Recognising the urgency of achieving Europe’s climate change targets, the EU is investing one-third of its cohesion policy budget in regional projects to reduce emissions and help countries, businesses and people adapt to new realities.

The Flash Eurobarometer on Citizens’ Awareness and perception of EU regional policy is run every two years. The latest edition shows that the positive perception levels remain high in many EU countries.

On 9th October, at the press conference launching the 21st European Week of Regions and Cities, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, came together to underline the crucial role that Cohesion Policy has been playing in mitigating the effects of the energy crisis and in providing help to those fleeing Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as to the people and regions welcoming them.

With 312 sessions, over 451 speakers from across the EU and beyond, 256 hours of interactive conferences, 12 high-level sessions, including a Citizens' Dialogue with the Commissioner, and 49 stands showcasing stories and testimonials of projects on the ground, the EURegionsWeek promises to have something for everyone. Follow key sessions live online.

The implementation of the EU Solidarity Fund assistance in Croatia is a European success story. The earthquakes in 2020-2021 damaged around 26,000 buildings in Zagreb, Petrinja and the Sisak-Moslavina county.

Last week marked the end of the successful “Grande Progetto Pompei”, a major project to restore the Pompeii archaeological site, a global tourist attraction, cultural landmark, and a driver for the local economy. The project lasted 10 years and received more than €78 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).