In a European Committee of the Regions debate with Commission 1st Vice President Frans Timmermans, the European Alliance group President Stanisław Szwabski called for Europe open a real and meaningful dialogue with local and regional authorities across the European Union.  He said the CoR could be pivotal opening this dialogue.

Mr Szwabski highlighted that Europe needs also to bring back the sense of Community, that there is a local value to the work of the European Union and this would assist in making the EU more relevant to citizens in Regions.  The continued inward focus by Member States is not healthy for the EU and there needs to be more joint effort for the EU in the future.