Brussels, 12 October 2026
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.
Supporting the ‘Right to Stay’
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.
Discussions during the week, including a high-level session with Executive Vice-President Fitto on Tuesday, and a series of partner sessions on the same day will feed into the preparation of a strategy on the ‘Right to Stay’ planned for adoption in early 2027. It will follow the Commission’s territorial strategies, which address the specific needs and challenges of different types of territories including cities, the eastern regions bordering Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, islands and coastal communities and the outermost regions.
Cohesion and competitiveness, two sides of the same coin
On Wednesday, discussions will focus on how cohesion policy can help build a more competitive Europe. In the 2021-2027 programming period, €220 billion in cohesion funds are already contributing to the priorities of the Competitiveness Compass. The recent mid-term review of cohesion policy also showed how regions and Member States are adapting investments to Europe’s emerging priorities. In total, regions and Member States voluntarily reallocated €34.6 billion to areas such as competitiveness, housing, defence, water and energy resilience. Of this amount, €15.2 billion was redirected specifically to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, including by providing vital support for technologies that are essential for Europe’s future.
Showcasing results and recognising excellence
The European Week of Regions and Cities is also an opportunity to highlight concrete results on the ground and recognise the people behind projects that are making Europe more cohesive.
This year, a record number of 274 applications have been submitted for the REGIOSTARS Awards, which celebrate the best projects supported by cohesion policy. 25 finalist projects have been selected and will be presented during the Week. The winners will be announced by the Commission at the REGIOSTARS Awards ceremony on Wednesday 14 October at 19:00, which can also be followed via web stream.
The Commission will also award the Megalizzi-Niedzielski Prize to three talented young aspiring journalists. The prize honours the memory of Antonio Megalizzi and Bartek Niedzielski, two young journalists who lost their lives in the terrorist attack in Strasbourg in December 2018. The ceremony can be followed via web stream on the same day at 17:30.
For more information
- 24th European Week of Regions and Cities
- Official Opening of the European Week of Regions and Cities
- REGIOSTARS Awards
- Megalizzi-Niedzielski Prize
- Cohesion policy 2021-2027
- Mid-term-review of cohesion policy
Quote
Europe is a great place to live, work and build a future. But we are also living through a period of profound change, facing economic pressures, global uncertainty, demographic change and the need to strengthen our competitiveness. Strong regions are essential to responding to these challenges, addressing citizens’ concerns and creating the conditions for people and businesses to thrive. The European Week of Regions and Cities brings together experience, expertise and political perspectives from across the EU. It gives regions a strong voice in shaping Europe’s future. Because strong regions are essential to a strong Europe.
Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms
Source – EU Commission
Speech by Executive Vice-President Fitto at “European Week of Regions and Cities 2026”
Brussels, 12 October 2026
“Check against delivery”
Ladies and Gentlemen,
President Costa,
President Tüttő,
Dear Mr Katainen,
“Strong regions, strong Europe”.
This is more than just a motto.
It is a reminder that Europe’s strength is built in its regions.
And that strong regions are the foundation of a strong Europe.
And you as governors of regions, mayors, local representatives are shaping Europe every day:
- in our largest city and our smallest village,
- in our Outermost Regions and our Eastern Border regions,
- on our islands, along our coasts and our mountain regions in sparsely populated, remote and rural areas.
You are where European policies meet the realities of people’s lives.
It is a pleasure to welcome you all to the 24th European Week of Regions and Cities.
You play a vital role in turning our common European ambitions into reality.
And together, we have achieved a lot.
Since the beginning of my mandate, almost 2 years ago, I have made it a priority to work closely with all of you.
Because Europe is not powered by a single engine. It is powered by many.
And the success of our policies ultimately depends on how well they respond to the real needs of our citizens, our businesses and our territories.
This is where cohesion policy has a unique role to play.
It is a powerful tool that can turn European priorities into concrete results on the ground.
Cohesion policy has helped regions build on their strengths, respond to change and unlock their potential.
But we cannot simply rest on what we have achieved.
We need to build on it and we need to keep adapting.
Because the world around us is changing.
Europe is facing economic pressures, growing geopolitical uncertainty and security challenges.
We are experiencing demographic change and a technological transformation.
And we are competing in a global economy in which competitiveness matters more than ever.
I have therefore made the modernisation of cohesion policy one of my key priorities.
A first important step in this direction was the Mid-term Review of Cohesion policy.
We gave Member States and regions the possibility – on a voluntary basis – to reallocate resources to where they made the most sense for them:
- housing
- competitiveness,
- defence,
- energy,
- water.
Our collaboration laid the foundation for significant results and territories re-allocated 35 billion Euros.
Of this, the territories have mobilized more than 15 billion euro for competitiveness.
And more competitive regions strengthen our Union as a whole.
This is also true when it comes to security.
The mid-term review also contributed to defence, security, and a safer Europe, mobilising investments of almost 12 billion euro.
So we have demonstrated that, in challenging times, cohesion policy can adapt.
And it is in this spirit that we are preparing the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
With the evolving new challenges, we need a Multiannual Financial Framework that is more flexible and can maximise the impact of every euro invested.
The National and Regional Partnership Plans introduce:
- First, simplification.
They bring together interventions currently covered by 14 different funds, and over 500 different programmes. We will now have 27 National and Regional Partnership Plans.
- Second, an integrated approach, creating synergies among these policies.
- Third, a performance-based approach – including the combination of investments with reforms.
Support will continue to focus on the regions.
We keep the three categories of the regions:
- less developed,
- transition and
- more developed regions.
We also preserve the fundamental principles of cohesion policy:
- shared management,
- multi-level governance,
- and clear partnership.
And regions play an important role in this process.
You help us understand what works and how our policies can better respond to the changing realities.
I count on you to continue playing this role.
To prepare us all for the future National and Regional Partnership Plans, we have been putting important building blocks in place.
We have done this through a series of territorial strategies.
- In December last year we adopted the EU Agenda for Cities,
- Followed this year by the strategy for the EU’s Eastern Border Regions,
- the Strategy for Islands,
- and the Strategy on the Outermost Regions.
All these initiatives respond to different and unique situations.
Underpinning all these strategies, is the Right to Stay.
The freedom of every European to thrive and prosper in the place they call home.
Today, many of our regions and territories are facing acute challenges, including population decline and economic stagnation.
I have been travelling across Europe, meeting people in these communities.
Seeing first-hand the challenges they face and discussing how Europe can best support them.
People should have real opportunities where they live — job opportunities, adequate infrastructure and quality public services.
Our regions should give people reasons to stay and offer a good quality of life for all generations.
This is why we are preparing the Strategy for the Right to Stay.
As in all my work, cooperation and consultation are fundamental.
I have made sure to include you and many other stakeholders at every step in the process.
In May, I hosted a High-Level Event to launch the preparations for the Strategy – here in the European Parliament – together with Enrico Letta and the Cypriot Council Presidency.
We launched a Call for Evidence and received more than 700 contributions from stakeholders and civil society in every Member State.
I held an implementation dialogue with some of you just two weeks ago, and I have had many bilateral meetings and institutional exchanges on this topic.
I will continue to seek your views in the weeks ahead, including through our dedicated high-level session on the Right to Stay tomorrow.
All of this will inform the Strategy, which will be adopted at the beginning of next year.
In time to support you in the preparations of the National and Regional Partnership Plans.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the weeks and months to come you will play a crucial role, because Partnership is a key principle and requirement at every step:
- when designing the plans,
- when preparing the plans,
- when implementing the plans, chapter by chapter.
Europe’s regions possess immense resources and potential.
Strong regions mean a stronger economy, greater strategic autonomy and above all, quality of life for every European.
“Strong regions, strong Europe” should therefore not only guide us during this Week, but also in the coming months and years ahead.
I look forward to our discussions this week and beyond.
My door is always open.
I wish you all a successful European Week of Regions and Cities.
Thank you.
Source – EU Commission
Press remarks by Executive Vice-President Fitto on the opening of the European Week of Regions and Cities
12 October 2026
“Check against delivery”
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning, and welcome.
I am very pleased to open the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026.
First of all, I would like to thank President Tüttő for being here today.
Kata, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the European Commission.
For the next three days, Brussels becomes the home of Europe’s regions and cities.
Thousands of representatives from regions, cities and local authorities, together with experts, businesses and civil society, are here to meet, to discuss and to exchange.
This afternoon, we will open the Week in the hemicycle of the European Parliament, with President Metsola, President Costa and former Commissioner Katainen, together with representatives of the Committee of the Regions.
Tomorrow, at the Committee of the Regions, we will hold high-level sessions, including one on the Right to Stay.
On Wednesday, at the Square, we will discuss how Cohesion Policy can help build a more competitive Union.
And at the end of the Week, the REGIOSTARS Awards will recognise the best cohesion projects from across Europe.
A changing world, a changing Europe
We meet at a moment of deep change.
The world is changing. Europe is changing. Our territories are changing.
Worldwide, we see geopolitical tensions, economic pressure, rapid technological change and demographic challenges.
Europe is working to protect its citizens, its economy, its prosperity and its security in a much harder world.
And our regions and territories are going through transitions that open new opportunities, while asking us to make sure that every place can benefit from them.
Europe is reacting
In this unpredictable world, Europe is not standing still. Europe is acting.
We are using the tools we already have, with pragmatism and determination, to shape the future of the Union.
Our goal is clear: Europe must never again find itself behind in development, or dependent on others for what is essential.
Europe has learned the lesson.
We learned it during the pandemic, and we learned it with the energy crisis.
We learned that we are stronger when the European, national and regional levels work together.
This is what we will talk about this week: the future, and how to build strength that lasts.
Our answer: simplification and effectiveness
The world is complex and it moves fast. Our answer is simplification, flexibility and effectiveness.
This is our recipe to make regions stronger, and Europe stronger.
Simplification, flexibility and efficiency have guided our work to modernise Cohesion Policy.
First, with the mid-term review.
We gave Member States the possibility, on a voluntary basis, to redirect resources to today’s priorities: housing, competitiveness, defence, energy and water.
The response from the ground was remarkable.
Territories chose to reallocate close to 35 billion euros.
This showed us that flexibility and simplification are the right direction to modernise Cohesion Policy.
Second, with the territorial strategies we adopted this year: for the regions on the eastern border, for cities, for islands, for the outermost regions, and our work on the Right to Stay.
Each territory is different. Each needs answers that fit its reality.
All this work leads to the next Multiannual Financial Framework, where a modernised, more efficient and more flexible Cohesion Policy, able to respond to the needs of citizens, will be a central part of the National and Regional Partnership Plans.
Strong regions, strong Europe
‘Strong Regions. Strong Europe’. It is a broad message.
This week we focus on two directions.
The first is the Right to Stay.
We are working on a strategy, and our dialogue is intense, not only with regions, but directly with citizens.
In some European villages, the post office or the bank is open only two days a week.
Health services are hours away.
Young people leave because they see no future at home.
No one should be forced to leave their community because services have disappeared, because there are no good jobs, because housing is too expensive or because connectivity is poor.
People should be free to leave, but never forced to leave. We are working to give these people more opportunities where they live.
The second direction is competitiveness.
Competitiveness is the other side of cohesion.
Europe cannot be competitive if part of its territory is left behind.
Cohesion means giving every territory the tools to grow and develop: infrastructure, skills, innovation, good jobs.
Here again, we learn from the mid-term review, through which 15 billion euros were redirected to competitiveness. Competitiveness is a demand that comes directly from our territories, from the ground.
This is what we intend to do: help every territory unlock its full potential, because a strong Europe is built in its regions.
Ladies and gentlemen, a long and intense week lies ahead of us. We look forward to seeing you at the debates.
Thank you, and I wish you all a very good week.
Source – EU Commission
Speech by President António Costa at the opening session of the 24th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities
Brussels, 12 October 2026
It’s always a pleasure to be with you, here in this year’s European Week of Regions and Cities.
Europe was built on a rich network of cities and regions that shaped our nations and, over time, our independent states, making the European Union a unique project, enriched by its diversity. In our Union, every level of governance has a vital role to play.
As President of the European Council, I have made it my objective to strengthen our unity, working closely with all European institutions, partners and stakeholders.
Cities and regions are essential to territorial and social cohesion. They are closest to citizens and businesses, and often the first to respond to their needs. They are also on the front line of our major challenges: protecting our prosperity and social model, responding to demographic change, advancing the climate and energy transition, and strengthening our resilience and strategic autonomy.
These challenges require common priorities and determined action at every level. Let me highlight three areas where this matters most.
First: affordability. Europe must be a place where people can afford their homes, energy and mobility, where businesses can grow, and where everyone can plan their future with greater predictability.
Energy prices are, of course, central to this equation. The current crisis in the Middle East and its impact on global energy supplies reinforce the need for decarbonisation and greater energy independence, based on our homegrown renewable and nuclear energy sources. We can already see the benefits in member states and regions with a higher share of renewables, which enjoy significantly lower electricity prices than those heavily dependent on fossil fuels.
Accelerating the energy transition is therefore our best long-term strategy to ensure our autonomy and lower prices. In the short term, however, targeted and temporary measures are needed to protect households and businesses from price spikes. The European Commission has already made some proposals to provide immediate relief while preserving incentives to save energy and accelerate the clean transition.
But the energy transition is not just about generating renewable energy – it is also about transforming mobility and improving energy efficiency. We must accelerate public transport, transport electrification, with more residential chargers, charging-equipped parking spaces and electric buses. This will lower commuting costs and reduce urban pollution.
Energy efficiency is equally important. Better insulation, heat pumps and smart meters reduce consumption and protect households from price volatility. The annual energy cost difference between a poorly insulated and a well-insulated home can reach €5 000. Multiplied across millions of households, the potential savings are enormous.
We must also expand and modernise electricity grids to connect renewables and meet growing demand. This requires investment, resilient infrastructure and faster permitting. Cities and regions are essential to delivering these changes.
But affordability also means housing. From Copenhagen to Lisbon, from Dublin to Athens, access to affordable housing has become one of our citizens’ most urgent concerns. This is a crisis affecting the homeless, low-income households, but also the middle class and, especially, younger generations. The lack of affordable housing also fuels disillusionment with democratic institutions.
Housing is primarily a responsibility of national, regional and local authorities. But the European Union can complement their efforts – can help their efforts – and make a concrete difference. That is why I placed the housing crisis on the European Council’s agenda for the first time last October. That is why the Commission has since presented an Affordable Housing plan and an Affordable Housing Act.
And that is why I have been in close contact with the coalition of Mayors for Housing, exploring how the European Union can support their efforts through:
- better regulation
- increasing innovation and energy efficiency in the construction industry
- ensuring that affordable housing remains a priority in the post-2027 MFF and Cohesion Policy
We need a multi-level response to this multi-level crisis. To strengthen social cohesion, accommodate demographic pressures, reinforce our democratic systems and boost our economies.
Second: competitiveness. In March, European leaders adopted an ambitious “One Europe, One Market” agenda, with clear priorities and timelines. Let me focus on one dimension critical for cities and regions: simplification.
We must make it easier for people and businesses to operate across Europe, enabling companies, especially SMEs, to scale up, realise their full potential and create quality jobs. We must continue simplifying our rules – the Brussels effect must become synonymous with reducing red tape.
Member states must also address gold-plating and domestic barriers. One of the most effective ways to simplify is through better European rules – fewer directives and more regulations – to ensure greater consistency and reduce fragmentation across the Single Market.
Finally, we must simplify and accelerate planning and permitting procedures. Lengthy approvals and excessive administrative requirements delay investment, increase costs and hold back projects. We need faster, simpler and more predictable procedures to help businesses invest, innovate and grow.
Finally, my third remark: the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Negotiations on the next MFF are entering a decisive stage. The European Union needs a long-term budget that responds to the challenges of this historic moment. This is not just about numbers. It is a political choice about our future and the Europe we want to build together.
The next long-term budget must put competitiveness, industrial transformation, defence, security and strategic resilience at its heart. At the same time, it must continue to support cohesion and agricultural policies, pillars of regional development and shared prosperity. Both dimensions are important for our Union and our Single Market, which benefit us all.
Regional and local authorities must be closely involved in preparing, implementing and evaluating the new plans under the next MFF. Because the European budget is an investment framework that must ultimately deliver tangible results for our communities, cities and regions.
We must respect the principle of multilevel governance. The recent mid-term review led by Vice-President Fitto has shown that active engagement with stakeholders at all levels delivers results.
I will continue to encourage everyone involved to negotiate with an open mind and a spirit of collective responsibility, with the aim of reaching an agreement by the end of the year.
That is crucial to ensure that the next budget is operational from the start of 2028. Any delay would impact the lives of our farmers, businesses, students, researchers and innovators – and of course, our cities and regions. In these turbulent geopolitical times, Europe must be a source of predictability and stability. It must have the means to act, the capacity to deliver and the unity to face the challenges ahead.
That is what citizens expect from the European Union. A strong Europe is built from the ground up: through empowered communities, strong cities and strong regions. I count on all of you to continue building it together.
Thank you very much.
Source – European Council
Future EU budget: regions and cities warn that centralisation risks weakening Europe’s competitiveness and cohesion
Ahead of a crucial meeting of EU heads of state and government, local and regional leaders warned that the Union’s next long-term budget risks concentrating decisions at national governments’ level and opportunities in the strongest areas, deepening territorial disparities and weakening Europe’s ability to mobilise the economic potential of all its regions.
During the opening session of the 2026 European Week of Regions and Cities, Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), delivered her State of the Regions and Cities address. She spoke in the presence of António Costa, European Council President, European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, and hundreds of local and regional leaders from across the Union.
The EU Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities, published today by the CoR, paints a worrying picture of the current and future challenges that Europe’s territories are facing: one in two regions has experienced an increase in poverty and social exclusion, while more than half of regions have seen labour-market conditions deteriorate. Declining production and high energy costs are weakening regional competitiveness, and European territories are increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters and affected unevenly by them: wildfires have risen by 57% over the past four years, and the annual cost of drought is estimated at €9 billion.
Demographic change is also deepening territorial inequalities across the EU: nearly three-quarters of regions, particularly rural areas, are expected to lose population by 2050, while most urban areas face mounting pressure on housing and infrastructure.
During the debate that followed the President’s speech, local and regional leaders underlined that Europe’s competitiveness depends on firms, workers, infrastructure and innovation ecosystems across all its regions. A strong, well-funded and decentralised Cohesion Policy connects these capabilities to the single market and helps regions manage industrial, demographic and climate transitions. Yet the proposed 2028-2034 EU budget risks concentrating decisions on territorial investment at national level, weakening predictable funding and sidelining local and regional knowledge. “If Europe wants to be stronger on the global stage, it must also become stronger from within. Its budget must connect Europe’s strengths and help more places develop their potential,” said CoR President Tüttő.
Quotes
Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions: “Europe’s promise is shared prosperity. We cannot fulfil it by assuming that growth generated in a few places will eventually reach everyone. Cohesion and competitiveness belong together: connecting innovation with businesses, workers and communities across Europe. Regions and cities bring knowledge, investment capacity and public trust. The next EU budget must give them the means to act-and give people a real choice to build their future where they feel at home.”
Juanma Moreno, first Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions: “We maintain that priority policies such as agriculture, fisheries, security, and migration cannot be forced to compete against one another within national budgets; simplification must not become a pretext for recentralisation. The debate is not merely about the size of the budget. The real question is what kind of Europe we want to build. In that context, defending the role of regions and cities is not simply an institutional matter. It is a profoundly democratic one. When Europe loses its presence on the ground, citizens cease to perceive the European project in their daily lives, leading to growing disengagement, particularly among younger generations. This detachment fuels frustration, polarisation, and extremism that challenge the very foundations of European integration. There is still time to act. Let us make our voices heard and work together to influence the negotiations before they enter their decisive phase.”
More information
- Photos and videos of the opening session of the European Week of Regions and Cities, the biggest annual event dedicated to Cohesion Policy and EU territories. The event runs from 12 to 14 October and is co-organised by the CoR and European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO). Official programme.
- More material on the EU Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities, including factsheets and the entire document.
- 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!