Europe's politics come to life in the regions
What does the EU actually do in my region?
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Brussels (ots)
To experience the politics of the European Union, one does not need to travel to Brussels or Strasbourg; a lot happens right on one's doorstep. The EU can also be understood as a "Europe of the Regions." Unlike some national borders, regions are not drawn with a ruler. The regions of the European continent each have their own history, unique geography, and distinctive culture. The writer Robert Menasse advocated in his "The European Land Messenger" (2012) for such a Europe, where national borders are no longer relevant, but rather historical boundaries. With the so-called structural funds, the EU strengthens economic and social cohesion. Disparities between the regions of the European continent, which have very different conditions, are to be reduced as a result.
Strong Regions – Strong Europe
While the Cohesion Fund is only used in the less developed member states of the EU, other funds benefit all member states. In any case, the principle of co-financing applies: if projects are funded with European resources, public funds from the respective country must also be contributed. Thus, the total amount of actually used funding is significantly higher than the pure grants from the EU fund. About a third of the EU budget is allocated to cohesion and structural policy. For the current funding period, which lasts until 2027, around €378 billion is available. All funded projects are intended to contribute to five fundamental political goals: a smart, green, better-connected, social, and citizen-oriented Europe. Cohesion policy is primarily economic policy for Europe: it aims to promote qualification and inclusion, secure jobs, and make tourism in Europe more sustainable. Politics must set the course for this. The environment and biodiversity on the European continent must be preserved. At the same time, it will be about adapting to climate change and its consequences in nearly all areas. All of this benefits cities and regions – and thus, not least, the Europeans themselves.
Description of the project:
Cohesion policy has defined clear objectives for the 2021-2027 funding period: A smart Europe through innovation, a greener, low-carbon Europe, a more connected Europe, a more social Europe and a Europe that is closer to its citizens. Sustainable challenges are becoming the focus of society, particularly in Germany and its neighbouring countries. The "EU4regions" project will produce high-quality multimedia and journalistic information on cohesion policy and then disseminate it widely. Within 12 months, Interreg projects from western and eastern Germany and neighbouring countries/regions will be presented to highlight local challenges. The countries concerned are Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Denmark. Our thematic focus is on sustainability, whereby we understand sustainability as a whole. Although climate issues are at the centre of attention, they are complemented by economic and social aspects. The aim is to show how EU cohesion policy affects regions and people.
Videos are available at https://www.presseportal.de/nr/177283/video?langid=2
EU4regions receives funding from the EU Commission.
Contact:
EU4Regions-Team
EU4Regions@newsaktuell.de
Original content of: EU4Regions, transmitted by news aktuell
