​​​​The President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Mr Apostolos Tzitzikostas, officially launched the Network of Former Members of the European Committee of the Regions, a new CoR initiative, at the 144th CoR Plenary in the presence of Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, a former CoR member himself.

The Network, counting now more than 170 members, brings together former members and alternates of the CoR and gives them the possibility to continue following the CoR’s political work and activities. It will encourage and provide communication support for their initiatives organised in their regions and cities.

“The Network will help us to increase our political outreach, including within the national level where many Members play important political roles. I believe that this will also nourish our discussions about the functioning and the future of the Union. Together, I hope that we will bring Europe closer to people”, said Mr Tzitzikostas in his speech.

Contact:

Protocol and institutional correspondence
Visitors’ center
FormerMembers@cor.europa.eu
Tel: + 32 2 282 21 24/25 64 

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected our world and our way of living, with the loss of thousands of lives and unprecedented consequences for every aspect of our daily existence. The Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) at the European Committee of the Regions produces regular bulletins on the policy fields within its remit, reflecting recent research, articles and discussions on the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Europe and on the different actions and response measures being planned and implemented at EU, national, regional and local level. ​

You can read ​​​​​​h​​​​​​​ere the tenth edition of the SEDEC Bulletin.

Messages and contributions to: sedec@cor.europa.eu .​​​​​

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​First Vice-President Vasco Cordeiro and SEDEC Commission chair Anne Karjalainen represented the European Committee of the Regions at the EU Social Summit in Porto on 7-8 May. They welcomed the commitment of the EU Heads of State and Government to strengthen the pledge to work towards a Social Europe, to reinforce social cohesion and to reach the new EU headline targets on jobs, skills and poverty reduction. However, they regretted that the final Summit Declaration lacks reference to the role of regional and local governments.

First Vice-President Vasco Alves Cordeiro, Member of the Regional Parliament of Azores, said: “The implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights can only succeed if all levels of governance, from European to local, are involved. It is very positive that the need to reinforce territorial and social cohesion, with the involvement of the European, national, regional and local levels of government, has been included in the Social Summit stakeholders’ declaration. However, it is disappointing that the European Council did not recognise our role in the final Summit Declaration. Building a social Europe can only happen with and thanks to local and regional authorities and this worrying trend needs to change, also in view of the Conference on the Future of Europe.”

SEDEC Commission Chair Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES), Member of Kerava City Council and rapporteur of the opinion requested by the Portuguese EU Council Presidency on the local and regional dimension of the European Pillar of Social Rights, said: “We welcome that the EU leaders have agreed on common goals with the aim of putting people’s well-being and equality at the heart of policy and making social issues an enduring priority in the European Union. However, success will depend on the commitment of all levels of government, from European to local, to building a strong and resilient social Europe, which will guarantee that the green and digital transitions are fair and which will facilitate recovery from the COVID-19 crisis both economically and socially.”

More information:

Mr Cordeiro and Ms Karjalainen participated in the high-level conference of the Summit organised on Friday with EU leaders and a wide range of stakeholders. At the end of the conference, a joint declaration was signed.

Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa addressed the CoR plenary session last week, underlining the role of cities and regions as key partners for the success of Europe’s fair, green and digital recovery.

EU leaders met in Porto on 8 May to agree on specific quantitative targets and timelines to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, which was proclaimed in 2017 in Gothenburg. As specified in the Action Plan presented by the European Commission in March, the new headline targets imply that by 2030 at least 78% of EU population aged 20 to 64 should be in employment, at least 60% of all adults should participate in training every year and the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion should be reduced by at least 15 million. 

Contact:

Lauri Ouvinen

Tel. +32 473536887

lauri.ouvinen@cor.europa.eu

​​A local dialogue in Strasbourg marked today the territorial dimension of the Conference and highlighted that regional and local authorities are key to bring it beyond Brussels and capitals. Participants endorsed an open letter addressed to all local leaders inviting them to organise local dialogues and join a network of Regional and Local EU Councillors launched by the CoR.

The local dialogue in Strasbourg is organised by the European Committee of the Regions with the French Ministry for territorial cohesion, the City of Strasbourg, the French associations Régions de France, the Assembly of Départements de France and the association of French Mayors.​​​​

The local event will be attended, among others, by Commissioner Šuica, MEP Verhofstadt and Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ana Zacarias.

On the occasion of the launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe on 9 May in Strasbourg, the European Committee of the Regions is organising, together with the French government and the main French territorial associations, a local dialogue which will give the floor to local and regional elected representatives from all over Europe and to European citizens. The debate will take place immediately before the official launch of the Conference with the aim of marking its territorial dimension and guaranteeing that it reaches out to people in regions, cities and villages across Europe. Participants will discuss how to best involve local elected politicians and local communities in the Conference and how to ensure a stronger role for local and regional authorities in the Europe of tomorrow.

The event is organised jointly with the French Ministry for territorial cohesion and relations with local and regional authorities, the City and Eurometropole of Strasbourg, the French associations Régions de France, Assembly of Départements de France and the association of French Mayors. The local event will be attended, among others, by Apostolo​s Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions, Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, Guy Verhofstadt, Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Conference on the Future of Europe, and Ana Paula Zacarias, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs. Representatives from prominent EU associations and movements will also join the debate.

The event’s detailed programme is available online and below.

Practical information:

–      Date and time: Sunday 9 May, 11:00-13:00

–      Place: Strasbourg City Hall, Grand Salon and online (Zoom platform)

–      Web-streaming platforms: CoR website CoR Facebook page CoR YouTube channel

–      Interpretation in FR, EN, DE, IT, ES, PL

–     Link to the event: https://euconf-eu.zoom.us/j/96601118862?pwd=dHFnYWt5L3N3d3ZZL1dheCtYaE1oZz09

Meeting ID: 966 0111 8862

Passcode: 711754- Event listed on the Conference multilingual online platform.

Full programme:

The Conference on the Future of Europe: an opportunity to build together the “European House of Democracy” on the foundations of its regions, cities and villages

Moderator: Rebecca Donauer, journalist, ARTE

Introduction (11:00-11:15):

European Anthem

Introduction by Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg and 1st Vice-President of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg and André Viola, President of the French delegation to the European Committee of the Regions, Member of the Aude Departmental Council

Panel 1: Engaging in local dialogue with citizens for a more resilient Europe

(11h15-12h00)

Pre-recorded videos of citizens from civil society, academic, economic or cultural spheres answering: What is the CoFE? What is citizens’ place in the EU? The future of Europe in three words?

Debate among speakers:

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions, Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece

Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Democracy and Demography

Guy Verhofstadt, Co-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Conference on the Future of Europe

Ana Paula Zacarias, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs

The contribution of the future French Presidency:

Joël Giraud, Secretary of State in charge of rurality in the Ministry for Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local Government

Renaud Muselier, President of the French Regions, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region

Frédéric Bierry, President of the European Collectivity of Alsace

François Baroin, President of the Association of Mayors of France, Mayor of Troyes Contribution of a European association: 

The contribution of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR):

Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), President of the Emilia Romagna region​

Panel 2: Strengthening democratic legitimacy: a Conference for and with citizens – the contribution of the

European Committee of the Regions (12h0012h50)

Pre-recorded videos of citizens from civil society, academic, economic or cultural spheres stating how they see the future of Europe.

Debate among speakers:

The contribution of Youth associations:

Eva Maydell, President of the International European Movement, MEP

Silja Markkula, President of the European Youth Forum

The contribution of CoR members:

Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions, President of the Western Pomerania Region

Christophe Rouillon, President of the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions, Mayor of Coulaines François Decoster, President of the Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions, Mayor of Saint-Omer

Władysław Ortyl, President of the ECR Group in the European Committee of the Regions, President of the Podkarpackie Region

Kieran McCarthy, President of the EA Group in the European Committee of the Regions, Member of Cork City Council Ms Satu Haapanen, Co-Chair of the Greens Group in the European Committee of the Regions, Member of Oulu City Council

Closing remarks by Vasco Alves Cordeiro, First Vice-President of the CoR and Member of the Regional Parliament of the Azores

Contact:

Marie-Pierre Jouglain

mariepierre.jouglain@cor.europa.eu

Mobile: +32 473 52 41 15