More than 100 regional and local leaders from across Europe will gather in Rhodes on 29 May 2026 for the high-level EPP-CoR External Group Meeting, hosted by Georgios Chatzimarkos, Regional Governor of the South Aegean and member of the EPP-CoR Group.
Under the title “Delivering Europe Together: Placing Regions at the Heart of the Next MFF”, the event will bring together leading European and national political figures to discuss the future of the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2028–2034, at a decisive moment for Europe’s cohesion, competitiveness and territorial development.
The event takes place as the European Parliament has recently adopted its position on the next MFF and as the European Committee of the Regions, including through several EPP-CoR opinions, is intensifying its contribution to the debate on the future EU budget. The aim is also to ensure that the European Council and Member States fully take into account the views of local and regional authorities when shaping the next long-term EU budget.
The discussions in Rhodes will focus on how Europe can continue delivering for citizens through a strong and ambitious EU budget that supports cohesion policy, agriculture, competitiveness, resilience, strategic autonomy and territorial development.
Speakers will include Sari Rautio, President of the EPP-CoR Group; Nikolaos Chardalias, First Vice-President of the EPP-CoR Group; and host Georgios Chatzimarkos, Regional Governor of the South Aegean. A keynote speech will be delivered by Kostis Hatzidakis, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece.
EPP-CoR members will discuss the main challenges and priorities of the next MFF through two high-level political panels:
Panel 1 will address cohesion, agriculture and the Territorial Dimension of the Next MFF with Andrey Novakov, Member of the European Parliament and EPP Coordinator in the Regional Development Committee and Gintarė Skaistė, Member of the Lithuanian Seimas and member of the EPP Working Group on the MFF.
Panel 2 will address the role of regions in driving competitiveness with Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of National Economy and Finance of Greece and President of the Eurogroup; Ioannis Tsakiris, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank; and Georgios Aftias, Member of the European Parliament.
During the meeting, EPP-CoR members are expected to adopt the Rhodes Declaration, calling for a stronger and more ambitious EU budget that keeps regions and cities at the heart of Europe’s future. The declaration underlines the importance of cohesion policy as the EU’s main long-term investment tool and calls for an ambitious next MFF, stronger involvement of regional and local authorities in EU funding decisions, simpler and more transparent funding rules, and a place-based approach ensuring that no territory is left behind. It also stresses that Europe’s goals on competitiveness, resilience, security and the green and digital transitions can only be achieved through genuine partnership with regions and cities.