EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions

🇪🇺 Yes to European products, no to additional procurement costs for taxpayers or barriers to SMEs! The EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions has successfully pushed for an important amendment to the European Committee of the Regions opinion on the Industrial Accelerator Act. Thanks to the amendment proposed by Christoph Schnaudigel (DE/EPP), District Commissioner of Karlsruhe, the CoR has adopted a position that cost increases of more than 10% may be considered disproportionate in public procurement. 🏭 Our position is clear: We strongly support European industry and European production, but this must not come at the expense of municipalities, regions and taxpayers, create new barriers for SMEs or undermine Europe's competitiveness. During the plenary debate, EPP-CoR members also highlighted key priorities: 🔹 Thomas Schmidt (DE/EPP), Member of the Saxon State Parliament, warned that rising costs for essential materials such as steel and cement could make construction and critical infrastructure projects, including roads, railways and bridges, increasingly difficult to deliver. 🔹 Annika Fohn (DE/EPP), Member of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, called for public procurement rules that support low-carbon products, including low-carbon steel, while remaining affordable and practical. She also stressed the need to simplify industrial permitting requirements, not just shorten administrative deadlines. Strengthening European industry must go hand in hand with responsible public spending, fair competition and practical rules for businesses and public authorities. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eS4KKGiy #IndustrialAcceleratorAct #Competitiveness #PublicProcurement #SMEs #CoRplenary

📣 CoR-Debatte im Plenarsaal des Europäischen Parlaments - und ich mittendrin. Kann mich bitte mal jemand kneifen?! Von Neuenkirchen im Münsterland bis in den europäischen Diskurs? Die Perspektive von uns Menschen vor Ort einbringen? Zuhören, mitdiskutieren, mitgestalten? Ich kann mich nicht erinnern, schon einmal so stolz und demütig (!) zugleich gewesen zu sein, wie bei der Erfahrung, in der „EU-Herzkammer-der-Demokratie“ einen Sitzplatz zugewiesen zu bekommen. Und ich weiß, dass viele zu Hause die Debatte im Livestream mitverfolgt haben. Menschen, die mich kennen, die meine Arbeit begleiten und denen es wichtig ist, dass unsere Region auch in Europa eine Stimme hat. Danke dafür! 🙏🏼 Genau für Euch mache ich ehrenamtlich Kommunalpolitik. Damit die Anliegen der Menschen zuhause dort ankommen, wo Entscheidungen getroffen werden. Und damit Regionen in ganz Europa gemeinsam Zukunft gestalten.🇪🇺🫶🏼 🤝🏼 Vielen Dank an den Europäischer Ausschuss der Regionen, das großartige Team der European People's Party und ganz besonders an die deutsche Delegation (Annika Fohn, Simone Großner, Florian HauerFlorian Hauer, André Knapp, Markus Niggemann, Christoph Schnaudigel, Torsten Welling und viele mehr!) für die Gelegenheit, mich im Rahmen der 173. Plenartagung in die europapolitische Debatte einzubringen. ©️EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions

🔬 Europe’s technological sovereignty starts in its regions! The European Committee of the Regions has adopted an opinion led by Markku Markkula (FI/EPP), Member of Espoo City Council, calling for stronger investment in research and technology infrastructures to boost Europe's competitiveness and innovation capacity. 💬 “Not every region needs to host every advanced infrastructure, but every region must have opportunities to access Europe’s best infrastructures and knowledge, strengthen its RDI capacity, and educate and train people of all ages.” Markkula's proposals focus on: 🔹 Fairer access to research infrastructures for all regions, including SMEs and start-ups, through digital one-stop shops and remote services. 🔹 Stronger and more predictable EU funding under the next research and innovation programme (FP10), with better links to Cohesion policy. 🔹 Mobilising private investment, alongside public funding, to turn research into practical solutions. Initiatives such as Climate City Contracts can help connect local innovation, industry and investment. 🔹 A European RTI Foresight Observatory, bringing together the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and regions to anticipate future technological needs and guide investment. 🔹 Stronger regional innovation ecosystems, connecting cities, universities, research centres and businesses. 🇪🇺 Europe's ability to compete globally depends not only on developing world-class research infrastructures, but also on ensuring that their benefits reach every region. #Innovation #Research #Competitiveness #EURegionsWeek #CoRplenary #TechnologicalSovereignty

🇪🇺 Europe's defence industry needs the expertise and innovation of its regions! Many regional SMEs already have the industrial expertise to contribute to Europe's defence capabilities. But how can we help them enter this growing sector? During the debate on the EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap, Mar Vaquero Perianez (ES/EPP), Vice-President of the Government of Aragón, highlighted the need for concrete support to help regional businesses seize new opportunities. Her proposals focused on: 🔹 Technical assistance to help SMEs adapt production processes and obtain the necessary certifications. 🔹 Simpler access to financing and contracts, removing barriers that prevent smaller companies from entering European defence value chains. 🔹 Stronger public-private partnerships to identify and develop regional industrial capabilities. 📍 Aragón is already putting this approach into practice. The region has launched a Defence Hub and a Defence Strategy, bringing together businesses and public institutions to strengthen its industrial capabilities. As Vaquero Perianez stressed: “Europe must make better use of the knowledge and expertise of its regions to identify their industrial potential and ensure that its defence roadmap provides accessible financing, technical assistance and simplified access to contracts.” #EUDefence #SMEs #RegionalDevelopment #Innovation #CoRplenary

🌱 From climate ambition to local action: Espoo shows how cities can lead Europe's clean energy transition. At the European Week of Regions and Cities, Markku Markkula (FI/EPP), Member of Espoo City Council and former President of the European Committee of the Regions, called for stronger investment in electricity grids, research and innovation, and greater involvement of cities and regions in delivering Europe's energy transition. 🗣️ “It is not only about the EU funding available. We need to mobilise local, regional, national, European and, above all, private investment.” 📍 Espoo, Finland, provides a concrete example of what local action can achieve. Through cooperation between the city and private industry, Espoo has: ✅ Phased out coal in its district heating system ahead of Finland's 2030 deadline. ✅ Developed the Espoo Clean Heat initiative, supporting investments in cleaner heating technologies, including heat pumps and wastewater heat recovery. ✅ Reduced emissions per inhabitant by 72% since 1990, according to Markkula. Building on this experience, Markkula called for greater mobilisation of private investment, with EU funding acting as a catalyst; stronger multilevel governance; and greater support for local energy communities, self-consumption and affordable energy for vulnerable households. #EURegionsWeek #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #ClimateAction #Espoo European Committee of the Regions

🌍 Disaster resilience starts locally. But cities and regions need the tools and resources to act. On the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, Piotr Całbecki (PL/EPP), President of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region and Chair of the NAT Commission of the European Committee of the Regions, called for concrete action to strengthen Europe’s preparedness. 🔹 Give cities and regions a formal role in national risk assessments, preparedness plans and emergency exercises through a Local and Regional Authorities Preparedness Mandate. 🔹 Make prevention a priority in the next EU budget, with predictable funding for resilient housing, infrastructure, environmental protection and community preparedness. 🔹 Simplify access to EU funding for local and regional authorities under the future Union Civil Protection Mechanism. 🔹 Invest in people-centred preparedness, including early-warning systems, public awareness, training and exercises involving schools, volunteers, businesses and civil society. 🔹 Strengthen environmental resilience through sustainable forest and water management, nature-based solutions and wildfire prevention. 💬 “Global commitments give us direction. European and national policies provide the framework and resources. But resilience becomes real in our regions, our cities, our villages and our homes.” Preparedness must be local by design, not just European in ambition. #DisasterRiskReduction #Resilience #EURegionsWeek #CivilProtection

🌍 Stronger cooperation for a more resilient, competitive and sustainable Baltic Sea Region! At the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026, EPP-CoR President Sari Rautio(FI/EPP) highlighted the strategic importance of the Baltic Sea Region and the vital role of cities and regions in addressing shared challenges. 💬 “In times of growing uncertainty, strengthening multilevel governance and cross-border cooperation is more important than ever.” Discussions on the updated EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Action Plan highlighted key priorities: 🔹 Strengthening regional competitiveness and resilience 🔹 Advancing decarbonisation, energy resilience and climate adaptation 🔹 Improving cross-border connectivity and cooperation 🔹 Ensuring cities and regions are fully involved in implementing EU policies and funding programmes As Chair of the CoR's interregional Baltic Sea Group, Rautio stressed that Europe's ambitions can only succeed when local and regional authorities are meaningful partners in delivering them. 🤝 Challenges that cross borders require solutions that cross borders. #EURegionsWeek #BalticSeaRegion #RegionalCooperation

🌍 Turning Europe's #climate and environmental ambitions into action requires a strong EU budget and empowered cities and regions. At today's joint ENVI–ENVE meeting on “Building a sustainable future: funding environmental and climate policies in the next Multiannual Financial Framework”, EPP-CoR members put forward concrete proposals for the next EU long-term budget: 🔹 Protect Cohesion Policy and territorial funding, ensuring that climate and environmental priorities are supported by adequate and predictable resources. 🔹 Guarantee direct and accessible EU funding for cities and regions to invest in climate adaptation, sustainable transport, energy resilience and biodiversity protection. 🔹 Introduce binding regional safeguards, including strong territorial chapters in National and Regional Partnership Plans, regional checks and meaningful local involvement in programme design and implementation. 🔹 Preserve effective environmental funding instruments, including the objectives and achievements of LIFE and the EU Missions on Climate-Neutral Cities and Adaptation. 🔹 Strengthen support for rural and mountain regions, with dedicated resources for nature protection, prevention, research and local capacity. 🔹 Mobilise private investment and accelerate environmental innovation, helping promising solutions move from research to industrial production. As Kostas Bakoyannis, Chair of the CoR's ENVE Commission, stressed: 💬 “The European budget is one of our most powerful tools for turning Europe’s climate and environmental ambitions into action, and cities and regions must have a real role in designing and implementing programmes.” The next MFF must not only set ambitious environmental targets. It must provide the funding, partnerships and instruments needed to deliver tangible results for citizens across Europe's territories. #EURegionsWeek #MFF #EUbudget #ClimateAction #Environment #CohesionPolicy #GreenTransition European Committee of the Regions European Parliament

🇪🇺 The Right to Stay: Turning geographical challenges into opportunities for local development How can we ensure that every European has the freedom to build their future in the place they call home? At today’s #EPPLocalDialogue, organised at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels during the European Week of Regions and Cities, local and regional leaders discussed how to transform geographical disadvantages into territorial assets and make the Right to Stay and the Right to Return a reality. 🏡 The message was clear: mobility must be a choice, not a necessity. Whether living in a rural community, mountain region, island or city, citizens should have access to the opportunities and services they need to build a future at home. The discussion highlighted concrete priorities for EU policies and the next long-term budget: 🔹 Access to essential services: Affordable housing, quality education, healthcare, reliable transport and high-speed internet to make communities attractive places to live and work. 🔹 Quality jobs and local economic development: Support #SMEs, innovation, digital skills and local value chains to create lasting employment and retain economic value within communities. 🔹 Integrated, place-based investments: Move beyond isolated infrastructure projects towards coordinated solutions combining economic development, connectivity, skills and public services. 🔹 A strong cohesion policy for all regions: Ensure adequate EU funding, recognise the additional costs faced by geographically disadvantaged territories and give local and regional authorities a genuine role in investment decisions. 🔹 The freedom to return: Create opportunities for young people who leave to study or work to return home, build careers and raise families. 🔹 Measure what matters: Assess the success of EU investments not simply by money spent or kilometres of roads built, but by quality jobs created, viable businesses, accessible services and improved quality of life. The debate also highlighted that security is essential to the Right to Stay, particularly for communities affected by war and displacement. 🌍 Geography should not determine opportunity. Europe’s future depends on enabling every territory to realise its potential and ensuring that people have a genuine choice about where to live, work and build their future. #RightToStay #CohesionPolicy #EURegionsWeek #RegionalDevelopment #FutureOfEurope Noel Formosa Borboly Csaba European Committee of the Regions

🇪🇺 A busy week ahead for our EPP-CoR members in Brussels! As #EURegionsWeek gets underway, our members are preparing for an intensive week of debates, exchanges and important decisions. From the future EU budget and #cohesion policy to competitiveness, resilience and the right to stay, there is plenty on the agenda! 📰 Discover our latest LinkedIn newsletter to find out where our members will be active and the key issues shaping this week's discussions. 👇 Read more below! Sari Rautio Noel Formosa Kostas Bakoyannis Åsa Ågren Wikström Borboly Csaba Piotr Całbecki Markku Markkula Alberto Cirio Jelena Drenjanin