Brussels, 17/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - A few days ahead of the Spring European Council on 20-21 March, Committee of the Regions' (CoR) President Ramon Luis Valcarcel Siso met President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy on Friday 14 March. He presented Van Rompuy with the “Athens Declaration” adopted by the CoR at its cities and regions summit on 7 March, calling for a stronger territorial dimension (see EUROPE 11034) in the shaping and implementation of EUROPE 2020. Valcarcel highlighted to Van Rompuy the increasing disparities among EU member regions and the fact that the regions and cities had to be mobilised to re-focus their efforts on economic, social and territorial cohesion. (MD)