Panorama 62: Boosting innovation across the regions (23/10/2017)

The autumn issue of Panorama focusses on innovation. An interview with Commissioner Corina Creţu gives us the state of play and next steps in preparation for post-2020 Cohesion Policy. Our in-depth regional feature showcases North Middle Sweden, where traditional manufacturing industries are disappearing to make way for a more modern knowledge economy. Smart specialisation strategies have helped them identify areas for growth, and we feature a series of projects which have benefitted from this new approach.

Winners of the RegioStars Awards 2017 (11/10/2017)

On Tuesday evening the European Commission's RegioStars Awards ceremony took place in Brussels as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities. This annual EU-wide competition puts the spotlight on the most innovative and inspiring EU funded projects and illustrates, through concrete real-life examples, how Cohesion Policy supports people's lives through the creation of economic growth and jobs at a regional level. In addition to bringing recognition to the selected projects, it aims to foster the exchange of best practices between Cohesion Policy practitioners, as well as to inspire other project managers and managing authorities.

RegioStars: ten years of success stories (11/10/2017)

RegioStars Awards identify good practices in EU regional development and highlight original and innovative projects that are inspiring to others. As the Awards mark their 10th anniversary, this publication showcases past winners who, in their own words, describe what receiving the honour meant to them and how it helped their EU-funded initiatives flourish further. First-person accounts demonstrate how these projects have improved the lives of citizens across Europe.

Regiostars 2017: presentation of the finalists (11/10/2017)

As we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of these awards, our finalists are once again real-life testimonies of how Cohesion Policy is a concrete engine for investment, sustainable economic growth and jobs, and for improving the lives of 500 million European citizens across our continent. In this brochure you will find descriptions of the 24 finalists, selected by an expert jury, which highlight how EU funds support innovative and inspiring projects. These creative projects address some of Europe’s main challenges through targeted support for SMEs, social inclusion strategies, the circular economy, and urban development.

Welcome to the 15th European Week of Regions and Cities! (09/10/2017)

The annual gathering of European regions and cities starts today 9 October at 14:30 in the European Parliament in Brussels. For the 15th edition of the European Week, the organisers have imagined an unusual Opening Session in the EP Hemicycle. Un-registered participants can follow via web streaming. The Opening Session will officially kick-off a programme of 130 workshops spread across some 30 Brussels-based venues. Over 5 600 people and 800 speakers are registered for this four-day event on EU regional policy.

Cohesion Policy post-2020: follow live the release of the 7th Cohesion Report (09/10/2017)

Today the Commission presents an assessment of the current state of EU's regions, drawing lessons from cohesion spending during the crisis years and setting the scene for Cohesion Policy after 2020. The report will be presented by the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertz. You may follow live the press conference at 11:30 CET: http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/live.cfm?page=1.

Panorama 61: Cohesion Policy looks to the future (25/07/2017)

The latest issue of Panorama magazine is a special edition dedicated to discussion of Cohesion Policy post-2020. The Cohesion Forum, which takes place on 26-27 June in Brussels, will be an important milestone in this process. Cohesion policy needs to reflect on the demanding challenge of making Europe's economy more inclusive, competitive and resilient and must address the questions raised by the White paper on the future of Europe about the added value of EU policies, subsidiarity, and gaps between promise and delivery. Our magazine has given the floor to representatives of EU institutions, national governments, regional authorities, various associations and universities in an attempt to gauge people's feelings about the future of this key EU policy.

Commission acts to help regions build resilient economies in the era of globalisation (18/07/2017)

Globalisation has brought enormous benefits to the less-developed economies of the world and many opportunities for Europeans; but while the benefits are widely spread, the costs are often borne unevenly as the Commission's reflection paper on harnessing globalisation highlighted. To take up the challenge of economic modernisation, Europe needs to empower its regions and help them create value. This means embracing innovation, digitisation, decarbonisation and developing people's skills. Today, the Commission is proposing a new set of actions to further help Europe's regions invest in their niche areas of competitive strength ("smart specialisation") and generate the innovation, resilience and growth needed.

Urban Agenda for the EU: Launch of the Public Feedback (13/07/2017)

The Urban Agenda for the EU has significantly progressed in the past month. The launch of the Public Feedback represents an important step for the four pilot Partnerships. This Public Feedback, together with the Background Papers, are open to contributions from all stakeholders. Through the Public Feedback you are invited to provide your views on the draft actions proposed in the Background Paper by the Partnerships. This feedback will be used by the Partnerships for the preparation of the final Action Plan. Have your say and join the Public Feedback!

Commission supports Member States in implementing State aid schemes under ESI Funds (13/07/2017)

The European Commission supports national and regional authorities managing EU funds in strengthen their State aid competencies. The correct application of State aid rules can be challenging but is essential for the functioning of the Single Market, for avoiding irregularities and financial corrections and, ultimately, for quality investments. The European Commission modernised the State aid rules by making them less bureaucratic and more transparent. However, the changes placed greater responsibility on Member States for designing and implementing aid measures. This requires a particular attention and a continuous effort in increasing awareness.