Provincial Secretary Ognjen Bjelic spoke on behalf of AP Vojvodina at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2020.

The video conference “Localization of the European Green Deal” was held on October 19, 2020, in the period from 11:30am to 13:00pm. Thus, the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina achieved participation in the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC), which is held from 5 to 22 October in a hybrid format, in the format of video conferences and very limited physical attendance at certain events. This event is part of programme in the third week, fully dedicated to the Green Europe theme.

Also, on the same day, the European Green Week has been virtually opened. On behalf of the APV, the Provincial Secretary for Regional Development, Interregional Cooperation and Local Self-Government, Ognjen Bjelić, addressed via a video message to the gathered participants who followed the event via the internet. Secretary Bjelić spoke about achieving the standards envisaged by the European Green Agreement in EU candidate countries and  regions such as APV, and expressed hope that the EU, through IPA and other available instruments, will offer sufficient funds for projects in the field of environmental protection as in other areas.
The Secretary also pointed out the projects that APV has implemented so far, and the readiness of provincial institutions to maintain a high percentage of efficiency in the use of European funds, with the fact that APV has so far used over ninety percent of available funds.
The event was moderated by the representative of the Secretariat of the Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) at the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Gianluca Spinaci, who committed that the conclusions of this presentation will be part of the amendments in the future opinion of the CoR on behalf of ENVE.
During the event, interesting perspectives of different participants were heard. The representative of the Norland Region from Norway, Max Gardif Hoffman, a member of the youth council of this region, spoke about the prospects for young people through projects in the field of green policies and announced that the capital of this region Bodø will be the European Capital of Culture 2024.
The President of the Assembly of the Veneto Region, Roberto Ciambetti, spoke about the growth strategies that must be aimed at transforming Europe into a green continent, in order to achieve the ambitious goal of 0% carbon dioxide emissions. He pointed out that the agricultural sector plays a crucial role in achieving this goal, and presented the network for development and research created by the Veneto Region, which integrates the work of universities and institutes that work with farmers to modernize the sector, especially use as few chemicals as possible in agriculture.
On behalf of the Polish Kuyavian-Maritime Region, Piotr Całbecki, the region’s representative in the CoR, spoke. He referred to the economic structure of his region in terms of green policies, especially in the context of the upcoming programming period 2021-2027. The Governor of Austrian Carinthia, Peter Kaiser, gave a comprehensive speech on the challenges facing Europe in this crisis year, and how these challenges prove that we need to pay more attention to eco-social values. Carinthia’s goal in the coming period is to enable half of the total production of energy from renewable sources, with special reference to the initiatives that Carinthia has to encourage in these areas.
Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region (FVG), spoke about the synergy between the IT and the green sector in this region, ie the results that could lead to 0% of emissions by 2025. The President of FVG pointed out the fact that we must make clear plans, so that everyone in their region can adjust their policies to the overall measures of the European Green Agreement.
José Luis Escudero Palomo, Governor of the Spanish region of Castilla La Mancha, also commented on the region’s goals until 2030, emphasizing the strategy and law that this region has, which includes financial measures and fiscal relief in seventeen different sector. Alessandra Sartore, a member of the CoR on behalf of the Lazio Region and a minister in the regional government, promoted this Italian region as one of the most successful green regions in the Italian economy, highlighting the Green Plan of Lazio, which in addition to numerous initiatives into energy efficient and clean factories, and through EU funds in the field of green policies.
Didier Réault, on behalf of the French Bouches-du-Rhône, with connection difficulties, and Christos Pappous, the mayor of Fili municipality in Greece, also spoke about the goals of their regions, ie municipalities.
The ENVE Commission at the CoR will include the conclusions of this conference in its report, and the regional representatives in Brussels will assist in further coordination. The event was simultaneously translated into five foreign languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian and Greek), and all details, as well as a video, are available via the link: https://europa.eu/regions-and-cities/programme/sessions/1567_en .