Moves towards a greener economy are a key EU policy aim. But what will such an economy look like? It will certainly put an end to greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and pollution. Existing technologies will have to be made more sustainable, while on the labour market, new clean technology skills will be needed.

The European Commission launched on 6 June 2024 two new I3 Instrument calls for proposals with a 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).

Save the Date and Call for Speakers for the flagship Smart Specialisation (S3) event of the year! The S3 Conference 2024, organised by DG REGIO and the S3 Community of Practice, in partnership with Emilia-Romagna Region and with the support of the Municipality of Rimini, gathers key stakeholders to network, discuss policy and implementation, and share best practices. The conference will focus on successful Smart Specialisation design and implementation, interregional collaboration, and the role of S3 in connecting Regional Innovation Valleys under the New European Innovation Agenda.

Last week marked the closing events of three Cohesion Policy programmes in Bulgaria from the 2014-2020 financing period, highlighting the achievements and impact across the country of the Operational Programmes Innovation and Competitiveness, Science and Education for Smart Growth and Environment.

The European Commission approved an advancement payment of EUR 11.6 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to support the French region Nord-Pas-de-Calais in addressing the severe damages caused by heavy rainfall and rivers overflows in November 2023. The flooding resulted in numerous mudslides, road closures, significant economic losses and forced thousands of residents to leave their homes.

Ministers will exchange views on the link between cohesion policy and the EU strategic agenda for 2024-2029, set to be adopted by the European Council at its meeting on 27 and 28 June 2024.

The Urban Agenda for the EU Thematic Partnerships on Greening Cities and Sustainable Tourism have launched a Public Consultation with the aim of collecting feedback on their draft Action Plans. Both Partnerships submitted their draft Action Plans in April this year and the feedback collected will be taken into consideration for the finalisation of

Commissioner Ferreira visited LEAG in Boxberg, Saxony, discussing plans to reconvert from lignite to green hydrogen. Saxony is 1 of 4 German regions benefiting from €2.5 billion support from the Just Transition Fund to create new economic opportunities for regions affected by green transition. (Check the thread on X)

Smart Regions: Less energy-intensive waterway management thanks to EU funded project “Green Win”