By Kay Scrimger
January 31, 2011

President Mercedes Bresso, Committee of the Regions of the European Union (EU), addressed the Thursday morning plenary.

Established in 1992, the Committee of the Regions is the EU's Assembly of mayors and regional leaders from its twenty'seven nations.

Conference of Mayors President Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz was the keynote speaker at the Committee of the Regions both in October 2009 and October 2010. On each occasion, Kautz focused on the essential role of U.S. mayors in climate protection and their contribution to shaping the national agenda on this issue.

Bresso lauded the work of U.S. mayors on climate protection, noting that 1,044 mayors have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and that U.S. mayors of cities of every size are devising strategies and approaches to address climate change effects.

She pointed out a similar effort in Europe, led by the Covenant of Regions within the EU's European Commission. Over 2,000 mayors in Europe and over 100 regional leaders have joined the Covenant of Mayors, committing to reduce carbon emissions in their cities and regions by 20 percent by the year 2020.

"It is critical for all of us to meet our targets. European mayors have a great deal to learn from your experience in the U.S. — the work that mayors are doing in cities across this country, in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Burnsville, Carmel, Meridian, and the list goes on to include every mayor here today."

Bresso emphasized the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Conference and the Committee of the Regions in Brussels in October 2010 and indicated several areas in which cooperation could be explored, including:

• Sharing best practices;

• Advocating together that local leaders be fully empowered to deal with climate protection and provided support to implement their strategies;

• Working together in the international arena to strengthen recognition of the essential role of mayors in climate protection efforts.

Bresso noted that Ambassador William E. Kennard, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, is highly supportive of the Committee of the Regions and Conference of Mayors cooperation.

In addition, Ambassador Joćo Vale de Almeida, Head of the European Delegation to the United States, based in Washington (DC), also supports this cooperation.

Bresso also described a summit of Mayors from Europe and other continents being organized by Committee of the Regions to be held in April 2012 in Copenhagen. "We hope that it will attract the participation of U.S. mayors," she said.

Bresso expressed her appreciation to Kautz, Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran, and all mayors for their leadership on climate protection and her anticipation of good results from joint cooperation between European and U.S. mayors.