Renew Europe CoR

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Renew Europe CoR

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The Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions.

We represent liberal & democrat city mayors, regional presidents and ministers, and local and regional councillors in the process of developing EU policies & laws. Renew Europe in the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is the political group that represents liberal & democrat city mayors, regional presidents and ministers, and local and regional councillors in the process of developing EU policies and laws. The CoR is a political assembly that exists to improve and safeguard a key part of European democracy: the proper involvement in the EU policy process of all the forms of subnational government that can be found in Europe’s Member States.

15/10/2026

Our new Group President, Gillian Coughlan, represented Renew Europe CoR at the Renew Europe Leaders’ Summit in Brussels, joining our European political family around a shared vision for Europe’s future 🇪🇺

A Europe that is stronger, more resilient and more competitive. A Europe that protects its citizens, lowers the cost of living and has the courage to modernise and enlarge.

Regions and cities have an essential role in that future, and Gillian made sure subnational politicians are recognised for their work to make it happen.

We are radically pro-European! 🩵

14/10/2026

European Capitals of Culture take center stage at 🎭

At the European Committee of the Regions plenary session, Gunars Ansins, Mayor of Liepāja, Latvia joined European Commissioner for Culture, Glenn Micallef, to discuss his city becoming the European Capital of Culture 2027: Liepaja 2027 🇱🇻

We know what the “American Dream” is, but do we know what the European Dream is? With these opening remarks, Ansins presented the city's programme based on values of solidarity, diversity and respectful coexistence.

With more than 500 events planned, Liepāja is ready to share its stories and build international connections.

Because for us, culture is more than a programme of events. It brings communities together, shapes our identity and reminds us what we share as Europeans. We're proud to see our liberal & democrat leaders take the lead 🇪🇺.

So what does Europe represent today, and what kind of future do we want to create?

📍 Find out in Liepāja in 2027!

14/10/2026

At this week’s European Committee of the Regions plenary session in Brussels, Belgium 🇪🇺 Ivan Gulam brought the Croatian experience to the debate on wildfires and drought with Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.

🇭🇷 This summer, a devastating fire in Omiš burned 1,000 hectares and tragically claimed 4 lives. Weeks later, another wildfire destroyed around 5,000 hectares on the island of Brač.

Ivan Gulam highlighted a critical gap: Europe invests heavily in fighting fires, while small municipalities often lack the resources to prevent them ❗

He called for European funding to clear dangerous vegetation, create firebreaks and protect settlements, alongside stronger cooperation between the EU, the UN and local authorities.

Because the best way to fight a wildfire is to prevent it before it starts.

13/10/2026

Meet our new President, Gillian Coughlan! 🎉

Congratulations to Gillian Coughlan, newly elected President of the Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions!

🇮🇪💪 A Cork County Councillor since 2009 and the county’s first female Mayor, Gillian has been bringing the Irish perspective to European debates since 2020 — from digital education and EU enlargement to relations with the UK.

Now, she will lead our political family of local and regional leaders from across Europe, bringing the voices, experiences and ambitions of our local communities closer to the heart of EU decision-making 🇪🇺

Comhghairdeas, Gillian! 👏

12/10/2026

Strong regions, stronger Europe 🇪🇺

At the opening session of the EU Week of Regions and Cities, Gillian Coughlan represented Renew Europe CoR, bringing the voice of our local and regional leaders to the debate on Europe’s future.

Alongside European Committee of the Regions President, Kata Tüttő, European Council President, António Costa and European Commissioner for Cohesion, Raffaele Fitto, Gillian gave a key message:

💬 “A Europe that invests in its regions, trusts its local democracy and measures its success not only by economic growth, but by whether people can build a better future is the Union that our citizens want to call home.”

Because isn’t just about what happens in Brussels. It’s about whether families can afford a home, whether young people see a future in their communities, and whether every region has the chance to thrive.

And with discussions on the EU’s next long-term budget underway, these questions could not be more timely. The choices made today — including how much Europe invests in cohesion policy — will shape the future of our local communities and the opportunities available to the people who call them home.

05/10/2026

[English below ⬇️]

Cet été, la a connu le pire incendie de son histoire. Dans les Hautes Fagnes, quelque 3 400 hectares ont été touchés par les flammes, dont 2 200 hectares dans l’une de nos zones naturelles les plus précieuses. Forêts, landes et tourbières ont été ravagées — des paysages qui mettront des années, voire des décennies, à se régénérer.

Lors de la réunion de la commission NAT (ressources naturelles) du Comité européen des régions à Tolède, Espagne 🇪🇸 W***y Borsus a souhaité attirer l’attention sur cette catastrophe, qui doit servir d’avertissement face aux risques croissants d’incendies de forêt en .

Nos territoires ruraux changent. Alors que certaines de nos campagnes se dépeuplent et que l’entretien des terres devient de plus en plus difficile, il faut redoubler d’efforts pour maintenir nos paysages vivants, entretenus et résilients. Entretenir les forêts et les espaces ouverts, préserver les accès, assurer une bonne gestion des terres et investir dans la prévention ne fait pas toujours la une. Pourtant, lorsque le feu se déclare, nous mesurons immédiatement leur importance.

🔥 Cet été, pompiers, agriculteurs, services de secours et bénévoles se sont mobilisés sans relâche pour maîtriser les flammes. Leur engagement a montré toute la force de nos communautés rurales. Mais nous ne pouvons pas attendre la catastrophe pour agir. Nous devons investir dans la prévention avant que la première étincelle ne se transforme en incendie.

Protéger nos campagnes, c’est protéger bien plus que la nature. C’est protéger nos communautés, notre patrimoine et les lieux auxquels nous sommes profondément attachés.

Depuis Tolède, le message de W***y Borsus était clair : l’Europe doit aider ses territoires ruraux à rester vivants, entretenus et résilients. Car prévenir les incendies sera toujours préférable à regarder nos paysages partir en fumée.

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[English]

This summer, experienced the worst wildfire in its history. In the Hautes Fagnes, around 3,400 hectares were affected by the fire, including 2,200 hectares of one of Wallonia’s most precious natural areas. The flames burned through forests, heathlands and peatlands — landscapes that will take years, and in some places decades, to recover.

At the European Committee of the Regions’ NAT (natural resources) Commission meeting in Toledo, Spain 🇪🇸 President of the Walloon Parliament, W***y Borsus, raised this issue because what happened in Wallonia should be a warning for all of .

Our rural areas are changing. As villages lose population and land becomes increasingly difficult to manage, keeping our countryside healthy and resilient requires more — not less — effort. Land management, maintaining access routes, caring for forests and open spaces, and investing in prevention may not always make headlines. But when disaster strikes, we see just how essential they are.

🔥 This summer, firefighters, farmers, emergency services and volunteers worked tirelessly to contain the flames. Their efforts showed the strength of our rural communities. But we cannot rely on extraordinary mobilisation after a disaster. We need to invest in prevention before the first spark.

Protecting our countryside means protecting much more than nature. It means protecting our communities, our heritage and the places people call home.

From Toledo, W***y Borsus' message was simple: Europe must help its rural areas stay alive, managed and resilient — because prevention is always better than watching our landscapes burn.

02/10/2026

2026 European Public Diplomacy Days 📸

Women’s leadership, human rights and the local dimension of EU foreign policy were at the heart of this year’s European Public Diplomacy Days, that brought together EU institutions, experts and young professionals.

At the European Committee of the Regions, the focus was on women leaders as catalysts for EU public diplomacy. CIVEX (foreign affairs) Chair Magali Altounian joined the opening discussion to highlight that the empowerment of women must be a guiding principle in any democratic participation. Gillian Coughlan chaired an inspiring session with women of different professional backgrounds who are all working to end female under-representation in the field of foreign and security policy.

The conversation continued through the European External Action Service - EEAS Autumn School, hosted at the CoR, where more than 70 postgraduate students and 38 speakers explored human rights in EU international relations. COR anti-racism Rapporteur Pär Löfstrand - Liberalerna took part in the discussion on fostering equality and non-discrimination through a human-rights-based EU foreign policy, alongside representatives from the European Parliament, EEAS, EESC and the UN.

💭 "Equality is not only a social objective. It is also a condition for stable societies, democratic resilience and sustainable development."

01/10/2026

🧭 Bringing Europe closer to citizens starts with understanding where they live, what they experience and who they trust.

Join us on 14 October for the presentation of The EU Downtown, the new book by Sean O’Curneen, exploring how local leadership, community action and storytelling can strengthen citizens’ connection to the European project.

📍 European Committee of the Regions

🕔 17:00–18:30

👉 Places are limited. Register here by 7 October to join us - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-eu-downtown-winning-hearts-and-minds-through-storytelling-tickets-2001873054194?aff=oddtdtcreator

30/09/2026

Local and regional leaders need a voice at 🌱

Yesterday, the European Committee of the Regions’ ENVE Commission met to discuss Europe’s climate and environmental priorities — and the crucial role of cities and regions in tackling the climate crisis.

We are proud to announce that Clare Colleran Molloy, our ENVE coordinator, will represent the European Committee of the Regions in the CoR delegation to .

From adapting our communities to a changing climate to delivering the green transition on the ground, cities and regions are where global climate commitments become real action.

Europe’s climate ambitions need strong local leadership to make them happen.

23/09/2026

💬 What does it take to keep climate action a priority when local leaders are dealing with multiple crises at once?

That was the question at the heart of the 2026 , as young elected local and regional leaders from across Europe came together in Brussels over the past two days.

Organised by Renew Europe CoR together with European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) and Young Democrats for Europe (YDE), the Summit brought together politicians under 35 for an open and honest discussion about what climate leadership looks like when local leaders are facing multiple, overlapping crises.

From difficult trade-offs to communicating climate action to voters, participants shared the realities behind local decisions: how do you protect long-term investments when short-term pressures keep piling up? And how do you keep climate action from being pushed to tomorrow?

The Summit was chaired by Farkas Benedek, local leader in Budaörs, Hungary 🇭🇺 and featured a discussion with MEP Lukas Sieper.

Together, we came up with solutions to translate Europe’s climate ambitions into real action where people live.

Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation — and to our partners LYMEC and YDE for making YELL 2026 happen! See you next year 👋

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