REGIOFLASH: latest news on Regional and Urban Policy

An important milestone for Europe's border regions: the BRIDGEforEU Regulation has been adopted, paving the way for smoother cross-border cooperation. From healthcare access to event planning, life at the border is set to become simpler, fairer and more connected for 150 million citizens.

Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto is visiting Sweden on 21-22 May to discuss the priorities of cohesion policy with national, regional, and local leaders. The visit will also cover the Commission's recent proposal to modernize and align cohesion policy with emerging priorities, like competitiveness and defense.

On 20 May 2025, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Piotr Serafin, European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, delivered opening speeches at the Annual EU Budget Conference 2025.

The strategic project EMERGENCY, co-financed by Interreg Poland-Ukraine programme 2021-2027 was launched on 15 May 2025 in Ostrołęka (Poland). This is a major infrastructure project of key importance for the border regions, which is in line with Poland’s and Ukraine’s health policy objectives.

When geopolitical tensions intensify, the Interreg Lithuania-Poland programme strengthens support to people, builds resilience, and proves that cooperation is Europe's strongest currency. In a region united by a shared history and modern security challenges, Poland and Lithuania are taking decisive steps to strengthen not just their borders, but their communities.

Following the devastating cyclone Chido of December 2024 in Mayotte, the Commission has today granted to France an advance payment of close to €24 million from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to ease the burden of the recovery and reconstruction efforts.

More than 6.1 million people have received training under the Pact for Skills since its launch in 2020, according to the results of the 2024 Pact's annual survey. Over 3,200 organisations that invest in skills development have now joined the Pact, including industry, social partners, education and training providers, local authorities and employment services.

The European Commission will put forward an ambitious policy agenda for cities. This agenda should provide a vision for the future of cities, looking at issues such as housing, climate action, digitalisation, mobility, social inclusion and equality. It should also harness the potential of cities as innovation, growth and competitiveness engines. The call is open until 26 May 2025 midnight.

Several departments of the European Commission have joined forces to create a showcase page, providing information on EU Funding and Tenders opportunities. They’ve now launched the related Friday Funds newsletter — subscribe to stay regularly informed! Each month, discover inspiring real-life stories of EU-funded projects making a difference across Europe — for people, communities, and the planet.

The European Commission has adopted the 5th biennial report on the implementation of the EU macro-regional strategies: the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, the Danube Region, the Adriatic and Ionian Region, and the Alpine Region.

The Mediterranean is warming up at an alarming speed — 20% faster than the global average — placing its environment and ecosystems at serious risk. During the 2014–2020 programming period, 228 Interreg cooperation projects across the Mediterranean region have actively addressed nature protection and biodiversity conservation, aiming to balance human activity with environmental sustainability, while using research and innovation to promote greener jobs and businesses.