EU-wide coalition urges national governments to involve regions and cities in the preparation of post-COVID recovery plans and to avoid a “vaccine divide” in Europe

​On the eve of the European Council meeting, the #Cohesion Alliance – an EU-wide alliance of 12 000 signatories advocating for a stronger cohesion policy after 2020 – calls upon Member States to work in partnership with local and regional governments in the design, implementation and governance of national recovery and resilience plans. The Cohesion Alliance also urges national parliaments to ratify the decision on own resources as soon as possible, allowing the European Commission to borrow up to EUR 750 billion on the capital markets to address the negative effects of the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the Alliance warns EU leaders against the risk of a competition for vaccines, as this would increase inequalities between European regions, cities and villages​.