Ολοκληρώθηκε σήμερα στην πόλη MONS του Βελγίου η 10η Σύνοδος της Ευρωπαικής Επιτροπής Περιφερειών και Πόλεων. Στην δεύτερη ημέρα των εργασιών ο Αντιπρόεδρος της Ευρωπαικής Επιτροπής Μαργαρίτης Σχοινάς μίλησε στην ολομέλεια για το ρόλο των τοπικών ηγετών και τις Ευρωπαικές εκλογές.

Με την ολοκλήρωση των εργασιών οι συμμετέχοντες  αιρετοί συμφώνησαν στην παρακάτων διακήρυξη :

Declaration of the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities
19th March 2024 – Mons, Belgium

REGIONS AND CITIES HAVE THE POWER TO DELIVER A STRONGER, FAIRER AND MORE RESILIENT FUTURE FOR EUROPE
Across the European Union, we are more than one million locally and regionally
elected representatives who devote our time to improving the daily lives of
citizens. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the European Committee of
the Regions, we have gathered here for the 10th European Summit of Regions
and Cities to reaffirm our commitment to delivering a stronger, fairer and more
resilient Europe.
Regions and cities implement more than 70% of EU legislation, while already
delivering at national level. Citizens entrust us with the collective management
of an annual budget of more than EUR 3 trillion for the purpose of delivering
public services, as well as with more than half of all public investment in the
Union. Yet the demands on sub-national authorities continue to grow. The
climate crisis, the digital transition, social inequalities, demographic change and
migration, combined with rising geopolitical tensions, are putting considerable
pressure on our resources for providing responses to citizens’ concerns.
In 2024, the biggest election year to be recorded in history, hundreds of millions
of citizens will cast their ballot in the European Parliament elections, alongside
numerous local, regional and national elections. This is why we have come
together with a vision for a stronger, fairer and more resilient future for Europe,
with regions and cities as its beating heart.

WE ARE CALLING FOR:
1 Ambitious public investments, fit for purpose and supported by increased budgetary capacity,
exploring new EU own resources, in order to respond to common challenges. Such investments
should be guided by the EU Treaty’s objective of economic, social and territorial cohesion, applying
the “do no harm to cohesion” principle to all policies. Cohesion policy must remain a cornerstone
of the European project and the main, most visible EU investment tool for long-term innovative
transformation and solidarity, while strengthening the Single Market and the overall competitiveness
of the EU in the world.
2 Renewed commitment to the European Green Deal as the compass of the European Union, which
builds on lessons learnt, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, to achieve climate neutrality,
preserve and restore biodiversity, ensure prosperity and support sustainable economic development.
It should be based on multi-level governance and should empower local and regional authorities,
including through direct funds for cities and regions to co-create innovative solutions needed in
helping them respond to the impact of the climate crisis.
3 Policies that ensure equal opportunities so as to leave no places or people behind. The diversity of all
territorial realities, such as rural and urban areas, farmlands and industrial centres, outermost regions,
and islands, as well as sparsely populated areas, must be factored into all EU policies. Local and
regional best practices will be key in combating poverty, providing quality jobs and social services,
fostering innovation, and managing integration and inclusion, as well as supporting gender equality,
youth participation and intergenerational fairness.
4 A forward-looking approach to the future of the European Union, involving local and regional
authorities in the preparation of EU reforms and enlargement, in particular with regard to the
impact on governance and policies such as cohesion and common agricultural policies. Preparing
enlargement with all candidate countries should build on the partnership principle, multi-level
governance and decentralisation. On Ukraine, solidarity and support should continue to guide the
action of the European Union, as long as it takes. The European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the
Reconstruction of Ukraine should play a key role in the reconstruction process.
5 The reinforcement of the local and regional dimension of European democracy. The European
Committee of the Regions must be entrusted with a stronger role in the EU institutional architecture
and legislative process, in particular for policies with territorial dimension, as the legitimate political
assembly of local and regional representatives. Multilevel governance and active subsidiarity must be
central principles in any future EU reform. New participatory mechanisms should be further explored,
building on successful practices already in place.

Regions and cities must be heard when the next Strategic Agenda of the European Union, as well as the
next political priorities of the European Commission, are being formulated. We call on European leaders
to do more to ensure that all EU policies are anchored in the local and regional level, thus reinforcing
the democratic legitimacy and efficiency of these policies. We must work together at all levels, where a
real difference can be made, be it at European Union, national, regional or local levels. Together, regions
and cities have the power to deliver a stronger, fairer and more resilient Europe