#CoRplenary will hold first debate with Council President Michel and discuss vaccines with Commissioner Kyriakides. Local leaders will exchange views with Commissioners Dombrovskis, Simson and Johansson on recovery, Green Deal and migration.

​​Plenary will launch the Paweł Adamowicz Award. The six winners of the CoR's European Entrepreneurial Region Award for sustainable recovery will be announced.

17 March: Debate with the President of the European Council

Charles Michel , President of the European Council, will provide his perspective and the position of EU Member States on issues of fundamental concern to local and regional authorities in the EU that have been brought into sharper focus by the COVID-19 crisis: modernising European democracy, building resilient regional and local communities, and developing place-based policies based on cohesion.

Stella Kyriakides , European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, on 18 March will discuss how best to ensure that all regions and cities emerge from the pandemic by, among other means, increasing the roll-out and take-up of vaccinations across the EU.

18 March: Debate on trade and the EU recovery

Valdis Dombrovskis , Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for an Economy that Works for People, will on 18 March discuss with regional and local leaders the EU's efforts to support the European economy's recovery, including the regional potential of the trade policy review and the Action Plan to deliver the European Social Rights Pillar.

18 March: Debate on the European Green Deal: Financing and delivering the renovation wave in regions, cities and villages

Kadri Simson , European Commissioner for Energy, will set out the European Commission's ideas on how to implement the EU's proposed 'renovation wave' , a programme intended to accelerate the refurbishment and decarbonisation of building stock across the Union. The debate will also be an occasion for the European Commission and the Committee to launch cooperation to support regions and cities in implementing the renovation wave across Europe.

18 March: Announcement of the six winners of the European Entrepreneurial Region Award (EER) 2021-2022

With the special focus on "Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Recovery", the EER award honours regions and cities with the most convincing, forward-looking entrepreneurial visions and strategies. The names of the six winners of the EER Award will be announced. Since its launch, 30 regions or cities from 16 EU countries have received the award.

19 March, 9.00 a.m.: Debate on the integration of migrants

Ylva Johansson , European Commissioner for Home Affairs, will on 19 March discuss the EU's increased support for the integration of migrants in cities and regions in the 2021-27 period. The Commissioner and CoR President Tzitzikostas will sign an agreement on increased cooperation between the two institutions, notably in support of the #regions4integration initiative. The Commissioner will also help launch the Paweł Adamowicz Award for courage and excellence in the promotion of freedom, solidarity and equality. The award has been created by the City of Gdańsk and the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), and promoted by the European Committee of the Regions, to honour and develop the legacy of Mr Adamowicz, who was mayor of Gdańsk from 1998 until his murder in 2019. Mr Adamowicz was a member of the CoR.

Wednesday, 17 March, 3 p.m .: Debate with Charles Michel , President of the European Council.

Thursday, 18 March, 10.45 a.m .: Debate on adequate minimum wages in the European Union.

Thursday, 18 March, 11.45 a.m .: Debate on the COVID-19 pandemic, with Stella Kyriakides , Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.

Thursday, 18 March, 2.30 p.m .: Debate on trade and the EU recovery, with Valdis Dombrovskis , Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for an Economy that Works for People.

Thursday, 18 March, 4.15 p.m.: Debate on the European Green Deal and the renovation wave, with Kadri Simson , European Commissioner for Energy.

Friday, 19 March, 9.00 a.m.: Debate on the role of local and regional authorities in the integration of migrants and the fight against radicalisation, with Ylva Johansson , European Commissioner for Home Affairs.

Location : Online only.

Date : Wednesday, 17 March – Friday, 19 March 2021.

Background material : The plenary agenda and opinions and amendments .

Webstreaming : On the website of the