Local and regional authorities' role in the Conference of the Future of Europe must be strengthened
On 5 May 2021, the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli addressed the Committee of the Regions (CoR) Plenary session.
Speaking on behalf of the European Alliance group, President Kieran McCarthy called for a stronger voice of local and regional authorities in the Conference of the Future of Europe which is to be launched on 9 May, Europe Day.
"With the launch of the Conference of the future of Europe, we have an opportunity to strengthen the trust between citizens and EU institutions and we firmly believe the role of local and regional authorities is pivotal to make this exercise a success. The Conference will be a success if it is a truly inclusive exercise where regional and local parliaments, are given a stronger voice if citizens' aspirations and concerns are conveyed and listened to if we work together in a spirit of multilevel governance and collaboration," said Cllr McCarthy, who is also a member of the Cork City Council, Ireland.
He further called for cooperation with the European Parliament and highlighted the potential of the CoR to mobilise locally elected politicians on the ground.
"We need to join forces, work hand in hand. Together we can achieve more. We are ready to mobilise our representatives, through our network of local councillors, and organise joint citizen's dialogues with you, to bring EU back to where it belongs: its cities, villages and rural areas, he added. We are ready to work together in monitoring impact and implementation of EU legislation at the local level, making sure it matches the needs of regions and cities," he concluded.
