June 27, 2022

The following is a press release:

Also on #CoRplenary agenda: incoming Czech presidency, European Entrepreneurial Regions awards, automotive regions, European Green Deal, Conference on the Future of Europe.

The European Committee of the Regions will at its plenary on 29-30 June elect a new president for the second half of the Committee's 2020-25 mandate, to replace Apostolos Tzitzikostas. The current First Vice-President Vasco Alves Cordeiro is standing for the presidency. The newly-elected president will over the following two days launch a European alliance of cities and regions for the reconstruction of Ukraine, welcome a bottom-up alliance to support regions with a strong automotive industry as they move away from the combustion engine, and honour the three winners of this year's European Entrepreneurial Regions Awards.

The plenary will adopt two resolutions – on the Conference on the Future of Europe and on the European Commission's work programme for 2023 – as well as eight sets of legislative recommendations. Follow-up on the Conference on the Future of Europe – a priority for the CoR – will be discussed with MEP Guy Verhofstadt (BE/Renew Europe), co-chair of the Conference. The CoR's legislative recommendations will focus on several major aspects of the European Green Deal: the energy efficiency of buildings, a just transition, and green budgeting.

Follow the plenary LIVE on the CoR website

ELECTION OF NEW PRESIDENT

Wednesday, 29 June, 3 p.m.: Members of the European Committee of the Regions will elect a new president, first vice-president and bureau members. The serving First Vice-President – Vasco Alves Cordeiro (PT/PES), member of the regional parliament of the Azores and former President of the regional government of the Azores – is standing for the presidency and is currently unopposed. The outgoing president, Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EL/EPP), Governor of Central Macedonia, is expected to serve as First Vice-President for the remaining two and a half years of the CoR's mandate.

The newly elected President will hold a press conference immediately after the vote at 4 p.m. in the MANS room in the Charlemagne building to discuss the political priorities for the new presidential mandate.

KEY DEBATES AND MOMENTS

Thursday, 30 June, 9–10 a.m – presentation of the priorities of the incoming Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union: Ivan Bartoš, Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalisation and Minister of Regional Development, will discuss the local and regional dimensions of the Czech Presidency, whose motto is "Europe as a task: rethink, rebuild, repower". The Presidency has identified five priority dossiers: Ukraine, energy security, defence, the economy and democracy.

Thursday, 30 June, 3–4.30 p.m. – Launch of the Automotive Regions Alliance: The European Committee of the Regions and 22 EU regions have come together to form an alliance aimed at ensuring that the decarbonisation of road transport and the automotive sector in the EU leaves no region behind. Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, will discuss how the sustainable transition away from fossil fuels can also become an opportunity to strengthen regional industrial ecosystems and value chains. The founding regions of the Automotive Regions Alliance come from Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, and the Netherlands.

Thursday, 30 June, 4.30–5 p.m.: Three regions – from Poland, Portugal and Spain – will become this year's winners of the European Entrepreneurial Region Award. Each is of varying nature, size and development, but each is pursuing an ambitious, robust,sustainable and resilient entrepreneurial strategy to build back their economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. Each has secured strong stakeholder support and established effective collaboration at the regional, national and European levels. The jury – which includes representatives of the CoR, the European Commission, the European Parliament and social partners – has rewarded regions that particularly address the challenges and opportunities of accelerating digitalisation and the shift to a low-carbon and circular economy.

Thursday, 30 June, 5–6 p.m.: Launch of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine: The mayors of two cities on the frontline of Russia's invasion of Ukraine – Vitaly Klitschko of Kyiv, and Oleksandr Markushyn of Irpin – and Oleksiy Chernyshov, Ukraine's Minister for Communities and Territories Development, will speak at the launch of a European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. Mayor Klitschko, an honorary member of the CoR, will also speak in his capacity as president of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, one of the founding members of the Alliance. The others are the CoR, six European associations of regions and cities, and three Ukrainian local-government associations. The Alliance is a response to a call by President Volodomyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine, supported by the presidents of the European Council and European Commission. Among the scheduled speakers are: Dario Nardella, President of Eurocities; Cees Loggen, President of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR); Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR); Jean-Claude Marcourt, President of Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE); Magnus Berntsson, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER); Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the Association of European Border Regions.

OPINIONS AND RESOLUTIONS FOR ADOPTION

Resolution on the results of the Conference on the Future of Europe and its follow-up

Resolution on the European Committee of the Regions' proposals regarding the European Commission Work Programme for 2023

"Revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)". Rapporteur: André Viola (FR/PES), member of the Departmental Council of Aude.

"Ecological transition - What balance between social acceptability and environmental imperatives from the point of view of cities and regions with a view to building resilient communities?" Rapporteur: Hanna Zdanowska (PL/EPP), mayor of Łódź.

"The implementation of green budgets at local and regional levels." Rapporteur: Vincent Chauvet (FR/RE), mayor of Autun.

"EU Data Act." Rapporteur: Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES), member of Kerava City Council.

"Improving working conditions in platform work." Yonnec Polet (BE/PES), first deputy mayor of Berchem-Sainte-Agathe.

"Enlargement Package 2021." Rapporteur: Anna Magyar (HU/ECR), member of the County Council of Csongrád Megye.

"The new EU Artic strategy." Rapporteur: Mirja Vehkaperä (FI/RE), member of Oulu City Council.

"EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life (2021-2030)." Rapporteur: Ádám Karacsony (HU/ECR), member of the Local Government of Tahitótfalu.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Location: Charlemagne building, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 170, 1000 Brussels / Online

Date: Wednesday, 29 June – Thursday, June 2022.

Background material: The plenary agenda, and opinions and amendments.

Webstreaming: On the website of the CoR.

Contact:

PresseCdr@cor.europa.eu

home Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Youtube Flickr Instagram

The European Committee of the Regions

The European Committee of the Regions is the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives from all 27 Member States. Created in 1994 following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, its mission is to involve regional and local authorities in the EU's decision-making process and to inform them about EU policies. The European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission consult the Committee in policy areas affecting regions and cities. To sit on the European Committee of the Regions, all of its 329 members and 329 alternates must either hold an electoral mandate or be politically accountable to an elected assembly in their home regions and cities. Click here for more details on your national delegation.