Leaders Meeting highlights crucial role of European regions for a resilient European Union
On 18 April 2024, the Leaders Meeting ‘Fit for the Future: Global Challenges, Regional Solutions’ took place in Antwerp. The Minister-President of Flanders seized the momentum of the European presidency to organise a summit of innovative European regions. During the summit, government leaders of the participating regions held fruitful consultations and identified possible cooperation opportunities within 5 strategic areas of intervention.
This Leaders Meeting sent a strong signal to the European Union that the regions hold important levers to tackle global challenges. As such, Flanders seeks to lay the foundations for deeper long-term cooperation. On the initiative of the Minister-President of Flanders, the government leaders of no fewer than 9 innovative European regions came to Antwerp to take part in the Leaders Meeting: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Basque Country, Baden-Württemberg, Catalonia, Hauts-de-France, Lombardy, Lower Saxony, Upper Austria and Saxony.
Regions as partners of the EU
In a Joint Declaration, the regions call on the European institutions and all actors involved to view the regions as partners, to enrich European policymaking with a genuine regional perspective. The declaration also outlines the priorities of the participating regions for the EU Strategic Agenda 2024-2029.
The report ‘Fit For The Future: Global Challenges, Regional Solutions’ and the joint declaration that was signed will be submitted to the various EU institutions.