​​​During the winter plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions, ECR Member and President of the Małopolska region Witold Kozłowski spoke on the EU Green Deal, specifically in how financing can best be allocated in order to yield maximum effectiveness. During his intervention, Mr Kozłowski underlined the need for pragmatism and realism as it relates to the implementation of Green Deal policies.

The ECR Member took the opportunity to address the need for subsidiarity and localism. Fundamentally, when financial assistance is granted to Member States to help them reach their Green Deal objectives, these principles must always be respected.

He stressed:  "There must be a bottom-up approach, where activities are supported by the local and regional authorities in concert with the central governments of Member States."

Mr Kozłowski spoke on how the ECR Group is opposed to any proposal which would exclude either central governments or regional authorities from the allocation processes. Fundamentally, if the EU wishes to succeed in advancing its environmental objectives, cooperation and coordination between all relevant government stakeholders and actors is paramount.