Zoom in on Cohesion Policy: What happened at the European Week of Regions and Cities & Regiostars Awards
- 16 Oct 2024
2024 was a watershed year for the EU’s cohesion policy. It marked the 20 years anniversary of accession of 10 countries (Czechia, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia), of which the economic growth bore witness to the essential role played by cohesion policy and regional development. This feat was no small one as it was emphasised in the 9th Cohesion Report presented in March, and often reiterated since by Commissioner Ferreira “cohesion policy works”.
However, 2024 was also a crucial year to look forward at the future of the policy, with the valuable input of many experts and practitioners, namely through several publications such as the Draghi’s report on Competitiveness, “Much more than a Market” by Enrico Letta and the “Report of the Group of High-level Specialists on the Future of Cohesion Policy”. Much of the thinking behind this introspective exercise went to assessing the unprecedented challenges the UE must face and the adaptability of cohesion policy demonstrated through the most recent crisis, setting it up as a key tool for stability, growth, innovation, and convergence among the ones at the disposal of the European Commission.
In the wake of much brain racking, the 22nd edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities (EURegionsWeek), taking place last week between the 7 and 10 of October 2024, offered a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and stock-taking on the future of cohesion policy. Organised jointly by the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions, brought together stakeholders from all over the EU—regional representatives, policymakers, experts, civil society, and citizens—at a critical moment for Europe’s regional and cohesion strategies.
A novel format and a few numbers
Already ahead of the official beginning of the European Week of regions and cities, the fully booked sessions indicated palpable anticipation. The positive turnout was confirmed at the end of the event with as many as 7000 participants in situ and many more following the high-level sessions on-line. Additionally, the “Week” assembled over 500 speakers and totalled 150 sessions, 30 exhibitions, without counting the 9 regional food and drinks tastings.
This year’s edition also featured a novel, more expansive format to ensure greater openness. While Brussels remains the centre of the event, with venues such as the European Parliament, the Autoworld Museum, and the Centre Albert Borschette hosting key sessions, the event will also extend beyond the Belgian capital. Under the theme EURegionsWeek Close to You, sessions took place simultaneously across Europe, ensuring that the conversation on cohesion policy reached local communities. This approach matched the key aspect of cohesion policy, the impact of which is most tangible at local level and is tailored to local needs by local stakeholders.
Over the course of 4 days the event included 4 high-level panels. These were central in discussing openly the most pressing issues facing the EU and its regions, and the ways challenges can be turned into opportunities for development and growth. Framed around the following four key themes, these debates gathered stakeholders from all levels of government in dialogue on Europe’s path forward
- Roulette of Opportunities: Potential of Regions Bordering Aggressor Countries set out to gauge the negative impact of the war in Ukraine for the regions bordering Russia but also the vision needed to socially and economically thrive amidst a mutated geopolitical landscape.
- Regions Got Talent: addressed the elephant in the room of Europe’s looming demographic crisis, showing what cohesion policy can do to help regions retain and even attract talent, while diversifying their economies and improve services.
- Regions Strengthening European Democracy: highlighted the role of citizens, especially young people, in shaping the climate and digital transitions. Under the spotlight was the importance of bottom-up decision-making to ensure sustainable territorial development.
- Smart and Sustainable Growth for Regions took on the topic of the clean tech revolution, and the avenues the EU can take to lead it this field. Cohesion policy and the recent Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) were seen as crucial in helping regions and industries with the adoption of innovative clean technologies, while building sustainable value chains.
Regiostars awards: Celebrating the impact of EU funded projects
Once again breaking with tradition, the Week of Regions and cities also included the award ceremony for Regiostars. The Regiostars, organised annually since 2008, is a prestigious label of excellence for EU-funded projects showcasing the impact of regional development.
In 2024, projects competed in five categories:
A Competitive and Smart Europe, won by Bythos (Interreg Italy-Malta).
A Green Europe won by Biogreenfinery (Gran Canaria, Spain)
A Connected Europe won by BITS: Bicycles and Intelligent Transport Systems (Interreg North Sea region)
A Social and Inclusive Europe won by Telemedicine for Deprived Settlements (Hungary)
A Europe Closer to citizens won by the Gdynia OdNowa: Revitalisation (Poland)
The winners were announced by the Committee of the Regions President Vasco Alves Cordeiro and Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira, at her fifth awards ceremony, an opportunity she seized to remind the audience that Regiostars, including all its participants, finalists, and winners, is really what cohesion policy is all about: funds that reach communities and support projects that match people’s needs. President Cordeiro echoed the sentiment stating that it is “cohesion policy that make Europe happen everywhere”. This year Awards were also record-breaking with its 262 applications, which, for the first time ever were submitted from each and every country of the EU. The winner of the first category, Bythos, also won the Public Choice Award, garnering over 20,000 votes.
Celebrating the Legacy of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira
The 2024 edition of the EU Regions Week was particularly significant as it was the last of Commissioner Ferreira’s mandate. The past five years were less than smooth sailing for cohesion policy and the person called to steer it as the EU was hit first by the Covid-19 pandemic and then by its social and economic consequences. Then, as showcased by the high-level conferences, the Russian aggression to Ukraine brought about challenges on a whole new level for Europe’s economies.
Unprecedented crises also happened at a juncture in which many EU regions had to take on the green and digital transitions, battling both brain-drain and a decrease in competitivity, all of which with Commissioner Ferreira at the helm of cohesion policy. At the very beginning of the pandemic, € 23 billion in cohesion funds had already been repurposed into the CRII and CRII+ packages to purchase medical supplies and keeping industries afloat. When Europe had to face the inflow of Ukrainians fleeing the invasion, € 13.6 billion were again allocated to the CARE and CARE+ packages assisting in the reception of refugees. As Commissioner Ferreira often repeated in public addresses, she presided over the policy that made European integration possible.
The closing ceremony of the 22nd European Week of Regions and Cities was an opportunity to reflect on the many challenges cohesion policy overcame during Commissioner Ferreira’s mandate and celebrate her legacy. Throughout her tenure, Commissioner Ferreira has been instrumental in ensuring that cohesion policy remains a key pillar of the European policy framework. As her mandate draws to a close, this year’s event honoured Ferreira’s leadership and her commitment to economic convergence but also the social, environmental, and territorial dimensions of regional development. Her focus on sustainable growth and ensuring that no region is left behind has been pivotal in maintaining the relevance of cohesion policy in the face of evolving challenges.
The future of cohesion policy, which engaged so many stakeholders throughout the year and culminated at the EU Regions Week will serve as the backdrop for further discussions. Ferreira, from the podium of the Closing ceremony addressed the many local stakeholders of cohesion policy and reminded them that “Europe is not made in Brussels” but rather in regions and cities, urging the audience to remain engaged with the policy, adding that now that she is leaving “the ball is in your court”.