The 165^th EU Committee of the Regions plenary session started on Wednesday, 2nd April, in the European Parliament’s Hemicycle. It marked the second of the new mandate and began with a debate on the concerns and priorities of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Polish presidency, which commenced in January, is working under the motto ‘Security, Europe’ and has seven dimensions:

1. Defence and security
2. Protection of people and borders
3. Resistance to foreign interference and disinformation
4. Ensuring security and freedom of business
5. Energy transition
6. Competitive and resilient agriculture
7. Health security

Following the debate, the plenary adopted the CoR’s Draft Budget 2026. The 2026 draft budget is based on the final 2025 budget of €130.45 million, which represented a 5.9% increase from 2024. The CoR’s Commission for Financial and Administrative Affairs (CFAA), which prepared the Draft Budget submissions, proposed another 8.9% increase for 2026. The majority of this increase concerns fixed costs, such as wage inflation and rent. The plenary adopted the budget, however, members did note that there is an onus on the institution to explore ways to reduce costs going forward.

The first opinion of the day was Stephen De Ron’s (LU/GREENS) “The local and regional perspective in the implementation of the Rule of Law in the European Union”. The opinion highlights the challenges to the rule of law, such as judicial independence, media freedom, and civic participation, which, in turn, the rapporteur argues, weakens territorial cohesion and the legitimacy of European actions.

Having adopted De Ron’s opinion, the plenary turned its attention to two Local Matters. Local Matters are topics submitted for debate by CoR members ahead of plenary and this debate focused on two; firstly, the highly topical “Local dimension of the new U.S tariff policy on European agri-food products”, and secondly “Enhancing connectivity for EU islands”.

Irish Delegation member, Cllr. Caroline Dwane Stanley (IE/ EA) contributed to the first debate, she noted that “The impending tariffs being proposed by President Trump, will cause huge instability in world trade and the economic consequences could be devastating for an open market like Ireland which has built a lot of its economic growth and expansion from a period of globalisation and economic policy of free trade around the world.”  She concluded her contribution by noting that “In a new world of erratic leadership, it would be great to see some calm and strategic leadership from the European Union.”

A debate on local and regional perspectives on enlargement with Commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos followed this. The debate repeated the CoR’s central message on enlargement – ‘a successful and sustainable accession process must engage LRAs from the very beginning’. This involvement is not only practical—given that over 70% of EU legislation is implemented at local and regional level—but strategic. The long-term stability and democratic legitimacy of accession depend on reforms taking root within communities, not being imposed from above.

Following the debate, the CoR adopted two opinions concerning enlargement firstly Aleksandra Dulkiewicz’s (PL/EPP) “Enlargement package 2024 – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia” and secondly, Jean-Luc Vanraes’ (BE/RENEW E.) “Enlargement package 2024 – Western Balkans and Türkiye”. Following the adoption of both, the plenary adjourned for the evening.

The plenary resumed on Thursday morning with an opinion by Carlos Mazón Guixot (ES/EPP) entitled “Enhancing EU regional agricultural competitiveness: A comprehensive strategy integrating equitable trade conditions and phytosanitary security”. The opinion emphasises the importance of local and regional perspectives in agricultural production and water resilience, which is critical for securing food supply continuity across the EU. The opinion was duly adopted.

Half an hour later, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto, presented the proposals for Cohesion Policy’s Mid-Term Review. He noted that “This proposal aims at ensuring that Cohesion Policy remains not only effective but adapted to unprecedented challenges and realities on the ground. We are giving Member States and regions the opportunity to spend in new specific areas. This is a voluntary choice, and I am committed to defend the core principles of Cohesion Policy, which will remain a fundamental component of the EU long-term budget after 2027.” However, members raised concerns regarding the possible additional administrative burden of the reprogramming exercise and the risk of diverting Cohesion Policy from its long-term objectives.

Speaking on behalf of the European Alliance group, Cllr. Caroline Dwane Stanley (IE) welcomed the mid-term review. “It is necessary and timely. The world around us is changing fast, geopolitically, economically, and socially, and the policy must adapt to these changes.

However, while adjusting to new realities, we should be careful not to drift too far from the core purpose of Cohesion Policy. It was designed to promote social and territorial cohesion, to reduce disparities between regions and ensure that no one is left behind. That goal remains as relevant as ever.  There should be no centralisation but keep the regional hold on planning, management and implementation of Cohesion policy.

On housing, we welcome the stronger focus. In many of our regions we face an acute lack of affordable housing. If the Commission wants to double the funding, we are ready to act. But rules must be clear, permitting simplified, and access straightforward for local authorities.”

The debate was followed by an outlook opinion by Mätta Ivarsson (SE/GREENS) on the forthcoming EU Oceans Pact. A key concern of the opinion is the funding gap affecting maritime activities in response it calls for the establishment of adequate financing for a just transition to a low-impact and regenerative maritime economy and effective protection and restoration of marine ecosystems and scientific research. The rapporteur, therefore, suggests that the Pact should contribute to facilitating the creation of innovative financing mechanisms and incentives to apply sustainable practices. Furthermore, it asks the CoR to consider tailored financing instruments in the next MFF that fit into the local socio-economic fabric.

Following the adoption of the outlook opinion, the plenary subsequently adopted an “urgent resolution on strengthening the territorial dimension in the implementation of the Industrial Action Plan for the European Automotive Sector” and an “urgent resolution on the Arrest of Turkish Mayors and the Assault on Local Democracy in Türkiye”.

The penultimate item on the agenda was a debate on a “Place-based approach to Competitiveness” with a statement from Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister and author of the EU report on the future of the Single Market. Briefing members ahead of the debate, the CoR notes that in order to effectively address major economic and societal challenges, partnerships between the EU level, Member States, regions, cities, the private sector, and other involved stakeholders are essential. Such collaborations, they note, are key to strengthening the competitiveness of European industries, particularly as Europe transitions towards a low-carbon and circular economy, a critical factor in maintaining global competitiveness.

The CoR warns that against this backdrop, the notion of a place-based industrial policy to reinforce EU competitiveness and build a resilient and sustainable Europe is largely absent in the Competitiveness Compass. Furthermore, the CoR feel that the Competitiveness Compass does not sufficiently highlight that policies at different levels and should promote a stronger place-based green and digital dimension in industrial policy and also consider the territorial implications of the twin transitions in the energy intensive branches (such as the automotive industry, the chemical industry and cement and steel production).

Following the debate with Letta, the plenary adopted a draft urgent resolution on a competitive compass for the EU. This concluded the plenary session; the next session will take place on the 14^th and 15^th of May, once again in the Hemicycle.