Working Group on Ukraine highlights local and regional priorities for accession, recovery and resilience Brussels, [date] – Members of the European Committee of the Regions' Working Group on Ukraine discussed the local and regional dimension of Ukraine's EU accession process, preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk, and ways to counter Russian disinformation targeting European and Ukrainian communities. The debate highlighted the need to ensure balanced territorial development between urban and rural areas, strengthen the role of local authorities in Ukraine's reconstruction, support veterans and communities affected by the war, promote transparency and good governance, and draw lessons from Ukraine's experience in combating foreign information manipulation and interference.
Rural areas must not be left behind in Ukraine's accession process
During the debate on Ukraine's accession track and ongoing reforms, Thibaut Guignard (FR/EPP), Mayor of Plœuc-l'Hermitage and Coordinator of the CoR's NAT Commission, stressed the importance of ensuring that rural territories receive the same attention as major urban centres throughout the enlargement process. "For a long time, the European Union turned its back on rural territories, focusing economic and social development primarily on large cities. However, Ukraine is a large rural country, but it is also a country of major cities and dynamic metropolitan areas. Alongside these urban centres, there are rural regions facing demographic challenges and economic development difficulties, much like rural areas across the European Union."
Guignard highlighted ongoing pilot projects aimed at implementing the LEADER rural development approach in Ukraine and called for safeguards to ensure that rural communities fully benefit from the country's future integration into the European Union.
Looking ahead to the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026 in Gdańsk
The Working Group also discussed preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, which will take place in Gdańsk and be hosted by Aleksandra Dulkiewicz (PL/EPP), Mayor of Gdańsk and member of the CoR Working Group on Ukraine. Dulkiewicz underlined the importance of keeping local and regional authorities at the heart of Ukraine's reconstruction efforts. She stressed that recovery must go beyond infrastructure rebuilding and include support for communities, social services and local democracy.
Particular attention was given to the growing challenge of supporting veterans and their families, strengthening community resilience, and promoting transparency and anti-corruption measures through the exchange of good practices between Ukrainian and European municipalities and regions. She also highlighted the contribution of European local and regional authorities through existing cooperation initiatives and announced related events that will accompany the conference, including meetings of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.
Ukrainian experience offers lessons in fighting disinformation
The third debate focused on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and the lessons that European cities and regions can learn from Ukraine's experience in countering Russian disinformation. Among the participants was Sergii Kolotylo, Councillor and Secretary of the Council in Kuty, Ukraine, and a member of the Committee of the Regions' Young Elected Politicians network. He said "An information vacuum and disinformation are a weapon, so the government must not be silent, but get ahead of propaganda. Russia wants to make us fight each other, but the truth will win when there is media literacy."
About Enlargement Days 2026
Enlargement Days returned on 2–3 June 2026 as the European Committee of the Regions' flagship platform dedicated to the future of EU enlargement. Since 2015, the event has brought together local and regional leaders from across the European Union and enlargement countries to exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships and support the enlargement process from the ground up. Held under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this year's edition places Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) at the centre of discussions, reflecting the growing importance of resilience, democratic governance and trusted public institutions in the enlargement process.