6-9 October. Brussels
+INFO: ec.europa.eu
In the context of the EU's 2014-2020 budget, cohesion policy will invest €325 billion in Europe's Member States, regions and cities. With over 320 newly launched national, regional and territorial cooperation programmes, first experiences of implementation may be at the forefront of debates during the 12th European Week of Regions and Cities in October 2014.
Under the overall slogan 'Growing together – Smart investment for people', the 12th OPEN DAYS could foster exchanges about innovation and research, the digital agenda, support for small and medium sized businesses, the low-carbon economy or training/social inclusion, i.e. thematic priorities that are compulsory for each region between 2014-2020.
There would also be the opportunity to look into new instruments such as Integrated Territorial Investments and Community-led Local Development, financial instruments, the new European Territorial Cooperation programmes and the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-regional Strategy to be adopted during the Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The following sub-themes will structure the event:
- Connecting regional strategies: smart specialisation, digital agenda, SME support, low-carbon economy, training and social inclusion; urban dimension;
- Building capacity: new features and instruments in programme management (financial engineering, performance framework evaluation, partnership arrangements);
- Territorial cooperation: the new generation of pan-European programmes (INTERREG, URBACT, ESPON, INTERACT), international cooperation.
As the annual regional and urban policy platform, the OPEN DAYS will continue to foster the share of experiences and inspiring debate on good local, regional and cross-border governance and the management of EU funding. Exchange between practitioners will be combined with input from academia. Another element will be the participation of non-EU countries that are interested in hearing and learning from European regions' experiences in regional policy as well as in presenting their own stories.