Leaders of the European Committee of the Regions have set out priorities they want reflected in the European Commission’s 2027 Work Programme after meeting a senior Commission official on 5 May.
The Conference of Presidents of the European Committee of the Regions exchanged views with Pascal Leardini, the European Commission’s Deputy Secretary-General and Chief Operating Officer, during the meeting, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) informed on Monday.
Early involvement of local and regional authorities in shaping the 2027 programme was described as necessary so territorial issues are considered from the start.
The Conference of Presidents adopted a declaration setting out its positions for the 2027 Work Programme, including a call to keep a “strong cohesion policy for all regions” in the EU’s next long-term budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework, which is due to cover 2028–2034.
The declaration also referred to a “do no harm to cohesion” principle and called for the effective involvement of local and regional authorities.
The CoR also said regions were playing a growing role in Europe’s security and defence ecosystem, and referred to developing an EU local and regional security agenda.
Cross-border healthcare cooperation should be made easier, the declaration said.
EU rulebook and consultation plans
The discussion also covered a cooperation agreement between the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission, the CoR declared.
It referred to a European Commission communication titled “A simpler, clearer and better enforced EU rulebook”, which said the Commission would further involve the committee and its networks — including the Network of Regional Hubs — in consultation and would include the committee in a new high-level Simplification Platform.
The 5 May meeting was chaired by Committee of the Regions president Kata Tüttő and attended by members including Sari Rautio, Luca Menesini, Marco Marsilio, Karina Mikelsone, Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis and Tine Radinja.
