The 160th Plenary Session represented the final Committee of the Regions (CoR) Plenary Session before the Local and European Elections on 7 June. From an Irish Delegation standpoint, it represented the final plenary for Cllr Kate Feeney and Cllr Una Power, both of whom indicated that they would not be standing in the 2024 elections.
Starting on Wednesday 17 April, a total of 14 opinions were presented for adoption, with the session beginning with a ‘Debate on the 2023 Enlargement Package’, which featured an impassioned contribution from Vadym Boychenko, Mayor of Mariupol, Ukraine, who stressed the need for further European support both at member state level and at regional level.
A highlight of the first day came featured ‘Biodiversity protection and coexistence with large carnivores in Europe – challenges and opportunities for local and regional authorities’ was debated. This opinion sought to initiate a range of measures to conserve large carnivores in the EU. The main point of contention centred on the protection of wolves.
Multiple members from EPP (European People’s Party and ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists) sought to highlight the dangers which wolves present to farmers and their livestock. One member, in particular, asked whether farmers would be reimbursed for the high fences they will have to install to protect against wolves.
However, the Greens strongly pushed back against the opinion as they believe it exaggerates the risks associated with wolves and bears in Europe and are “deeply concerned” with the derogations it presents to their protection. The opinion was adopted by majority.
Housing policy was debated for the first time in seven years when rapporteur Andres Jaadla’s opinion ‘Smart, sustainable and affordable housing as a tool for local authorities to face multiple challenges’ was discussed. The rapporteur used the occasion to call for a ‘Housing Agenda for the EU’, which would see co-ordination of housing models across the EU.
Irish Delegation member Cllr Aoife Breslin supported the rapporteur’s call for “for everyone to have affordable, accessible and healthy housing in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing.” She also highlighted that in Kildare house prices have continued to rise at their fastest level in 18 months.
Ireland’s Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley also supported the call for a Housing Agenda for the EU, and she agreed with the rapporteur that housing should be understood as a social asset, not a financial one. The opinion was subsequently adopted by majority.
The second day of the plenary session started with the adoption of the CoR’s 2025 Draft Budget, which requests an 11.8% increase to the 2024 budget, with a minimum increase of 7.4%. The proposal was adopted by plenary.
