CoR President emphasises need to "combine the reconstruction of Ukraine with a strengthening of local democracy and local and regional capacity".
The European Committee of the Regions has welcomed the European Council's decision to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova, and to grant candidate status to Georgia and, subject to further reforms, to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, posted his congratulations to Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina immediately after the European Council's decisions on 14-15 December, saying that "EU leaders made history" with their decisions and underlining the CoR's "support to regions and cities in EU candidate countries on their path towards our common European project".
Addressing the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine on 15 December, he underscored the importance of Ukraine's regions and cities to the country's reconstruction, recovery, and preparations for EU membership. The meeting of the Congress was convened by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and brought together regional and local leaders with members of central government.
Promising "unwavering support" for Ukraine, President Cordeiro called on Ukraine's leadership "to combine the reconstruction of Ukraine with a strengthening of local democracy and local and regional capacity", arguing that "a lasting sustainable recovery can only be achieved with good governance and strong democracy at the local and regional level, a bottom-up approach to reconstruction and the empowerment of local self-government".
He continued: "The decentralisation reform must be pursued: we need to maintain the momentum for decentralisation, in spite of the conflict. Strengthened local leadership and institutional capacities are key success factors for the implementation of the reconstruction."
The CoR's rapporteur on the EU's enlargement talks with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia – Antje Grotheer (DE/PES), president of Bremen City Parliament – has also praised the EU's decision to embark on further enlargement, saying: "The decision to open accession negotiations made by the European Council is a boost of hope for Ukrainian people and a recognition of their sacrifices in the defence of Europe. We, in the European Union, should realise that the enlargement to Ukraine is also an investment into our own security and into a more cohesive and prosperous European space. It is therefore urgent to start by investing €50 bn into Ukraine Facility, which we want to be a precursor for Ukraine in applying the principles of EU regional policy. We should also not lose sight of the need to step up our support to Moldova and Georgia who also suffer from Russian aggression. In the meanwhile, we have urgently to do our homework, reform the EU's decision-making processes, and put an end to pathetic blackmailing policies."
Approval of the Ukraine Facility was on the agenda of the European Council held on 14-15 December. However, after opposition from Hungary, the European Council decided to defer discussion of funding for Ukraine through to 2027 until early 2024, as part of wider debate about the EU's budget.
The chair of the CoR's Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget criticised the delay. Emil Boc (RO/EPP), mayor of Cluj-Napoca, tweeted: "Failing to decide on the needed support to Ukraine will damage the EU credibility. We urge Member States to reach an agreement on MFF revision ASAP, providing [Ukraine] more resources, not less."
The CoR has previously welcomed the European Commission's proposal to provide Ukraine with financial stability until 2027, through a special €50 billion Ukraine Facility, and in particular its acknowledgement of the value of involving sub-national governments in Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery. The draft proposal would oblige Ukraine's central government to involve regional, local, urban and other public authorities in the preparation and implementation of programmes and projects funded by the Ukraine Facility.
More information:
Ukraine Facility
European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine
European Committee of the Regions and Ukraine
European Committee of the Regions, Working Group on Ukraine
You can watch below the full intervention of President Cordeiro: