- Posted 22-Jun-2020
The European Green Deal is Going Local
The European Committee of the Regions has launched the 'Green Deal Going Local' working group. Composed of 13 local and regional elected representatives, its objective is to guarantee that EU cities and regions are directly involved in the definition, implementation and assessment of the numerous initiatives under the European Green Deal, the EU's sustainable growth strategy to reach climate-neutrality by 2050.
It is time to invest together and accelerate the transition towards a clean, sustainable and carbon-neutral economy. Through the EU's recovery package and the European Green Deal, cities and regions must be financed to build resilience and bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis. This is the main message coming from the first meeting of the 'Green Deal Going Local' working group. The working group starts its works as the European Commission has put on the table a new recovery instrument of €750 billion, and has reinforced climate-related elements in the proposed long-term budget of €1,100 billion for 2021-2027. It now needs the approval of the EU's Member States and of the European Parliament.
The 'Green Deal Going Local' working group has the goal of ensuring that both the European Green Deal and the EU's recovery strategy actually translate into tangible projects and direct funding for local and regional authorities. The working group has three specific objectives:
- To bring together the views of cities and regions in the CoR on the numerous policy initiatives under the European Green Deal, and make sure that their voice is heard.
- To facilitate EU institutions working together in order to place cities and regions at the heart of policies promoting carbon-neutrality.
- To convey the challenges that local and regional authorities face while implementing the green transition locally and to highlight their achievements and best practices, so as to facilitate their replication across the European Union.
Current priority files of the working group include the European Climate Law and Climate Pact, the Just Transition Fund, a new industrial strategy for Europe, water, hydrogen, the new Circular Economy Action Plan, bio-diversity and forests.
The Working Group comprises 13 members from all six commissions and all six political groups in the CoR, making it a truly horizontal and inclusive initiative.
- Juan Espadas (ES/PES), Mayor of Seville (Chair)
- Roby Biwer (LU/PES), Member of Bettembourg Municipal County
- Manuela Bora(IT/PES), Member of Marche Regional Council and Regional Minister (replaced in today's meeting by Donatella Porzi (IT/PES), Regional Councillor of the Region of Umbria)
- Isabelle Boudineau (FR/PES), Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Vice-President, European and International Affairs
- Vincent Chauvet (FR/Renew Europe), Mayor of Autun (Saône-et-Loire department)
- József Kóbor (HU/EA), Member of the Local Government of Pécs
- Markku Markkula (FI/EPP), Member of Espoo City Council
- Michael Murphy (IE/EPP), Member of Tipperary County Council
- Ricardo Rio (PT/EPP), Mayor of Braga
- TjisseStelpstra (NL/ECR), Member of the Council of the Province of Drenthe
- Mirja Vehkaperä (FI/Renew Europe), Member of Oulu City Council
- Bernd Voß (DE/The Greens), Member of Schleswig-Holstein State Parliament
- Hanna Zdanowska (PL/EPP), President of Łodź
The working group will meet on a regular basis and prepare contributions and recommendations to relevant commissions. It will also feed CoR plenary sessions, starting at the next 1-2 July plenary with a debate on 'Regions and Cities for Green Recovery', with the participation of MEP and Chairman of the European Parliament's ENVI committee Pascal Canfin. Two other debates are expected during the July plenary: one on the future multiannual financial framework (MFF) in light of the COVID-19 crisis recovery with Commissioner Johannes Hahn and one on the economic aspects of the COVID-19 recovery with Commissioner Thierry Breton.
Source: European Committee of the Regions News (https://bit.ly/37Eok2J)