European Week of Regions
and Cities

This is your last chance to register. Registration for sessions at European Week of Regions and Cities 2019 is open until 27 September. Browse through the programme with more than 300 sessions on the #EURegionsWeek website and finalise your selection.

We would like to ensure we move forward together and everyone in the EU feels involved and able to contribute to our shared future.

On 7 October from 18:00 to 19:00 come and join the Citizens’ Dialogue and have a say in our funding priorities.

Young citizens (with a French and Dutch linguistic balance reflecting the Belgian focus) will engage in a structured dialogue on EU issues and interact with European Commission high-level representative.

A further exchange with the public may be foreseen through Sli.do

As a key action to follow the Paris Agreement, the EU has committed to reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting coal-fired power generation is an important element in this context, which will have tangible effects on Europe's coal-producing regions. The structural change initiated by energy policy decisions poses enormous challenges for the regions affected, which need support if the phasing-out of coal is successful. Cohesion Policy could play a key role and the success depends on the ability of local and regional authorities to manage this energy transformation at the local and regional level.

This session with high-level political representatives from coal regions in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Spain and Romania will provide a unique opportunity to discuss the need for a structural response to the transition of coal regions and the potential role of cohesion policy for this. Moreover, the content of regional exit strategies focussing on the specific needs at regional level will be also addressed.

Visit the #EURegionsWeek programme webpage and register for the session!

More than 50 side events will be organised during the European Week of Regions and Cities 2019. Explore the side events programme, recently published on #EURegionsWeek website.

As an example find out more about Shift2Rail side event, which is looking for cooperation with regions!

There is an opportunity for regions to collaborate with Shift2Rail to align research agendas and Smart Specialisation Strategy priorities in rail R&I to maximise the impact and efficiency of public funding.

Join Shift2Rail’s Regional Cooperation Workshop bringing together representatives from the regions, the European Commission and Parliament as well as Joint Undertakings to discuss possibilities for collaboration. This workshop will offer stakeholders the possibility to share expertise and success stories as well as to discuss possibilities to further enhance cooperation. The Shift2Rail Regional Cooperation Workshop will take place in the White Atrium Building at Avenue de la Toison d’Or 56-60, Brussels on 9 October from 12:30 to 17:30.

The new Europe 2020 strategy focusing on "Climate change and energy sustainability" is emerging. The workshop taking place in the SQUARE convention centre at 11am on 10 October aims to provide fresh ideas and innovative solutions for better governance of modern cities by using ICT solutions and models of active participation. By developing quality IT tools, consulting and policy advice the workshop will offer some ideas and advice on turnkey smart city management in the areas of: 1) Public safety 2) Energy efficiency 3) Ecology and 4) Open governance.

Register by 27 September on the event webpage.

The Catching Up Regions Initiative – an action led by the European Commission with support from the World Bank and national experts - is supporting the least developed regions in Poland, Romania, Croatia and Slovakia. A key aim of the initiative is to examine the factors that hold back growth and investments in those regions despite having benefited heavily from Cohesion Policy funds together with developing tailor-made regional solutions. A unique set of panellists, including representatives of the European Commission in charge of the EU funds, experts from the World Bank and key actors from the regions will debate and interact with the audience on 9th October, from 16:30 to 19:00, in the SQUARE convention centre.

If you want to learn how YOUR region can catch-up and benefit from this tailor-made initiative, do not hesitate to join us at the discussion.

Register by 27 September on the event webpage.

More information:

The Catching Up Regions initiative