"RegioFlash" Newsletter Issues

Cohesion policy 2021-2027 – budget in brief (01/12/2021)

The EU’s budget of EUR 392 billion for Cohesion policy over the next seven years represents an investment in national and regional programmes, including those to drive growth, jobs, social integration and better cooperation.

REACT-EU: €654 million for Spain and Hungary to support jobs, health care workers and vulnerable people (01/12/2021)

The Commission has approved €654 million to Spain and Hungary under REACT-EU following the modification of two European Social Fund (ESF) Operational Programmes (OP).

REACT-EU: more than €60 million to support health, SMEs and energy efficiency in three Polish regions (01/12/2021)

The Commission has approved more than €60 million to three Polish regions under the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) following the modification of the respective operational programmes (OP) for the European Regional Development Fund from the 2014-2020 financing period.

Online brochure on the ‘Urban Agenda for the EU – Multi-level governance in action’ has a new updated version (01/12/2021)

The Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU) is an innovative urban policy initiative which represents a new multi-level governance model that encourages cooperation among Member States, cities, the European Commission, and other stakeholders.

CITIES FORUM 2023 – Call for hosting cities (01/12/2021)

After a period of unprecedented challenges brought up by the pandemic, we are happy to announce that CITIES FORUM will be organised in physical and hybrid format in 2023. We are currently looking for the city where the FORUM will take place.

The Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions: a fruitful exchange to bring forward the new Commission’s Communication (24/11/2021)

The presidents of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Martin, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands met from 17 to 20 November to discuss the Commission’s proposals for a stronger partnership with the EU’s most remote regions.

Join us for the REGIOSTARS awards ceremony on 2 December (24/11/2021)

REGIOSTARS 2021 competition will culminate in the award ceremony held on Thursday 2 December at 19:30 (CET). During the award ceremony, the winners, including the winners of the public vote, will be announced. The ceremony will be live streamed and we are delighted to invite you to follow it on our website.

Call for proposals: Promoting youth participation in just transition – EUTeens4Green (24/11/2021)

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy is seeking proposals to manage a call for projects dedicated to young peoplels: Promoting youth participation in just transition – EUTeens4Green

Interreg contributes to the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea (24/11/2021)

Monday, representatives of the ENI CBC Black Sea Basin Programme participated in the Annual Stakeholders Conference

New publication: Study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the outermost regions (24/11/2021)

The study provides a preliminary snapshot of the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the European Union’s outermost regions and puts forward recommendations.

REGIOSTARS finalists shuttle Europe towards a greener future (17/11/2021)

To celebrate the European Year of Rail, green mobility was the topic of this year’s REGIOSTARS Awards – the annual competition organised by DG REGIO. The five finalists in this category are helping to revolutionise transport in Europe and harmonise the network as a whole.

The European Commission launches the call for expressions of interest for the European Community of Practice on Partnership 2021-2027 (17/11/2021)

The European Commission has launched the call for applications to become members of the European Community of Practice on Partnership 2021-2027.

REACT-EU: Commission approves more than €114 million of additional resources for a green and digital recovery in France and Austria (17/11/2021)

The Commission has granted more than €114 million to France and Austria under the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) following the modification of two Operational Programmes (OP) of the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund (ESF).

EU launches a new city cooperation programme: International City Partnerships (17/11/2021)

The International City Partnerships: Acting for Green and Inclusive Recovery is a project of the European Union and managed by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission. The project will be implemented from October 2021 – March 2023 and originate in a pilot project of the European Parliament.

CBC Karelia Finland-Russia brings green energy to rural areas (17/11/2021)

The Karelia CBC program experiments with small scale wind turbines and solar panels to bring clean electricity to rural areas

REACT-EU: €50 million to support health, SMEs and energy efficiency in three Polish regions (10/11/2021)

The Commission has granted €50 million to three Polish regions under the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU) following the modification of the respective Operational Programmes (OP) of the European Regional Development Fund from the 2014-2020 financing period.

The EU Stategy for the Danube Region celebrates 10 years of implementation – and people talk about it (10/11/2021)

Communication around the EUSDR’s anniversary is gaining traction! For 10 years, the EUSDR has helped to create a smart and sustainable future for the Danube Region. The Danube Strategy Point, central body of the EUSDR, is celebrating those 10 years of successful implementation with a new and improved communication strategy.

60 young people write the "Manifesto of Pyrenean Youth" (10/11/2021)

The members of the Trans-Pyrenean Youth Forum have met from 1st to 3rd October 2021 in the municipality of El Pueyo de Jaca (Aragon). The members have worked in the following cross-border thematic committees: Labor and Emancipation; Feminism, LGTBIQ+ Rights; Racism; Culture, Language & identity, Tourism & Mobility; and Nature and Sustainability. Discover the outcome of the Trans-Pyrenean Youth Forum 2021: the Manifesto of the Pyrenean Youth.

Together for the Planet! ENI CBC Med at COP26 (10/11/2021)

On the 9th November, the ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea programme was featured at COP26 EU in an online session about climate and energy action.

Changes to EU managed fund rules cut red tape (10/11/2021)

The Common Provisions Regulation (CPR), which sets out common rules for EU shared management funds, has been made simpler and more adaptable, allowing EU countries and regions to access and use funding faster when there are unexpected challenges. Requirements for better communication and transparency will benefit citizens.

REACT-EU: Commission approves €923 million of additional resources for the recovery in Spain (03/11/2021)

The Commission has granted €923 million for the recovery and digital and green transition of Spain under REACT-EU to be implemented through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) operational programmes.

Interreg Baltic Sea Region – making age-friendly, green mobility a reality (03/11/2021)

The GreenSAM project focuses on the development of age-friendly green mobility solutions based on needs of older people. This was done thanks to participatory tools used in six cities across the Baltic Sea region.

Web Summit: Cohesion Policy one of the main investment policies for SMEs and the digital industry (03/11/2021)

The Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) is part of an EU delegation participating in this year’s Web Summit (private sector event for businesses in the tech industry), which is taking place from 1 November to 4 November in Lisbon, Portugal.

Tiny Houses, when eco-construction rhymes with solidarity! (03/11/2021)

In the space of one year, thanks to the Interreg CE2S project, 10 Belgian and French learners became multi-skilled workers in eco-construction, but with a somewhat unusual final assessment: the construction of 2 small, comfortable and ecological houses, intended to serve as emergency accommodation in the Mons region (Belgium).

Young EU journalists make headline news (03/11/2021)

Every year, the Megalizzi - Niedzielski prize is awarded to aspiring journalists participating in DG REGIO’s Youth4Regions programme who show a strong attachment to the EU and its values. Panorama sat down to chat with the two winners of the 2021 prize during the 19th European Week of Regions and Cities in October.

The Future is in Your Hands: Hear the #VoiceoftheWeek! (27/10/2021)

On 11 October, during the European Week of Regions and Cities citizen’s dialogue, Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Regional Policy and Reforms, kicked off the so-called #VoiceOfTheWeek survey.

Involving the youngest - Interreg Croatia-Serbia launches “My vision of a green Europe” contest (27/10/2021)

To celebrate the European Day of Cooperation, the program launches an online art competition.

Kick-off of the 10th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (27/10/2021)

Yesterday, Commissioner Ferreira opened the 10th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) together with the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Eduard Heger.

Save the date - 6th Edition of the Mediterranean Coast and Macro-regional Strategies Week (27/10/2021)

A series of hybrid events will address the current challenges and the future potential of the Adriatic Sea and Coast.

Europe in my region: the EU and its regions are stronger together, also in communication (27/10/2021)

“Europe in my region” is an umbrella communication initiative that aims to feature the actions of the EU in the regions of the 27 Member States. In collaboration with partner regions and project beneficiaries, this co-owned initiative aims to engage with citizens and show what is made possible near them, thanks to co-funding efforts between the EU and their regions.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology supports the New European Bauhaus with €5 million (20/10/2021)

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is today launching the ‘EIT Community Booster – Scaling New European Bauhaus Ventures' in order to support the New European Bauhaus initiative.

Call for proposals 2021 - Support for information measures relating to EU Cohesion policy (20/10/2021)

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy is seeking, for the fifth time in a row, proposals for editorially independent reporting on cohesion policy.

TerritoriALL, the ESPON magazine: the new issue is now available (13/10/2021)

This entire issue of ESPON magazine has been dedicated to the most iconic annual event for regional and local authorities in Europe: the #EURegionsWeek. This special issue includes insightful and inspiring articles from the President of the Committee of the Regions, the EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms and the President of the REGI Committee of the European Parliament.

How UAEU partnerships can be used by policy and decision-makers to end homelessness and provide adequate and affordable housing (13/10/2021)

This article questions the definition of a just city and the role of housing, and depicts city examples framed by Urban Poverty, Housing, and Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees Partnerships. Reflecting on viewpoints and solutions for the future of European housing policies, as well as how cities may benefit from the examples presented.

Working Paper: Where does the EU cohesion policy produce its impact? Simulations with a regional dynamic general equilibrium model (13/10/2021)

A question keeps coming back in the discussions on how the benefits and the costs of the policy are shared among the Member States: what are the returns to the net contributors from the policy interventions in the net beneficiaries?

Together for Recovery: European Week of Regions and Cities focuses on resilient future (20/10/2021)

With lively debates, a citizens’ dialogue and more than 300 sessions featuring examples of EU-funded initiatives, the European Week of Regions and Cities established a vision of a resilient, green, digital, and inclusive future for all.

Commission approves €2 billion of additional resources for the recovery in Italy, Spain, Luxembourg and Romania (05/10/2021)

The Commission has granted €2 billion to Italy, Spain, Luxembourg and Romania following the modification of two European Regional Development Fund, one European Social Fund (ESF) and one Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived Operational Programmes (OP) under the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories in Europe (REACT-EU).

Commission’s technical support to Greece in tackling the structural reasons for wildfires crisis (05/10/2021)

The Commission has approved a new project to support to Greece through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) to help the country tackle the natural disaster of the recent wildfires.

12th Baltic Sea Strategy Annual Forum (05/10/2021)

The 12th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) organised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Kaunas, Klaipėda, and the Union of the Baltic Cities, is taking place until 1 October.

Stories from the regions: Hand Therapy Robots from Mainz, Germany (05/10/2021)

This episode of “Stories from the Regions” reaches us from Mainz, Germany. Lime Medical seeks to revolutionize hand therapy by using digital solutions and intelligent technology.

Support for a sustainable and competitive tourism sector (05/10/2021)

The EU is committed to encouraging a more sustainable tourism industry, with Interreg playing an important role in funding tangible local strategies to achieve that goal, writes Laurence Moureh-Ledig.

#EURegionsWeek 14-21 October 2021: Time to Register (29/09/2021)

The #EURegionsWeek 2021 is approaching! 300 sessions spread over 4 days, almost 850 speakers from all over the EU and beyond, 365 hours of interactive conferences, more than 100 video clips and 30 stands will show stories and testimonials about projects on the ground. Make sure you are part of it too by downloading the event app or visiting the event platform to register, add sessions to your agenda and be able to connect!

Commissioner Ferreira visits Greece to discuss recovery and reforms (29/09/2021)

Elisa Ferreira, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, will visit Greece from 29 September to 1 October to discuss Cohesion policy’s Partnership Agreements (PA) 2021-2027 and the energy transition with several members of the Government as well as stakeholders.

Italy, Spain and Germany will receive more than €1.2 billion to support employment, social inclusion and digital transition (29/09/2021)

The Commission has granted more than €1.2 billion to six operational programmes (OPs) of the European Social Fund in Italy, Germany and Spain to help these countries recover from the coronavirus emergency through REACT-EU.

New Staff Working Document published for the Just Transition Fund (29/09/2021)

As part of the European Green Deal, the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) was set up to leave no person and no region behind in the transition towards a climate-neutral economy.

Project selection: the Economic Appraisal Vademecum (21/09/2021)

How do you ensure the optimal allocation of available funding and verify that the projects supported are good value for money? The Economic Appraisal Vademecum highlights different methods to select the projects that are best fit to reach the regional development goals defined by EU regions and countries.

Youth.DanubeSalon: join the several events to shape the Danube region (21/09/2021)

On 15th October, tree online events will take place to gather young people from all 14 Danube countries.

Online info day: “Interregional Innovation Investment – I3” grants (21/09/2021)

Learn more about the calls and how to apply! On 19th October, a team of experts will share insights about the work programme & application process. Online info day for potential applicants.

Call for Interest – Just Transition Platform working groups (21/09/2021)

Under this call, DG REGIO seeks expressions of interest from various stakeholders from the EU territories most affected by the transition to a sustainable and climate-neutral economy, willing to be member of one of the Just Transition Platform (JTP) working groups.

Europe’s cities achieve success using green approaches (22/09/2021)

A range of tools and funding support is available to help Europe’s cities transition to greener, more sustainable urban development. These include EU guidelines on a green procurement. Some cities are already making the most of what is on offer to improve their urban development planning strategies and to launch innovative projects.