EU Week of Regions and Cities convenes 5,000 participants to discuss the future of cohesion policy

The 24th European Week of Regions and Cities opens today in Brussels, bringing together nearly 5,000 participants from across Europe under the motto 'Strong Regions, Strong Europe'.

Convened by the European Commission and hosted by Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, in partnership with the European Committee of the Regions, the three-day event is bringing together local and regional authorities, policymakers, project promoters and practitioners, researchers and journalists to discuss the future of Europe's regions and cities.

This year's opening ceremony will feature high-level speakers, including European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, European Council President, António Costa, and the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Kata Tüttő.

Participants from all over Europe will exchange views on the role of EU Cohesion Policy in strengthening regional development, supporting the 'Right to Stay' for every EU citizen in the place they call home, and boosting the Union's competitiveness.

Many regions across Europe are facing the challenge of population loss, due to natural population decline or people moving away. Over the past two decades, one in three Europeans – a total of 149 million people – have lived in a region that has lost population. Supporting the ‘Right to Stay' means creating the conditions for people and communities to prosper where they live, with access to economic opportunities, quality public services, education and skills, and the infrastructure they need, including good transport and digital connectivity.