The ECR Group in the Committee of the Regions (CoR) today held the first ever Summit of Conservative regional and local leaders in Rome to address the crucial role of conservative regions in promoting Europe's cultural identity and preserving its natural heritage. Hosted by the Vice-President of the Lazio Region, Roberta Angelilli, the event featured several high-level speakers, including the Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, Gianmarco Mazzi, Undersecretary of State to the Ministry of Culture, Italy, Nicola Procaccini, Co-Chair of the ECR Group in the European Parliament, Carlo Fidanza, Head of the ECR Italian national delegation in the European Parliament, and Antonella Sberna MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament.

President of the Abruzzo region and of the ECR Group in the CoR, Marco Marsilio, opened the summit with reference to the importance of local and regional territories as the stronghold of European identity and values against a "progressive culture that would like to bury the past in the name of a new ideological mantra". The President underlined that regions and cities are crucial in preserving Europe’s cultural heritage and its natural landscapes. For Mr Marsilio, this represents a "strong example of how our heritage needs to be preserved and promoted, and how this has been done thanks to the conservative local authorities”.

Ms Roberta Angelilli, Vice-President of the Lazio Region and host of the event, emphasized the importance of “exchanging good practices with various administrations from all over Europe". The ECR member stated that there is a "a clear understanding that preserving our environment is only possible if we listen to the concerns of local communities, instead of the EU imposing legislation that does not take reality into account". 

In his keynote speech, the Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, stressed the importance of taking into account the economic and social impacts of sustainable development policies: "it is crucial that the environment is compatible with human activities. There is a so-called environmentalist culture that considers man the enemy of the environment. But, man is an essential part of the environment".

Mr Nicola Procaccini, Co-President of the ECR group in the European Parliament stated that the new European Commission will be very different from the previous one, with the change in the numbers in the European Parliament and with the shift to the right in the Council. "We will try to change things in Brussels, including the relationship between nature and man. For us conservatives, we must not impose the green transition, like the left tries to do. It should be based on the freedom of people and the economy and on the responsibility to protect innovation. It is important to involve local communities but also to respect the rural world, the farmers, fishermen and breeders who live in nature and are its true custodians.”, he declared. 

The ECR Secretary General Antonio Giordano said: “Today's meeting confirms the cohesion and open-mindedness of our political family, which is capable of coordinating at all levels, from local to European one. ECR political groups always favor extended dialogue, while keeping in mind solid conservative principles”.

Conservative leaders tackled the topic of preserving Europe’s natural heritage vis-à-vis the EU Green Deal and other pieces of legislation that are hampering the activities of different sectors, in particular agriculture. Other important speakers included Guido Castelli, Senator and commissioner for post-earthquake reconstruction, Italy, Daniele Sinibaldi, Mayor of Rieti, Italy, Barbara Hegedűs, Deputy Mayor of Veszprém -European Capital of Culture 2023, Hungary, Federico Mollicone MP, Chair of the Committee on Culture, Chamber of Deputies, Italy, Władysław Ortyl, First Vice-President of the ECR CoR Group and President of the Podkarpackie Region, Poland, and Małgorzata Golińska MP, Member of the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Forestry of the Sejm, Poland.