The EA President, Jerzy Zająkała, addressed the President of the European Council during the CoR Plenary session on a number of topical issues such as cooperation arrangements with the Council, climate initiatives, regional disparities and the current emergency in North Africa. 

LRAs, declared the mayor of Łubianka, are often the natural allies of Member States and it is fundamental that the CoR is associated with the Council on the basis of a cooperation agreement similar to the existing one with the European commission.  The President of the European Council responded by inviting the CoR to participate in the tripartite meeting before the Spring Summit.

Mr. Jerzy Zająkała recalled in his speech, the full engagement of LRAs in climate change initiatives, notably in the Covenant of Mayors but he stressed that more "support is needed from the EU institutions to implement the plans at local level".

Finally he concluded by calling upon the EU to take more "energetic, resolute and immediate actions" to address the migratory and humanitarian emergency in the Mediterranean because" the people over there need our help right now".