News

Natural risks and emergencies know no borders. Thankfully, neither do the Spain-Portugal emergency teams working on the ARIEM+ Interreg cooperation project. ARIEM+ has defined a Cross-Border territorial Emergencies plan and created a Single Operational Command Network for the joint management of human and material resources in risk situations, especially those derived from climate change (forest fires, floods). The project also includes aspects such as the training of personnel and awareness raising among the general population on both sides of the Spain-Portugal border.

In this episode of the Stories from the Regions series, we head to the outskirts of Kozani, Greece. In this so-called active urban planning zone, a modern campus is now home to three engineering departments of the University of Western Macedonia. This new infrastructure does not only provide researchers, teachers, and students of these departments with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, but also creates spaces for interdisciplinary collaboration and encounters.

Supporting 🇪🇺 Member States to implement new legislation, reap opportunities & deliver on their strategic reforms has been high on my agenda as Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms. See how we have been "Delivering on Reforms". (Read Commissioner Ferreira's thread on X)

The European Commission has approved a €10.82 billion French scheme to support the deployment of offshore wind energy, which will help foster the transition towards a net-zero economy.

The innovation performance of the European Union continues to improve at a steady pace, reaching a 10% increase since 2017 and a growth of 0.5% between 2023 and 2024. According to the 2024 edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) published today, most EU Member States have boosted their innovation performance, but the increase varies strongly from one to another.

Strengthening ties for a unified Cyprus! In 2023, the EU Aid Programme & the Green Line Regulation brought Cyprus another step closer to reunification. Have a look at our annual reports. Read all the highlights on Commissioner Ferreira's thread on X.

Communities for Climate (C4C) is a European Commission initiative empowering local action against climate change by supporting community-led projects. By providing financial, technical, and strategic assistance, C4C fosters innovative and sustainable solutions tailored to local needs, encouraging grassroots action. This initiative not only mitigates climate impacts but also promotes a culture of resilience and sustainability, serving as a model for broader change across Europe.

The European Commission has selected 6 projects for co-funding in Czechia aimed at promoting sustainable social infrastructure, improving the energy efficiency of public buildings and modernising transport infrastructure.

On June 26, the European Commission has published the 2024 Convergence Report in which it provides its assessment of the progress non-euro area Member States have made towards adopting the euro.

In coming years, the EU will face many challenges, from green, digital & demographic transitions, to future enlargements. A Europe that works for people includes strong public services. Our citizens rely on us and we must deliver. (Read Commissioner's Ferreira entire speech)

The host city for the much-anticipated Cities Forum 2025 is Krakow. The event, organised by the European Urban Initiative (EUI), is a platform for dialogue on the urban dimension of EU Cohesion policy. After careful assessment of applications and the vote of the EU Member States, Krakow has been selected to welcome urban stakeholders from all corners of Europe to the 6th edition of the Cities Forum.

Through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), the European Commission is currently providing support to 18 Member States through two flagship initiatives launched as part of the TSI 2024 cycle: “Overcoming Barriers to Regional Development” and “Fostering Skills Development Systems”.

On May 22, 2024, the European Urban Initiative (EUI) announced the results of its second call, which focused on three topics: greening cities, sustainable tourism, and harnessing talent in shrinking cities.

The European Commission launched two new I3 Instrument calls for proposal on 6 June 2024 with a combined budget of EUR 67 million. These calls are open to consortia of applicants from private organisations (SMEs, start-ups), public institutions and academia (universities, research organisations).

Citizens were involved in the local decision making process to validate investments in sustainable urban mobility and achieve the objective of a “greener, carbon free Europe”

The EU strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) aims to foster cohesion and reduce disparities between 10 countries. The 9th annual EUSAIR forum, held in Šibenik, Croatia from 15-16 May, discussed cohesion policy post-2027 and how the strategy can better respond to geopolitical crises and have greater local impact.

Sunday 23 of June, Malia, Olena and Sara, the young winners of the Megalizzi– Niedzielski prize for aspiring journalists, kicked off their trip across Europe that will take them to visit EU-funded projects from Venice to Malaga, through France. Follow their adventure on DG Regio's instagram page!

On Monday the 24 of June the Commission, has approved funding worth more than €110 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to revamp the Madrid-Seville high-speed railway line in Spain and ensure that the transport system becomes smarter, sustainable, and more efficient.

The Commission has identified 151 regions as Regional Innovation Valleys (RIVs), as part of the New European Innovation Agenda (NEIA). By bringing together a range of regions across Europe with different innovation levels and linking up their key innovation actors, RIVs aim to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems, bridge the innovation gap in Europe and improve Europe's overall innovation performance.

In a significant move to boost Greece's startup ecosystem, Greek Alternate Minister for Economy Nikos Papathanasis, EIF’s Director General Marjut Falkstedt, and EIB Group’s Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris have signed an agreement in Athens to extend the successful equity financial instrument (FI), known as EquiFund, for the 2021-27 period, co-financed by Greece's cohesion policy Competitiveness Programme.