The President of the Government of the Azores will speak Thursday at the 8th European Summit of Regions and Cities, which will take place in Bucharest, Romania. The event will involve the participation of hundreds of regional and local leaders who will debate and adopt a Declaration on the future of the European Union (EU).
 
Vasco Cordeiro, as President of the Government and of the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR), will take part in the debate on the role of regions and cities in building a sustainable future. It will also feature the Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions, Markku Markkula, the President of the Assembly of European Regions, Magnus Berntsson, and the Mayor of Sibiu, Romania, Astrid Fodor.
 
Promoted by the Committee of the Regions and the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council, the (Re)New EUrope takes place at a crucial time for Europe, taking into consideration the European Parliament elections scheduled for May, the debate on the next multiannual financial framework and the exit from the United Kingdom of the European Union (Brexit).
 
This event, held every two years, brings together leaders of governments and assemblies of European Union regions and cities, senior representatives of Member States and European institutions as well as representatives of other bodies.
 
Participants include the President of the Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, the Prime Minister of Romania, Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, the European Commission's chief negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, and several MEPs, among others.
 
The Bucharest Declaration will be adopted at the closing session, which will be attended by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. This document defines the vision of regions for a renewed European Union.
 
On Thursday, the President of the Government also takes part in the Bureau of the Committee of the Regions, a political coordination body composed of the President and Vice-Presidents, the coordinators of national delegations and the presidents of committees and political groups.
 
The Autonomous Region of the Azores has a seat at the Committee of the Regions - a body that comprises more than 350 members from all Member States - since its inception. Currently, the Region is represented by the President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro.