The spring issue of Panorama magazine, which is now available to download, covers a wide range of topics from urban issues to culture and industrial transition. We have an exclusive interview with Commissioner Corina Creţu, looking back over the past four years and what Cohesion Policy has achieved in that time. Our regional focus this time features North-West Romania, with a selection of projects and commentary from the Emil Boc, mayor of Cluj-Napoca and Marcel Ioan Boloş, head of the Regional Development Agency. We also explore the findings of a recent URBACT report into how city authorities can help achieve gender equality in a variety of areas, and find out how the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative is helping islands generate their own sustainable power.

This year's call on cross-border partnerships in the area of labour mobility has just been published

The TAIEX-EIR PEER 2 PEER programme, which was launched by the Commission's DG Environment in 2017 is proving to be a practical tool that facilitates peer-to-peer learning between environmental authorities

The ‘Interreg Project Slam 2019’ is part of the work implemented by Interact Programme promoting innovative communication approaches related to capitalisation of Interreg results. The aim of this initiative is to demonstrate how Interreg works and how its cooperation model could be enlarged/transferred.

2020 will mark the 30th anniversary of Interreg, the European Union Instrument to promote cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation

The Association of European Border Regions managing the Interreg Volunteer Youth programme launches a new action to strengthen citizens' voices and their awareness of EU Cohesion Policy

'At the meeting and while preparing it, I could feel how important it is that we are part of the European Union, what the benefits of it are and what our obligations are'.

Commissioners Crețu and Andriukaitis have brought together health professionals to kick-start the reflection on future EU investments in health under the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy programmes. In the context of the roundtable held today at the Commission with health associations such as European Health Management Association and EuroHealthNet, the Commissioners launched a pilot project to improve cross-border emergency services in the Pyrenees between the border regions of France, Spain and the Principality of Andorra. They also announced that health will be this year’s new category for the RegioStars Awards. The Regiostars on-line application platform is open from 19 February until 9 May 2019. The winners in the five categories, and the winner of the public choice, will receive their well-deserved price at the festive REGIOSTARS ceremony, to take place in Brussels in October 2019.

EU cities who wish to exchange with a city facing similar sustainable urban development challenges in another global region are encouraged to apply to take part in the International Urban Cooperation (IUC) city-to-city cooperation programme. To date, over 60 pairings have been established between local governments in Europe and in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America through the IUC programme. The programme aims to foster international links at the local level, enabling local leaders to gain new perspectives on pressing sustainable development issues. Barcelona (Spain) and New York City (USA), Rotterdam (The Netherlands) and Surat (India), Rome (Italy) and Yantai (China), and Almada (Portugal) and Belo Horizonte (Brazil) are among the established IUC pairings working together. To join the cooperation programme, local governments must fill in an online form by 04 March 2019.

On behalf of the European Commission, we invite you to our 2019 Retail Workshops! These events will provide you with an opportunity to better understand how you can help revitalise and modernise the small retail sector in your area. They will be based on the European Commission policy for retail, contained in the Communication on a ‘European retail sector fit for the 21st Century’ and the guide ‘Facing the Future’ a practical guide for fostering the revitalisation and modernisation of the small retail sector. You can read the guide here: Guide for revitalising and modernising the small retail sector’. Workshops: How to revitalise and modernise your small retailers ‘Facing the Future’ contains ideas and practical suggestions on how to assess the needs of your area and tailor initiatives, based on real-life examples, gathered from success stories across the EU, to help small retailers modernise and digitalise. Register now!

Preparations for the 17th European Week of Regions and Cities are officially launched today with a kick-off meeting at the European Committee of the Regions. More than 150 partners are expected to participate. Follow our kick-off meeting live at 11:00 TODAY Join us online through web-streaming! After a broad online consultation (2 634 respondents), the emerging 3 top themes for 2019 edition are: The Future of the EU and the roles of Regions and Cities, A Europe Closer to Citizens, A greener Europe In light of these main issues, the European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy are now looking for event partners. Are you interested? Visit the 'Become an Event Partner' section of the 2019 website, read through the guide for partners and the guide for regional partnerships and apply no later than March 29th.

The 10th Annual forum of the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region will take place the 12 & 13 June 2019, in Gdansk (Poland). Under the thematic "Circular and sharing economy as an answer to demographic changes and environmental challenges in the Baltic Sea Region", 18 slots for 90-minute seminars will be discussing essential topics among all interested stakeholders! Have your say! Fill the form for participation here and submit your proposals to the Organiser via e-mail: 10thAnnualForum@pomorskie.eu by 15th February 2019.

The report aims to facilitate discussions on the added value of MRS in the Council by demonstrating how the MRS are catalysers for the regional policy and sectorial policies.

The RegioStars Awards will identify good practices in regional development, and highlight original and innovative projects that are attractive and inspiring to other regions.

At this year’s EUSALP forum in Innsbruck, young people (16-25 years old) were given the opportunity to ‘pitch’ their innovative project ideas to the audience of over 700 European, national, regional and local stakeholders.

The Romanian Presidency will hold the eighth Annual Forum of the European Strategy for the Danube Region.

The 10th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region’s will take place in Gdańsk on 12-13 June 2019.

The Interreg annual event 2019 will take place on 22 to 23 of May 2019 in Bucharest, at the Palace of Parliament.

The successful Interreg projects have gain additional visibility through the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.

The “EU PROTECTS – together we protect” campaign shares the stories of the everyday heroes who all over Europe join forces to make the EU a safer, more sustainable and inclusive place to live.