Members also agreed to appoint Michael Murphy, Mayor of Clonmel as Rapporteur on 'Strengthening the EU-UK relationship at subnational level and remedying Brexit's territorial impact'. Reacting to his appointment, Murphy said "I am keen to bring to the fore the local and regional dimensions of the short-term impact and long-term responses needed from the fallout of Brexit.
I am particularly happy to continue my work on the trade, competition, cross-border and cooperation programme aspects. The links with ECON's work in particular are many and I want to have a joined-up approach to the opinion." Murphy is ECON Chair and a member of CoR-UK Contact Group intended to maintain lines of communication between local and regional authorities in the European Union and the UK's cities, regions and devolved administrations.
CIVEX external activities for 2022
Earlier during the meeting, members of the CIVEX Commission entrusted Hélder Sousa Silva, Mayor of Mafra, Portugal and EPP-CoR Vice-President to organise an external seminar focusing on 'Rethinking European identity and citizenship, the role of local and regional authorities'.
Supporting EU cities and regions by funding inclusive communities through the new MFF
During a session focusing on sharing of good practices, Pehr Granfalk, Mayor of Solna presented a project aimed at tackling the discrepancies in the level of digital knowledge in the City of Solna by developing the skills of professional groups that meet citizens on a daily basis. He said "The ESF-project 'Digital Employeeship' has equipped city staff, regardless of background, with the competence needed to effectively utilize the possibilities of digitalisation. Our focus has been on developing digital skills of professional groups that meet our citizens daily."
Radim Sršeň, Mayor of the Municipality of Dolní Studénky highlighted that "place based partnerships and a bottom up approach are the way in supporting EU cities and regions by funding inclusive communities through the new MFF. We must use the tools available to us in an efficient way for the inclusion of migrants in rural areas."
Equality as a building block of European democracy
During a thematic debate on the Conference on the Future of Europe, Barbara Hegedus, member of the local government of Veszprém said that promoting inclusive democracy at the local and regional level should focus on young people. "We need to engage them in public life including through workshops and surveys, help them participate in decision making and listen to their voice as they are the Future of Europe."