Comité van de Regio's wil samenwerken met Cypriotisch voorzitterschap (en)

The role of regions and cities in boosting economic recovery and the need to reach a good deal in the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020 negotiations were among the key points of discussion during the Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Ramon Luis Valcarcél's visit in Nicosia today.

“The Committee of the Regions," said the CoR President, "is ready to cooperate intensely with the Cyprus Presidency to make sure that the effort to put the Europe 2020 Strategy into practice is shared at all levels, bringing concrete benefits to our citizens who are dealing with the crisis”. During a roundtable with the Cypriot press, Valcarcel stressed that, “Regions and cities are significantly contributing to the on-going financial consolidation efforts and, at the same time, are key players in the implementation of the range of different policies that contribute to the EU growth strategy, from the improvement of the competitiveness of local economies to the fight against poverty and social exclusion, to the re-launch of public and private investment“.

This role was underlined also by Constantinos Yiorkadijs, Mayor of Nicosia, “In Cyprus we are dealing with serious problems, such as the integration of a growing number of migrants, at a time when the drastic reduction of available resources is making the survival of local authorities hard.” The Cyprus Presidency is therefore, “an opportunity to further decentralise investment and powers in Cyprus” Yiorkadijs said. The opportunities presented by the Presidency were highlighted by the Head of the Cyprus Delegation at the CoR, Georgios Georgiou, “We are a small island within the European family. We can be an honest broker contributing to bring the EU close to the expectations of our citizens”.

The CoR bureau's external meeting on 7 September will be an opportunity for the CoR's members to exchange views with representatives of the Cyprus Presidency on these issues, focusing specifically on social policies and the fight against poverty.

Referring to the MFF 2014-2020, President Valcarcél stressed today that, “The Committee of the Regions supports the Cyprus Presidency in its commitment in shaping a good budget deal for the EU.” This is the main focus of the meeting between the CoR President and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Dimitris Christofias, scheduled for 7 September.