Council of European Municipalities and Regions

LOCAL INSIGHT
Local and regional governments' view
of European affairs

Interview

Development cooperation

Commissioner Mimica: "Decentralised cooperation will remain at heart of EU external action"

With negotiations on the next EU long-term budget about to start, Commissioner Neven Mimica defended Europe’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and praised the role local governments play in international cooperation.

Neven Mimica, the Commissioner in charge of international cooperation and development, spoke to EURACTIV.com’s Beatriz Rios about how the European Union plans to comply with the SDGs and what the role of local governments will be in helping to do so.

The negotiation for the next Multiannual Financial Framework is about to kick off. Do you think that the current proposal goes in line with the commitments reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals?

Yes, absolutely. The Sustainable Development Goals are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, which provides a global framework on how to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development across the globe. We are committed to this Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

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Opinion

Cohesion policy

President of Emilia Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, speaks out on the future of cohesion policy

In this opinion piece, the President of Emilia Romagna and of CEMR, Stefano Bonaccini, explains how we can still reach a cohesion policy that responds to cities, towns and regions’ needs. It was originally published in The Parliament Magazine, a fortnightly magazine covering European Parliament news, opinion and comment.

We are now entering the final phase of the discussions on the future of cohesion policy. Budget cuts, investment priorities or conditionality, are some of the key issues guiding the negotiations on how €373 billion should be spent over the next 7 years.

This is definitely not an easy decision, because cohesion policy is not just about money. Nor is it a way to balance the EU budget. It is grounded in the Treaties and is therefore part of the DNA of the European Union.

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Opinion

UN global goals

CEMR Secretary general: "To implement the SDGs, the EU needs to be consistent"

Good news for all the supporters of development policies: city-to-city development cooperation will remain at the heart of the EU’s external action. And localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a priority supported by the European Union, writes the Secretary General of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Frédéric Vallier.

Indeed, the 2030 Agenda, which will be at the core of European development aid in the coming years, clearly gives a pivotal role to local and regional governments. Unlike the Millennium Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda emphasises the importance of local implementation and the necessity to involve all local players.

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European Week of Regions and Cities

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