The main message delivered by the Committee of the Regions at the Fifth European Summit of Regions and Cities is the importance of sustainable development and green growth in Europe's cities and regions to overcome the crisis, not just to fight climate change. The CoR also stressed the need for a coherent and integrated EU policy for urban areas together with a genuine multi-level approach.

The Fifth European Summit of Regions and Cities taking place in Copenhagen on 22-23 March is co-hosted by the city of Copenhagen along with the CoR and the Capital Region of Denmark. Introducing the Summit, Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Mercedes Bresso, highlighted that cities are at the forefront when it comes to changing our lifestyles, stimulating creativity, attracting talent, helping the unemployed get back to work and building bonds of cooperation with businesses, specially now, at a time of economic and financial crisis and in a world overexploited by an unsustainable development model.

Ms Bresso also underlined that despite the European cohesion policy - the Commission presented its proposal for the Cohesion policy in October 2011, the EU cities’ full potential has not yet been fully reached.  There is therefore, according to the CoR President, a need for a coherent and integrated EU policy for urban areas together with a genuine multi-level approach.

José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission who also attended to the opening ceremony, stressed that cities, as well as being confronted with major challenges, are also places of opportunities. Mr Barroso also emphasised the key role that European cities play in realising the EU 2020 targets for jobs, investment, research, education and social inclusion. He further called upon the leaders of the EU local authorities to take a stronger role to actively defend the European project.