The new revised EU urban and territorial agenda must address the effects of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and cohesion policy could be the right tool to deal with Europe's economic recovery. In two opinions adopted at the September plenary, the EESC takes stock of EU territorial policies and maps a way forwards.

In the first opinion, Petr Zahradník and Roman Haken focus on the revision of the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities and endorse the calls made in the new Territorial Agenda 2030 for a just and green Europe and for a more robust territorial dimension in all policies and at all levels of governance.

At local level, the keywords for the future must be the integration, sustainability and resilience of cities and regions. Speaking at the plenary session, Petr Zahradník said: "The potential for implementing integrated projects in territorial and urban development is huge and so are the benefits associated with this approach in terms of synergising the effects, saving costs and making functional connections."

Adding to this, Roman Haken stated: "Considering the effects of climate change, the use of resources and the need to reduce environmental risks, the sustainability and resilience of cities and regions cannot be addressed separately. For this reason, the Urban Agenda should be coordinated as closely as possible with territorial cohesion policy."

Cohesion is thus vital; it is also at the heart of an opinion drafted by Gonçalo Lobo Xavier, in which the EESC says that it could be the ideal tool to deal with the many challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and calls on the Commission to take action. "We must act urgently and respond swiftly; the financial means to help and support Member States must be deployed in keeping with the relevant criteria, but also with courage", said Mr Lobo Xavier. "More than ever, Europe needs a differential approach to a single challenge." (mp)