Brussels, 19 March 2024
Vice-President Dubravka Šuica delivers a keynote speech at the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities, organized by the European Committee of the Regions
“Check against delivery”
Thank you very much.
President Cordeiro,
Prime Minister de Croo,
Minister President Elio Di Rupo,
Vice-President Karas,
President Röpke,
First Vice-President Tzitsikostas,
President Cordeiro, dear Vasco,
We have over one million locally and regionally elected representatives across our European Union. In this year of European elections, I wonder if there is some way that we could organise an event to bring together these precious one million grass-roots politicians?
Such an event could help ensure trust in the upcoming European elections and trust in the outcomes!
The 9th of May sounds like a good opportunity. We could call the event the 9th of Mayor! Once a mayor, always a mayor! What can I say… !Stronger! Fairer! More resilient!
This is the power of regions and cities.
Your Summit Declaration is proof of your ambition! No single institution can deliver what is needed on their own.
Certainly not in the current geopolitical situation! The European Commission wants and needs a close working relationship with the European Committee of the Regions, based on the principle of subsidiarity. You help to bring home to citizens the necessity of our policies at the grass-roots level. We often talk about the Brussels bubble. You help burst that bubble.
Today’s declaration demonstrates your ability and ambition to connect citizens with the democratic institutions that are designed to serve them.My experience as two-time mayor of Dubrovnik is priceless to me in my work as European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography.
It is the very reason why President von der Leyen entrusted me with this portfolio on democracy and demography.Working closely with the Committee of the Regions, the European Commission is committed to investing in a broad network of local councillors in order to involve local and regional elected representatives in a direct dialogue with EU Institutions, particularly through the network “Building Europe with Local Councillors”.And we kept the local level in our thinking last December, when we adopted the Defence of Democracy Package.
Through it, we are building democratic resilience from within.
- First, we propose a new law mandating transparency, which is vital to tackle foreign interference. And vital for keeping our open democracy, open!
- Second, we are strengthening electoral processes and including citizens electoral observers. Citizens must have trust in the process and trust in the outcomes.
- Thirdly, we are creating opportunities for citizens at different levels of governance to voice their opinions and contribute to policymaking.
Innovative deliberative practices reinforce representative democracy and increase trust by giving citizens a voice in policymaking. Because democracy also takes place between elections.Our greatest allies in a democracy are our citizens.
No one knows this better than Belgium, with the G1000 experiment and the so-called “Ostbelgien model”.I want to thank the Prime Minister de Croo for putting both democracy and demography at the heart of the Belgian presidency. Belgium is inspirational in its work on citizen engagement. And you, Prime Minister de Croo, are connecting all levels of governance under your presidency.
The beauty of this Defence of Democracy package lies in its diversity, with legislative and non-legislative tools.
I am eager to see its full potential being implemented in Member States.And the Belgian Presidency is working closely with us as we tackle today the future challenges associated with demographic change. Together, we are hosting a high-level conference on demography on the 25th of March in Brussels with Minister Hadja Lahbib.
I hope many of you will join us there as we shape our future.Building on the Commission’s adoption of the Demography Toolbox, we will discuss how we need a new narrative around ageing, with a focus on human capital and longevity literacy. We will look at how to increase the labour supply and re-think education paths and greater inclusions in the workforce.
We will look at the regional dimension to address the demographic shifts and their impact on essential services at the local level and on social and territorial cohesion.In a spirit of co-creation, we will bridge the local practices with policies at the EU-level.
And from the local, we move to the global to safeguard the competitiveness of our European Union. Here we will focus on longevity literacy, how we can benefit from the extra 20 to 30 years we are living. It is urgent to focus on empowering citizens and governments so they can harness the future potential of longevity societies.Looking to our future, our European project is not yet complete.
Tomorrow the Commission will adopt a Communication on pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews.
It will underline the European Union as an anchor of peace, prosperity and security.Enlargement is a geostrategic investment.
It will put forward the reforms which we must implement, also within the European Union, to turn this into a success.
But it is also about people’s daily lives, their hopes and aspirations. Cities and regions implement around 70% of all EU legislation and arekey players in European integration.Ladies and gentlemen,
I want to conclude by congratulating President Cordeiro and the thousands of mayors, councillors and regional ministers on the 30th anniversary of the European Committee of Regions and cities. We have much to keep us busy as we look to the next 30 years! Today’s declaration contributes to that.
Our strategic foresight report highlights the need to strengthen democracy with generational fairness at the heart of policymaking. I thank you for being valuable partners in building a democracy fit for the future, that delivers what is needed, where it is needed, leaving no one and no where behind!Thank you.
Source – EU Commission
Speech from Commissioner Janez Lenarčič – 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities
Brussels, 19 March 2024
Dear colleagues,
The consequences of climate breakdown are felt at once globally and locally. Extreme weather events are now an everyday reality for all of us. And the threat of man-made disasters is brought suddenly much closer with a war on our borders.
Thanks to our strengthened EU Civil Protection Mechanism, last year no request for help in the face of disaster went unanswered. But it is no longer enough to rely solely on response capacities. We must alsostrengthen local resilience. We can only achieve this by working together. Connecting European policy and local action to keep our communities safe.
Last May, I presented to you five Disaster Resilience Goals. Today, I am glad to update you on their progress – and how they can help your work.
First Goal: Anticipate.
As the complexity of disasters increases, it is important to anticipate risks. You are best placed to engage local citizens on the topic of risk awareness and reduction. To help you in this endeavour, we have developed a series of disaster scenarios. Enabling local authorities to identify hazards and design coping strategies.
Second: Prepare.
Knowing what to do when disaster strikes can save lives. That is why we need civic engagement to raise awareness and build local resilience. We are launching multiple activities under the PreparEU flagship to build this awareness at local, regional and national levels. From sharing publications to organising an EU Preparedness Day.
Third: Alert.
Getting vital information to disaster-prone areas at the right time gives communities time to act. We are strengthening the distribution of warnings at local and regional level. Including a catalogue of EU-wide early warning systems and sharing best practices. Linking global early warning to local action.
Fourth: Respond.
Thanks to the Mechanism, Europe remains ready to respond swiftly and efficiently wherever disaster strikes. We have strengthened collective preparedness by reinforcingrescEU strategic reserves. An extra layer of European-funded response capacities complementing national resources. Including a doubling of our aerial firefighting fleet and pre-positioning firefighters in vulnerable regions.
And fifth: Secure.
Local civil protection facilities must be ready to save lives 24/7. That’s why we are strengthening facilities across the EU to ensure adequate local response capacities. Including the ability to respond to new and unexpected crises.
Anticipate. Prepare. Alert. Respond. Secure.
We have come far in making these goals a reality. But there is still a long way to go. To be effective, our efforts must connect partners at all levels: local, regional, national and European. Your role as local and regional authorities is crucial to make this happen. Creating links and facilitating cross-sectorial cooperation. You know your communities best. You are the first line of response when disasters strike.
Thank youfor everything you are already doing to put these goals into practice. Today, we count on yourcontinuous support. And we ask you tostep upimplementation of these goalsat a local level. Becoming Ambassadors for European Resilience. Together, we can cross borders and sectors to save lives. Protect local infrastructure. And strengthen the resilience of Europe’s cities and regions.
Thank you.
Source – EU Commission
Olivér Várhelyi addresses the participants of the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities
Brussels, 19 March 2024
Dear President,
Members of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for the opportunity to address the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities which is specially dedicated to the recovery of Ukraine. Therefore, I welcome the extended invitation to local leaders from Ukraine for today’s conference. So, let me first praise the role that the Ukrainian municipalities have played to maintain the resilience of Ukraine during the Russian war of aggression. These municipalities were instrumental in mobilising support, they were re-setting basic social services to address the fundamental needs of Ukrainians, they were helping to organise voluntary territorial defence, and last but not least they were instrumental in receiving large numbers of internally displaced persons.
Besides all the dramatic events and the heroic fight, we have also seen so many heartening examples of Ukrainian and EU municipalities and regions entering into partnerships to organise support: first on humanitarian, then on the reconstruction track.
The European Alliance of Cities and Regions is a great example of this partnership. Created right after Ukraine received EU candidate status and brought together EU and Ukrainian associations of local and regional authorities, this Alliance can make a difference in these challenging times.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we go along, the role of local self-government will be essential for two strategic procedures in Ukraine: the EU enlargement and the recovery process. On this first strand: in November last year the Commission published its first report on Ukraine as a candidate country. Decentralisation and regional development feature very prominently in this document.
On the second strand: I am proud to speak about the Ukraine Facility worth 50 billion euros which was just put into operation. This Facility ensures a steadfast and predictable funding for Ukraine and shows that EU is taking leadership and responsibility in the recovery and reconstruction of the country.
One of the objectives of this instrument is the support for decentralisation and local development. So, throughout the implementation of this Facility an inclusive and active engagement of municipalities will be required. Moreover, the Ukraine Facility includes in detail the obligations on the share of financial support to be allocated to sub-national authorities.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
It all confirms one thing: local level is and will be instrumental for the effective recovery and reconstruction process in Ukraine. And to make it a success, we need to help further to build capacities of the Ukrainian municipalities, to unleash their potential, and to help them remain a solid pillar of this demanding process.
To conclude, the Commission is working full-speed to stand by you and to provide tangible support, both on strategic, and on operational level – for example through the EU flagship decentralisation project, the 178 million euros worth U-LEAD with Europe Program.
I wish you a productive discussion. Thank you for your attention.
Source – EU Commission