The AER Autumn committee plenary week was very busy indeed.

Hosted by the city of Nancy and the region of Grand Est, we were pleased to welcome our members in the grand setting of Nancy town hall (Grand Est-FR).

As the week went by, we covered an incredible range of topics and gave concrete tips and cooperation opportunities to our members.

Many things were accomplished during the week. The Executive Board (EB) gathered and decided on the Vice Presidents’ portfolios. Their action plan will be discussed at the next October EB meeting.

Another gathering occurred: the renewed AER team comprised of the Strasbourg and Brussels staff and the Seconded officers team. This was quintessential to align working methods, and ensure great cooperation in the months to come.

Committee meetings shined a light AER’s services on European projects and advocacy as well as how to use the Interreg Europe policy learning platform, of which AER is a key leader for the next 8 years.

To list only a few of the topics of the week in Nancy:

• A debate on culture in the digital age in presence of the director on culture and creativity of the European Commission;
• next steps on cohesion policy;
• e-health and the value of data;
• the latest innovation on carpooling and sustainable mobility solutions;
• our next advocacy actions on regional airports;
• next steps on our European project on youth mental health;
• an introduction to the lifecycle for renewable energy.

It was quite impossible to leave Nancy without at least one cooperation opportunity!

Finally, please see below a few words from AER President Magnus Berntsson, who offered words of summary during the Committee Plenaries last week.