EPP-CoR members held a debate on the priorities of the Swedish Presidency with Erik Slottner, Swedish Minister of Public Administration .
Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP-CoR Group and President of West Pomeranian Region (Poland) said that the EPP-CoR strongly supports Sweden's application to NATO, as we believe this will be a step forward for Europe's security. On Ukraine, Geblewicz said "We are fully aligned with the direction taken by your Presidency to continue the support to our Ukrainian friends as long as needed." In his speech the EPP-CoR President appealed for the rule of law to be given due importance.
Stefan Radev, Mayor of Sliven Municipality (Bulgaria) said that it is key for the territorial dimension and the role of local and regional authorities in the EU to be taken into account, especially in relation to the energy transition. He stressed "This poses serious challenges to local authorities, as in Bulgaria the 2030 goals envisage a significant part of the energy savings to be realized at the local level. With regard to renewable energy, the assigning of new responsibilities to the Bulgarian municipalities, in the absence of expert capacity, is a serious concern for me."
Eddy Van Hijum, Member of the Council of the Province of Overijssel (Netherlands) said "My region is the testing ground for Smart Energy Hubs. In order to boost the deployment of renewable energy across the industry, the EU should have a network for smart energy solutions similar to the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs. Such a network would help avoid congestion of our electricity grids and strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in the field of energy. It would also allow our SMEs to gain control over their energy household, also in remote areas. I believe that the European Committee of the Regions, together with the EURADA network of regional development agencies, can help organise the scale-up of such a network to the EU-level."
Anders Knape, member of Karlstad Municipality (Sweden) told Minister Slottner "As former vice mayor of Stockholm you are well placed to draw on your previous experience to highlight the importance of the local and regional level which at times is forgotten" He appealed to the Minister to pass on the message to colleagues to ensure that the local and regional dimension is strengthened in policy making.
Željko Turk, Mayor of the City of Zaprešić (Croatia) said "We need to bear in mind the future perspectives of local and regional authorities with regards to green transition and crisis resilience. We must not forget about the importance of the continued democratisation process and of human rights in the Balkans, with the eventual aim of EU enlargement into that part of Europe."
Nikola Dobroslavic, President of Dubrovnik-Neretva Region (Croatia) appealed for the expansion of the EU to the Western Balkans following an open door policy, if entry conditions are met. He added "We must not forget about engaging local and regional authorities in all aspects of the Swedish presidency."