Committee of the Regions President Luc Van den Brande is to voice grassroots concerns about the future of EU regional aid at the parliamentary hearing of Johannes Hahn, Commissioner-designate for Regional Policy, on Thursday 14 January in Brussels.

In view of controversial discussions about the future EU budget, Van den Brande will pledge the full support of Europe's regional and local representatives for maintaining a strong regional policy and for implementing the new Lisbon Treaty provisions in partnership. This publi hearing will take place in the afternoon of 14 January 2010 in the headquarters of European Parliament in Brussels.

President Van den Brande will address the EP hearing at the invitation of Danuta Hübner , Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development (REGI).

Van den Brande emphasized  the good working relations between the Committee of the Regions and the Commission: "The new Lisbon Treaty provisions clearly boost regional policy by introducing the new EU objective of territorial cohesion and fostering cooperation between all political actors in the spirit of multi-level governance. In regional policy, this could be achieved through territorial pacts and a real involvement of local and regional authorities in the debate on the policy's core priorities. We look forward to working with Commissioner-designate Hahn in turning these principles into a reality."

Commissioner-designate Johannes Hahn and Luc Van den Brande already met for a first round of talks in Brussels on 7 December, just days after Commission President José Manuel Barroso had allocated the portfolios in his new team. In September 2009, Van den Brande also participated in the European Parliament's exchange of views with Paweł Samecki , then Commissioner-designate for Regional Policy.

The Committee of the Regions

The Committee of the Regions is the EU's assembly of regional and local representatives. The mission of its 344 members from all 27 EU Member States is to involve regional and local authorities and the communities they represent in the EU's decision-making process and to inform them about EU policies. The European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council are obliged to consult the Committee in policy areas affecting regions and cities.