Renew Europe CoR

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Renew Europe CoR

The Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions.

We represents liberal & democrat city mayors, regional presidents and ministers, and local and regional councillors in the process of developing EU policies & laws. Renew Europe in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the political group that represents liberal & democrat city mayors, regional presidents and ministers, and local and regional councillors in the process of developing EU po

licies and laws. The CoR is a political assembly that exists to improve and safeguard a key part of European democracy: the proper involvement in the EU policy process of all the forms of subnational government that can be found in Europe’s Member States.

02/06/2026

Registrations are now OPEN for the 2026 Summit of Young Elected Local and Regional Leaders ( ), taking place on 22–23 September 2026 in Brussels, Belgium! 📣

Climate change remains a pressing reality for our communities. Yet local leaders today are governing in a world shaped by multiple crises: war and insecurity, rising costs, budget pressures, and growing demands on public services. When everything feels urgent, how do we keep climate action on the agenda?

Together with European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) and Young Democrats for Europe (YDE), the Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions (COR) is bringing together young elected politicians from across Europe for a discussion on the realities of governing and delivering climate action at the local level.

This year's Summit will be chaired by Clare Colleran Molloy, Deputy Mayor of Clare County Council in Ireland and Renew Europe COR Coordinator in the ENVE (environmental policy) Commission, and will feature a keynote intervention by MEP Lukas Sieper.

✅ Who can apply?
Young elected local and regional politicians aged 18–35 within the Renew Europe youth movements.

📅 Applications are open until 3 July 2026:
https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/YELLSummit2026

Don't miss this opportunity to exchange ideas, share challenges, and help shape the future of climate leadership in Europe's cities and regions.

01/06/2026

Every year, cardiovascular diseases claim 1.7 million lives across Europe. Today, local and regional leaders took action 🫀

The European Committee of the Regions has adopted the report of Local Councillor of Milan 🇮🇹, Carmine Pacente, on the EU's Safe Hearts Plan—a major step towards tackling cardiovascular diseases, still the leading cause of death in Europe.

The good news? Nearly 80% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented.

That's why cities and regions must be at the heart of the solution. From creating greener and more walkable neighbourhoods, to improving access to healthy food, supporting active lifestyles, and ensuring quality healthcare services, local and regional authorities are already making a difference every day.

is leading by example through initiatives such as the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, promoting healthier and more sustainable food systems that help reduce risk factors.

Our opinion welcomes the ambition of the while calling for a stronger role for local and regional authorities in its implementation. Because healthier hearts aren't built only in hospitals—they are built in our schools, parks, streets, workplaces and communities.

🇪🇺 Together, we can make prevention the strongest medicine.

01/06/2026

Democracy in Europe only stays strong when our youngest citizens have a seat at the table. 🇪🇺💪

Before our external Group Meeting kicked off in Varna 🇧🇬 our delegation of local and regional leaders sat down for an inspiring, honest exchange with the young activists shaking up Bulgarian politics. We were joined by high school students from the Youth Parliament of Varna and representatives from the youth branch of We Continue the Change (Продължаваме Промяната).

We dived deep into what motivates these young change-makers to step into decision-making so early, and we didn't shy away from the tough questions.

We talked about the massive role young people played on the ground during the 2025 nationwide protests across Bulgaria, and had an open discussion about the recent election outcomes—whether the results feel like real progress or a frustrating sign that change is moving too slowly.

Despite the hurdles, their energy is proof that the fight for European values is in good hands. Thank you to these incredible young leaders for reminding us why we do this work! 👏

30/05/2026

Democracy is under attack across Europe—and our local mayors are on the absolute frontlines. 🛑

We are in Varna, Bulgaria 🇧🇬 to show that defending democracy is what unites our political family. This isn't just a talking point—for the local leaders on the ground, it’s a matter of personal safety.

At our external Group Meeting, hosted by the Mayor of Varna, Благомир Коцев, we listened to the chilling reality of what it means to stand up for the rule of law today:

Mayor Blagomir Kotsev (Varna) spoke about spending months in prison last year on accusations with little supporting evidence. Mayor Samuil Popov (Bistritsa) shared his experience of a recent, targeted arson attack that completely destroyed his car. Benedek Farkas (Budaörs, Hungary) broke down how autocrats use disinformation and political pressure to choke out local communities.

From disinformation campaigns to physical violence and judicial harassment, the pressure on local leaders is escalating. We were joined by Alva Finn from the European Liberal Forum to map out how we can fight back alongside civil society. Our local and regional leaders discussed how they are already strengthening these partnerships and tackling misinformation.

🇪🇺 Our message from Bulgaria is clear: If we want to protect European democracy, we have to protect the mayors and local councillors who defend it every single day.

20/05/2026

We are deeply concerned by reports suggesting plans to dismantle or weaken the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). Alongside the presidents of all political groups in the European Committee of the Regions, our Group President François Decoster has co-signed a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to demand clarity.

Cohesion policy is not just another line in the EU budget—it is a fundamental Treaty obligation. It ensures that the European project is felt in every village, city, and region. To deliver this, local and regional authorities need a strong, recognisable, and autonomous institutional partner within the European Commission. DG REGIO is exactly that partner.

Dismantling it would send a deeply worrying political signal, contradicting the core European promise that no region or community will be left behind. Managing future EU funds cannot be reduced to a centralised, administrative exercise. True efficiency and legitimacy come from proximity, multilevel governance, and a deep understanding of territorial realities—expertise that DG REGIO holds.

As liberals and democrats, we stand firmly for a Europe built from the ground up. We call on President von der Leyen to safeguard a fully fledged DG REGIO with a clear political mandate.

There is no future for Europe without our regions! 🚨

10/05/2026

From Europe, with love 🇪🇺

Yesterday, liberals and democrats celebrated across the continent — united by our shared values of freedom, democracy, solidarity, and hope.

From north to south, east to west, our political family was out in cities, towns, and communities to honour the European project and everything it represents: peace, cooperation, and a better future for all Europeans.

📍 Varna 🇧🇬 | Clare County 🇮🇪 | Tauragė 🇱🇹 | Oulu 🇫🇮 | Ādaži 🇱🇻 | Sofia 🇧🇬 | Tartu 🇪🇪 | Liepāja 🇱🇻 | Trnava 🇸🇰 | | Bouches-du-Rhône 🇫🇷

Were you celebrating somewhere else? Tell us where you joined Europe Day celebrations in the comments!

09/05/2026

Happy Europe day!

There are a lot of external and internal forces trying to break apart the European Union, but despite it all we choose to unite 🇪🇺💪

At a time when the effectiveness and existence of the EU is being questioned, let us remember that this Union was built on the principles of peace, security and stability. It is our guarantee of no internal wars. In this Union, we respect democracy and the rule of law. It is our guarantee that every human will be treated equally and have a set of rights.

Everyday we work towards a great Europe, because no matter what eurosceptic and authoritarian leaders say, we know that our diversity is our strength. United, we are stronger 🩵

08/05/2026

Wrapping up the 171st European Committee of the Regions Plenary Session! 🎉

It has been a busy and productive week in Brussels for our political family. As we conclude another , our liberal and democratic values remained at the heart of every debate—from protecting our youngest citizens online to ensuring an efficient cohesion policy.

Here are the highlights from our perspective:

📱 One of the most vital debates centered on the Protection of Youth and Minors in the Digital Sphere with Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport. Our local leaders, including Gillian Coughlan, Lou Linster and Anne Rudisuhli stood firm: Big Tech must take responsibility. We advocated for:
👉 Effective age verification and stricter obligations for platforms.
👉 Tackling addictive algorithms that target young minds.
👉 Empowering local and regional authorities to support families and schools in digital literacy.

📈 Our Group President François Decoster presented the 2025 Annual Impact Report. The results are clear: our Institution is more visible and influential than ever! And as François reminded us, adopting an Opinion is just the start—the real work is ensuring our local and regional voices are integrated into the heart of EU legislation.

💰 We also tackled the "how-to" of future EU funding. We welcomed Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the Commission, for a debate on the midterm review of cohesion policy, during which our Vice-President W***y Borsus highlighted it must remain a bedrock of European solidarity and growth. While discussing the NRPP fund, our COTER Coordinator Ellen van Selm focused on the crucial involvement of subnational authorities in the managing process.

When regions and cities are heard, Europe works better. That is what we strive for every time.

04/05/2026

At the 2026 Roma Week, Pär Löfstrand (local leader from Östersund, Sweden 🇸🇪) delivered a powerful message on behalf of the European Committee of the Regions.

Speaking at the Romani Women’s Futures Forum, to discuss how we can translate lived experiences into concrete commitments for Roma girls and women across Europe, as the CoR Rapporteur on , Pär emphasized that while EU strategies are vital, the real battle against discrimination is won or lost at the local level—in our schools, our healthcare systems, and our local labor markets.

💬 "If a Roma girl still feels excluded from school, if a Roma woman cannot access decent work, if discrimination continues in everyday life — then we are not lacking knowledge. We are lacking implementation and political will."

This is what makes cities and regions crucial, with subnational politicians being the real implementors of change.

For us liberals & democrats, building a stronger Union means ensuring that is real and that no one is left behind. We propose more investment in:

✅ Capabilities: Investing in education that opens real life choices and tackling the high number of Roma girls outside education or training.
✅ Economic empowerment: Turning employment into a pathway to independence, and supporting Roma women as mediators, mentors, and professionals who build trust.
✅ Participation: Putting Roma women in the driver’s seat as decision-makers, not just beneficiaries.

We must turn rights into reality in every city and every region of Europe. Discover more of our work on this topic:
https://www.cor.europa.eu/en/our-work/opinions/cdr-0466-2026

30/04/2026

New podcast episode! 🎙️🚨

have been featuring a lot as killing machines in the news recently, but as with every technology, it's how humans choose to use it that makes the difference.

In this episode of Letter from Brussels, the Renew Europe CoR team brings you stories from around the European Union which show how drones are being used in amazing ways to save lives.

And the fact that drones can be so useful is changing not just how we think of our cities and local communities, but even how we map them. Welcome to the future!

Available wherever you get your podcasts. Full video on youtube: https://bit.ly/4dh8I8M

Adres

Rue Beliard 101
Brussels
1040

Website

https://reneweurope-cor.eu/, https://www.celebrateeuropeday.eu/

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