​During the 162nd plenary session of the Committee of the Regions, member of the Cork City Council and EA Group's First Vice President Kieran McCarthy intervened in a debate on the priorities of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council. Barna Pál Zsigmond, Hungary’s Deputy Minister of the Ministry of European Union Affairs, outlined several key focus areas, including boosting economies to regain lost competitiveness, addressing demographic changes through cohesion policy, securing the future of agriculture, managing enlargement policy, and tackling the burden of illegal migration on member states.

Cllr McCarthy emphasised the importance of mutual learning and highlighted cohesion policy as a core issue. He expressed gratitude for the Hungarian Presidency’s commitment to this policy, recognising its role in mitigating the negative impacts of these challenging times. His intervention underscored the significance of cohesion policy in fostering unity and resilience across the EU.

McCarthy also stressed that cohesion policy should not be limited to a few cities and regions but should benefit all of the 95,000 regional and local authorities, enabling them to realise ambitious and sustainable plans. He warned that the moving goalposts and the ideas to shif funds away from the Cohesion Policy are deeply concerning. "Local and regional authorities need robust support to push forward ambitious green and sustainable initiatives," Cllr McCarthy concluded.