Mayor Isilda Gomes (Portimão) took office, this Wednesday, October 5, as president of the Natural Resources Commission (NAT) of the Committee of the Regions, the consultative assembly of local and regional representatives of the European Union. She is the first woman to hold the position.
Elected last June, Isilda Gomes replaces the Danish Peter Schmidt, who has been in the position for 14 years, thus becoming the first woman to exercise these functions, which will take place over the next two and a half years, until the end of the current five-year term. of the Committee of the Regions.
Expressing herself “proud and honored” for the election, the mayor of Portimão highlighted, in statements to the media, the importance of having greater resilience and sustainability in the face of the various crises of the moment.
The mayor also considered that regions and cities can make a difference in building a better and more inclusive Europe, as the NAT Commission has the conditions to play a decisive role in responding to the great challenges of the future, such as rural development, agriculture and resilient food systems, health and civil protection, as well as sustainable tourism, not to mention climate change.
Isilda Gomes has been a member of the Committee of the Regions since 2020, also chairing the Portuguese delegation of this community body, responsible for policies aimed at regions and municipalities.
The NAT Commission brings together more than a hundred mayors of chambers or regions and members of municipal or regional assemblies, dealing with a wide variety of topics related to rural development, health, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, civil protection, consumer protection and tourism.
The rural agenda for Europe and public health are central themes of the current mandate of the commission, as well as the political priority of the Committee of the Regions, under the motto “Building resilient communities”.
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