Trade and investments agreements should consider local and regional specificities and possible adverse impacts. The CoR therefore called for an increased transparency in trade negotiations, and a consultation of local and regional authorities. It also called for a systematic undertaking of territorial impact assessments. The CoR also stressed that trade and investment are not only about increasing competitiveness and growth but also about developing all regions and strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion. The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) should be better coordinated with EU policies, notably cohesion policy, to reduce regional disparities within the EU and not further increase them.

The CoR continued disseminating and discussing these messages with the Commission in view of the preparation of the Commission’s reflection papers on Harnessing Globalisation. The CoR underlined that appropriate policies to prevent or mitigate asymmetric impacts of trade agreements are crucial to ensure acceptance for an open economy and legitimacy of trade policy. The subsequently adopted Commission’s reflection papers highlighted the territorially-uneven impact of globalisation and the shared responsibility of all levels of government in both providing a democratic upgrade in the handling of globalisation and in ensuring that the benefits of globalisation are distributed fairly across different groups in society. In its reflection paper on Harnessing Globalisation, the Commission recognises that industry in Europe remains an important pillar of the economy but needs to be modernised through investment in new manufacturing technologies and related industrial services and skills, which requires action at EU, member state, regional and local level. Close partnership with empowered regions is essential as the costs of globalisation are often localised whereas its benefits are widely spread.

In its opinion Strengthening territorial resilience: empowering regions and cities to face globalisation the CoR underscored the need to actively engage the local and regional level in the EU's response to globalisation by further developing the concept of “territorial resilience in a globalised world”. This has to be built around three main axes: a clear pro-active strategy on improving skills, knowledge, infrastructure, and thus regional competitiveness so as to help all EU territories to harness the opportunities of globalisation and anticipate its impact, a mitigation strategy including the EGF and other social policy instruments so as to cope with the pressure of globalisation on certain territories, and a participative strategy built on democratic accountability at European, national, regional and local level so as to better involve citizens in EU policy-making.

Regarding in particular the question of impact assessments raised by CoR rapporteur Micaela Fanelli (IT/PES), Commissioner Malmström indicated that the Commission recognises the importance of this request, but does not have the resources to undertake territorial impact assessment for all trade agreements. Therefore, the Commission asks regions to communicate to the Commission any concern or evidence they may have with regard to the impact of trade agreements