ECR News - 29th edition by ECR Group in the Committee of the Regions

ECR News European Committee of the Regions | 29th edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Adoption of ECR opinions

ECR GROUP OPINIONS Regional Airports

Critical Entities

Partnership Principle

ENVIRONMENT “Fit for 55”

Green Recovery

ECR member Mario Guarente, ECR President Władysław Ortyl, ECR Vice-President Juraj Droba

ECR President Władysław Ortyl (Marshal of Podkarpackie) and ECR member Mario Guarente (Mayor of Potenza) had their opinions adopted during the CoR plenary in July. Mr Ortyl’s opinion was on the future of regional airports and Mr Guarente’s was on the resilience of critical infrastructure. Meanwhile ECR Vice-President and President of the Bratislava Region Juraj Droba’s opinion on partnership principles was adopted at the COTER Commission meeting.

Conference on the Future of Europe

CURRENT CHALLENGES Higher Education

Cross-border Cooperation

EU Priorities

Europe’s Rail Sector

REFORMING THE EU Conference on the Future of Europe

European Democracy Action Plan

Education and Culture

On Saturday 19 June, the inaugural plenary meeting of the Conference on the Future of Europe was held in Strasbourg. Representing the ECR Group was member Roberto Ciambetti who repeatedly urged for subsidiarity to be key theme of the Conference – an opportunity to give regions more influence in European decision-making.

Cross-border Cooperation

EVENTS Future of Europe

Three Seas Initiative

Enlargement Day

ECR Group Secretariat Committee of the Regions

ECR member Roberto Ciambetti

ECR member Pavel Branda

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ECR member Pavel Branda calls for crossborder cooperation to be maintained even in times of crises and calls for cross-border cooperation to feature at the top of the EU’s policy agenda. His remarks were made in the context of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopting a resolution during the July plenary session calling on the European Commission to present a proposal for maintaining cross-border cooperation and cross-border life in the event of future crises.

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ECR GROUP OPINIONS Adoption of Marshal Ortyl’s opinion: Regional airports are vital for territorial cohesion and for many local economies With many regional airports struggling to recover from the economic hardship caused by the pandemic, members of the European Committee of the Regions overwhelmingly adopted an opinion on 1 July, drawn up by ECR President Marshal Władysław Ortyl.

ECR President Marshal Władysław Ortyl

The opinion calls on the European Commission to develop more flexible and more effective public aid rules that enable Member States to provide regional airports with financial assistance and also emphasizes that financial support must be invested in making airports more sustainable in order to help achieve the objectives set out in the European Green Deal.

Regional airports have found themselves in serious economic difficulties due to the pandemic. Intra-European air traffic was down by 54% in 2020 compared to 2019 and even as travel restrictions are being loosened this summer, traffic is still far from pre-pandemic levels. In October 2020, nearly 200 airports in Europe were facing insolvency. Their bankruptcy would have a dramatic impact on employment and the economies of the regions where they are located and would also be a major blow for the connectivity of many regions, especially outermost or less developed regions where alternative forms of transport are not available. Marshal Ortyl who also serves as President of the Podkarpackie region, said: “Regional airports play a crucial role for the territorial and economic cohesion of the EU – they

provide connectivity for the regions they serve and are vital for economic growth. Without their presence, many companies would not invest in non-capital regions. The tourism sector also depends heavily on them. We need a more flexible state aid system to support the recovery of regional airports during and after the pandemic. In the opinion I prepared I also underline that the majority of European regional airports require assistance to be able to survive in the light of the current crisis.” The opinion also calls for the involvement of Members States, in cooperation with the European Commission, in carefully assessing the extent of possible support for regional airports under the national recovery and resilience plans.

Mayor Guarente’s opinion on resilience of critical entities adopted by EU local and regional authorities In the July plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) members adopted by overwhelming majority ECR member Mario Guarente’s opinion, which highlights that good multi-level cross-sectoral collaboration is crucial for disaster preparedness, risk reduction and reinforcing resilience. Although the bulk of legislation on the resilience of critical entities is set at EU or national level, local and regional authorities have major responsibilities in protecting the areas in which critical infrastructures are located. While the presence of critical infrastructure provides an opportunity for local development, it also poses a risk in the event of a disaster, with potentially serious impacts on local communities, the environment and the economy. Mario Guarente, Mayor of Potenza and rapporteur of the opinion on the Resilience of Critical Entities, stated that: “It is imperative that critical infrastructures are adequately protected against a wide spectrum of threats, be they natural or man-made, unintentional or with malicious intent. Critical entities must be resilient wherever and whenever disruptions appear. To this end, communication and reporting measures with regard to risk levels

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should be promoted vis-à-vis the local administrations and the people living in the areas concerned. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of existing physical infrastructure for the purposes of establishing suitable programmes for upgrading the existing infrastructure or constructing new ones.” Local leaders welcome the fact that the scope of the proposed directive has been substantially extended to cover energy, transport, health, drinking water, wastewater, digital infrastructure, public administration and space. However, considering the dramatic experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic, the opinion calls for the strengthening of distribution chains for basic necessities by diversifying distribution networks and increasing the number of possible suppliers. The opinion also highlights the need to promote

ECR member Mario Guarente

cooperation across borders and between Member States and points to the added value of local and regional authorities in cross-border situations, particularly when it comes to understanding risks and assessing the gravity and potential consequences of incidents.

Juraj Droba’s opinion on partnership principles adopted by overwhelming majority Rapporteur and ECR Vice-President Juraj Droba’s opinion on “Effectively engaging local and regional authorities in the preparation of partnership agreements and operational programmes for the 2021-2027 period” was adopted by members of the European Committee of the Regions during the COTER commission meeting on 22 June. tion of the new programming period is at a crucial stage and partnership agreements and operational programs are currently being developed in individual countries. If their ambition is to contribute greatly to solving the key challenges of the territory, the effective involvement of local and regional authorities in their preparation is a necessary prerequisite. The opinion aims to emphasise the importance of the principles of partnership and multilevel governance in the programming process and to send a clear political signal that the voices of regions and cities should be heard as full partners in it.” ECR Vice-President Juraj Droba

Mr Droba, who also serves as the President of the Bratislava Region, said: “The prepara-

Mr Droba also referred to the importance of parallel diplomacy saying he “would like to stress its importance by regional and local authorities at European level”. The rap-

porteur would also like to see the European Commission “involving them more in negotiations on the shape of the partnership agreements and operational programmes”. Members of the COTER commission regret that the outbreak of the pandemic has delayed the drafting of partnership agreements and operational programmes, and call for an immediate acceleration of the preparatory work. Moreover, they warn against trends towards centralisation in the programming and implementation of Structural Funds as a result of the pandemic and the parallel running of two programming periods, the 2014-20 period and the new 2021-27 period. The opinion will be up for final adoption during the CoR’s plenary session in October.

ENVIRONMENT “Fit for 55 package”: transition should not happen at expense of poorest citizens According to ECR members Jakub Chełstowski and Roberto Ciambetti, who participated in the high-Level conference “What “Fit for 55” means for National Energy and Climate Plans”, this legislative package unveiled by the European Commission should not overburden individual regions that would subsequently lead to an increase in energy poverty. The Marshal of the Silesia region, Mr Chełstowski, called for the solutions proposed under the “Fit for 55” to take into account the “interests of the economies of all Member States and of individual regions, including the Silesia region”. The ECR member cautioned against the “Fit for 55 package” happening at the “expense of the poorest citizens” and continued to say “we want to have a prosperous society living in an environmentally neutral economy. No one

should be left behind and we should address the social dimension of the package.” The Marshal continued to give the example of his own region’s challenges in transitioning towards climate neutrality including the transition to a new economic model, a change in the manufacturing structure, development of the energy sector, as well as the need to create direct and indirect new jobs and to maintain existing jobs. The conference, organised by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), focussed on the PlanUp project that has assessed National Energy & Climate Plans in five Member States (Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain) throughout their development to support rapid decarbonisation in Europe. On this project, which collects best practices and assesses their level of replicability, Mr Ciambetti, who also serves as President

ECR members Jakub Chełstowski and Roberto Ciambetti

of the Veneto Regional Council, described it as “the pragmatic approach that we need, not one-size-fits-all measures, but best practices being shared between cities and regions”. The event took place online on 28 June.

Tjisse Stelpstra: cities and regions should be involved in the implementation of National Recovery Plans This was the main message of ECR Member and Regional Minister in the Province of Drenthe, Mr Tjisse Stelpstra during the “Green Deal Going Local” working group meeting. For Mr Stelpstra the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic should entail the full involvement of regional and local authorities in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs). LRAs, according to Mr Stelpstra, should be “closely involved in both designing and implementing those plans, since cities and regions are part of the EU decision-making”. Mr Stelpstra also highlighted that when it comes to economic recovery, it is extremely important to include investments in new and highly innovative industries. For example, his province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands is aiming to develop a hydrogen economy. He offered other examples such as stimulating sustainable housing, which would at the same time give a boost

ECR Member Tjisse Stelpstra

to the European construction sector and the local and regional SMEs. Lastly, Mr Stelpstra also stated that when it comes to green recovery, we should go for pragmatic and cost-effective strategies and the implementation should be balanced for each region. He concluded to say “there is no one-size-fits-all solution”. The event took place online on 21 June.

CURRENT CHALLENGES Ballico and Bianchi on EU higher education policy initiatives In the next months, the Commission will work towards a Commission Communication on a European Strategy for Universities and two proposals for a Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials and one on education for environmental sustainability. In this context Commissioner Gabriel invited members of the European Committee of the Regions’ SEDEC Commission to give their views on these developments within the European higher education sector. Representing the ECR Group were members Matteo Bianchi and Daniela Ballico. Mr Bianchi, councillor in Morazzone and SEDEC First Vice-Chair, talked about the key role universities can play in recovering from the pandemic and equally highlighted their importance “when it comes to the green and digital transitions”. In order

ECR members Daniela Ballico and Matteo Bianchi

for universities to be relevant and competitive for the needs of the future, they must also be able to match labour market needs, and here the ECR member urged for more “investment in research and development”.

based on knowledge”. The event took place online on 5 July.

Daniela Ballico, mayor of Ciampino and ECR SEDEC Coordinator, explored the idea of an “administrative Erasmus” where students could undertake voluntary training periods with local public administrations allowing students to see how they work in a real tangible way. For her, universities are “essential for the future of Europe”. Despite the “complicated challenges” ahead, the mayor stated that “Europe can overcome the crisis if social reform is

Pavel Branda on bringing cross-border cooperation to the fore of EU policy agenda In a bid to put cross-border cooperation back at the top of the EU’s policy agenda, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted a resolution during the July plenary session calling on the European Commission to present a proposal for maintaining cross-border cooperation and cross-border life in the event of future crises. The resolution contains multiple proposals to improve cross-border cooperation and calls on the European Commission to follow up on already existing legislation and treaties, whose implementation could often still be improved.

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ECR member Pavel Branda

ECR Member Pavel Branda who was rapporteur on a recent CoR opinion on CrossBorder Public Services and who serves as Chair of the CoR’s interregional group on cross-border cooperation, said: “It is very good that the Committee of the Regions has taken on the task of representing border regions and their citizens in the Conference on the Future of Europe. We must put cross-border cooperation where it belongs – at the very heart of the European integration project. Cross-border cooperation is one of the biggest successes of the European Union and must play an even greater role in its future. It is at the borders where the real benefits of European integration are being experienced by citizens.

Today’s resolution suggests concrete steps to further improve their everyday lives at the borders.” An event on the “Future of Cross-Border Cooperation”, organised together with the other founding partners of the European Cross-Border Citizens’ Alliance, feeds into this objective. During the event, which took place on 5 July, Pavel Branda, who also serves as Deputy Mayor of Rádlo Municipality, along with the other participants discussed the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, identified the ongoing and future challenges for cross-border regions, and held a debate on the vision for cross-border cooperation as part of the future of Europe.

Protecting human lives and jobs should be priorities that continue well after pandemic according to Marshal Ortyl Regarding European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement that the priorities of the European Union for 2021 were protecting human lives and jobs, Marshal Władysław Ortyl highlighted during the CoR plenary that these priorities should continue well after the pandemic. The CoR plenary debate took place with Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič during which ECR President Władysław Ortyl referred to the vaccination situation –”at the moment 50% of adults have received their first dose. This is not good news. 80% is our target”. The Marshal called for more action especially if we “want to meet friends and get back to normal again”. In addition, he said that local and regional authorities should be informed when the EU orders and delivers vaccines: “it would be good practice to inform local and regional authorities. They

have been involved too little and often they are at the heart of implementing a lot of healthcare measures”. Marshal Ortyl concluded to say that in general, a lot of lessons can be learnt from the pandemic, the pandemic has shown us where the weaknesses are. He also called for more reasearch to be done “in particular for achieving economic autonomy”, he stated. The plenary took place in a hybrid format on 30 June and 1 July.

ECR President Marshal Władysław Ortyl

Marshal Stawiarski: “Europe’s rail sector needs to be strengthened” ECR member and Marhsal of the Lubelskie Region in Poland, Jarosław Stawiarski, participated in the COTER Commission meeting on 22 June, during which he highlighted the importance of rail and outlined its huge advantages: “Rail is a genuine alternative to flights for distances up to 800km and it can also replace other land transportations”.

ECR member Jarosław Stawiarski

As the CoR Rapporteur on the opinion on the European Year of Rail 2021, the Marshal called for more to be done, such as “increased funding for the infrastructure of new corridors and better connections

with night trains and high-speed trains”. He also urged for them to be more accessible. One way that services could be improved is via online ticket sales, and the ECR member also referred to the

creation of a European ticket system - “all this should be included in the pro-rail campaign”. To conclude the Marshal emphasized that Europe’s rail sector needs to be strengthened and here he specifically mentioned that “remote regions should be included as well, so that people living in those regions can also enjoy rail transport and a better standard of life”. He called for rail transport to be supported “because it is our future”.

REFORMING THE EU Roberto Ciambetti calls for “subsidiarity to be the key theme of the Conference on the Future of Europe” Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the plenary of the Conference on the Future of Europe as President of the Veneto regional council and head of the Italian delegation in the European Committee of the Regions, ECR member Roberto Ciambetti focused on strengthening the role of local and regional authorities in the democratic functioning of the EU and marking the territorial dimension of EU policies. “In many areas, such as cohesion, regions deserve to play a more prominent role – not only in policy implementation, but also in policy design”, he said. For Mr Ciambetti, the Conference on the Future of Europe should be the opportunity to reflect on how to “strengthen the role of the Committee of the Regions in the European decision-making process”.

ECR member Roberto Ciambetti

The President of the Veneto Regional Council, Roberto Ciambetti, calls for the principle of subsidiarity to be at the basis of EU deliberations. This would mean that public tasks

Even though regions are currently responsible for the implementation of most EU legislation, “their influence remains far too limited”, according to the ECR member and consequently local and regional authorities lack involvement in the European decision-making process. “We need to look for ways in which the voice

of the CoR and the voice of local and regional authorities are taken into account by the other EU institutions”, urged Mr Ciambetti and concluded by saying “I therefore hope that the work of this Conference will contribute to achieving this goal and that subsidiarity is one of its main themes”. The inaugural plenary session of the conference was held on 19 June in Strasbourg and set the tone for the debates to follow. Representing the ECR Group in the CoR in addition to Mr Ciambetti were President Marshal Władysław Ortyl and Mr Pavel Branda with Mr Matteo Bianchi there on behalf of the Italian Parliament.

Matteo Bianchi on securing fair elections and the freedom of expression These were two of the main issues touched upon by ECR member Matteo Bianchi (councillor in Morazzone) in a debate with Commissioner Věra Jourová on the European Democracy Action Plan – a proposal by the European Commission Mr Bianchi views as relevant but with some points requiring further clarification. He began by saying that the ECR group in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) agrees that elections held in the Member States must be “safeguarded from any kind of interference”. As elected representatives at local and regional level, “many of us are directly concerned given that in many countries it is up to us to organise

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the elections and ensure their security”, stated the ECR member. Mr Bianchi suggested that electoral processes be considered in the expansion of the scope on critical infrastructures – a topic of much discussion lately in Brussels (and subject of a recently adopted opinion drawn up by ECR member Mario Guarente).

ECR member Matteo Bianchi

Another important point of the Commission proposal Mr Bianchi referred to is the idea that both the EU and Member State authorities, including local and regional authorities, will need to develop their capacity to detect and analyse disinformation. “The

fight against disinformation has become particularly important in recent months. We can certainly say that today the coronavirus pandemic is accompanied by a disinformation pandemic”, expressed Matteo Bianchi. He commended the Commission’s efforts

in countering this phenomenon but also called for support in helping local and regional authorities fight disinformation. The debate took place in the context of the CoR July plenary.

Raymund Kovács: promoting European values through education and culture Such was the very title of a debate held during the European Committee of the Regions’ July plenary session with Commissioner Margaritis Schinas. Representing the ECR Group was member Raymund Kovács who said he “very much welcomes that this debate is among the priorities of the European Commission as common European values are core values of EU”. Our common European values are set out in the Treaty on European Union, the Charter of Fundamental Rights but Mr Kovács also highlighted that “the European way of life means much more and is difficult to precisely define”. There are many common factors that unite us but we are also diverse with different national identities – “our traditions and customs all represent this diversity”, he said. ECR member Raymund Kovács

The ECR member and member of Local Gov-

ernment of District 16 of Budapest outlined the role that regional and local authorities can play in the promotion of European values: “As regional and local representatives we have practical experience and ideas on how to promote European values. We should be involved in the implementation of programs and be active partners in this cooperation.” The plenary debate took place in hybrid format on 30 June.

EVENTS Raffaele Fitto’s perspective on future of Europe The ECR Group in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) was very pleased to welcome the Co-Chairman of the ECR Group in the European Parliament MEP Raffaele Fitto to our Group meeting, which took place ahead of the CoR July plenary to talk about the Conference on the Future of Europe. Mr Fitto began by stating the need for a “substantial reforms of treaties”. The idea of the ECR Group is to talk about proportionality and subsidiarity – “two very important issues that are not fully respected”, stated the Co-Chairman. He highlighted the very important role of national parliaments and emphasized that the EU as an “overarching state with a centralised view” is simply not acceptable. The risk is that Brussels will turn into a “bureaucratic entity” that would be far too “removed from citizens”, warned the ECR MEP. For the conference on the future of Europe to be successful there must be a bottom-up approach but for Mr Fitto there is already disappointment at the methodology and

structure of the conference – “representation in its various forms is not respected”, he said. Firstly, we “must define a perspective and the role of the various institutions”, he urged. This is a point that has already seen diverging visions and ideas. The MEP referred to the ECR Group in the European Parliament’s European tour on the Future of the EU, which launched in December 2020. The tour takes the form of a series of live broadcasts from 15 European capitals, in which citizens of European Member States are consulted. An array of speakers from different backgrounds have already featured enabling to feed into the idea of Europe and the conference in a bottom-up approach.

Co-Chairman of the ECR Group in the European Parliament MEP Raffaele Fitto

Marshal Stawiarski organises congress on the Three Seas Initiative Representatives of the Three Seas countries discussed economic cooperation during the Local Government Economic Congress of the second Forum of the Three Seas Initiative that took place in Lubelskie, organised by ECR member Jarosław Stawiarski.

ECR member Jarosław Stawiarski

“We are committed to working together in several areas”, says Jarosław Stawiarski, Marshal of the Lubelskie Region. “We are beginning with cultural exchange, later we will move on to tourism and then to economic ventures. This is a natural succession for cooperation between our regions, because that is after all our aim. It is certainly very important to highlight the regions, their beauty and what they have to offer. But even through the Via Carpathia alone, ties between these regions will become ever stronger. Let’s keep

in mind that we are all travelling in the same boat. The Three Seas Initiative encompasses the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and our goal is together to catch up with Old Europe”, he adds. The aim of the Forum of the Three Seas Initiative is to strengthen cooperation between twelve European Union countries in the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Sea areas. The priority of the Initiative is to build cohesive and wellintegrated infrastructure in Central Europe.

Roberto Ciambetti: “We must support the enlargement process” Speaking at the sixth Enlargement Day as Co-Chairman of the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) between the European Committee of the Regions and Montenegro, ECR member Roberto Ciambetti said “I think now is the time to invest even more in the integration of the Western Balkans.” processes only being dealt with at central level of government without the involvement of local and regional authorities who are closest to the territories and citizens every day. The whole enlargement process can be supported through good local governance.” Mr Ciambetti concluded by acknowledging the progress achieved so far and said “while much work remains to be done, progress continues to be made in the Western Balkans and this needs to be recognised.”

“We have been able to see first-hand how the pandemic has had social and political consequences, both nationally and locally. It was the very foundations of our societies that were put to the test”, continued Mr Ciambetti (President of the Veneto Regional Council) but continued to say that

now more than ever is the time to support the enlargement process. The ECR member highlighted the importance of the role of local authorities in the accession process and future integration of these countries: “We cannot imagine these

Enlargement Day was held virtually on 13 July 2021 and organised by the CoR in cooperation with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. After meetings in June of the CoR’s Working Groups and Joint Consultative Committees with candidate countries and potential candidates, this unique annual event offered the opportunity for discussions on the role of regions and cities in the EU accession process and sustainable recovery pathways in the region.

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