Regions' role in the new European Neighbourhood Policy key topic at CIVEX meeting in Kolobrzeg, Poland

The Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is meeting on 22-23 June in Kolobrzeg, Poland. The two-day meeting includes a conference that will explore how the EU regional policy approach can contribute to the implementation of European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and the role of CoR in this exercise. This debate is part of the 11th Self-Government Forum taking place in Kolobrzeg on 23-24 June.

A focal point of the conference will be on the recent advancements in the ENP, especially in Ukraine, which will be discussed by an expert panel, including François Decoster (FR/ALDE) the chairman of CIVEX commission, Janusz Gromek, Mayor of Kolobrzeg, Olgierd Geblewicz (PL/EPP) and the Marshal of the West Pomeranian Region. The Committee of the Regions contributes to the ENP through its Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) and the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM).

Emin Yeritsyan, President of the Union of Communities of Armenia and Co-Chair of CORLEAP will present current developments of eastern dimension of the ENP following the CORLEAP annual meeting and Riga Summit. The CORLEAP Annual meeting held on 23 April in Brussels adopted the recommendations of the Heads of States and Governments for the EaP Summit in Riga on 21-22 May, advocating the need to enhance capacity building in the EaP countries in order to advance their decentralisation processes. The new perspective of cooperation with the Mediterranean Neighbourhood countries will also be discussed at the conference, as well as the implementation of the ENP at regional level.

The conference is preceded by the 4th meeting of the CIVEX commission on 22 June. The members are expected to adopt a draft opinion on the European Citizens' Initiative, prepared by Luc Van den Brande (BE/EPP). Moreover, the members will discuss two draft opinions: one on the European Agenda on Migration, drafted by François Decoster (FR/ALDE), chairman of CIVEX, and the other on new European Neighbourhood Policy, drafted by Nikolaos Chiotakis (EL/EPP). They will also have an exchange of views on the future institutional set-up of the EU following a request for consultation addressed to the CoR by the European Parliament.

CIVEX seminar and meeting agenda

11. Self-government Forum agenda

The Committee of the Regions' CIVEX commission:

The CIVEX commission is responsible for issues including justice and home affairs, fundamental rights, smart regulation and the reduction of administrative burdens, citizenship and broader institutional issues such as governance and devolution. It also deals with the EU external dimension, focusing on neighbourhood and enlargement countries, as well as decentralised cooperation for development. CIVEX gathers more than a hundred regional and local elected representatives from all the 28 EU Member States. It is chaired by François Decoster (FR/ALDE) Member of Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council.