What do a mystery quiz on just transition, a bike tour of EU funded projects and a stand on EU support for Ukraine have in common? They all reflect cohesion policy support for sustainable development, our commitment to European solidarity, and, last but not least, DG REGIO’s output at the EU Open Doors Day on the 6th of May in Brussels.
Every year EU institutions open their doors to the public ahead of Europe Day (9 May), giving citizens an opportunity to discover how the institutions work and interact directly with the EU staff. At the 29th edition on the 6th of May 2023, close to 10,000 visitors entered the Commission HQ – the Berlaymont building – to visit the seven thematic villages and take part in the activities organised at the stands and outdoors.
Part of the Stronger Europe village, our Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy’s stand was dedicated to the Just Transition Fund (JTF), one of the key tools in the context of the European Green Deal. The JTF focuses on the people and places that will bear higher costs of the transition towards climate neutrality. It will alleviate the socio-economic costs triggered by the process, supporting the economic diversification and reconversion of the territories concerned. The Fund will mobilise €19 billion in current prices and around EUR €25.4 billion in investments to support the regions heavily dependent on production of fossil fuels to be phased-out or industries with high carbon-intensity.
To illustrate this important endeavour DG REGIO invited visitors at its EU Open Day stand to join a fun activity: Follow the Path for Just Transition to Stronger EU Regions. Answer our questions correctly to win the #CohesionSolidarity Experience. The audience entered a quest for the clues hidden on the panels displaying information and pictures about four JTF territories – Taranto (Italy), Luleå (Sweden), Normandie (France) and Silesia (Poland). Upon finding the clues and answering correctly a series of questions, the members of the public were invited to take a leap of faith on the big soft cushions at the end of their just transition path throughout the stand.
A symbol of the JTF instrument cushioning the blow of the transition for some of the more vulnerable regions, the cushions were highly appreciated by the visitors – especially by the younger ones who were quite eager to answer as many questions as necessary to take as many jumps as possible. The conclusion was in any case clear to everyone – transitioning to a climate-neutral economy is a challenge for all countries and JTF is there to make sure that the climate transition does not leave any region behind.
REGIO stand also included a big screen showcasing what the EU does in every region, as displayed in Kohesio, the comprehensive knowledge database that contains more than 1,5 million EU-funded projects. This was another point of attraction for visitors, as Kohesio offers easy and transparent access to up-to-date information and everyone could browse through projects and beneficiaries in their cities, regions or countries.
But for some the best way to visualise a project remains to see it with their own eyes – and REGIO had just the thing for such a preference: the guided bike-tour around some of the EU-funded projects in Brussels.
Several tens visitors joined a French, Dutch and respectively English language free 2-hour tour, accompanied by a professional guide. The itinerary included a contemporary low-energy daycare center, the largest coding school in Belgium, a space of creativity and social innovation undergoing a complete overhaul or an urban garden on the rooftops of Brussels.
All these four EU-funded projects make the city come alive in different ways, ranging from education, skills development, urban regeneration and sustainable farming. At the last stop in the tour – the Laboratoire Agriculture Urbaine Maalbeek the participants were able to make a longer visit and taste the produce grown on the rooftop – fresh vegetables, herbs and the delicious home-made juices.
Cohesion policy was also featured as part of the #EUStandsWithUkraine stand, where visitors were able to learn about the many ways in which the EU is giving support to alleviate the impact of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Two strands of Cohesion policy are dedicated to Ukraine – territorial cooperation as enabled by the Interreg Next programmes with EU neighbouring regions and the new CARE and FAST-CARE instruments supporting local and regional authorities in providing emergency assistance to people fleeing the invasion.
The Open Doors Day passed quickly, but it’s only one more year to the 30th edition in 2024. REGIO remains open 24/7 online – visit InfoRegio to learn about all the things Cohesion policy support makes possible near the places where you live.
