Maastricht, 9 September 2026 – At its meeting, the CIVEX Commission of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) discussed the draft opinion “From Temporary Protection to Sustainable Solutions for Displaced Ukrainians in the EU – the Role of Cities and Regions”.
The rapporteur for the opinion is Antje Grotheer (DE/PES). The report notes that around 4.4 million Ukrainians currently benefit from temporary protection across the European Union, following the Council’s decision to extend the system until 4 March 2028.
Cities and regions are responsible for practical integration
Although decisions concerning legal status remain at EU and national level, the practical responsibilities associated with integration fall largely on cities and regions. These responsibilities include housing, education, healthcare and access to the labour market.
Local and regional authorities therefore need predictable and directly accessible funding, as well as stronger involvement in multilevel governance.
Long-term cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine
The opinion also proposes the creation of a European–Ukrainian Responsible Partnership Mechanism and the expansion of partnerships between cities and regions. These measures would provide a structured basis for long-term cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine.
Equal access to European support
Csaba Borboly, member of the European Committee of the Regions, welcomed the report’s emphasis on subsidiarity and territorial fairness.
He stressed that rural, border and less-resourced regions – not only large capitals – must have equal access to EU support mechanisms if the transition beyond temporary protection is to succeed sustainably.