Bakoyannis, who served as mayor of Athens from 2019 to 2023 and as governor of Central Greece from 2014 to 2019, has been a member of the European Committee of the Regions since 2020. As president of ENVE, he will focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection, achieving zero pollution, waste and water management, and energy policy.

The ENVE committee is one of six thematic committees at the European Committee of the Regions. It prepares opinions and works on related projects, consisting of 90 local and regional leaders from all EU member states. The next ENVE meeting will take place in Brussels on March 5.

Following his election, Bakoyannis remarked: “The challenge in the coming years is not just to meet Europe’s green goals, but to link environmental policy with economic growth, social cohesion, and citizen safety. The crises we are experiencing create opportunities to build cities and regions that are sustainable, resilient, and prosperous. The Committee of the Regions has already made significant progress in international discussions. Now is the time to move forward more dynamically and ensure that local, municipal, and regional authorities have a meaningful impact on the decisions shaping the future of Europe.”