Shaping a human-centred AI future: conference in Malta brings local, regional and EU leaders together

The Committee of the Regions' SEDEC commission held a high-level conference in Malta today. The Eastern Region hosted the event in collaboration with the Local Councils' Association (Malta). The event brought together top EU, national, and local leaders to discuss the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Europe's regions and cities.

Among the key speakers were Malta's Minister for the Interior and Employment, Byron Camilleri, and Minister for Finance, Clyde Caruana, who highlighted the national government's strategic vision for responsible digital transformation and the integration of AI across sectors such as public administration, security, and workforce development.

The conference also featured the active participation of Local Mayors and members of the Maltese Delegation of the European Committee of the Regions, and top representatives of the CoR SEDEC Commission, including the Chair Heike Raab. Local and regional leaders stressed the importance of aligning digital innovation with social inclusion and democratic values.

Anthony Chircop (MT/EPP), President of the Eastern Region: "On behalf of the Eastern Regional Council, I am humbled and honoured to be able to host a conference on such a relevant and important issue with our European colleagues. The use of AI in the workplace, at school, at home and quite literally in our day to day lives is ever increasing. Without proper care and education, certain parts of our communities risk being left behind as the progress of generative AI hastens at an ever-increasing pace. Therefore, conferences such as this one are vital in ensuring that policy keeps up to speed with the progress of technology".

Heike Raab, SEDEC Chair and State Secretary, Rhineland Palatinate State Government, said: "As local and regional authorities, we are uniquely placed to understand the daily realities of AI's impact on citizens-from employment shifts to data governance. SEDEC is championing a people-centred, rights-based approach to the digital transition. We aim to ensure AI is used responsibly, inclusively, and transparently- never as a tool for exclusion or surveillance, but as a force for sustainable growth and smarter public policy."

Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Cultural and Sport address the conference via a video message and stated: "Already today, we are seeing AI helping us detect and remove harmful content online-from deepfakes to child sexual abuse material and exploitation. And its potential to do this faster, more accurately and at greater scale than ever before, is growing by the day. These technologies must be used to protect children and young people - not prey on them."

The conference discussions covered a range of AI-related challenges and opportunities, particularly in the EU's evolving legislative framework, the Artificial Intelligence Act, and the digital skills gap. Local and regional authorities shared examples of how AI is already being deployed to modernise public services, such as intelligent mobility systems, AI-powered analytics for community safety, and local government chatbots to enhance citizen access.

As the European Commission prepares to present the EU's next long-term budget post-2027 in July, new financial instruments are expected to be defined to enable the Union to deliver on key priorities such as security, competitiveness, and the digital and green transitions. In this context, local and regional leaders stressed that digital investment at regional level is crucial to bridge the innovation gap and ensure that no territory is left behind.

The event reaffirmed the critical role of sub-national governments in ensuring that AI development and deployment remain rooted in democratic oversight, ethical principles, and the everyday needs of Europe's citizens.

The Local Councils' Association and the Eastern Region reaffirmed their commitment to continuing this dialogue and building joint strategies for a smarter, fairer digital transition across all European territories.

Background

Video from the event.

Contact

Ângela Machado Tel: +351 967953519Angela.machado@cor.europa.eu