With the 30th anniversary of the CoR this year, the November CoR plenary session dedicated a debate on the topic. To mark the occasion, the plenary session was joined by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and incumbent President of the European Council António Costa delivering video messages. 

with ECR CoR President Marco Marsilio taking the floor on behalf of the ECR Group. The President underlined the need for the European Union to change its approach to policy-making, calling for greater focus on competitiveness, growth and innovation, while preserving its strategic sectors such as automotive and agriculture. 

"Since its foundation thirty years ago, the European Committee of the Regions has played a key role in giving a voice to the local and regional realities of the Union" stated President Marsilio, highlighting how in a European context that often risks distancing itself from the needs of citizens, the CoR has ensured a direct connection with local communities "preserving the importance of territories and the diversity that defines Europe". 

The goal of the ECR for the future is clear: ensuring that the Committee of the Regions is treated as a serious interlocutor by playing a pivotal role in making sure that Europe responds with precision and less bureaucracy to the needs of its citizens "especially in areas that are crucial for the regions such as cohesion policy and agriculture", concluded President Marsilio.