EU Week of Regions and Cities convenes 5,000 participants to discuss the future of cohesion policy

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

The 24^th European Week of Regions and Cities opens today in Brussels, bringing together nearly 5,000 participants from across Europe under the motto ‘Strong Regions, Strong Europe’.

Convened by the European Commission and hosted by Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, in partnership with the European Committee of the Regions, the three-day event is bringing together local and regional authorities, policymakers, project promoters and practitioners, researchers and journalists to discuss the future of Europe’s regions and cities.

This year’s opening ceremony will feature high-level speakers, including European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, European Council President, António Costa, and the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Kata Tüttő.

Participants from all over Europe will exchange views on the role of EU Cohesion Policy in strengthening regional development, supporting the ‘Right to Stay’ for every EU citizen in the place they call home, and boosting the Union’s competitiveness.

Supporting the ‘Right to Stay’

Many regions across Europe are facing the challenge of population loss, due to natural population decline or people moving away. Over the past two decades, one in three Europeans – a total of 149 million people – have lived in a region that has lost population. Supporting the ‘Right to Stay’ means creating the conditions for people and communities to prosper where they live, with access to economic opportunities, quality public services, education and skills, and the infrastructure they need, including good transport and digital connectivity.

Discussions during the week, including a high-level session with Executive Vice-President Fitto on Tuesday, and a series of partner sessions on the same day will feed into the preparation of a strategy on the ‘Right to Stay’ planned for adoption in early 2027. It will follow the Commission’s territorial strategies, which address the specific needs and challenges of different types of territories including cities, the eastern regions bordering Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, islands and coastal communities and the outermost regions.

Cohesion and competitiveness, two sides of the same coin

On Wednesday, discussions will focus on how cohesion policy can help build a more competitive Europe. In the 2021-2027 programming period, €220 billion in cohesion funds are already contributing to the priorities of the Competitiveness Compass. The recent mid-term review of cohesion policy also showed how regions and Member States are adapting investments to Europe’s emerging priorities. In total, regions and Member States voluntarily reallocated €34.6 billion to areas such as competitiveness, housing, defence, water and energy resilience. Of this amount, €15.2 billion was redirected specifically to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, including by providing vital support for technologies that are essential for Europe’s future.

Showcasing results and recognising excellence

The European Week of Regions and Cities is also an opportunity to highlight concrete results on the ground and recognise the people behind projects that are making Europe more cohesive.

This year, a record number of 274 applications have been submitted for the REGIOSTARS Awards, which celebrate the best projects supported by cohesion policy. 25 finalist projects have been selected and will be presented during the Week. The winners will be announced by the Commission at the REGIOSTARS Awards ceremony on Wednesday 14 October at 19:00, which can also be followed via web stream.

The Commission will also award the Megalizzi-Niedzielski Prize to three talented young aspiring journalists. The prize honours the memory of Antonio Megalizzi and Bartek Niedzielski, two young journalists who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Strasbourg in December 2018. The ceremony can be followed via web stream on the same day at 17:30.

For more information

24^th European Week of Regions and Cities

Official Opening of the European Week of Regions and Cities 

REGIOSTARS Awards 

Megalizzi-Niedzielski Prize 

Cohesion policy 2021-2027

Mid-term-review of cohesion policy