“Just think of the great tools that artificial intelligence can provide to municipalities. From the simple opportunity of providing more immediate documents to citizens and reducing bureaucracy, to major predictive objectives. For example, with artificial intelligence we can understand when and where it rains, whether it will rain heavily or lightly—the civil protection system needed, evacuations and alerts—what an extraordinary tool. Not to mention healthcare, which can be used to save people’s lives.” Alberto Cirio, the European Committee of the Regions’ Rapporteur on the AI Continent Action Plan, made these remarks during a consultation with stakeholders held in Brussels.
Cirio, who serves as President of Piedmont, also underlined the importance of ensuring that the systems processing the data on which artificial intelligence is based are European. He explained: “If it is European, we have greater guarantees regarding the coverage of this data and also its protection.”
He further emphasised that artificial intelligence is highly energy-intensive. In this regard, he stated: “We need to ensure that to develop artificial intelligence we have the necessary energy—energy that Europe itself must produce. Because if we become dependent on others for energy, we will clearly not be free to manage artificial intelligence either.” Cirio also highlighted the strategic challenge of sourcing the rare raw materials needed for artificial intelligence, many of which are available only in Africa and China.
In his concluding remarks, Cirio stressed the importance of skills and reskilling: “The reskilling of public administration staff is fundamental. A person of my age, 50, was probably hired in the public administration 20 years ago, when they were 30—and at the time, artificial intelligence did not exist. We need these people to be updated in their skills and in their value.”
The stakeholder consultation was moderated by Marco Fusaro.
Next Steps
The draft opinion will be discussed in the ECON Commission of the European Committee of the Regions on 25 September and proposed for adoption. It is scheduled to be voted on during the Plenary debate of 10–11 December 2025.