Brussels – The 11th edition of the Enlargement Days, the flagship annual event organised by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), will take place in Brussels on 2–3 June 2026. The event aims to connect local and regional authorities from EU member states and candidate countries to foster dialogue, strengthen cooperation and promote the exchange of best practices.
Since its launch in 2015, the Enlargement Days have become the European Committee of the Regions’ leading platform for discussions on the future of EU enlargement, bringing together representatives of local and regional authorities, policymakers, key stakeholders and experts to share practical insights and on-the-ground experience.
Held under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the 2026 edition will place “Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference” at the centre of the debate.
Through Joint Consultative Committees, Working Groups, an interactive workshop and a plenary session, participants will examine how local and regional actors can strengthen communication on EU enlargement and effectively counter disinformation. All sessions will also be accessible online via a multilingual live-streaming platform.
Beyond the Enlargement Days
Within the CIVEX Commission – the CoR’s commission responsible for the institutional position on EU enlargement policy – two types of institutional platforms have been created to promote dialogue and cooperation between local and regional authorities and to support those from enlargement countries on their path towards the EU: the Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) and the Working Groups (WGs).
The Joint Consultative Committees, which provide a consistent and stable framework for cooperation, have been established with Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia at the request of the respective governments and through official declarations of the Stabilisation and Association Councils. Their goal is to support preparation for EU membership by assessing the impact of EU policies from a local and regional perspective, sharing information on political developments, and monitoring accession negotiations.
Each JCC is co-chaired by one representative from the candidate country and one CoR member, and this shared responsibility is also reflected in the composition of the committee itself: half of the members are representatives of local or regional authorities from the country concerned, while the other half are CoR members. The JCCs meet twice a year – once in Brussels on the occasion of the Enlargement Days and once in the partner country – and decisions are taken jointly.
The Working Groups, which represent a lighter form of cooperation, have been established with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Türkiye and Ukraine through decisions of the CoR Bureau. Their role is to assess the impact of EU policies from a local and regional perspective, share information on political developments, and exchange good practices in specific areas of cooperation.
Each Working Group is chaired solely by a CoR member, and brings together CoR members and local and regional representatives from the partner countries. The Working Groups meet twice a year – once in Brussels on the occasion of the Enlargement Days and once in the partner country.
