COTER seminar highlights how Cohesion Policy is supporting competitiveness and innovation at regional level

The multilevel governance dimension of Cohesion Policy as a decentralised investment policy, and its contribution to supporting competitiveness and innovation in EU territories, were the focus of the seminar organised by the COTER commission in Trieste, Italy, on 29 October. 

Around 30 local and regional leaders from across Europe gathered in Trieste on 29 October to attend the seminar organised by the European Committee of the Regions' commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER), hosted by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. 

Emil Boc (RO/EPP), COTER vice-chair and Mayor of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, together with the President of the Autonomous Region, Massimiliano Fedriga (IT/ECR), opened the event dedicated to showcasing how innovative projects co-financed by Cohesion Policy are strengthening EU competitivenessand place-based innovation.

Starting from concrete examples of projects that are fostering industrial transition and innovation at local level, COTER members also exchanged views on howCohesion Policy will continue supporting innovation in the 2028-2034 period, as part of the new National and Regional Partnership plans that are currently under preparation. 

Local and regional leaders alsoexplored with the Minister for Finance of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Barbara Zilli,practical examples of integrated territorial strategies, including those supporting cross-border cooperation, which demonstrate the unique contribution of Cohesion Policy to regional development. 

The seminarallowed participants to go beyond institutional discussions toexperience and highlight what Cohesion Policy is actually delivering on the ground, for businesses, communities and citizens.

The event was organised at a particularly important moment for the future of Cohesion Policy, as negotiations on the EU's next long-term budget for 2028-2034 are well underway. The Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU recently presented an updated proposal, the "negotiating box", for an agreement thatMember States aim to reach by the end of the year. 

The proposed new architecture of the EU budget, built around a single National and Regional Partnership Plan for each Member State, will merge cohesion and agriculture funds into a single budget, therefore representing a fundamental change in the way Cohesion Policy will be planned and delivered. "Our message is not that Cohesion Policy should remain unchanged, but that its modernisation must build on what works", said COTER vice-chair Emil Boc.

The event ended with a study visit to PiazzaTransalpina, shared by Gorizia (Italy) and Nova Gorica (Slovenia), which was renovated with support from Cohesion Policy as part of a cross-border integrated territorial investment. The mayors of the two cities, Rodolfo Ziberna and Samu Turel, joined the COTER seminar for a debate with members.

The European Committee of the Regions will take stock of the lessons and experiences shared in Trieste, which will provide valuable input to the ongoing work on the future of Cohesion Policy.

More information

• Videos and pictures of the external seminar.

• To explain clearly and accessibly what regions and cities expect from the next EU budget, drawing on adopted opinions and related documents, the Committee has launched the AI-powered 'Ask Jacques' platform. Try it and ask your question!