How are they treated – What the President of the European Committee of the Regions says on – The example of Budapest and other European regions
By Anna Maroulis
“The green and digital transition, growing inequalities and preparing for future enlargement are at the top of the challenges,” facing Europe, including Greece, in the next five years, he told o President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro.
The conversation with the President of the European Committee of the Regions took place on the sidelines of the 22nd European Week of Regions and Cities 2024 (22nd European Week of Regions and Cities) in Brussels, where he was the keynote speaker.
The European Week of Regions and Cities is the biggest annual event based in Brussels dedicated to cohesion policy. This year’s edition welcomed over 7,000 participants, over 500 speakers from all over Europe and beyond, in almost 156 sessions, to discuss common challenges for Europe’s regions and cities. The meetings covered topics such as the contribution of cohesion policy to strengthening competitiveness and convergence in European regions and cities, as well as ways to improve smart and sustainable growth and strengthen European democracy.
How challenges are addressed – What actions are taken
“As a new political cycle begins for the European Union, the European Committee of the Regions shared its assessment of the challenges facing regions and cities in the EU’s annual State of the Regions and Cities report on 7 October,” states the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro.
Mr Cordeiro underlines that “the Green Deal, mastering the industrial transition, strengthening our public services and strengthening our resilience are the keys to transforming our societies and making them more sustainable”.
He emphasizes that in order to be able to face these challenges, Europe must be more cohesive, without leaving people and no place behind. “To achieve this, reforming cohesion policy and ensuring the model of multi-level governance, shared management, partnership and place-based approach are essential to ensure that policies remain rooted in their territorial realities and continue to deliver concrete and positive change . And finally, the European project must take a new leap forward. First, it must ensure that its future budget is fit for purpose, with the necessary means, including new own resources, to meet our shared challenges. Secondly, it must be ready for this new historical chapter of enlargement. This means working with all candidate countries, including their own local and regional authorities, but also starting the necessary internal reforms that will make EU governance more effective.”
Mr. Cordeiro adds that the Commission requests the strengthening of the democratic practices of the European Union and the assurance of an essential role for local and regional authorities in the institutional governance of the EU, based on the thirty-year experience of the European Committee of the Regions.
Water scarcity – What the European Committee of the Regions is doing
Regarding the water shortage faced by European regions, Mr. Cordeiro states that: “European regions and cities experience every day what it means to be in the continent with the greatest warming on Earth. Rising temperatures are affecting Europe unevenly: while some regions are experiencing droughts, others are facing dramatic floods. Extreme heat, fires, droughts and floods are worsening, affecting energy and food security, water resources, economic and social stability and health. A changing climate also brings more prolonged drought and water scarcity. Water scarcity affects almost 30% of the EU territory and up to 70% of the population of Southern Europe is at risk of seasonal water scarcity.’
As he mentioned, the European Committee of the Regions called on the European Commission to present an ambitious European water strategy that restores the water cycle and integrates water-related objectives into all European sectoral policies, with a particular emphasis on multi-level governance of water and transboundary cooperation, especially in river basins. This cross-sectoral strategy should also provide more financial support to governments and water-related bodies with improved coordination of EU funds and other financial instruments. The Committee of the Regions has also published the Green Deal Going Local Handbook, implementing the Green Deal at local and regional level. Mr. Cordeiro points out that “as there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ recipe for a local and regional implementation of the Green Deal, this Handbook provides step-by-step guidance and is adapted to each local context (from urban to rural , mountainous and coastal areas, among others).
Budget and regions
On how the EU budget will be spent in the coming years to support local and regional governments in tackling climate-related challenges, including fire prevention and water conservation, the president of the European Committee of the Regions says :
“First, in the period 2021–2027, more than €100 billion from cohesion policy is planned to be allocated to support the green transition through projects involving climate adaptation or disaster risk management initiatives. Cohesion policy is therefore already at the forefront of EU action to support local and regional authorities to deal with climate disasters. Second, things should not remain as they are. This is why we believe that cohesion policy should evolve to better address the different vulnerabilities of European regions, so that they are more resilient. We believe that cohesion policy should help as a proactive tool to ensure the overall readiness of the EU to face future challenges – as suggested in the report of the High Level Group on the future of Cohesion Policy.’
The example of Budapest and other European regions
Regarding the improvement of citizens’ quality of life and the initiatives or policies taken, he emphasizes that climate resilience, environmental sustainability and public well-being are all interrelated priorities and must be addressed in a holistic manner.
Mr. Cordeiro states that in terms of climate resilience, “we see that regions and cities are responsible for 70% of climate mitigation and 90% of climate adaptation policies. As an example he cites Budapest where they are developing flood protection systems.
“In terms of sustainability, local and regional authorities are at the forefront of implementing the European Green Deal and have called for its continuation with adequate and targeted means and supports. Regions and cities are already doing a lot, but they cannot do it alone”, he notes indicatively and adds:
“Many examples come to mind, such as Bremen (Germany) which protects the groundwater in its port, Turku (Finland) which will become climate neutral already by 2029 or Occitanie (Occitanie, France) which produces hydrogen for traffic trucks – tractors. Regions and cities make the green transition happen on the ground. With these policies, prosperity increases, citizens feel more confident. This is shown by the higher level of trust citizens tend to have in their mayors and regional leaders. Improving the quality of life in all regions and cities starts with stronger and fairer policies for all. This was the spirit of my Presidency of the European Committee of the Regions, fighting for a Europe for everyone, made by everyone.”
Source: Skai
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