The Assembly of European Regions is proud to present its annual Activity Report for 2020 - 2021. As Europe looks beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and towards recovery, the theme of this year's report is 'Regions Bouncing Back'. With a fresh new look courtesy of graphic designers, Habile Studio, this year's cover visual shows the evolution of employment figures in Europe over … [Read more...]
Eurodyssey Forum 2021 — Let’s get Youth Moving Again!
Over two days on 2 and 3 December, the Eurodyssey Forum took place online for the second year in a row. This was an opportunity for correspondents from Eurodyssey regions to get together and share perspectives on the running of the programme, and chart a course for 2022 and beyond. Check out our highlights below! Despite the second year of the pandemic putting the brakes … [Read more...]
Strengthening our joint commitment: the AER Manifesto on the 2030 Agenda
The year 2020 marked the start of the Decade of Action and Delivery, which was shaken by the outbreak of a global pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has reiterated, now more than ever, the urgency for accelerating the actions towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations and the need to safeguard public services. A crucial lesson … [Read more...]
Join our Bureau Debate on Sustainable Mobility & Connectivity — the Road to Recovery and the Green Transition
Want to join online?* ***UPDATE*** — we are delighted to announce that completing our panel will be Mr Ciarán Cuffe, Member of the European Parliament’s Committees on Transport and Tourism and Industry, Research and Energy! According to the European Parliament, transport accounts for 30% of the EU's total emissions. If we are to keep global temperatures below 1.5C and … [Read more...]
Agenda 2030 Conference: Transforming Regions, Changing the World
On 28-29 October, the Assembly of European Regions held our long-awaited Agenda 2030 Conference in Strasbourg, in partnership with Region Grand Est and the City of Strasbourg. Against the backdrop of the hugely consequential COP26 Conference in Glasgow and the IPCC's recent "Code red" report on global emissions, 'Transforming Regions, Changing the World' came at a crucial … [Read more...]
New AER survey sheds light on expectations of citizens, trust in governments, and gender equality
What are the priorities for citizens as Europe recovers from the pandemic? How much do they trust European, national and regional governments to solve the issues that matter to them? How many have heard of the Conference on the Future of Europe? These were some of the questions the AER put to 6,291 EU citizens as part of a survey across six countries, representing … [Read more...]
Register Now: AER General Assembly & Agenda 2030 Conference
Joining the AER GA & SDG Conference online? AER General Assembly The General Assembly is organised in tandem with the Agenda 2030 Conference, hosted by the Region of Grand Est (France). The General Assembly will take place on 28 October from 10:15 to 12:30 CET online and on-site at Maison de la Région, 1 place Adrien Zeller, F 67000, … [Read more...]
AER at EU Regions Week 2021 – Online Debate on Gender Equality
We are delighted to announce that the AER is once again a partner for the annual European Week of Regions & Cities. The 2021 edition of #EURegionsWeek will continue in an online format, and it is our pleasure to invite you to our virtual workshop on... An Equal Europe? A truly democratic Europe demands an equal voice for all. Indeed, making “significant progress” … [Read more...]
REGISTER NOW: Unboxing the MFF Session II — Accessing Direct Grant Funding Programmes
Date: 24 September 2021 Time: 10:30 - 12:30 CET Venue: Online (via Zoom) Background On 17 December 2020, after months of painstaking inter-institutional negotiations against the backdrop of a global pandemic, the European Union adopted the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), its long-term budget for 2021-2027. Together with the NextGenerationEU recovery … [Read more...]
Call for Nominations: AER Statutory Bodies
Nominations have now closed. Open Positions Ms Monica Gundahl, Chair of the Election Committee (Värmland, SE) has announced that the following positions will be open for elections at the 2021 General Assembly: as far as it is known, two Executive Board members are leaving their positionsthe position of Chair of the Monitoring and Evaluation Group (MEG) is open for … [Read more...]
Internship Opportunity: Events Assistant
We are looking for a motivated student to join the AER Team at our Strasbourg or Brussels Offices or, if desired, predominantly remotely for four to 4,5 months from early August 2021 until the middle of December 2021. Working closely with the AER Institutional Relations & Advocacy Officer and Communications & Events Officer, your main tasks will be … [Read more...]
AER Climate Debate: Back to Our Future – Regions Leading Europe’s Green Recovery
The COVID-19 crisis brought the world to a standstill in 2020. City centres became ghost towns, economic activity slumped, and political priorities fell by the wayside as managing the pandemic became the all-consuming political focus. However, what has not stood still despite the pandemic is the alarming rate that our planet continues to heat up. Unless we align our recovery … [Read more...]
Skillnet Training Session – Making the Most of Cohesion & Rural Development Funds
MFF, ERDF, ESF, EFRD, EAGF...navigating the sea of acronyms in the EU funding lexicon can be a daunting task for would-be applicants. Yet, unlocking these funds will be crucial for regions if they are to bounce back from the pandemic. What can be done to help regions access the crucial funding they need to support their recovery? The AER recognises these challenges members … [Read more...]
AER Bureau Debate on Democracy: Putting Citizens back at the Heart of Decision-Making
Rising populism, widespread misinformation, and a loss of trust in governments and institutions. Add a global pandemic to that list of ailments, and it’s clear that democracy in Europe is not in the best shape. But what is the best course of treatment to restore Europe’s democratic health? The answer is a wholesale ‘lifestyle change’ for our democratic system, … [Read more...]
The Long Road to Recovery – working in Renewed Partnership with Regions
Europe’s local and regional authorities have been on the frontline of the pandemic; working tirelessly on the ground in villages, towns and cities across the continent to shield citizens from the worst impacts of the crisis. Yet, as member states prepare their national plans to access funding from the EU's Recovery & Resilience Facility (RRF), local and regional … [Read more...]