First regional meeting of EU Local Councillors in Lazio Region

On 7 July 2026, the event "Bringing Europe closer to local communities" gathered more than 150 participants in Rome, including members of the EU Local Councillors Network, for a local dialogue on strengthening cooperation between European institutions and local communities. Representatives of local and regional authorities, municipalities and provinces, representatives of European institutions and many other stakeholders active in European affairs met to discuss the “European dimension” of the Lazio Region. 

In his opening remarks, the President of the Regional council and member of the CoR, Antonello Aurigemma, highlighted the importance of strengthening the link between European institutions and local communities and working together to support all municipalities in the Lazio Region. 

Kata Tüttő, the President of the European Committee of the Regions, stressed that Europe's future must be built together with its cities and regions. She underlined the role of local and regional authorities in shaping policies that respond to citizens' needs and strengthen territorial cohesion. 

Tommaso Foti, Italy's Minister for European Affairs, the NRRP and Cohesion Policies, emphasized the importance of a direct relationship between the European Union and local communities. He highlighted that cohesion policy is the key instrument for reducing territorial, social, and economic disparities. 

Three members of the EU Local Councillors Network from the Lazio Region shared their experiences, presenting concrete examples of how they engage with citizens and communicate European policies at local level. Their testimonies, together with contributions from representatives of the EUROPE DIRECT Centres and the European Documentation Centres, highlighted the added value that elected representatives bring by making the European Union’s presence visible in local communities and fostering dialogue on the ground. 

A range of institutional and local stakeholders also presented opportunities for cooperation and citizen engagement through European initiatives and funding programmes. The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, URBACT, and European Urban Initiative received particular attention. 

A training session organised in cooperation with the Department for EU affairs of the Italian Government, and EUtalia provided practical guidance on developing project proposals and accessing directly managed EU funding (as part of SITE programme - Sistema Italia in Europa). 

The day concluded with a “European Village” moment, where participants met representatives of European institutions, regional bodies and EU information networks, exchanged experiences and explored opportunities for future cooperation. 

The event reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between European institutions, national authorities, local and regional governments in ensuring that European policies are effectively communicated, understood and implemented for the benefit of citizens across local communities. 

The local dialogue was promoted by Antonello Aurigemma, President of the Regional Council of Lazio and member of the European Committee of the Regions. It was organised by the Regional Council of Lazio and the Conference of Presidents of Legislative Assemblies, in cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions, with the support of the European Commission Representation in Rome, the European Parliament Liaison Office in Rome, the EU information networks in Lazio, ANCI and the Department for EU affairs of the Italian Government.