"As a former rapporteur of the CoR opinions on the Enlargement Package, I would like to highlight the consistency with which we have stressed the importance of implementing fiscal decentralization measures in the EU candidate countries", said Ms Magyar addressing local and regional representative from EU candidate and potential candidate countries in Brussels during the plenary session of the Enlargement Day.

"I would like to reaffirm that we are committed to continuing our support to local and regional authorities in candidate countries their accession path to the EU, not only by sharing experience and expertise, but also by fostering mutually beneficial cooperation and trust", Ms Magyar stated. ECR members, in discussions with their peers from the candidate countries, were united in emphasising the importance of a merit-based accession process and the involvement of local and regional authorities in the negotiation phases of the various accession chapters.

"Evidence from across the EU shows that decentralised fiscal systems significantly enhance resilience and autonomy of local governments. However, it is crucial to recognise that the level and form of fiscal decentralisation should be determined by the candidate countries themselves, reflecting their unique administrative structures, capacities, and socio-economic contexts", concluded Ms Magyar.

In the framework of the European Committee of the Regions Enlargement Day, ECR Vice-President Anna Magyar and ECR members Lorenzo Galligani, Mauro Bordin, Marek Bańkowski, Pavel Branda, Adam Ciszkowski, Ádám Karácsony and Robert Zeman, participated in both the plenary session and the Joint Consultative Committees and Working Groups meetings focusing on Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Moldova, Kosovo and Türkiye respectively.