Stronger cohesion policy for all regions, affordable housing, quality jobs, accessible healthcare and education, reliable transport and high-speed internet must be at the heart of Europe's Right to Stay agenda. At the EPP Local Dialogue “The Right to Stay: Turning Geographical Handicaps into Territorial Assets for Local Development”, held at the European Committee of the Regions during the European Week of Regions and Cities, local and regional leaders called for place-based solutions instead of one-size-fits-all policies, integrated territorial investments rather than isolated projects, and a stronger role for local and regional authorities in the next EU budget. They also urged the EU to measure success by opportunities created and improvements in people's lives, not simply by money spent.
Opening the event, Tanya Hristova (BG/EPP), Mayor of Gabrovo, Vice-President of the EPP-CoR and First Vice-President of the SEDEC Commission, highlighted how cohesion policy is helping her city transform its industrial heritage into new opportunities. Once known as the “Manchester of Bulgaria”, Gabrovo is converting a historic post office into a children's centre for digital skills, innovation and creativity. She also stressed the importance of better connectivity, including the long-awaited Shipka tunnel. “With the support of the cohesion policy, we are connecting our existing strengths to our new opportunities,” she said.
Emil Boc (RO/EPP), Mayor of Cluj-Napoca and First Vice-Chair of the COTER Commission, called for a stronger EU budget, reinforced cohesion policy within the National and Regional Partnership Plans and integrated investments tailored to each territory. He stressed that cohesion is an investment in Europe's future, not charity, and that the Right to Stay must become a measurable objective. “Our parents built a Europe where borders no longer prevented us from moving. Our generation must now build a Europe where every European can see a future in the place they call home,” Boc said.
Csaba Borboly (RO/EPP), Vice-President of Harghita County Council, proposed integrated investments linking mountain agriculture, local processing, distribution and sustainable tourism to retain jobs and income within communities. He also called for recognition of additional mountain costs and greater involvement of local authorities in EU funding decisions. “The mountain is not only a handicap. It is an economic, natural and cultural asset, but only if value is created and retained locally and communities are real partners in shaping investment,” he said.
Radim Sršeň (CZ/EPP), CoR rapporteur on the Future of Rural Development, called for affordable housing, quality education, healthcare, accessible public services, high-speed internet and better work-life balance to make rural areas attractive for younger generations. “The right to stay and the right to return must be more than attractive political concepts; they need concrete policies and investments behind them,” he said.
Noel Formosa (MT/EPP), Mayor of San Lawrenz, Gozo, and CoR rapporteur on the EU Strategy for Islands, urged the EU to recognise the specific costs of insularity and treat islands as valuable European assets rather than territories simply requiring compensation. “A policy that appears equal on paper can produce deeply unequal results across different territories,” he warned.
Matteo Bertoldi (IT), District Councillor for San Giuseppe–Santa Chiara in Trento and participant in the CoR's Young Elected Politicians programme, highlighted initiatives to bring empty houses back into use in depopulating communities. Drawing on Lampedusa's difficulties in accessing education and specialised healthcare, he called for better housing, transport and essential services. “The problem is not mobility. The problem is when mobility becomes a necessity,” he said.
Mariia Makivnychuk, Member of the Verkhovyna Village Council in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankivsk region, stressed that security must be a prerequisite for the Right to Stay and Return. Calling for the future EU budget to support both regional development and Ukraine's defence, she asked: “What does freedom of movement mean for people who are running for their lives?”
Bridget Anne Afor, local councillor from Ronneby, Sweden, highlighted the impact of irregular migration on municipalities and proposed stronger partnerships between European and African local authorities. “We need to consider the experiences of municipalities directly affected by irregular migration and examine how cooperation between European and African local authorities can be strengthened,” she said.