Las Palmas De Gran Canaria
Thursday 15 January 2026

A Europe that has your back

A Europe that has your back

15.00 - 19.00
Hotel Santa Catalina C. León y Castillo, 227, 35005 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 35005 Las Palmas De Gran Canaria
from: EN, FR, DE, ES, IT, RO, BG, SV
to: EN, FR, DE, ES, IT, RO, BG, SV
Housing

After the publication of the European Commission's proposals for the next EU long-term budget, we stand at a pivotal moment. It is time, for our progressive family, to shape what we want the European Union to be over the next decade: a vision that transform the life of the Europeans and foster fairer societies across our continent. Inequalities surge, the geopolitical landscape grows increasingly daunting and even traditional allies of the European Union are no longer the allies they use to be. Amidst these challenges, the rise of the extreme right underscores the urgent need for us to propose comprehensive solutions that reimagine Europe as a bastion of fairness and equity for all its citizens, wherever they live.

 During this conference, our goal is to unite the progressive family to tackle these pressing issues head-on. We must devise concrete solutions to foster European investments, public services, and housing. By ensuring robust public investments at the European level, delivering essential public services in both urban and rural settings, and addressing the housing crisis with actionable strategies at European, national, and local levels, we can reignite hope for a brighter future among European citizens and build more resilient societies.

 This event marks a significant milestone for the PES Group of the European Committee of the Regions, as we will adopt our position paper on the future multiannual financial framework. Additionally, it offers a unique opportunity to draw inspiration from the exemplary practices of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, showcasing what a city in an outermost region can do to provide local communities with the support they need to thrive.

Programme

Thursday 15 January

15:00 – 15:30

Registration

15:30 – 15:45

Welcome and Opening Remark

  • Luca Menesini, President of the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions
  • Carolina Darias San Sebastián, Mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and member of the European Committee of the Regions
  • Iratxe García Pérez, President of the S&D Group in the European Parliament

15:45 – 16:30

Investing Where It Matters: Debate on the future governance of the next long-term EU Budget

  • Elisa Ferreira, former European Commissioner in charge of the regional policy (tbc)
  • Jean-Marc Germain, S&D Coordinator of the BUDG committee in the European Parliament
  • María Chivite, President of Navarra Region, PES Group Vice-President
  • Volker-Gerd Westphal, State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and European Affairs of the State of Brandenburg, member of the European Committee of the Regions

Moderator: Alison Hunter, Senior Adviser on regional policy, innovation and industrial growth, European Policy Centre

16:30 – 16:45

Turning Vision into Action: The PES Group’s Position on the next long-term EU Budget

  • Vasco Alves Cordeiro, President of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) (tbc)
  • Pascal Smet, PES Group Coordinator of the Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER)

16:45 – 17:00

Coffee Break ☕️

17:00 – 17:45

Investing in People: the power of public services

  • Marcos Ros, S&D Coordinator of the REGI committee in the European Parliament, European Urban Forum
  • Representative Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
  • Haris Doukas, Mayor of Athens, Member of the European Committee of the Regions (tbc)
  • Maris Sild, Member of the Tallinn City Council, Member of the European Committee of the Regions

Moderator: Alison Hunter, Senior Adviser on regional policy, innovation and industrial growth, European Policy Centre

17:45 – 18:30

Housing for All: Tackling the Short-Term Rental Challenge

  • Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-president of the European Commission in charge of Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness (tbc)
  • Andreas Schieder, S&D Coordinator in the HOUS committee in the European Parliament (tbc)
  • Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, Rapporteur of the CoR for the European Affordable Housing Plan (tbc)
  • Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Member of the European Parliament

Moderator: Alison Gilliland, former Mayor of Dublin, Expert on housing

18:30 – 19:00

Outlook: How Europe can deliver

  • Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions
  • Pedro Sánchez, President of the Spanish Government (tbc)
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