The EPP is the power house of Europe being the largest political group in the European Parliament and the European Committee of the Regions. We are strong locally and at the European level. We work as a team to deliver for our citizens. Our work is also about supporting mayors and governors as we have seen with the Recovery and Resilience Facility." Manfred Weber, President of the EPP and Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament made these remarks during a joint meeting of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and the European Committee of the regions.
Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions said "We want to engage local and regional authorities in the EU decision making process as we implement 70% of EU legislation and are beneficiaries of EU funds. We have to play an active role in shaping EU laws as we need regulation which is fit for the situation on the ground. This is why we call for territorial impact assessments before EU legislation is proposed. We local and regional authorities can provide added value in EU policy making and bring europe closer to citizens."
Siegfried Muresan, Vice President of the EPP and Vice-chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament said that the local level and European level need to cooperate together to find the solutions needed on the ground. "We believe that the EPP is the party of mayors and governors. The joint group meetings being organised are one of the ways how we cooperate to make this happen and find solutions."
Dubravak Suica, Vice-President of the European Commission spoke on regional disparities across Europe. She said that cohesion policy is about trying to balance disparities between regions. Through the long-term vision for rural areas we want to make rural areas which represent 80% of EU territory where 1/3 of the EU population resides more attractive and prosperous.
Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca and Chair of the CoR COTER Commission said "We need to support place based-cohesion policies where no village, city or region is left behind, and we can create the conditions for the brain circulation, which is the sustainable way to address the problem of talent drain. Cohesion, single market and competitiveness go hand in hand and are the foundation on which European creativity can flourish in all cities and regions.
Emma Blain, Councillor on Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said that local democracy is crucial for families and society as a hole. She spoke on the challenges of disinformation in the context of the ongoing referendum campaign in Ireland. "We need to engage young people who are vulnerable to disinformation. Local politics is a catalyst to engage young people as they can see tangible changes in their life. As a mum of two kids, I got engaged in politics at the local level also because I want to make our living spaces a better place."
Hannah Zdanowska, Mayor of Łódź said that "In difficult times, we need strong and committed leaders who implement brave, innovative projects and initiatives. We need leaders who remain in constant, long-term dialogue with citizens. Łódź's revitalisation and green transformation is a fruit of such policy."
Markku Markkula, President of Helsinki Region said "Helsinki Region with its largest cities Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa are the forerunners in becoming carbon neutral by 2030. This is an ambitious target, but reachable. Systemic transformation requires strong political leadership, more investments in RDI and infra – and extensive collaboration with industry and research, as well as using the best knowledge in experimenting and scaling up."