January 21, 2025

The following is a press release:

The meeting of the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) brought Ukrainian, Moldovan, Georgian and Armenian politicians together with members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). They were addressed by Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reconstruction, Oleksiy Kuleba, who described decentralisation as “one of the most successful reforms in Ukraine” and said Ukraine was "working to make the reform even more effective, so that local self-government is more able to respond to the challenges of today". "The Eastern Partnership will play a key role for Ukraine today, supporting our efforts to reform, strengthen democratic institutions and EU," he continued.

Anna Radwan-Röhrenschef, Poland's Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, said that Poland is emphasising during its presidency of EU ministerial meetings this year that "the Eastern Partnership should remain a key instrument in supporting pro-European reforms and promoting EU values” and “should be complementary to the enlargement process".

The CORLEAP meeting was held under Ukrainian co-chairmanship in Rzeszów, just over Ukraine's border with Poland, at the invitation of Władysław Ortyl (PL/ECR), President of the Podkarpackie Region. President Ortyl described Podkarpackie as "a region that perfectly embodies Poland’s commitment to fostering regional cooperation".

The meeting was co-chaired by Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, who leads Kharkiv Regional Council and the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils (UAROR), and by Aleksandra Dulkiewicz (PL/EPP), Mayor of Gdańsk and chair of the CoR's Working Group for Ukraine, standing in for the President of the European Committee of the Regions and CORLEAP co-chair, Vasco Alves Cordeiro. In a video message, CoR President Cordeiro emphasised "the usefulness of CORLEAP, as a unique collaborative forum".

Debate focused on the need to involve local and regional governments more deeply into the EU accession process and strengthening the capacity of sub-national authorities in the Eastern Partnership. This includes fostering stronger partnerships between EU and EaP subnational authorities, ensuring that local needs and priorities are reflected in EU policies, and the development of an Eastern Partnership Academy for Public Administration.

The discussions come at a moment of significant political momentum in the EU, following the election of a new European Parliament and the selection of new presidents of the European Commission and the European Council and the inauguration of Donald Trump as president of the US. The European Committee of the Regions itself will start a new five-year mandate on 25 January.

The European Commission is currently reviewing its Black Sea Strategy. In a video message, Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, described the start of the European Commission’s mandate "the best time for new and fresh ideas".

QUOTES:

Vasco Alves Cordeiro (PT/PES), President of the European Committee of the Regions and CORLEAP co-chair: "I would like to stress the usefulness of CORLEAP, as a unique collaborative forum, where local and regional authorities from the different Eastern Partnership countries meet, discuss issues of common interest, and exchange experiences and best practices". He underlined "the need to strengthen the resilience of local communities and consolidate democracy, continue advocating for decentralisation reforms and the necessary resources enabling local governments to fulfil their duties, offer capacity-building and training for local and regional authorities, and promote international partnerships."

Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement: "It is very important that CORLEAP has come together today to reflect on the current and future perspectives for the Eastern Partnership. We are at the start of our mandate – now is the best time for new and fresh ideas. This brings a new dimension to the work of CORLEAP. Because local and regional authorities will play an important role in implementing reforms and aligning with EU standards, particularly, in areas such as decentralisation, regional development, and public administration."

Władysław Ortyl (PL/ECR), President of the Podkarpackie Region: "I am delighted that CORLEAP was held in Podkarpackie, a region that perfectly embodies Poland’s commitment to fostering regional cooperation. Our discussions on the future of the EU’s eastern neighbourhood underscored the importance of strengthening macroregional resilience, particularly through good local governance, a key foundation for any country with EU aspirations. With decades of expertise to share, we stand ready to support our Eastern Partnership peers in overcoming their challenges. It is time to make the Eastern Partnership Academy for Public Administration fully operational, building vital capacity and effective collaboration across the region."

Aleksandra Dulkiewicz (PL/EPP), Mayor of Gdańsk and chair of the CoR's Working Group for Ukraine: "Today, we also expressed our concern regarding the situation in Georgia, but this should not stop our efforts at the local and regional levels to ensure that cooperation based on the values upon which the EU is founded— freedom, democracy, rule of law, and human rights—continues. I am glad that our meeting includes not only representatives of local and regional authorities but also representatives of non-governmental organisations and civil society. We should particularly focus on building the capacity and resilience of societies in the current international situation. This grassroots work is a very important task for local and regional authorities as well."

Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, Chair of Kharkiv Regional Council and President of the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils (UAROR): "We are unlucky with the neighbour we have to our east, but fortunate with our partners to the west. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine continues. I sincerely thank our international allies for their humanitarian and military assistance and for supporting the restoration of infrastructure. Ukraine is striving to restore its territorial integrity within internationally recognised borders, to win victory over the Russian enemy, and to secure a just and sustainable peace. Our strategic course toward EU membership remains unchanged, and local authorities are ready to actively cooperate within the framework of the Eastern Partnership and CORLEAP on our joint development."

BACKGROUND:

Other political leaders who spoke at the CORLEAP meeting included: Ivan Krulko, member of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada and Co-President of the EuroNest Parliamentary Assembly; Cecilia Dalman Eek, President of the Chamber of Regions, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe; and Tatiana Badan, President of the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova.

Thirty-six members of CORLEAP attended. Members from the Eastern Partnership came from Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova. Because of pending local elections, members from Azerbaijan did not attend. Belarus's membership of CORLEAP has been suspended since fraudulent presidential elections in 2020.

The discussion on helping local and regional public administrations in EaP countries to contribute more effectively to democratic governance and local development centred on the intended creation of a platform, the Eastern Partnership Academy for Public Administration, to support local and regional civil servants. Institutions that have expressed a willingness to be involved include the College of Europe and the Podgorica-based Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA). Marek Tabor, head of Executive Education Office of the Natolin campus of the College of Europe, and Maja Handjiska-Trendafilova, Director of ReSPA, discussed the project with CORLEAP members.

The meeting in Rzeszów marked the end of Ukraine's co-chairmanship of CORLEAP. The chair will pass from Tetiana Yehorova-Lutsenko, leader of Kharkiv Regional Council and the Ukrainian Association of District and Regional Councils (UAROR), to Emin Yeritsyn, President of the Union of Communities of Armenia and member of the Community Council of Prakar.

The European Committee of the Regions

The European Committee of the Regions is the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives from all 27 Member States. Created in 1994 following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, its mission is to involve regional and local authorities in the EU's decision-making process and to inform them about EU policies. The European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission consult the Committee in policy areas affecting regions and cities. To sit on the European Committee of the Regions, all of its 329 members and 329 alternates must either hold an electoral mandate or be politically accountable to an elected assembly in their home regions and cities. Click here for more details on your national delegation.