The president of the Generalitat of Catalonia Salvador traveled this afternoon to Lyon (France) to meet with his counterpart from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Fabrice Pannekoucke, and prepare the transfer of leadership of the Four Motors for Europe group, which consists of those two territories plus Lombardy (Italy) and Baden-Württemberg (Germany). Illa assumed the presidency in April last year in Varese (Italy) with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the four regions and having their own voice before European institutions in defense of a model that combines competitiveness, innovation, and industrial strength with cohesion, inclusion, and territorial balance.
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Before the meeting with Pannekoucke, Illa visited the technology park of the Campus Région du Numérique, which hosts companies, universities, and training centers. After the visit, the president revealed that the presidency handover event will take place in June in Barcelona. “The Four Motors entity was born in the 1980s, we represent 10% of GDP and the four of us have many things in common,” he stated, pointing out that they must play an important role in “strengthening the European project.” Illa has bet on “cooperation” between the four regions within the framework of the EU. “The world is changing and demands that we adapt to come out stronger,” he emphasized.
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Illa assumed the presidency of the association just as Donald Trump announced the imposition of tariffs. The four regions then signed a joint declaration against that protectionist policy, calling for a firm response from the EU. The Government has focused its presidency on four axes: innovation, decarbonization, autonomy and resilience, and inclusive economy. Accompanied by various debates and forums, the most relevant projects have revolved around green hydrogen and the transformation of the automotive industry and the impact on EU climate policies. In inclusive economy, the Four Motors have addressed the No-Mad plan on global labor mobility.
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