#EUdatathon 2020: innovating for Europe with EU Open Data (19/02/2020)
The fourth edition of EU Datathon, the open data competition, has been launched on 19 February. This is your chance to demonstrate the potential that open data present in today’s society and, of course, your creativity and talent! It is also your chance to claim your share of the total prize fund amounting to EUR 100 000.
To take part, you should propose the development of an application that links and uses open datasets, of which at least one from the thousands made available by the EU institutions, agencies and bodies. For more detailed information, see the rules of the competition.
Engaging citizens in the implementation of cohesion policy: call for expression of interest (11/02/2020)
Managing Authorities and intermediate bodies of ERDF and CF operational programmes are invited to apply for a Commission pilot project “Engaging citizens in the implementation of cohesion policy”. If selected, they can benefit from tailored advisory support in developing a closer cooperation with citizens and/or civil society organisations in the implementation of cohesion policy. The advisory support will be provided in close cooperation with the OECD.
Engaging with citizens and relevant civil society organisations in decision-making processes can improve the delivery and quality of investments. Selected managing authorities will receive support to strengthen their participatory practices and experience from the pilot will serve as inspiration to build good practices for effective use of the European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Fund.
SAVE-THE-DATE: OUTERMOST REGIONS FORUM – 24 & 25 MARCH (06/02/2020)
Join us for the 2020 Outermost regions Forum “Together for a sustainable future” organised by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy)!
Date: 24-25 March 2020
Venue: Brussels, Charlemagne building
This high-level event will bring together the nine outermost regions of the EU, their Member States, the EU institutions, civil society and experts interested in learning from the experience of these special EU regions.
The Forum will take stock of the progress made under the 2017 Communication “A stronger and renewed strategic partnership with the EU outermost regions”, two years after its adoption. It will also discuss the role of the outermost regions in adapting to climate change and protecting biodiversity, promoting circular economy as well as their significant blue economy potential.
Panorama 71: Portugal’s agenda prioritises growth and sustainability (15/01/2020)
The winter issue of Panorama magazine is now available to download, and this time Portugal takes centre stage.
High-level conference “Engaging citizens for good governance in Cohesion Policy”: detailed agenda unveiled (15/01/2020)
On 6 February 2020 a high-level conference on engaging citizens and civil society in Cohesion Policy will take place in Brussels. The event, organised by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, will bring together citizens, representatives of civil society, politicians, policy-makers and academia from across the EU and beyond and will focus on how to foster closer cooperation with citizens and civil society and give them a more prominent role in the governance of the policy, as well as in the implementation of the EU-funded projects on the ground and the dissemination of their results.
Financing the green transition: The European Green Deal Investment Plan and Just Transition Mechanism (15/01/2020)
The European Union is committed to becoming the first climate-neutral bloc in the world by 2050. This requires significant investment from both the EU and the national public sector, as well as the private sector. The European Green Deal's Investment Plan - the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan - presented today will mobilise public investment and help to unlock private funds through EU financial instruments, notably InvestEU, which would lead to at least €1 trillion of investments.
While all Member States, regions and sectors will need to contribute to the transition, the scale of the challenge is not the same. Some regions will be particularly affected and will undergo a profound economic and social transformation. The Just Transition Mechanism will provide tailored financial and practical support to help workers and generate the necessary investments in those areas.
Join us for the 2020 Outermost regions Forum “Together for a sustainable future” (19/12/2019)
Join us for the 2020 Outermost regions Forum “Together for a sustainable future”, organised by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy)!
Date: 24-25 March 2020
Venue: Brussels, Charlemagne building
Registrations open for high-level conference “Engaging citizens for good governance in Cohesion Policy” (25/11/2019)
On 6 February 2020 a high-level conference on engaging citizens and civil society in Cohesion Policy will take place in Brussels. The event, organised by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, will bring together citizens, representatives of civil society, politicians, policy-makers and academia from across the EU and beyond and will focus on how to foster cooperation with citizens and civil society and give them a more prominent role in the governance of the policy, in the implementation of the EU-funded projects on the ground and the dissemination of their results. Registrations are now open here.
New training opportunities for ESIF authorities (25/11/2019)
Following the positive feedback from the training sessions on Identifying and preventing fraud and corruption in ESIF 2014-2020 organised in 2019, we are pleased to announce the organisation of two additional training sessions.
The training is provided free of charge to participants from ERDF, CF and ESF Managing Authorities, Intermediate Bodies and Audit Authorities. Participants have to cover their travel and accommodation costs.
The training in the words of our participants:
“It was a really good experience. Thank you so much!”
“Very well organised. Delivery of topics and presentations were of a very high standard.”
“Very worthwhile experience!"
Panorama 70: Smart moves boost Danish business (20/11/2019)
The autumn issue of Panorama magazine is now available to download, full of new developments revealed at this year’s European Week of Regions and Cities.
We outline the main findings of both the recently published Regional Competitiveness Index and the Eurobarometer survey on the public’s awareness and appreciation of regional policy. We also profile all the finalists, and reveal the winners, of this year’s Regiostars awards for the most innovative EU-funded projects.
Our focus this time is on Denmark, which has recently launched a new Danish Executive Board for Business Development and Growth to handle Cohesion funds. In an interview the Board’s vice-director Sigmund Lubanski explains what the changes mean; we also profile recent successful Danish projects.
Panorama 70: Smart moves boost Danish business (10/10/2019)
The autumn issue of Panorama magazine is now available to download, full of new developments revealed at this year’s European Week of Regions and Cities.
We outline the main findings of both the recently published Regional Competitiveness Index and the Eurobarometer survey on the public’s awareness and appreciation of regional policy. We also profile all the finalists, and reveal the winners, of this year’s Regiostars awards for the most innovative EU-funded projects.
Our focus this time is on Denmark, which has recently launched a new Danish Executive Board for Business Development and Growth to handle Cohesion funds. In an interview the Board’s vice-director Sigmund Lubanski explains what the changes mean; we also profile recent successful Danish projects.
Cohesion Policy: Commission announces winners of the 2019 REGIOSTARS awards (10/10/2019)
The winners of the annual REGIOSTARS awards - celebrating outstanding Cohesion Policy projects - have been announced in Brussels. Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Enlargement Negotiations and Regional Policy, Johannes Hahn, who handed the prizes last night, said: “RegioStars winners stand out as innovative and inspiring examples of how Cohesion Policy can be used to create jobs, innovate and improve quality of life for local communities.”
Find out the identities of the winners at the link.
Boosting Your Cross-Border Region through Better Transport – Register Now! (25/09/2019)
The European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy and Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport organise on 14 November 2019 in Brussels, Belgium a conference on Boosting Cross-Border Regions through better Transport.
The event comes as a natural follow-up to the study on missing rail links and will share the results of the study to a broad range of stakeholders and launches a public debate on the challenges of cross-border public transport services.
The conference will bring together organisations associated with provision of transport networks and transport services and organisations engaged in cross-border cooperation.
The registration site is now open and can be reached by clicking on the following link: https://eu.eventscloud.com/rossbordertransport
New deadline: Take our short survey and help us improve our communication! (10/09/2019)
The European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO) regularly communicates about the European Union’s regional policy that supports job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, sustainable development, and improves citizens’ quality of life.
We are currently evaluating whether our communication tools are accessible, useful and relevant to those like you, with an interest in the regional policy. Our short survey available online will only take you 10 minutes to fill in and will help us improve our communication.
We have extended the deadline for the submission of the answers: your feedback is welcome until 22 September 2019.
Have your say on the future of investment in Europe’s digital economy (10/09/2019)
If you would like your voice to be heard on issues such as:
• Should the EU should support Digital Innovation Hubs to help SMEs and local administrations in their digital transition?
• Is it strategically important to have a well-connected network of regional hubs to support SMEs and local administrations in their digital transition?
• How can synergies and complementarity with other sources of public funding, whether from Member States and/or EU programmes be ensured?
• How important do you rate the support for deployment of digital solutions for a clean planet, agri-food, smart communities, intelligent transport, health and care, justice, security or cultural heritage?
Please respond to the on-line consultation by 25th of October: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/have-your-say-future-investment-europes-digital-economy
Connecting Europe Facility 2021-2027: make your voice heard in the public consultation by 11 September (10/09/2019)
The public consultation to gather the views of stakeholders on the priority areas for EU digital infrastructure investments under the Connecting Europe Facility and the best ways to address existing connectivity needs with CEF2.
• What would be the best way, to ensure synergies and complementarity with other sources of public funding, including ERDF?
• Which cross-border 5G corridors should be prioritised in CEF2?
The consultation is open until 11 September 2019.
See Commission proposal for CEF2
Save the date - Boosting Cross-Border Regions through better Transport (10/09/2019)
The European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy and Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport organise on 14 November 2019 in Brussels, Belgium a conference on Boosting Cross-Border Regions through better Transport.
The event comes as a natural follow-up to the study on missing rail links and will share the results of the study to a broad range of stakeholders and launches a public debate on the challenges of cross-border public transport services.
The conference will bring together organisations associated with provision of transport networks and transport services and organisations engaged in cross-border cooperation.
Invitations will be sent by the end of September 2019, with instructions on how to access the conference portal and to register for the event.
UDN @ European Week of Regions and Cities 2019 (10/09/2019)
Join one or more Urban Development Network- labelled sessions in the European Week of Regions and Cities 2019! The objective will be to gather urban practitioners and Managing Authorities to present and exchange on the elements of Sustainable Urban Development in 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy, as well as on Urban Innovative Actions and URBIS. You can find all UDN sessions by adding ‘UDN’ in the ‘Filter by Keyword’ function under the Main programme webpage.