This year's Enlargement Day faces a changed political reality with a major war and huge geopolitical shifts in Europe. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the ensuing EU membership applications of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova have changed the landscape of the enlargement policy. For the first time, delegates from those countries will attend the event.
Post-pandemic sustainable economic growth agenda discussed at meeting of Turkish and EU local leaders to close a year of improvement in the tenor of EU-Turkey relations.
On 13 July 2021, the CoR, in cooperation with the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will hold the Enlargement Day. After June's meetings of the CoR's Working Groups and Joint Consultative Committees with candidate countries and potential candidates, this unique annual event, organized online this year, will discuss the role of regions and cities in the EU accession process and sustainable recovery pathways in the region.
The European Committee of the Regions is in frequent exchange with partners in candidate countries and potential candidates for EU enlargement, Eastern Partnership countries, Mediterranean partner countries and beyond. Worldwide, regional and local leaders are at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic.
Turkey would like to increase its participation in cross-border programmes and to see an upgrading in relations between Turkey and the European Committee of the Regions, Faruk Kaymakci, Turkey's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs, told local and regional politicians from the European Union and Turkey on 27 November.
The Enlargement Day is the European Committee of the Regions' annual flagship event on EU enlargement policy.
