The 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities will be held in Mons, Belgium, on March 18 and 19. More than 3,500 participants will discuss local and regional government priorities and global challenges.
It will present the vision of regions and cities for the future institutional political framework of the European Union.
The President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, the Minister-President of the Walloon Region, Elio Di Rupo, and local and regional leaders from across the European Union and the world will debate the main political priorities of local and regional authorities to respond to the pressing challenges that local communities in the EU will face in the coming years.
In Mons, the 2015 European Capital of Culture, EU regions, and cities will present their vision and wishes for the future of Europe in a declaration that will serve as a basis for the public debate for the European Parliament elections, which will occur between June 6 and 9. The declaration will also help define the EU’s strategic agenda and legislative priorities from a municipal and regional point of view for the coming years. It will be handed over to the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, as Belgium currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
This is the first Summit with an international dimension, bringing together local and regional representatives from five continents to debate the challenges facing the world and the role that the sub-national level of government can play.
Vasco Alves Cordeiro, President of the European Committee of the Regions, said: “On the 18th and 19th, the city of Mons in Belgium will be the capital of local and regional government in the European Union. With the expected participation of around 3,500 representatives of cities and regions from the EU and other continents, European institutions and partner organizations, the 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities will be a key moment to affirm the role of local and regional authorities in achieving a fairer, stronger and more resilient EU. Europe only happens because cities and regions make it happen and the Mons Summit is the high point for us to affirm our priorities for the next political-institutional cycle in the life of the European Union.”

in Diário dos Açores-Osvaldo Cabral, director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno–PBBI thanks the sponsorship of the Luso-American Development Foundation from Lisbon, Portugal (FLAD)