"For many years regional and local leaders have been the best ambassadors of EU policies decided in Brussels. We have explained the benefits of the EU to our citizens, we have defended European regulation and we have implemented legislation meticulously. In the Polish Voivodeships, in the German Länder, in the Spanish Autonomous Communities. Today we have different levels of ambition. We are now ready to be co-creators in European decisions and to go beyond the consultative role which we have." Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP-CoR Group and President of the Westpomerania Region made these remarks during a debate on the Conference on the Future of Europe with Manfred Weber, MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.
Supporting his statement, Geblewicz who is President of the Association of Regions in Poland said that cities and regions have expertise and detailed information about which legislation works for our citizens, political legitimacy through elections and trust of citizens as the level of governance closest to people. Geblewicz outlined that the institutional structure is already in place through the CoR which is already contributing in the legislative process. Geblewicz appealed for measures to strengthen the contribution of CoR Rapporteurs in the reports of the European Parliament. He stressed that the Conference on the Future of Europe should create a structured way to involve citizens through their regional representatives on permanent basis.
Addressing the plenary session, Manfred Weber said “A decade of major changes is ahead of us. On climate change, jobs and growth, digitalisation, social affairs, demographics and migration, we cannot wait for the next crisis to prepare ourselves for the future. We need to ask ourselves whether the European Union is now structurally fit to provide the answers for the challenges we face. What is sure is that we need to build a Europe which has a real capacity to act but also a more democratic Europe, closer to its citizens, closer to the municipalities and regions. The CoR, through its elected members, has a crucial role to play in this regard”, said Manfred Weber
Mark Speich, Secretary of State for Federal, European and International Affairs for the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia and Chair of the CoR CIVEX Commission said "Inter-institutional cooperation in the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe is essential to achieve politically effective results. I would like to promote a close cooperation between the CoR and the European Parliament."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OwXVpbtavc&list=PLZkp86_2BA1jRSbxWIu0YGncChszD03Zd&index=3
EPP-CoR Delegation to the Conference on the Future of Europe
The EPP-CoR Group is playing an active role in the Conference on the Future of Europe. It wants to strengthen democracy in two ways. First by asking citizens to provide Europe with their opinion and ideas. Second, by empowering their local and regional elected representatives in the EU decision making process. The EPP-CoR delegation consists of 9 members.
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the CoR, Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece
- Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the EPP-CoR Group, President of West Pomerania Region, Poland
- Jelena Drenjanin, 1st Vice-President of the EPP-CoR Group, Vice-Mayor of Huddinge, Sweden
- Mark Speich, Chair of the CoR’s CIVEX Commission, Secretary of State North Rhine Westphalia Region, Germany
- Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of Madrid Region, Spain
- Ilse Aigner, President of the Bavarian State Parliament, CoR delegate on behalf of the Regional Parliaments of Germany
- Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, former Prime Minister of Romania
- Ellen Nauta-Van Moorsel, Mayor of Hof van Twente, President of the Dutch delegation in the CoR
- Franck Proust, President of Nîmes Métropole and Vice President of the EPP