On Thursday 6 December, Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier will address the European Committee of the Regions and debate with ALDE CoR members the consequences of Brexit, how to soften the blow and ways to maintain cooperation on a local and regional level between the EU27 and after the UK leaves the EU.

Subnational authorities face considerable challenges depending on the Brexit scenario, and the current uncertainty makes preparations extremely difficult: should extra infrastructure be built at ports and airports? What if it is not needed? When to start building? What rights will local authorities need to guarantee? How will European Structural and Investment Funds be affected across the Union? What opportunities are there, if any? These are just some of the questions that subnational authorities are facing as Brexit approaches, and for which there are still few answers. Liberals at the CoR have been driving forward the debate.

Our members, including our President Bart Somers, Vice-Presidents Ulrika Landergren and François Decoster as well as several of our members such as Kate Feeney, Jeannette Baljeu or Doreen Huddart will intervene in the debate to highlight their region’s hopes and fears.

More on the website of the ALDE Group in the European Committee of the Regions.

"Brexit will be bad, but worse without preparation by all levels of government. A #Brexit Stabilisation Fund as proposed by my colleague @KateFeeneyFF will be needed for impacted regions", says our VP @fdecoster during @EU_CoR study visit to Irish Parliament @OireachtasNews pic.twitter.com/cDJMJ8nCde