At the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE) entitled "For a Europe of rights and responsibilities" in Ventotene, Italy, on 20 June 2019, the President of the Chamber of Regions, Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP/CCE), called, via a video message, for the role of regional democracy in the European political architecture to be strengthened.

"I believe in the need to establish a concrete dialogue between regional parliaments and the European institutions, including Council of Europe bodies", she said, welcoming the co-operation between the CALRE and the Congress. "Regional parliaments are the voice of citizens in our territories and local and regional authorities are a reference for our populations". Faced with current European challenges, such as the loss of public confidence in the institutions, or the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, regions play, more than ever, a major role in finding appropriate responses.

"The celebration in 2019 of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, the 25th anniversary of the Congress and the 10th anniversary of the "Reference Framework for Regional Democracy" initiated by the Congress, represents an opportunity to reflect on the role of the regions in building a Europe of solidarity and cultural diversity," Mrs Helgesen concluded.