The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, Rui Bettencourt, participates in the opening session of the 15th European Week of Regions and Municipalities in Brussels under the 125th Plenary Session of the Committee of the Regions.
 
These meetings are co-organised by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions. They are an important moment to discuss and analyse regional policies developed in Europe, serving as a platform for political communication regarding the development of the EU Cohesion Policy. Moreover, they are intended to raise the awareness of policy-makers for the fact that regions and municipalities have a say in EU policy-making.
 
This year's works will focus on the theme "Regions and municipalities work for a better future." For four days, the sessions will bring together more than 5,000 participants and 800 speakers from 150 regions who will participate in seminars, lectures, workshops and visits that make up the programme of this European forum; the Government of the Azores annually participates in this initiative.
 
During this visit to Brussels, the Regional Secretary for External Relations also takes part in the 125th plenary session of the Committee of the Regions, which will take place on October 10 and 11.
 
The agenda for this plenary session includes a speech to be delivered by the President of the Committee of the Regions on "The state of the Union: the standpoint Regions and Municipalities" as well as the speeches delivered by Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and Miguel Arias Canete, the European Commissioner who oversees Climate Action and Energy.
 
Throughout the two-day session, participants will vote on several draft reports covering various matters: the future of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - Transport, the Space Strategy for Europe, the European Pillar for Social Rights, the efficient implementation of EU environmental policies, the funding of the fight against climate change, the protection of migrant children, and the seismic rehabilitation of real estate, among others.
 
The Committee of the Regions is an advisory body to the European institutions representing regional and local authorities of the European Union. It comprises 350 members from all EU Member States.
 
Its main mission is to issue reports on current political matters and legislative proposals in areas related to the exercise of regional and local power in Europe, namely economic and social cohesion, employment and vocational training, education and culture, health and social policy, the environment and climate change, agriculture, fisheries and energy, among others. These reports are issued at the request of a European institution or, on its own initiative, when it considers that specific regional interests are involved.