During the first day of the CoR's 165th plenary session, members held a debate on local and regional perspectives on enlargement with the Commissioner of Enlargement, Marta Kos.

Ms Kos underscored her commitment to European enlargement and the key role of local and regional authorities in driving it.

'A larger Europe means a safer and more resilient Europe' stated Kos, positioning enlargement as crucial to defending the EU and its neighbours against contemporary geopolitical challenges.

Nonetheless, a strong and unified Europe requires collective building from the bottom up.

On this basis, Ms Kos lauded LRAs as 'essential architects in building the EU' and commended candidate country LRAs as 'heroes of resilience in the face of war' from whom the EU can learn many lessons.

Ultimately, Ms Kos encouraged envisionment of enlargement as a 'unification of Europe' that must be achieved through local initiatives and collective responsibility.

'Democratic stability can only be built from the bottom up', stressed EA Group's Adam Banaszak in response to Commissioner Kos, calling for an enlargement process that bolsters multi-level governance and empowers LRAs in candidate countries.

Supporting LRAs to promote European values and rule of law at the local level will significantly enhance democratic reform of candidate countries and expedite their accession, stated Mr Banaszak.

Moreover, fostering cooperation amongst local-level actors is crucial to overcoming intercommunal tensions and divisions that inhibit territorial integration and compromise sustainable enlargement.

Ultimately, Mr Banaszak commended EU enlargement as an opportunity for growth and development, urging the audience to 'not be afraid of enlargement but ambassadors of unification'.