The European Committee of the Regions emphasizes the need for the implementation of the EU support package and wide-ranging support for Ukrainian cities and regions.
At the Ukraine Summit in Kyiv, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) said that a clear separation of powers, regional planning and improved administrative capacity are among the priorities for rebuilding Ukraine, along with strengthening air defenses. He said there was. Regions and cities.
Speaking on Europe Day, CoR representative Patrick Molinos, Vice President of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, emphasized Ukraine's future in the European Union and urged local and regional politicians to strengthen Ukraine's defense. He urged governments to put pressure on them, calling: To further strengthen the partnership between Ukraine and the EU at municipal and regional level.
Molinos is the Chairman of the CoR's Committee for External Affairs and was representing the CoR at the Second International Summit on Cities and Regions convened by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The summit, held on May 9, discussed how Ukrainian cities and regions can support victims of war, house internally displaced persons, begin rebuilding infrastructure and implement EU regulations. It was considered whether the government could be prepared to absorb EU funds.
The summit will be held a few weeks before the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in Berlin. The conference is the highlight of the annual effort to mobilize and coordinate international support for Ukraine's recovery, reconstruction, reform and modernization.
Molinoz said the creation of the EU's Ukraine Facility guarantees substantial economic and technical support to Ukrainian regions and local governments until 2027. He said that the main political, policy and practical challenges of the moment are clearly defining the responsibilities of Ukraine's various levels of government and ensuring that Ukraine's recovery plan is aligned with the needs and capacities of local and regional autonomy. He suggested that it should be regulated more clearly. Strengthen the capacity of municipalities and regions to manage EU funds. He also stressed the importance of further strengthening tools to fight corruption.
He added:Ukraine urgently needs air defense systems to resist Russia's ruthless attacks, and we urge all our colleagues in cities and regions across the EU to use their influence with national governments to provide this lifesaving support. I strongly urge you to do so.”.
His message echoed the recommendations presented in March by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine to the governments of Ukraine and Germany, co-sponsors of the Congress for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. The European Committee of the Regions is a co-founder of the Alliance and serves as its secretariat.
The establishment of the “Ukraine Facility”, an EU support framework for the recovery of Ukraine that takes into account the needs and challenges of local authorities, has been the focus of the Alliance's political activities since its creation in mid-2022. The facility, which entered into force in February 2024, pledges €50 billion in aid to Ukraine by the end of 2027. The EU argues that the facility should support decentralization and local development, giving local governments a key role in Ukraine's recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Modernization.
The alliance's members include a wide range of private and public institutions, including the territorial associations of Ukraine and the EU, individual regions and cities, and the Council of Europe's Council of Local Governments. He also said: Keynote speech at the summit.
During his visit to Kyiv, Mr. Molinos also met with the presidents of two Ukrainian territorial associations, members of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, and with Vitaly Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv and head of the Ukrainian Cities Association. , and Ms. Tetyana Ekhhorova Lutsenko, Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Council, Chairman of the All-Ukrainian District and Regional Council and new co-chair of the Regional and Local Government Council for the Eastern Partnership established by the CoR. .
Andres Yadla Rakvere City Councilor and CoR Housing Rapporteur (EE/Renew Europe) also attended the summit. Both Mr. Yadla and Mr. Molinos had the opportunity to visit a project near Kiev that provides temporary accommodation for people displaced by the war.
Quote:
Patrick Molinos (FR/PES), Vice-President of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region and Chairman of the CoR. Citizenship, Governance, Institutions and Foreign Affairs (CIVEX):
“Ukraine must win peace! Today's summit will be held on Europe Day, which celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The EU supports Ukraine and will do so to win peace. Here In Kyiv, it is abundantly clear that Ukraine will act with urgency.'' Strengthening security will put Ukrainian cities and regions in a position to rebuild and redevelop. The European Committee of the Regions is pleased and proud of our concrete proposals for the EU's €50 billion support package. Ukraine's local governments will now benefit from significant financial and technical support to accelerate and enrich Ukraine's recovery efforts. ”
Andres Yadla (EE/Renew Europe), Rakvere City Councilor, CoR Rapporteur on Housing:It is impressive to see the efforts Ukraine is making to accommodate internally displaced persons who cannot stay with relatives or rent apartments. The types of prefabricated housing I have seen, and even the retrofitting of existing housing stock with prefabricated panels, can be done quickly, create jobs and provide quality housing. Modular housing helped generations of Europeans after World War II. Let's help Ukraine scale up its efforts. ”
For more information:
The International Summit of Cities and Regions was held on May 9, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Council of Local Governments under the President of Ukraine. Parliament is an advisory body. The theme is the achievements, challenges and prospects of Ukraine's European integration. Reconstruction and development of Ukrainian cities and regions during and after the war. The humanitarian challenge of supporting internally displaced persons. Medical, psychological and social rehabilitation of war victims.
Photos are available below
flicker or
upon request.We also have video materials available.
upon request.
Recommendations for the 2024 Ukraine Reconstruction Conference for the decentralized recovery and recovery of Ukraine: Full text of the Declaration by the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for the Reconstruction of Ukraine
English,
Ukrainian,
Germanand
French.
Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions”Expansion Package 2023 – Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia” (Reported by: Antje Grother (DE/PES)Chairman of the Bremen City Council).
contact:
andrew gardner
Phone number: +32 473 843 981
andrew.gardner@cor.europa.eu
