The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted an opinion led by Rafał Trzaskowski (PL/EPP), Mayor of Warsaw, calling for Europe's next long-term budget to put regions and cities at the centre of delivering the green transition. The opinion argues that climate neutrality, energy security and environmental protection can only be achieved through strong territorial investment, genuine multilevel governance and direct support for local and regional authorities.
While welcoming the proposal to earmark 35% of the EU budget for climate and environmental objectives, the opinion warns that these targets will remain out of reach unless regions and cities are fully involved in planning, implementing and monitoring EU investments. It therefore calls for mandatory multilevel governance in the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), including regional and territorial chapters with predictable funding for local climate, energy and environmental priorities.
"A Europe that invests in clean energy, climate adaptation and innovation in its regions and cities will be safer, more resilient and more prosperous. That is why the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) must include multilevel governance platforms and mandatory urban and regional chapters, while the European Competitiveness Fund should provide direct financing for local energy and climate plans and recognise dual-use infrastructure. The next MFF must also provide targeted support and direct funding for transition projects in cities of all sizes, creating greater opportunities for pilot projects and experimentation. The territories that invest strategically in the energy transition are the ones that attract talent, create quality jobs, and remain economically strong and resilient," said Rafał Trzaskowski (PL/EPP), Mayor of Warsaw.
The opinion also rejects a one-size-fits-all national approach to EU funding. Drawing lessons from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, it calls for mandatory involvement of local and regional authorities in the design, approval and monitoring of national plans, alongside binding multilevel climate and energy dialogues and a stronger partnership principle.
To strengthen implementation on the ground, the CoR calls for a protected allocation within the future EU budget to provide direct funding for green transition projects in cities of all sizes. It also argues that the European Competitiveness Fund should explicitly finance local and regional climate, energy and environmental strategies, enabling municipalities and regions to turn European ambitions into tangible investments. Furthermore, the opinion stresses that cities and regions should be recognised as Europe's innovation laboratories by strengthening their participation in Horizon Europe, the EU Missions on Climate Adaptation and Climate-Neutral Cities, and wider territorial innovation ecosystems.
Finally, the opinion calls for preserving a strong cohesion policy accessible to all regions, maintaining dedicated environmental funding through the LIFE programme, and ensuring that structurally disadvantaged territories—including islands, mountainous, rural and border regions—receive targeted support to deliver the green transition while strengthening Europe's competitiveness and resilience.
