10th European Summit of Regions and Cities - Mons 2024

With more than 3500 participants from 59 countries and over 4000 live views worldwide, the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities in Mons has been a great success! In many discussions, debates and workshops the participants called for a stronger voice of local and regional authorities at the centre of EU policies. Regions and cities must be heard when the next Strategic Agenda of the European Union, as well as the next political priorities of the European Commission, are being formulated. LRA representatives urged European leaders to do more to ensure that all EU policies are anchored in the local and regional level, thus reinforcing the democratic legitimacy and efficiency of these policies. The final Mons Declaration calls for: • Ambitious, fit-for-purpose public investment backed by an increased EU budget (exploring the introduction of new EU own resources), with cohesion as the basis of the European project. • Commitment to the European Green Deal as an overall direction of the EU. The EU empower local and regional authorities, including through direct funds for cities and regions, to help them respond to the impact of the climate crisis. • Greater involvement of local and regional authorities in the preparation of EU reforms and enlargement, particularly regarding the impact on policies such as Cohesion and the Common Agricultural Policy. Regions and cities have the power to deliver a stronger and more resilient Europe!