"We live in extraordinary times and we need extraordinary measures including a strong budget. We need to pay particular attention to the resilience of our villages, cities and regions in order to be better prepared for future challenges, including a possible second wave of the Covid19 pandemic." Olgierd Geblewicz, President of the Westpomeranian Region, Poland and President of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions made these remarks during the Conference of Presidents few days before the European Commission puts forward an updated multi-annual financial framework proposal (MFF).
Mark Speich, Secretary of State for Federal, European and International Affairs (North Rhine-Westphalia) and chair of the Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) Commission spoke about the significance of the Conference on the Future of Europe in the midst of the crisis. "The Conference on the Future of Europe will be more important than ever. It has to focus on reorganising the work of the EU and give a bigger voice/role to villages, cities and regions that have served as key actors to fight the covid19 crisis." He added that the Conference on the Future Of Europe has to be more than a listening exercise and must engage citizens, villages, cities and regions alike.
Michael Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council and Chair of the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) said that CoR commissions must work further together in an integrated approach. "I strongly believe that the spirit of cooperation will help us prevail in these challenging times." He spoke on the recovery process and the need to support SMEs "As we transition from the crisis management phase to a recovery phase, we need to work closely with SMEs and family owned business in order to make sure that our regions grow economically and create jobs that were lost during the pandemic."
Speaking on behalf of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) chair, Ivan Žagar, Mayor of the Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica said "New EU initiatives such as the Green Deal and the Recovery Plan should consider reducing the territorial disparities, avoiding an increase of social inequalities and allow for a balanced economic development and cohesion."
The meeting gathered the President and Vice-President of the CoR, the Presidents of the six political groups and the Chairs of the six thematic commissions, as well as the Chair of the CFAA.