Leeside councillor to take EU role

An Independent Cork City Councillor has been chosen to lead one of six political groups which make up the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).

The European Alliance (EA Group) has elected councillor for Cork City South East Kieran McCarthy as its President as the CoR begins its new term of office.

The CoR is a Brussels-based institution which represents local and regional authorities across the EU and advises on new laws that have an impact on regions and cities.

Cllr McCarthy has been an active member of the CoR for the past five years, in particular on issues of urban agenda, ports policy and the digital agenda.

In the first CoR plenary session, held from 12-13 February, Cllr McCarthy highlighted the need for the EU to have an open consultation with citizens across the European Union.

He said it was important to hear and act on the views of citizens whether they are in Cork or in Corsica, and that action must be taken on issues that matter to people in environmental policy and on transport.

He added that a debate held in the context of the new conference on the Future of Europe initiative would allow this to happen.

Conference on the Future of Europe, which was announced at the end of last year, is a political body of the European Commission and the European Parliament set up to determine new agreements, or amendments to the existing ones, on the future of European democracy between 2020 and 2022.

The Governor of Central Macedonia in Greece, Apostolos Tzitzikostas (EPP), was elected President of CoR for the next two and a half years.