Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of Regions calls for a major involvement of the regions on the elaboration of the National Reform Plans. In addition, the President also stressed the CoR intention of using more intensively its EU 2020 Monitoring platform.

The Committee of Regions underlines that it is vital the contribution of regional and local authorities in addressing specific citizens needs in the elaboration of National Job Plans and National Reform Plans. Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of the Regions, stated that the elaboration of these Plans has been until now a bilateral and technocratic exercise performed by national governments and the Commission, without an effective involvement of the other relevant partners, in particular local and regional authorities.

In addition, Ms Bresso considers that the latest Council conclusions released, explicitly ask for a change in the way national governments implement the EU2020 Strategy. According to the CoR president the conclusions stress the role of the regions in Europe's growth strategy and set a clear road map to quickly adopt new measures for employment, for completing the single market in strategic sectors and for immediately piloting of new financial tools such as the Project Bonds. Therefore, regional and local authorities are ready to do their part exploiting the full potential of the current structural funds programmes whose objectives are fully consistent with the outlined agenda and the CoR intends to use more intensively its EU 2020 Monitoring platform.

On the other hand and also with regard to the Council conclusions, Mercedes Bresso also welcomed the positive outcome by the European Council to commence accession negotiations with Serbia.