As the Committee of the Regions celebrated its 20 year anniversary during its plenary session, CoR ECR Group President Gordon Keymer CBE called for a change of the EU treaties and for the CoR to be given the powers to amend and delay EU legislation.

Gordon Keymer CBE, speaking on behalf of the ECR Group in the Committee of the Regions, addressed the new challenges the EU is facing and called for reform. He argued that in addressing a challenge of governance and competitiveness, localism must remain at the heart of the matter. "We must not make policies with our heads in the clouds and lose sight of our feet. Local and regional authorities implement approximately 70% of EU legislation. We know what works and what does not. We know what would create new burdens and what would effectively address challenges on the ground. Let us revise the EU treaties and give the Committee of the Regions a voice in the EU policy-making process. The CoR must be given the power to amend and delay EU regulations" said Gordon Keymer CBE.

Editor's note: The ECR Group in the CoR believes in the principle of localism and the need for realism in the way the EU and the CoR operate. It believes that the principle of subsidiarity must be upheld and that decisions should be made as close to the citizens as possible. The Group, consisting of local and regional government representatives from seven EU Member States, has drafted numerous opinions on subjects that impact local and regional authorities. The ECR Group members played significant roles in shaping EU reforms, such as the reform of the EU Solidarity Fund.