Luxembourg Premier Bettel and EU Committee of the Regions President Markkula call for urgent action to support regions and cities to tackle migration challenge
The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Markku Markkula, met with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel i today in Luxembourg to discuss the urgent migration challenge facing Europe. The meeting concluded in a joint agreement to move quickly into concrete action and call for support for the regions and cities carrying the main burden on the migrant flows. Investments into Europe, cross-border cooperation and simplified EU legislation were also high on the agenda of the bilateral meeting.
"The topic of migration is burning everywhere: earlier today I discussed with the key Ministers from Germany, Austria, Hungary and Greece on concrete actions how to chart the situation and move into immediate action. Regional and local authorities are at the frontline of the migration crisis: legally responsible for public services, education and basic care for the migrants. The responsible regions need our support in dealing with the migrant flows" Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel stated.
President Markkula voiced his strong concern for urgent support to the regions and cities: "People are now taking the steps on the ground to solve these burning questions. We are in the front line of this urgent situation. Therefore, we must move ahead into concrete action. Sharing best practices from Mayor to Mayor and learning from each other is also key in finding a common solution to the question".
In addition to migration, the two leaders also emphasised the need to boost investments into the grassroots level. "The Committee of the Regions is an important link between the local and regional authorities and the European Investment Bank. We will follow the impact of selected projects on local economies, synergies between existing European Structural and Investment Funds and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (Juncker Plan)," Markkula emphasised.
To support the Luxembourg Presidency in strengthening EU territorial cohesion, President Markkula insisted on the CoR commitment to give new impetus to cross-border cooperation and the future of territorial development and regional policy, notably by mapping the missing infrastructure and tools in cross-border cooperation. As requested by the Luxembourg Presidency, the CoR input in these areas will be set out in formal opinions to be adopted by the end of the year.
The Committee of the Regions is also strongly committed to supporting the Luxembourg Presidency's efforts towards better regulation, in its institutional capacity. In particular, the Presidency was asked to enhance the local and regional authorities' voice within the process of drafting EU legislation, since they implement up to 70 per cent of EU legislation.
For more information:
Resolution for a sustainable EU approach to migration
Declaration "25 Years of Interreg: New Impetus for Cross-Border Cooperation"
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