The timely start of the conference on the future of Europe, the need to accelerate Covid-19 recovery and the importance of including the demographic perspective in the design of EU policies were the main issues raised by EPP-CoR members during a debate on the priorities of Portugal's Presidency of the Council of the EU with Ana Paula Zacarias, Secretary of State for European Affairs of the Portuguese Republic
Mark Speich, Secretary of State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Chair of the CIVEX commission stressed the importance of a timely start of the Conference on the Future of Europe. He reiterated the call for the engagement of LRAs. "Cities, regions and the CoR must be actively engaged in the organization and implementation of the conference." Speich added that progress in European migration and asylum policy is also important for the regions and cities. He also called for regions to be formally involved in the governance structures of the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement through the CoR.
Markku Markkula, Chair of the Espoo City Board and President of the Helsinki Region said that Europe needs to accelerate the recovery. "Everywhere citizens and industry need growth – but not whatever growth, it needs to be sustainable. For this, the recovery funds should be used as fast as possible. Cities and city-driven regions are ready to move to action. Governments of several Member States are too slow and the Portuguese Presidency can influence this." He stressed the importance of integrating green and digital and on the need to reach the SDG targets.
Piero Mauro Zanin, President of the Regional Council of Friuli-Venezia Giulia said that it is key to support research projects on climate change, which has an impact on the sea and therefore on the economies of our communities. He highlighted the willingness of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region to actively take part in important European partnerships supported by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), in order to study the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems.
Jesús Gamallo Aller, Director-General for External Relations and Relations with the European Union for the Region of Galicia stressed the importance of including the demographic perspective in the design of EU policies and in the debate on the future of Europe. Gamallo Aller said that regional and local authorities must play an outstanding role in relation to legislation concerning aging population. He explained that Galicia is already working on introducing the demographic perspective horizontally across public policies.
Sari Rautio, Chair of City Board of Hämeenlinna and Vice-Chair of Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities stressed the meaning of delivery. She said that cities and regions are ready to work together with all the ecosystem and stakeholders, and so should the member states.