With the adoption of the “Declaration of Mons” and the awarding of the winner of the “mayor Pawel Adamowicz 2023” prize, the 10th European Conference of Regions and Cities has concluded. The “Declaration of Mons” describes the priorities of the European Conference of Regions and Cities for a stronger, fairer and more resilient future of Europe. Alexandre de Croix, prime minister of Belgium, which holds the current EU presidency, said tomorrow the 27 EU leaders will discuss how to achieve a stronger and fairer Europe in the future, stressing that the Mons Declaration provides a strong message for a future where the heart of Europe beats in the regions and cities. “If today we are united in diversity, it is due to the work of our regions and cities, to their ability to manage diversity. From climate change to the digital transition, regions and municipalities are the ones who respond to citizens’ needs and address differences. At this time, they are also decisive in dealing with populism and the idea that politics is far from citizens, as they can increase the transparency of political decisions and proximity” underlined the Belgian Prime Minister.

Speaking about the Mons Declaration, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, president of the European Committee of the Regions, said more than 3,500 local and regional representatives gathered in Mons to express their commitment to a stronger, fairer and more resilient future for Europe. “Regions and cities are not simple implementers of EU policies, we are full contributors to the European project with the power to bring concrete results for citizens,” he further pointed out.

The first vice-president of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said that by heeding the call to action coming from mayors and governors, Europe will achieve better results in practice. “Solidarity and democratic commitment will help forge a Europe that leaves no one and no region behind, as the European future must be built from the bottom up,” he underlined.

As far as the Mons Declaration is concerned, it is structured by five basic demands. First, the strengthening of public investment. As highlighted, increased fiscal resources are needed to address current and future challenges. Investments should be governed by the “do not harm cohesion” principle and recognize that cohesion policy must continue to be the EU’s most important and visible instrument for reducing inequalities, strengthening the EU’s competitiveness and catalyzing long-term innovative transformation.

The second demand formulated in the Declaration is that the need for local solutions for the climate goals. Local and regional authorities should have immediate access to EU funding to develop innovative solutions that help achieve the goals of the Green Deal, achieve climate neutrality and promote sustainable development and economic prosperity, it said.

The third request is to address regional needs. As noted, EU policies should promote equal opportunities, fight poverty, secure jobs and ensure gender equality in all regions, recognizing their different characteristics, including rural, urban and outlying areas.

Fourth, special reference is made to EU enlargement and reforms. Regional and municipal elected officials should be involved in the preparation of EU reforms and the enlargement process, it is underlined. Preparations for enlargement with all candidate countries should be based on the partnership principle and promote multi-level governance and decentralization, it added.

Last request is the activation of subsidiarity. The European Committee of the Regions should have a stronger role in the EU’s institutional structure and legislative process, it states and emphasizes: In future EU reforms, the local and regional level of European democracy should be strengthened through reforms of the principle of subsidiarity.

Before the adoption of the Mons Declaration, representatives of the political groups of the European Parliament spoke to municipal and regional elected officials in a special session on the European elections. Promoting democratic engagement and contributing to an open public debate on the EU’s challenges and opportunities are the main objectives of the CoR to mobilize European citizens to vote, as underlined.

It is noted that the Declaration of the Conference will constitute the position of the regions and cities to the leaders of the EU institutions and the heads of state and government who will gather in Brussels on March 21-22 and in view of the European elections.

Soon after, the Associazione Ambasciata della Democrazia Locale a Zavidovici was named the winner of the Mayor Pawel Adamowicz Award 2023 for its assistance to thousands of refugees and in recognition of its contribution to the promotion of local democracy, non-discrimination, non-violent discourse and inclusion. The club, which was created during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is an example of how the determination to defend human rights must involve civil society, local and international authorities and all citizens. It was established to honor and build upon the legacy of 3 peacekeepers from Brescia who were kidnapped and killed in 1993 while transporting humanitarian aid to Zavidovici, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Pawel Adamowicz Award is a symbol of hope for all citizens and elected representatives who, despite the risks, live to make democracy work at the local level and support more open communities. The vice-president of the European Commission, Vera Jourova, in her greeting, emphasized that we must all fight against hatred and intolerance, like the mayor Paweł Adamowicz. The Adamowicz Award captures his memory of democracy and solidarity, he pointed out.

It is recalled that Paweł Adamowicz was the mayor of the city of Gdansk for many years when he was murdered in January 2019 while performing his public duties. The award is a powerful message of hope for all elected representatives, officials and ordinary citizens who, despite the risks, live to make democracy work at the local level, supporting better and more open communities. It is a partnership between the city of Gdansk, the European Committee of the Regions, of which Mr. Adamowicz was a member, and the International Cities of Refugee Network (ICORN), which the city of Gdansk joined under Adamowicz’s mayorship.

Finally, a special mention went to Alla Myronova, mayor of Inhulka, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine, who actively fought for her community during the Russian offensive despite constant danger and interrogation. Alla Mironova showed courage and defended her municipality against the invaders, protecting both municipal facilities and residents and delivering humanitarian aid and food to the residents of Inhulka Municipality. In greeting her, he emphasized that one person is enough to change the world, noting that he does this every day.