This was the main message of ECR Member and Regional Minister in the Province of Drenthe, Mr Tjisse Stelpstra during the "Green Deal Going Local" working group meeting. For Mr Stelpstra the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic should entail the full involvement of regional and local authorities in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs). LRAs, according to Mr Stelpstra, should be "closely involved in both designing and implementing those plans, since cities and regions are part of the EU decision-making".

Mr Stelpstra also highlighted that when it comes to economic recovery, it is extremely important to include investments in new and highly innovative industries. For example, his province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands is aiming to develop a hydrogen economy. He offered other examples such as stimulating sustainable housing, which would at the same time give a boost to the European construction sector and the local and regional SMEs.
 

Lastly, Mr Stelpstra also stated that when it comes to green recovery, we should go for pragmatic and cost-effective strategies and the implementation should be balanced for each region. He concluded to say "there is no one-size-fits-all solution".
 

​The event took place online on 21 June.