to the region, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

​​Jari Andersson, member of Sastamala City Council (FI/EPP) has drafted an opinion for the European Committee of the Regions on the EU strategy on the rights of the child and the European Child Guarantee. Mr Andersson's opinion was adopted on Wednesday at the meeting of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) of the CoR. 

There are early signs that changes aimed at making the process of accession to the European Union more dynamic and predictable are yielding results, with local and regional leaders, Serbia's EU ambassador and the European Commission detecting a "new momentum" in the past year.  

Regional leaders from Turkey and the European Union have expressed some optimism that the strains in the relationship between Turkey and the European Union may ease and that a more productive period of contacts and collaboration is possible, with economic sustainability a central theme. 

Albanian municipalities are increasingly focused on improving their capacity to absorb European Union money and implement EU-related reforms, political leaders and government officials said as a meeting with the European Committee of the Regions on 17 June. There were, however, warnings about a continuing imbalance between the level of responsibility they have been given by central government and the funding available to them. 

Montenegro must overcome a period of political tension and administrative disruption and "do its homework" on issues related to the rule of law if it is to maintain the pace of its bid to join the European Union, local and regional leaders from Montenegro were told at a meeting and the European Committee of the Regions on 10 June.