European Week of Regions and Cities
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European Commission
Follow its sittingsRaffaele Fitto
This is a shared effort. The right to stay will only succeed with the engagement and ownership at every level. I count on your commitment as well as your help in mobilizing your peers across Europe. Your input is shaping the strategy and your engagement will shape its implementation. I'm looking forward to today's discussion and to continue this dialogue with you in the months ahead.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much, Commissioner Fitto. And as you heard there, the Commission is very much in listening mode. He'll be feeding into that strategy. So on that note, I would like to invite you to go to Slido if you have, if you've got a device near you, because we want to hear what words you would like to see feed into this strategy.
To reach Slido today you can scan the QR code that you have there up on your screen and enter the room number which is 52 and of course it's day two. And then just pop in what word that you think is important that should be fed into this strategy that makes it important for people to have that very right to stay. What makes a place attractive for both people and business? So as you do that I'll start introducing our stellar panelists that are here with me up on stage. They bring a wealth of knowledge and perspectives from all the corners of Europe and also of course from the political landscape.
Right here beside me Ms. Anna-Kaisa Ikonen she is the minister of local and regional government from the Finnish National Coalition Party also the former mayor of Tampere. So we're thrilled to have you here as well because of course it's one of the least densely populated countries in the European Union Finland so you of course as I said have a wealth of knowledge to share with us today. Then we have Ms. Antonella Sberna Vice-President of the European Parliament from Italy sitting with the ECR group. Relations with regions and of course local authorities very high up on your mandate as Vice-President and also as a member of the REGI committee. So we're great we're thrilled to have you here as well.
And then from Slovenia we have Mr. Matija Kovač mayor of Celje in Slovenia just one hour outside the capital of Ljubljana. A multi-talented architect designer and cultural producer. Your work focuses on cooperation and bringing the citizens in right while shaping the policy of the city. So we're looking forward as well to your contribution. Next up from Extremadura in Spain we have Pablo Hurtado you're very welcome.
Director General for external action for the regional government of Extremadura in Spain. You're also an alternate member of the Committee of the Regions' Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and the EU budget. EU budget of course that's what everyone is talking about right this week here in Brussels. And then last but not least we have Mr. Vasco Alves Cordeiro President of the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU budget from the Azores Islands in Portugal and also sitting with the Socialists. And of course many of us remember you of course as the previous President of the Committee of the Regions.
So very thrilled to have you as well. So now I hope you've had a chance to also enter your word into that word cloud. Maybe we can take a look at it? Oh opportunities I think is the main word jumping out there public services affordable services. Okay.
Speaker 9
So with that we can kick off our debate and commence with Ms. Anna-Kaisa Ikonen please for your perspective from Finland. So what is Finland doing to make sure that residents in sparsely populated areas can access work and services and the very things that are written there in that word cloud?
Anna-Kaisa Itkonen
Vice-President Commissioner ladies and gentlemen it's a pleasure to be here today with you. Thank you for this possibility. Remoteness is nothing new for Finland. We have long distances small municipalities thousands of islands both at the sea and at the lake areas. People are aging nearly one fourth of our population are over 65 years old.
And since 2023 our border with Russia has been closed. Big challenges that we are meeting in and seeing and our rural areas are changing fast altogether. People are moving a lot to the cities and this is a challenge challenge we see see in our society. But leaving as in the right to stay leaving your home shouldn't be a choice not a necessity. And one needs to have a right to stay but also a reason to stay.
But quite often it comes back to the working possibilities and jobs. And in Finland we believe that where there is work and opportunities, people stay. And everything thereby starts with local and regional vibrancy. With vibrancy comes people, and with people come services. And then the question is how does one and how does a government produce this vibrancy?
And as we've been looking at the reasons there are things that mean to us our home and and all the possibilities to use the free time culture nature many many of these things.
There's no one-size-fits-all solution for this, but we need many different methods brought together at the same time. At the national level, we right now we promote investments very much and we have, for example, reformed permitting, and since January environmental permits go through one agency and one digital process. So we try to make it as easy as possible to come and invest in Finland, and quite often we have the land in the rural areas where it's possible to make these kinds of investments. At the local level, municipalities run employment services. With that, jobs, education and business support are all in the same hands, and this helps in boosting vibrancy, recognizing the local settings and local possibilities.
Then when we come to the regional level, health and social care services are in the regional hands, and people quite often respect very much having good health services there as well. And this makes it possible also to have these in the regional hands to take pay attention also to the regional needs. And the funding of healthcare in Finland is also organized so that it takes into account sparse population, older population and the number of islands in a region. So hereby we can also support these kinds of regions. On a regional level, we have also paid a special attention to the eastern and northern parts of Finland.
And we have separate programs for eastern and northern Finland. And with the help of these programs, we plan and put forward investments in skills and in transport, for example. In eastern Finland, we are preparing also a pilot on special economic zones proposed for Imatra on the border and the data center cluster in Kajaani. And of course, NSPA funding will be crucial to these these regions as well. In the north, we deepen cooperation with Sweden and Norway in public services, so it's also about looking across the borders.
And in Finland, we also understand that not every service can be in every village, but everyone must have access to the same essential services through service hubs, mobile units, that is, for example, health buses, telehealth and digital tools. So using the digital possibilities that we nowadays have. And these EU funds can help bring these services even from other parts of the country to the comfort of your own home. And just think of, for example, health clinics. It's so easy from your own couch to approach the health clinic.
So it brings us new tools also to make it possible to live live in the remote areas. And that is why investing also in 5G, 6G and broadband technology is important. So the right to stay is built locally by businesses and people, and our job is to create the conditions for them to succeed. And finally, I would still come back to the eastern Finland and why I raised this question especially here.
Finland's geopolitical situation can't be overlooked. We share over 1,300 kilometers borderline with Russia, and the issue of right to stay remains topical. Keeping our eastern border areas populated is actually, it's not just an socio-economic question for us, but it is a crucial and fundamental security issue for us. And in the current geopolitical situation, it's also linked to the EU's overall security as well. So as we talk about this, this right to stay there, we also talk about the security issue of Europe.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much, Anna-Kaisa. I think you really touched a nerve there with the reason to stay. I think that's a very reflective point you also made. And a warm welcome to Commissioner Šuica as well. You'll be giving the closing remarks, as we already told our audience, so a warm welcome, thrilled to have you here as well.
But now it's time to hear from the Vice-President of the European Parliament for your perspective, especially focusing on the areas in economic decline across the continent.
Antonella Sberna
Good morning, and thank you very much for this invitation. I will speak in Italian if you want to, to put your headphones. Grazie per, per questo invito. Si sente? Ora, ok.
Speaker 19
Buongiorno, grazie per questo invito. Grazie a tutti. I will try again. Grazie per, per questo invito. I can try.
Antonella Sberna
I'm starting speaking. It's okay? Quando inizio non piace più. Proviamo. No, grazie per, per l'invito, grazie al Commissario Fitto, bentrovata la, la Commissaria Šuica con i quali in realtà entrambi lavoriamo, diciamo, molto strettamente al Parlament, al Parlamento Europeo.
Il tema di oggi, il diritto a restare, soprattutto nella prospettiva che lei mi chiedeva, ritengo sia una riflessione importante anche dal punto di vista temporale, perché è una strategia che innanzitutto, e per questo ringrazio il Commissario per questo, è stata proposta e poi è stata concertata sia a livello pubblico che a livello istituzionale.
Speaker 6
Can people just in the room just check that you haven't pressed the red button in front of you? Just make sure you never press that red button. As tempting as it looks, please don't press it, because maybe that's interfering with the mic.
Speaker 21
I just pressed, scusa. I can change the place if you want. Let's try this way. Okay. We're not afraid.
Antonella Sberna
Perfect. Thank you. Brevemente perché ho rubato i miei due minuti per, per questo cambio, ma una riflessione, una riflessione importante. Ovviamente sono Vicepresidente del Parlamento Europeo anche con delega alle regioni e agli enti locali e insieme al collega Marcet e al collega Vilopez abbiamo fortemente voluto questa responsabilità, oltre chiaramente a sedere in, in Commissione REGI. Perché?
Perché riteniamo che la rispondenza alla realtà e la rispondenza dell'elaborazione delle politiche pubbliche, soprattutto europee, alla realtà dei territori, alla realtà delle nostre comunità sia forse la chiave della nuova prospettiva anche dell'elaborazione del, del bilancio, ma anche delle politiche che, che portiamo avanti.
La ministra prima parlava della situazione in Finlandia. Io proprio ieri sono usciti dei dati dell'ISTAT, che è l'Istituto di Statistica italiano, dove nella mia provincia, che è una provincia che è esattamente al nord di Roma, nei prossimi dieci anni si delinea un rischio spopolamento dell'8%. Quindi da circa 300.000 abitanti a 278.000, 26.000 persone in meno. Tra l'altro non distribuite omogeneamente, ma nella parte nord della provincia, perché la parte sud chiaramente confinando con Roma, che è la capitale, ha tutti quei servizi, quella connettività, quelle attività che consentono invece paradossalmente un'inversione di tendenza. Perché vi faccio questo esempio locale, ma ovviamente in tantissime regioni d'Europa immagino possa essere lo stesso?
Perché la politica di coesione è esattamente questo, cioè l'accorciamento dei divari, non andare contro una prospettiva di competitività. E lei prima diceva: come si concilia lo spopolamento con il business e con la competitività? Grazie a quello che si sta facendo probabilmente in questa fase. Uno, innanzitutto con la revisione di medio termine. Io ci tengo a sottolineare questa questione perché rielaborare una politica in corso d'opera probabilmente è la prima volta che si fa, ma con un mondo che è completamente cambiato rispetto alla programmazione che c'è stata, la flessibilità che è stata concessa ai nostri stati e per il tramite chiaramente agli enti locali è stata fondamentale.
Perché ritengo che questa strategia del Right to Stay, come le altre strategie che si stanno elaborando, siano importanti anche in prospettiva? Perché nella nuova costruzione di un bilancio, nella nuova diciamo anche congiuntura socio-politica, geopolitica, economica, eccetera, come si incastona questo? Si incastona con delle regole che vengono dall'ascolto. E questo a mio avviso è forse veramente una chiave di lettura, intanto di prospettiva, intanto di rispondenza alla realtà e intanto di possibilità di flessibilità. Questo significa che le comunità che tutti abbiamo rappresentato, perché probabilmente chi è qui ha rappresentato, rappresenta gli enti locali, regionali e nazionali, conosce meglio di altri qual è la realtà specifica.
E allora la stessa politica generale, quindi la stessa strategia, poi può essere declinata a livello territoriale in maniera diversa. Si parlava di connettività dal punto di vista delle reti di trasporto, connettività dal punto di vista del digitale, connettività dal punto di vista anche della creazione del lavoro, dell'opportunità di una casa, della longevità. Non ci dimentichiamo che la popolazione invecchia, siamo in una tendenza anche di questo tipo. E quindi io qualche proprio qualche mese fa in primavera, condividendolo con la commissaria Šuica, ho presentato un patto per la famiglia e la demografia. Una specie di idea di analisi di impatto della regolamentazione sulle politiche demografiche e sulle politiche della famiglia.
Significa quanto le politiche trasversalmente impattano sulle nostre generazioni, sulla prospettiva di creare una famiglia. Questo non significa andare su un tema specifico, significa capire che tutto quello che elaboriamo, tutto quello che votiamo a livello parlamentare e che discutiamo insieme alla Commissione, al Comitato delle Regioni, possa avere un effetto reale e concreto anche di rilancio della demografia. E concludo. Voi conoscete il programma CEF immagino, che è il Connecting Europe Facility, cioè il grande programma europeo che si occupa della connettività. Ecco, con il Comitato delle Regioni, che saluto e ringrazio anche per l'ospitalità, abbiamo fatto un lavoro importante perché il report del Comitato delle Regioni insieme alla opinion della Commissione REGI sono andate di pari passo, sono state presentate alle commissioni di merito e abbiamo, insomma, contezza che nell'iter parlamentare tutto questo sia stato recepito.
Stiamo preparando il nuovo bilancio che è tra l'altro in discussione la la proposta della Commissione è di un paio di giorni fa proprio per fare in modo che arrivati anche con uno sforzo importante del Parlamento che deve poter diciamo fare la sua parte in tempo utile arrivare a costruire un bilancio che veramente sia rispondente alle nostre comunità rispondente alle necessità dei cittadini e che possa magari fra qualche anno farci leggere una statistica invertita al contrario perché vuol dire che allora a quel punto la le strategie che stiamo mettendo in campo sono state sono state efficaci e soprattutto sono state rispondenti alle reali condizioni che che abbiamo.
Speaker 5
Grazie mille. An apologies apologies there. Thank you so much. And apologies to um to yourself and to everyone in the room. Um apologies to everyone for the technical glitch there but as always we managed and thank you so much for your intervention there.
That was the view of course from the Vice-President of the Parliament. Now I'd like to hear from the Committee of the Regions Mr Cordeiro for your perspective. I mean of course all these regions are very different but they have a lot in common as well. What do you see as the main challenges and how they can be overcome?
Vasco ALVES CORDEIRO
Well thank you so much. Allow me just to avoid to lose the microphone to tell you that if you want to change the interpretation it's in the upper right corner of the little screen you have in front of you. It's not in the main button. If you press the main button you cut the microphone to the speaker. Okay.
Now first I would like to praise and congratulate both although I'm here on behalf of President Katatuto of the Committee of the Regions praise the Committee of the Regions and Commissioner Fitto Executive Vice-President Fitto for the initiative to bring this issue to debate and to discussion today during the European Week of Regions and Cities. This is a key issue for the future not only of regions and cities. I believe it is a key issue for the future of Europe as there are other key issues some of them are currently on the table. I think this is one of the most important ideas and policy ideas that could make Europe gain momentum and could move forward the project as captivating communities and people. Now let me tell you something.
Speaker 13
There is a US rock band called Extreme. The guitar player of that rock band is an Azorean born called Nuno Bettencourt. And they have a song called More Than Words. I'm not sure if you ever heard but if you don't go online and you'll see it. More Than Words.
Speaker 12
I think the lyrics although not they were not created thinking about European policy for sure but I think it's important to reflect that in this case the right to stay the freedom to stay it must be more than words. It must be more than words because this touches some of the very core ideas of Europe. For a lot of time Europe has worked and built freedom of movement.
Vasco ALVES CORDEIRO
And here comes a time where we are all discussing the freedom to stay. Of course, regions are very, very different. Let me, let me put it this way, subnational level of government, municipalities, provinces, communities in Spain, autonomous communities are very different. But the challenges are pretty similar. Losing population, depopulation, facing some constraints in the way they can create the appeal to stay.
And what is this appeal to stay? Executive Vice-President Fitto already addressed this issue in his intervention today. But from the substantial point of view, and I think it's important to distinguish clearly what we are talking about the substantial point of view and what we are talking about the procedural point of view. From the substantial point of view, I think all comes to three ideas: public services, economic opportunities, and accessibilities. You don't make people stay by a decree.
You don't make people stay telling them it's important for you to stay. People will stay if they think they could have adequate, good services in what concerns to education to their sons and daughters, to their descendants. People will stay if they think that where they want to stay, there is a good health system that can provide assistance for them and for their relatives. A good senior care policy that could help them take care of their elders. People will stay if they don't feel they are abandoned somewhere in, in remote areas.
So this comes to accessibilities. Not only about roads and planes and airports, but about digital accessibility. Right to stay in this sense equals to eliminate the territorial dimension from the development equation of those communities. If this is so, as I believe it is, from the substantial point of view, from the procedural point of view, from the form, this means that the subnational level of government must have a word. It's not possible to have the freedom to stay, to really create, give sense, give substance to the freedom to stay if you don't involve the responsibles for those communities.
But more, it's important that the way you assess if citizens have the right to stay or not is not at national level, is not if the capitals have the possibility, is if that specific territory, away from the capital, away from the main hubs, if they have public services, economic opportunities, and connectivity, accessibility.
This I think are the main challenges all across Europe regions face. Not regions and municipalities and provinces and all, not only in the context of this new idea about the freedom, the right to stay, but about the future of the European project. The right to stay in this sense, and I will conclude, equals a democratic asset. Why? Because if people don't feel integrated, if citizens don't feel parts of, if they feel abandoned and excluded, they may demonstrate, but they will use one of the most powerful weapons they have: the vote.
Speaker 14
They will do it by either abstaining from voting or voting as a protest. And we all know where this leads. So the challenge everyone is facing right now is to make sure that the right to stay, the freedom to stay, is more than words. Thank you.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much, Mr. Cordeiro, for that very passionate speech. I'll certainly be adding that song More Than Words to my Spotify playlist. Thanks so much for that. As a moderator, it's very frustrating not to have my Madonna mic. But I'd love to hear now the view from Slovenia, from the mayor, to hear about how you're trying to stop this out-migration of young people and what measures need to be taken to attract people to stay, specific measures.
Matija KOVAC
Thank you very much. Good morning also from my side, Mr. Vice-President, Madam Commissioner, distinguished speakers. I would also like to greet the President of the National Council of Slovenia and our Minister of Local and Regional Development. It's a pleasure to be here to represent our city and also what we are concretely doing on ground, on our local field in Slovenia. I would say firstly that Slovenia does not have such an acute issue on this topic yet.
Speaker 15
But we are of course facing with big changes that the opportunities that European Union brought us and we take them for as a really good programs of mobility, of being possible, able to live, having freedom to live. So we are having to have to prepare also for the future to create the good opportunities for people to really return and to be able to return to their own environments where they would feel good and where they could contribute also to the development of the whole region, cities and of course economy we are presenting. So in Celje as one of the biggest Slovenian cities, but which is in scale still one of the small regional centers for Europe, some 50,000 inhabitants, the topic of creating good opportunities of course for people that are talented, that are educated is something that is very crucial also in our politics that we are designing. So I'm really happy that we had an opportunity to work with European Urban Initiative that has granted us a project that we call Magnet. And it's actually a complex field of topics that we like to address in this field.
Matija KOVAC
In Slovenia, we can say that we have a very solid system of education, of healthcare, but there are still some topics that we could address in a in a in a more intense manner, especially connected to promoting businesses and the working places that actually match the potentials of the people that take them. So for us, harnessing talent is something that we are really strongly focusing at this moment and we are doing it through five concrete topics. So first of all, of course, residential policy, policy of housing that we are dealing with very concrete housing program that we have accepted two years ago and it will be valid until 2032 with concrete investments that will be public, some 300 apartments that we will build by public financing that also European mechanisms help us and on the other hand also an opportunities for investors because the real estate price is something that is the most problematic in urban areas in Slovenia. We believe that this is something that could create real possibility for young people to return to their environments. Another topic of course is mobility, sustainable mobility, not only within the local environment but also nationally.
For Celje, for example, we have some 35% of people daily migrating out of the city, which is in the terms of Slovenia where the cities are one hour away from each other quite normal, but still we we want those people to have as high as possible level of life quality, so the mobility that is functional is something very crucial for us also locally. And of course what is very important is to help to the local economy of course to prepare the the opportunities that more educated people can can take. This is something that I think we can address also by a strong communication and of course helping the businesses to develop through our aid, through systematic investments, through opening possibilities for people to create, to to to promote an environment that is open, that is that is that has a possibility to react also to the the policies that we open in this field. So this kind of tools that European Urban Initiative helps us to to create are very important for the cities that can actually act on concrete measures then. Another field that we are facing here is the energy efficiency and energy systems that in our city where all the energetic system is quite interconnected helps also to create an opportunity for lower costs of life for every family trying to return and include in self.
So I think that my point of view is that the the programs as European Urban Initiative and the concrete grants that we can get through the cohesion funding and are customized to what the needs of urban environments are is something that will be also crucial in the future to help us to grow the environments where of course people can return, can create and can also politically of course engage. But this is a topic that we will I think address in the further on debate which is also I think very relevant for the question of possibility to return.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much Mayor Kovač there for your perspective.
And now last but not least, I'd like to bring in Pablo Hurtado from Extremadura to hear what are the main reasons really young people are leaving and what measures are you implementing to try and attract them to stay?
Pablo HURTADO
Thank you very much. Good morning. I would like to apologize the President of the regional government of Extremadura, María Guardiola, who was supposed to join this debate today, but unfortunately, due to unforeseen commitments, she finally couldn't. Dear Executive Vice-President, dear Commissioner, President Guardiola asked me to thank you for the invitation and also for giving a voice to Extremadura in this important debate. Thank you so much.
Speaker 23
And now I will intervene in Spanish. Queridos colegas, buenos días a todos. Miren, cuando hablamos del derecho a permanecer, ya se ha mencionado a lo largo de las intervenciones de las personas que me han precedido en el uso de la palabra, debemos partir de una idea fundamental. No se trata de convencer a las personas para que no se marchen, sino de garantizar que quedarse sea una opción real, una opción libre y una opción con futuro. Y en Extremadura conocemos bien este desafío.
Somos una región extensa, con predominio rural, con baja densidad de población y también con una importante dispersión territorial. El envejecimiento, la baja natalidad y la marcha de jóvenes dificultan, sin duda, el relevo generacional y ponen en riesgo la continuidad de la actividad económica y el acceso a servicios esenciales. Y respondiendo a parte de la pregunta que planteaba, ¿por qué se marcha la gente? Pues miren, la experiencia nos demuestra que no existe realmente una única razón. Las personas se marchan cuando sienten que en otro lugar van a tener más oportunidades de empleo, mejores perspectivas profesionales, más facilidades para acceder a una vivienda o mejores condiciones para formar ese proyecto de vida, ese hogar que mencionaba el vicepresidente ejecutivo en su intervención.
Un proyecto de vida que necesita de servicios públicos accesibles, buenas conexiones y acceso al mercado para empresas o una atención sanitaria y social cercana a las personas mayores. Por eso no basta con que los servicios existan. Es imprescindible que esos servicios sean accesibles, que podamos llegar a ellos en un tiempo razonable y que dispongamos de las infraestructuras y las conexiones necesarias para vivir, para trabajar y para emprender en nuestros territorios. ¿Y qué es, por tanto, lo que necesitamos para hacer efectivo ese derecho a permanecer, respondiendo también a la pregunta que se nos planteaba? Pues, en mi opinión, al menos se tendrían que abordar cuatro prioridades.
En primer lugar, crear oportunidades económicas y de empleo de calidad, porque cada territorio debe poder aprovechar sus propios recursos y sus propias fortalezas. En Extremadura contamos, por ejemplo, con un sector agroalimentario muy competitivo, con una extraordinaria riqueza natural y patrimonial y con un gran potencial en energías renovables. Pero nuestro reto es transformar esos activos en más innovación, generando valor añadido y empleo estable y cualificado.
Porque no basta con que los jóvenes puedan formarse, que ya lo hacen con mucha calidad en nuestras universidades, sino en generar oportunidades para que puedan desarrollar su talento en el territorio. La segunda prioridad: garantizar el acceso a los servicios y a la vivienda. Porque vivir en un municipio pequeño o en una región fronteriza, como es el caso de Extremadura, no puede traducirse en tener menos oportunidades. Y en este sentido, la cohesión territorial debe traducirse en igualdad real de oportunidades, con independencia del lugar donde se haya decidido vivir. La tercera prioridad es la conectividad.
Y me refiero a infraestructuras de transportes, ya se ha mencionado esta mañana, como a infraestructuras energéticas y también digitales. Necesitamos buenas conexiones ferroviarias y por carretera para las personas y para las mercancías. Necesitamos infraestructuras energéticas que permitan aprovechar nuestro potencial y reforzar nuestra competitividad, otro de los términos que se ha mencionado esta mañana en el durante el debate. Y necesitamos también garantizar una conectividad digital efectiva en todo el territorio. La cuarta prioridad: reconocer el papel fundamental de las regiones y de los de los municipios.
Ya se ha dicho, somos las administraciones más próximas a los ciudadanos y las que mejor conoce las necesidades y las posibilidades de nuestros territorios. Por eso las políticas no pueden diseñarse con una perspectiva uniforme. Necesitamos soluciones adaptadas a las distintas realidades territoriales. Y es verdad que en este sentido la Unión Europea cuenta con instrumentos como el FEDER o como el Fondo Social Europeo, como el FEADER, que sin duda han contribuido a mejorar las infraestructuras, el empleo, la innovación y también el desarrollo rural. Pero está claro que debemos aprovechar mejor estos instrumentos, reforzando su coordinación y simplificando la gestión para que los municipios pequeños también puedan acceder a estos a estos instrumentos.
Y sobre todo, debemos preservar una política de cohesión fuerte que sea capaz de responder a las necesidades de de todos los territorios. En Extremadura estamos trabajando en esta dirección a través de nuestra legislación frente al reto demográfico y territorial, pero claro, somos muy conscientes de que ningún gobierno puede afrontar este desafío en solitario. Y permítanme mencionar expresamente la cooperación territorial europea y transfronteriza, que es especialmente importante en Extremadura. En Extremadura compartimos con Portugal oportunidades, servicios y también desafíos comunes. Sé que vamos a tener oportunidad de mencionar esta cuestión en a lo largo del debate, pero quería quería mencionarlo expresamente porque considero que es también forma parte también de la de la solución a este desafío que afronta nuestra estrategia del Right to Stay.
Permítanme concluir con una idea: el lugar donde una persona nace o donde decide vivir no debería determinar las oportunidades que tiene en la vida. El derecho a permanecer significa precisamente que nadie tenga que marcharse por falta de alternativas, que los jóvenes puedan quedarse porque encuentran un futuro, que nuestras familias puedan asentarse porque nuestros municipios siguen siendo lugares vivos con actividad económica económica, con servicio y con perspectivas de de crecimiento. Y ese es el compromiso que debemos asumir desde los territorios, desde las regiones, desde los Estados miembros y también desde las instituciones europeas. Muchas gracias.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much Pablo Hurtado and you mentioned the importance of cohesion policy and Mr. Cordeiro, I'd like to get your perspective on that, how that, the importance of that to play into this reality of the right to stay and the freedom to stay. But first, as promised, we have Teresa from Spain, our graphic recorder artist here. So I'd love to just take a pause for a minute and take a look at what she has put together over the last hour that we've been discussing this very important topic. So if you could just show it on our screens please. Okay.
Well hopefully it will come up on our screens very shortly and in the meantime we can bring in Mr. Cordeiro on that very point of the importance of cohesion policy when feeding into this, this strategy. Thank you.
Speaker 12
Well, thank you so much. I think, I think cohesion policy is key. It's, it's, but let, let us be clear, the right to stay and the freedom to stay does not, cannot be confused with the, with cohesion policy, with the effects of cohesion policy, what cohesion policy grants to the territories across, across Europe. But the fact is that without cohesion policy, it's difficult to understand how we can achieve or how we can materialize the right to stay. I, I don't think that there is a way to escape the cohesion policy as the policy to achieve or to at least achieve a great part of, of the conditions necessary to, to fulfill the right to stay or at least to grant the right to stay.
Speaker 13
It's, it's, I feel it is very important that we, we value the efforts that are being made to continue and to develop the idea of a Europe that does not concentrate only in the capitals or in the most important economic and populational hubs. I think this event, the very idea of the right to stay, the actions taken by Executive Vice-President Fitto go in that way. And I think it's very important that we value that. There are different perspectives, of course, about the way to achieve that. One of those perspectives with which I don't fully agree is to say that competitiveness is key.
Vasco ALVES CORDEIRO
Competitiveness is important. Competitiveness does not oppose cohesion. But competitiveness alone cannot achieve what cohesion can achieve for territories, for municipalities.
municipalities, but let us not forget, this discussion is not only about territories, regions and municipalities, this discussion is about Europe. Is about what kind of Europe we want in the future. And this is not a decision for the next 10 years. We will not decide this in the next five years. We will decide this by the end of this year when an agreement is reached about the next MFF.
So it's important to be aware that what is at stake here is this, is what kind of Europe do we want to have in the future. I value very much the right to stay idea, but I think it's very, very difficult to to have it on the ground, to have it working if it is not integrated in a broader context of a strong cohesion policy that may grant, that may have regions and cities, the subnational level of government on board. Allow me just to say this, I I have to ask permission both for Commissioner Šuica and Executive Vice-President Fitto because I have to leave, I have other commitments concerning the European Week. But it's I cannot do more praising the initiative, not only about the right to stay, to give substance to this, but please consider that it cannot be only words. It has to work on the ground.
I don't doubt, I don't doubt that everybody intention is to make it work on the ground. I just don't see how it is possible without a strong, duly funded cohesion policy. Thank you so much for your attention, Commissioner, Executive Vice-President, you will excuse me, I have to leave. Everybody, thank you so much for your attention.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much, Mr. Cordeiro, and best of luck with your busy day and all your bilateral meetings. So let's go a little bit nitty-gritty, shall we, then into more examples, based on the fact that we have a stellar panel here that can give us those examples on the ground. So Pablo Hurtado, if we can start with you from the example of Extremadura, this Interreg cooperation that you have between the Portuguese regions of Alentejo and Centro are helping your region's attractiveness and helping people to decide to stay. Tell us more about that project.
Speaker 23
Muchas muchas gracias. Decía que ya se ha mencionado, Extremadura es una una región eminentemente rural, que además comparte una extensa frontera con Portugal, más de 400 kilómetros, y compartimos además la Eurorregión EUROACE y muchos, muchos desafíos demográficos que afectan a la mayoría de las zonas rurales europeas. Pero compartimos además algo algo más, compartimos una enorme capacidad para convertir nuestra frontera en una oportunidad y ahí respondiendo a la pregunta, es precisamente donde Interreg y de manera particular el programa de cooperación transfronteriza España-Portugal, el POCTEP, está demostrando todo todo su todo su valor porque no se trata simplemente de un programa que permite financiar proyectos a ambos lados de la frontera, es un instrumento que nos permite planificar, nos permite actuar conjuntamente sobre un territorio que en muchos aspectos funciona como un espacio único más allá de las de una mera frontera administrativa.
Y esto resulta especialmente importante porque nuestra cooperación con las regiones portuguesas de Alentejo y Centro no se limita a proyectos individuales, sino que estamos construyendo una estrategia territorial compartida. Y un gran ejemplo de esta colaboración es la que hemos denominado Estrategia Aldeas Bauhaus de EUROACE, nuestra eurorregión, que sitúa al centro al reto demográfico en el centro de una visión común. Porque nuestra aspiración no debe ser únicamente evitar que nuestros pueblos pierdan población, sino que debemos conseguir que nuestros pueblos sean lugares en los que las personas quieran quedarse y a los que otras quieran venir a vivir. Ese es el hogar que mencionaba el vicepresidente ejecutivo en su en su intervención, donde las personas quieren establecer su su hogar. Y este esta estrategia se está traduciendo además en proyectos concretos como el proyecto Aldeas Bauhaus EUROACE o el Cross Rural Hub de EUROACE que trabajan especialmente con jóvenes y con mujeres a ambos lados de la frontera en temas como la regeneración de espacios rurales o el empleo, el emprendimiento, la innovación o la atracción y la retención de de talento.
La lucha contra la despoblación no puede limitarse a compensar las desventajas de los territorios rurales, sino que debemos convertirlos en territorios atractivos y ahí Extremadura está trabajando en esa dirección. Contamos con una estrategia ante el reto demográfico y territorial que además está consolidada mediante la Ley ante el Reto Demográfico y Territorial de Extremadura y que plantea una respuesta transversal en ámbitos tan diversos como los servicios públicos, la sanidad, la educación, la vivienda, el empleo o la conectividad. Todos son desafíos que han sido mencionados ya en esta mañana en este debate. Y además estamos desarrollando otras medidas concretas como el programa de apoyo a nómadas digitales que tiene el objetivo de ofrecer ayudas a quienes se instalen, vengan, se instalen y trabajen desde Extremadura. Y además también con una especial consideración hacia los jóvenes, hacia mujeres y hacia los municipios de menor población.
Porque el objetivo no es simplemente atraer personas, sino que queremos atraer talento, atraer actividad económica, emprendimiento y en definitiva nuevas oportunidades para nuestros pueblos. Y esto también lo puede hacer posible Interreg y por eso en el dictamen sobre sobre el FEDER, Interreg y el Fondo de Cohesión defendido por la presidenta María Guardiola en el Comité Europeo de las Regiones y aprobado por unanimidad, lo que planteamos es un presupuesto, así es, ya reconocido en la propuesta de de la Comisión, suficiente para para Interreg y sobre todo para la política de cohesión posterior a 2027 en el que se refuerce la cooperación transfronteriza, se simplifiquen los procedimientos y se garantice una verdadera participación de las autoridades regionales y locales en el diseño y en la ejecución de esta esta política. Y hay un elemento que consideramos muy importante desde desde Extremadura y son los fondos para pequeños proyectos. Deben tener un lugar propio dentro de Interreg a partir de 2027 porque es verdad que los grandes proyectos estratégicos son necesarios, pero la cooperación europea también se construye desde abajo, desde estos pequeños proyectos porque tienen un enorme impacto social, porque generan confianza, generan relaciones personales y una auténtica comunidad transfronteriza.
Por eso para nosotros hacer realidad el derecho a permanecer significa mucho más que conseguir que las personas no abandonen nuestros territorios. Significa que puedan quedarse, que puedan volver porque existen oportunidades o que nuevas personas decidan establecerse en nuestros territorios porque son atractivos para vivir, para trabajar y para crear ese hogar que mencionaba el comisario Fitto. Interreg nos ayuda a conseguir esto porque nos obliga a pensar qué y cómo podemos conseguir en común. Ese es para Extremadura el verdadero valor de la cooperación territorial europea, de la cooperación transfronteriza y es también nuestra manera de hacer realidad el derecho a permanecer. Muchas gracias.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much. And now I want to go back to the view from Merkovac from Slovenia because at the opening I mentioned that you're working very closely with locals, with neighborhoods, with people in your city to create real projects that make that city a better place to live. Tell us more about them.
Matija KOVAC
Thank you. Allow me to answer this question in my mother tongue. Mislim, da poleg seveda vsega, kar smo našteli in kjer nam lahko dejansko pomagajo evropsko financirani instrumenti, kot je seveda stanovanjska politika, mobilnost, energetske skupnosti in pa spodbujanje podjetništva, gospodarstva z dodano vrednostjo, smo lokalna okolja odgovorna predvsem za to, da vzpostavimo atmosfero, v kateri se ljudje lahko počutijo dobro, aktivno, angažirano, v kateri lahko soodločajo in kjer si seveda tudi vidijo neko svojo, nek svoj oseben izziv za ustvarjanje prihodnosti. In pri tem delu seveda so še kako pomembne politike, ki jih same občine, regije lahko vodimo in vzpostavljamo. Seveda je za nas tukaj kot orodje ključno predvsem vzpostavljati različne modele participacije.
Zato ne govorimo zgolj o tem, kako ljudi angažirati, da pridejo na volišča, ne govorimo samo o tem, kako ljudi privabiti, da odločajo o posameznih investicijah, ampak da ta participacija dejansko poteka na vseh nivojih upravljanja lokalnih okolij, od nekega zgodnjega stika mladih ljudi z gospodarstvom, procesa izobraževanja, ki ga lahko povežemo že z nekimi gospodarskimi dejavnostmi, do privabljanja določenih talentov skozi neke lokalne regijske štipendijske sheme v določene panoge, ki so deficitarne in pa seveda tudi tega, čemur rečemo participativni proračun, ki smo se mu v Celju zelo intenzivno posvetili tudi s pomočjo znanja, ki smo ga lahko nekako nabrali po Evropi in naredili model, ki dejansko ima vidne posledice. In zaupanje, ki ga vsekakor občani lahko zgradijo do lokalnega okolja, se gradi edino na način, da vzpostavljamo mehanizme, ki imajo vidne posledice. Kadar koli se pogovarjamo z, ne vem, podjetniki, gospodarstveniki o nekih poslovnih priložnostih, želimo, da ta participacija v čim krajšem času dobi tudi neko, nek dejanski odziv v realnosti v lokalnem okolju. Zato je za nas ta neka predvidljivost modelov, ki jo lahko vzpostavimo, zelo pomembna. In pri tem seveda se obračam predvsem na tematiko, da ni zgolj dovolj odločitev vzpostaviti nek model delovanja, ki lahko pomaga izboljšati vključenost ljudi, ampak je potrebno pri tem vzpostaviti kontinuitete, ustrezne procese, strokovno podporo ljudi, ki dejansko znajo facilitirati tak proces na način, da ima potem tudi efekt.
Želimo pa si pri tem vzpostavljati čim več enih sistematičnih spodbud, ki nam dejansko tudi skozi neko kadrovsko politiko, skozi podporo sodelovanja z določenimi nevladnimi organizacijami, vladnimi službami omogočajo, da državljanom, ki želijo biti aktivni, pomagamo ideje oblikovati na način, da so tudi konkretno izvedljive, da se vključujejo v neke širše politike, ki jih kot Evropa in kot lokalno okolje zagovarjamo. To pomeni, da so trajnostne, da pomagajo graditi skupnost po seveda modelih, ki so neka skupna usmeritev in da na tak način pride do njihovega učinka. Jaz verjamem, da so ti modeli v Celju konkretno temu participativnemu proračunu rečemo Celje po moje, nekaj, kar je lahko tudi ena izmed osnov za vzpostavljanje načinov, skozi katere se ljudje v nekih okoljih počutijo bolje, dobro in zaradi katerih se poleg seveda vseh eksternih, predvsem ekonomskih vidikov, možnosti zaposlitve, odločijo, da v nekem okolju želijo živeti. Spodbujanje torej aktivnosti skozi nevladne organizacije, tu v Evropi recimo na področju, ne vem, gasilstva, civilne zaščite, kulturne ustvarjalnosti, dosegamo v bistvu odlične rezultate. Ljudje pogosto zaradi tega ostajajo v svojih okoljih, kot seveda tudi povsem konkretna participacija o tem, kje boš imel klopco, na kakšen način bo tvoja soseska izgledala in kaj lahko v njej kot občan narediš.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much. It's always really nice to hear real examples of what's going on on the ground. So thank you so much for that. Now I'd like to turn back to the Vice-President of the Parliament Sberna just for your insights into of course the upcoming MFF and how of course the opportunities that can be that can come through in this long-term budget giving people access to stay.
Antonella Sberna
Thank you. Ce la faremo. È una congiura. Ho ascoltato con grande attenzione gli interventi che mi hanno preceduto perché in realtà la riflessione è profonda tra la strategia da una parte, il bilancio dall'altra e poi la realizzazione, la messa a terra pratica di tutto questo che chiaramente fa tutta la differenza del mondo. Quindi io credo che tre siano le indicazioni che anche come Parlamento secondo me dovremmo portare avanti e seguire nei mesi che ci aspettano davanti che saranno decisivi e determinanti.
Intanto la pianificazione congiunta. Non ci dimentichiamo che all'inizio i piani erano piani nazionali rispetto alla nuova architettura del bilancio grazie al lavoro chiaramente del Commissario Fitto, del Parlamento che ha fatto la sua parte, del Comitato delle Regioni, delle Regioni d'Europa che chiaramente a gran voce hanno chiesto la possibilità di essere partecipi. La scorsa settimana abbiamo ospitato con i colleghi Omarjee e Aviló López EU Regions for Cohesion che è stato un evento grandissimo dove tutte le regioni d'Europa sono tornate in Parlamento e hanno ribadito tutto questo. Il fatto che siano piani nazionali e regionali questo fa la differenza e va chiaramente nella direzione che tutti abbiamo auspicato nel senso di appunto preparare una strategia che abbia una rilevanza europea perché il bilancio dell'Unione Europea non ce lo dimentichiamo deve rispondere all'idea di Europa che vogliamo. Io concordo con la valutazione del Presidente.
I piani nazionali devono poter rispondere a loro volta alle esigenze degli Stati membri per le loro economie, per la loro prospettiva di crescita. Le regioni e gli enti locali devono poter essere in grado di tradurre a livello territoriale tutto questo grazie agli strumenti che vengono messi a disposizione. Quindi la governance multilivello ha una sua logica anche perché ogni livello ha una prospettiva, un punto di vista e una attuazione specifica. È chiaro che poi l'obiettivo deve essere il servizio al cittadino e quindi garantire quella libertà e quel diritto a restare che non è assolutamente confliggente con la mobilità che paradossalmente l'Europa ci ha insegnato a fare. Cioè i programmi di scambio, tutto quello che è mobilità da qualsiasi punto di vista è importante.
Il fatto di poter avere diritto a restare significa creare quella competitività territoriale che consente di essere alle comunità, ai territori, alle economie sviluppate e dare la possibilità di scelta. Io credo che questa sia la sfida e quindi da una parte anche rispetto al nuovo bilancio, la proposta che è stata fatta dalla presidenza irlandese, la proposta della Commissione, il tavolo su cui ci troveremo a giocare intanto ci rassicura da una parte dal fatto che la politica di coesione e la politica agricola, che sono i due pilastri, le vecchie parti del bilancio, se vogliamo, debbano e per ora, insomma, sembra che rimangano come sono, perché sono i pilastri. La coesione è quella che accorcia i territori, l'agricoltura è quella che dà autonomia strategica e sicurezza alimentare, che non confliggono con la competitività ma ne sono la precondizione a mio avviso. E quindi concludo, il motto di questa settimana è regioni forti, Europa forte. Io penso che non ci siano regioni forti senza comunità vive e quindi il nostro obiettivo è quello di rendere vive le comunità con gli strumenti che abbiamo, con la responsabilità che ci compete come legislatori e con il continuo confronto grazie anche agli strumenti che ci verranno messi a disposizione, verranno messi a disposizione degli Stati membri e dei territori che contemplano da una parte la semplificazione, quindi programmi che arrivino veramente a soddisfare le esigenze e dall'altra la possibilità di avere una flessibilità che anche in corso d'opera possa consentire una modifica.
Io credo che su questi due pilastri e su una prospettiva di rispondenza alle esigenze del cittadino e alle economie che vogliamo portare avanti questa platea, questi momenti, questi confronti veramente ci danno la chiave per poter lavorare bene ognuno al suo livello e magari trovarci qui nelle prossime sedute di confronto con dei risultati non solo positivi, ma avendo messo a terra queste riflessioni e aver avuto la possibilità di leggere queste strategie all'interno dei capitoli di un bilancio europeo che a quel punto risponde veramente alle analisi che abbiamo fatto.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much. And then just finally over to Finland again for your perspective there on how you're working with the private sector in order to create projects that can attract people to stay.
Anna-Kaisa Itkonen
Now it's working. Yes. Always the challenge with the microphones. I think it's a key issue to build this in good cooperation. The public sector cannot do this alone.
We need the cooperation. And I think the state's job is to remove obstacles and let municipalities be unique and take along the people and the enterprises in the region. Looking at the differences in our country, our smallest municipalities have less than 700 inhabitants and for example Helsinki as the biggest city has over 700,000 inhabitants. So there are huge differences and it's important that we also recognize the differences and kind of recognize the strengths. Each municipality, each region has their strengths, different businesses in the region and it's important that we build on these strengths.
And I believe that's the key. And the best example starts from a local asset, local leaders who work, dare to work with the businesses. And to give you three examples.
I'll take one from the northern eastern Finland, Kajaani, which is a small town. And this is an example from a paper mill to a supercomputer. The paper mill was closed some 16 years ago. And the this small city, the landowner UPM and the state IT center CSC turned the site into a business park. Today, this region and this place hosts the European supercomputer LUMI and its waste heat warms homes in Kajaani and local schools train young people for these jobs together with the companies.
So I think this is a one great story of a big crisis for the town first and then a story of a success how how they managed to build build it in cooperation into a new success. Another example, a very small municipality, Ii. And this is an example of climate leadership as a business model. This small municipality set bold climate targets early and invited companies to build with it. And now it produces about 10 times more renewable energy than it uses itself.
And this wind power produces again and brings jobs and tax revenue. So this was again a story which was not about the size of the municipality but about the cooperation and being bold and and doing doing these investments. And the third different example comes from the security situation that we are at this moment we are talking a lot about preparedness. And this is called Kylävara which means village preparedness in in Finland. And through EU's Leader program, residents' associations, businesses and municipalities develop their communities together.
And here the Finnish Village Movement Association created this Kylävara program to help rural villages and local neighborhoods to prepare collectively for power outages, communication failures and other security disruption. So I think these three very different examples tell about the the cooperation. Also in the Finnish society we recognize the need for balance. Now we talk about the sparsely populated areas and the rural areas. But at the same time we we need the balanced development.
We need the thriving cities because the rural areas would not do without the cities being the motors for the whole society. But at the same time we must recognize that the cities would not do without the surrounding regions. We need both and we need policies that give them both kind of alive and well aiming at keeping the the whole country livable and that it's possible to live all around Finland also in the remote areas. Many people still decide to move to the cities and and the the other side of the coin is that the cities are also challenged by the how to take all the new inhabitants and how do they face the challenges that this brings. And here we have also the policies that with the largest city regions, the state signs these kinds of binding agreements on land use, housing and transport with shared targets.
And we also have these innovation ecosystem agreements with the with the university cities around Finland. So that we we make sure that also the motors are are okay and and can support the surrounding regions. So the key I believe is to recognize the different regional needs and strengths, take the businesses and people along and dream big and then just steam ahead together.
Speaker 5
I like that: dream big and steam ahead together, some inspiration we can take from this panel. Now I believe the graphic recorder is ready for us to take a look at on our screens, so do take a look. Tada, it works, wonderful. Beautiful. Thank you so much and well done Teresa for that.
I look forward to reading it a little bit later on my coffee break because now of course it is time for the closing remarks of this high-level panel to be delivered by the European Commissioner responsible for the Mediterranean, Commissioner Šuica, give her a round of applause.
Dubravka Šuica
Sorry, I didn't realize it, I have to go to this side. Good morning everybody, first of all let me thank Committee of the Regions and my colleague Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto for inviting me, grazie Raffaele. And a big thank to all of you participants in this panel because we heard a lot from you and you brought valuable insight to the table. All of us know and what we heard, Europe is a great place to live. With high living standards.
With healthcare and longevity. With services to support our needs. With laws and freedoms to empower us. We owe a great deal to this to the single market. It has given prosperity and connectivity.
But we have always known the risk that some regions benefit from the single market more than others. This is at the heart of the cohesion policy, to make sure that we all benefit. That every region comes out as a winner. Now we must take this ambition one step further. Traditionally, cohesion policy has focused on reducing economic and territorial disparities, with the Right to Stay initiative we are adding a more explicit demographic dimension because our investment should not only help regions grow economically.
They should also help communities keep their loved ones close by, particularly their young people. A successful region is not only one that attracts investment. It is also one where people see a future for themselves and their families, a place where they can thrive. If some people want to move because they want to discover a new place, creating more new connections, all the better. But as all of you said this morning, it must be their own choice.
This is at the core of the Right to Stay initiative. It is not just a cohesion issue. Because demographic pressures contribute to these movements. It is not coincident and it's not by chance that President von der Leyen in 2019 decided to put demography at the European level. Knowing that this is a local competence or national competence, she established a new portfolio for demography.
In last mandate I was in charge of demography, in this mandate I'm in charge of Mediterranean but also demography. So this is very important topic, it's not only about birth rates, which is national competence, it's about longevity, it's about healthcare, it's about social dimension.
First hand, how demographic change is reshaping our regions and communities. We had one report on demography, second report, and in July we adopted third report on demography. Only few facts from this report. European population reached its peak today. We have 400, after Brexit of course, 451 million.
In 2100, there will be 399, according to projections. So we will lose 12%. Might not happen if we if we implement right policies. Replacement fertility is below replacements. At this moment, it's unfortunately 1.34, and should be 2.1 to stay the same.
EU is aging rapidly, as all of us know. Today, we have one fifth of the population which is above 65. In 2050, there will be one third of population above 65. So longevity is to be praised, but at the same time we have to take this figures in consideration. So all of us know that demographic change affects different regions differently.
We can speak about migration here, but migration can help, but it cannot solve the problem, to be honest. And of course, policies matter, and they can make difference. This is why we developed the demography toolbox and the initiative on harnessing talent in Europe's regions. We also developed long-term vision for rural areas. Easy to adopt, but not easy to implement.
So we have to implement this, and this is our our job. To help regions facing population decline and difficulties retaining people, especially youth. Knowing, I know that all of you know this fact, but 80% of European territory geographically is covered by rural regions, and only 20% by urban regions. And population is vice versa. So this is something which we have to take into consideration, and I am pleased that this work is now being taken forward through the Right to Stay initiative.
Almost three quarters of EU regions are home to roughly half of the European population, and they are set to lose people between 2025 and 2050. Those that stay will be predominantly older, as I already said, putting pressure on the productive capacity of these regions because of labor and skill shortages, and creating a vicious circle where services cost more and budgets are tighter. This is why demographic change cannot be an afterthought in our investment decisions. It must become part of how we define successful cohesion policy. And this is the moment to say, which you already mentioned, that the new Multiannual Financial Framework will be the turning point in order to find solutions that preserve our cohesion, hoping that all 27 leaders will also listen to the voice of regions and local communities.
This is very important. We propose the we as the Commission, we propose our MFF to the Parliament, to the leaders, to ministers of finance, and we are looking forward to co-legislators, to you in the Parliament, but also to leaders, because their word will be the final one, and it is very important. I hope that last week we had meeting of nine Mediterranean prime ministers in Croatia in Split, and all of them are in favor of cohesion policy.
I think not all of them signed the letter of Friends of Cohesion, but all of them in fact understand what is the core of this. At the European level, we are working across the board to support you through initiatives like the strategy on intergenerational fairness, the European Affordable Housing Plan, the European Health Union, and there are lots of solutions that we heard today which go in this direction. Don't forget that there is an article in our treaty, the article is 174, which says that we have to promote harmonious development and territorial cohesion. So we are also obliged by the treaty to be sure. You might be curious why I'm speaking like this, being a member of the Commission, but on a personal note, in my previous life I was in capacity of the mayor of Dubrovnik and I was also a member of the Committee of the Regions at that time, and so I understand, so I cannot change my policies and my positions.
So I really understand what is at stake. So making sure local policies involve and it is informed by citizens, making sure that no region or no town is left behind. Because behind every statistic on depopulation, there is a personal story. A young person who cannot find a job, a family that cannot access essential services, a community that gradually loses its future. And every person who leaves because they have no other choice is a loss for their community and for Europe as a whole.
Since we are speaking about Europe in the end. As I said, to conclude, Europe is a great place to live. And in a few years, I hope we can add the right to stay to our already long list of reasons why. Our responsibility is to make sure that this is true not only for Europe as a whole, but for every region and every community. Because the success of European integration should not be measured only by how freely people can move, although we praise freedom of movement, especially us from the former Eastern Bloc, but also how freely they can choose to stay.
Speaker 5
Thank you so much, Commissioner Šuica, for being with us and also of course to the Executive Vice-President for your opening remarks. We were also joined in the room by Vasco Cordeiro, the President of the Committee of the Regions. Thank you for being with us. And also a huge round of applause for our formidable speakers here on stage. This brings this high-level forum to an end, but do keep the conversation going online.
Thank you so much for your attention and see you soon.