EditoriALL

The EURegionsWeek is not just a landmark event for Cohesion Policy. It is the time for European regions and cities to showcase results, exchange on the implementation of EU policies, discuss about the future. But above all it is a unique opportunity for networking, among participants, organisations, institutions. 

Being physically present after three years of online and hybrid sessions, made me once again appreciate the value of face to face interaction. Under the slogan “Thriving regions, stronger Europe”, the 21st edition of the week hosted over 7.500 participants from all over Europe focused on the achievements of Cohesion Policy and other EU funded instruments.

Achievements that are still not well known to the citizens, since “many people across Europe have benefited from Cohesion Policy, often without realizing” as Commissioner Ferreira underlines in her editorial message. “It is imperative that we get the word out” she adds -and this magazine is part of those efforts. 

But the “elephant in the room” was the future of the policy and the potential impact of the European elections on the next programming period that is being already discussed. The president of the CoR, Vasco Alvez Cordeiro made this link clear when announcing the European Summit of Regions and Cities in Mons that “will show how local democracy in Europe looks like, with its more than one million local and regional leaders who are committed to continue building Europe's future, for a Europe made by everyone, for everyone”.

This issue, that we publish once again together with the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions, focuses on the main takeaways of the week's sessions and their potential impact on policymaking for people and places in Europe.

Another novelty is that we are hosting a good number of articles written by young journalists from different countries, who participated in the week as members of the young journalists programme of the European Commission. Our aim was to give the floor to young professionals to present their work at EU level, but at the same time to benefit from their fresh view on the discussions. I hope you will appreciate their efforts. 

You can also find articles in this issue on the new platform of the European Commission to help retain talent in Europe’s regions, a presentation of the main outcomes of the Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities and ESPON’s contribution to the territorial perspective of Green Industrialization. 

Enjoy your reading