The EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions (EPP-CoR) welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s focus on competitiveness, simplification and resilience in her 2026 State of the Union Address, while stressing that Europe’s ambitions must be backed by adequate resources and delivered together with cities and regions. President von der Leyen called for faster permitting and for administrative burdens holding back businesses and SMEs to be slashed.
“Europe’s strength starts in its cities and regions. Our SMEs create jobs and prosperity locally, our municipalities and regions deliver investment and the energy transition, and our local services are on the frontline when crises strike. If Europe wants to become more competitive, resilient and independent, we need to cut unnecessary red tape and give local economies the conditions to grow. But ambition also needs resources. Europe cannot do more with less. New priorities require new financing and new own resources — not cuts to cohesion, agriculture or the investments that our regions already depend on,” said Sari Rautio, President of the EPP-CoR and CoR rapporteur on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The EPP-CoR also welcomed the strong focus on climate resilience and wildfires. Von der Leyen recognised that adaptation matters at local level and announced work on preparedness and prevention, including proposals for a future Climate Insurance Alliance and a European Firefighting Fleet. This reflects the work of Dimitrios Kafantaris (EL/EPP), CoR rapporteur on Integrated Wildfire Risk Management, who is calling for greater emphasis on prevention and resilience and stronger involvement of local and regional authorities. This is also present in the work of the CoR Working Group Green Deal Going Local, under the leadership of Markku Markkula (FI/EPP).
On energy, the EPP-CoR supports the push for more affordable, home-grown energy and faster grid connections. Europe’s energy independence must also be built locally, by enabling cities and regions to accelerate local energy production, infrastructure and investment as called by Hanna Zdanowska (PL/EPP) in the European Committee of the Regions opinion on the Action Plan for Affordable Energy. This is vital to offer EU citizens stable, cheaper and cleaner energy.
On housing, the EPP-CoR reiterated that Europe needs more homes, simpler procedures and greater public and private investment, while respecting subsidiarity and allowing cities and regions to respond to their realities.
The Group also welcomed the announcement of a new European initiative on water resilience, an issue where local and regional authorities are on the frontline of managing droughts, floods and pressure on infrastructure. We are ready to get involved in this initiative as water resilience cannot be achieved without LRAs who are closest to citizens and ecosystems, as expressed by the CoR co-rapporteur Juanma Moreno Bonilla (ES/EPP) Turning the tide – A local and regional roadmap for water resilience. Next Monday, 21 September, EPP local and regional leaders will meet in Mikulov to discuss cross-border efforts and adopt a declaration calling for further investment in the field.
The EPP-CoR welcomed President von der Leyen’s unequivocal message of solidarity with Ceuta: “Ceuta’s border is a European border. Because Ceuta is Spain. Ceuta is Europe.” Juan Jesús Vivas, Mayor-President of Ceuta, was invited to discuss the situation directly with EPP local and regional leaders on the occasion of the forthcoming EPP-CoR Group meeting on the 13th of October ahead of his expected engagement at the European Committee of the Regions.
Finally, the EPP-CoR Group welcomes the announcement of new accession roadmaps for the most advanced EU candidate countries. Progress towards EU membership must go hand in hand with a clear commitment to upholding the democratic values that bind our European family together. A stronger Europe starts from the ground up, therefore enlargement must bring our European values closer to citizens, while empowering local and regional authorities to deliver the reforms and opportunities that will make a wider European Union work for all.