WHAT’S NEW?
It will be an in-person only event. The EU sessions will nevertheless be webstreamed.
Sessions will only have a physical format. Webstreaming may be provided for a limited number of sessions. If this is the case, it is the responsibility of the session’s coordinator to engage the online audience via participatory tools (such as Slido, Mentimeter, social media channels).
TIME/DATE ALLOCATION
The results of the selection process will be published at the end of April 2024. Coordinators can check the selection results on the EURegionsWeek platform. Successful partners will be invited to the “partners’ meeting” that will take place on 22 May.
For the EURegionsWeek close to you sessions the selection will be communicated at the end of May.
By end of May, the EURegionsWeek team will announce the date and time slot to the lead partners. Coordinators can check the date and timeslot of their sessions on the EURegionsWeek platform.
No, the timeslot of your session will be communicated to you by the event organisers by end of May.
APPLICATION
While it is possible to apply for several sessions, please be aware that it is unlikely that all applications from a single partner as lead partner will be accepted. Applications with different lead partners may however be considered.
Partners are encouraged to submit only one application for either a 90- or 60-minutes session format.
In addition to your application for a 60- or 90-minutes session, you may introduce an application for a 15-minute session and/or an application for an exhibition stand or tasting, meaning that the limitation to 1 is only for the 60/90 minutes session. Be aware, however, that all these sessions will be treated and evaluated separately, with no guarantee of “joint” approval.
Additionally, we encourage partners to submit their applications in collaboration with other partners. As stated in the Guide for event partners, page 7, "Applications submitted by two or more partners will be given priority during the selection process (apart from the PechaKucha, Living Library and EU Regions’ talk formats)".
No, applications sent after 5 April 2024, 12:00 CET (Brussels time) will not be taken into consideration. Please consult the Guide for event partners, page 8.
The same organisation can submit multiple applications, but they should be from different departments working on different areas. Please note that it is unlikely that all applications from a single partner (lead partner) will be approved. You could consider applying with different lead partners.
The same organisation can submit multiple applications, but they should be from different departments working on different areas. Please note that it is unlikely that all applications from a single applicant (lead partner) will be approved. You could consider applying with different lead partners. You can choose the level at which you submit your application, for example, regional government or a specific department or agency.
You can apply if you have an established residence in an EU Member State or if you come from a country contributing to/participating in an EU programme.
As English is the language of the event, only applications written in English will be considered.
Yes, EGTCs have been event partners in the past and they are explicitly mentioned in the Guide for event partners (page 7). However, EGTCs cannot participate in a Regional Partnership.
Given the high number of applications, it is not possible to provide detailed feedback to those who are not selected.
SESSIONS DETAILS
If selected (results will be published at the end of April), you will have until 31 May to update the title and detailed description of your session. We strongly encourage you to include the names of your speakers and moderator/facilitator as this will increase the visibility of your session. This information will be used to publish your session in the EURegionsWeek programme on 1 July 2024.
The final programme, the confirmed speakers panel, and the moderator must be updated on the event platform by 31 August.
FORMAT OF SESSIONS
You might consider giving them the opportunity to intervene as contributors from the audience. You might also consider using short video messages (up to 2 videos and of maximum two minutes duration) to present projects, good practices, key messages. However, please do not forget to ensure interactivity with the rest of the audience.
Please read carefully the Guide for event partners, page 9-10 to choose the right format for your session. In terms of deliverables, it depends on the format you choose rather than on the number of speakers. For example, the 90 minutes CoR political/policy workshop and the 60 minutes workshop/panel debate are meant for exchanging ideas and receiving feedback, sharing experience, good practices and/or political/policy strategies among speakers and the audience. The "Participatory Lab" as well as the "Hackathon" (90 minutes) are formats that focus on the feedback from the participants and most of the time has to be dedicated to informal exchanges among participants and contributors.
As a coordinator, it is your responsibility to choose the right profile of speakers for your session, taking into account the limits set out in the Guide for event partners so that the session is as participative as possible.
All the themes have the same level of priority. The 2024 themes are listed under point 3 of the Guide for event partners. The motto for this edition is "Empowering communities" and will focus on four themes:
- Competitiveness and convergence: two sides of the same coin
- Regions strengthening European Democracy
- Smart and sustainable growth for regions
- Regions got talent
No, your application must be linked to one theme only.
VENUES
The EURegionsWeek sessions will be hosted at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) - Jacques Delors building and at the Albert Borschette conference centre (DG REGIO).
As a novelty of the 2024 edition, applicants of Regional Partnerships will have the opportunity to express their interest in having their session hosted at the CoR, subject to availability of the conference rooms or at their own venue.
Tastings and stands will take place at the Albert Borschette Conference Centre or other EC premises.
The exhibition will be onsite at Albert Borschette Conference Centre or other EC premises. The number of stands will depend on the number of applications.
SPEAKERS
No, to keep your session lively, the number of speakers indicated for each format in the Guide for event partners cannot be exceeded.
No, the moderator or facilitator does not count as a speaker.
Yes, it is. Same-gender panels will be refused – the moderator/facilitator does not count. By applying, you commit to ensuring gender balance on each panel. Logically, this does not apply to sessions with only one speaker. In case of last-minute cancellation from your speaker/s that compromises the gender balance of your panel, coordinators are kindly asked to keep the gender balance of their panel when looking for new speakers. In case of issues, coordinators are asked to contact the EURegionsWeek organisers to find the most suitable solution.
Please update your speakers' line-up. You can modify speakers until 31 August. In case it happens after the 31st August, coordinators are asked to contact the EURegionsWeek organisers.
PARTICIPANTS
Because of GDPR rules we cannot share this type of information.
Yes, coordinators will have access to the list of registered participants with the limitation mentioned in the privacy statement of the event.
Each session will take place in a physical room, the limit will be the capacity of the room. The minimum capacity is 50 participants for 90 and 60 minutes session formats. Coordinators will receive information about the room capacity end of May.
Yes, sessions with less than 50 registered participants by end of September 2024 will be cancelled. This requirement applies to all 90- and 60-minutes sessions.
INTERPRETATION
Sessions are in English by default. Interpretation can be provided only for the CoR political/policy workshop, Workshop/panel discussion formats at the European Committee of the Regions and the Albert Borschette conference centre premises and only for a limited number of sessions.
Interpretation cannot be provided for events organised by Regional Partnerships at their own venues, and neither for the EURegionsWeek close to you sessions (former "side events"). For sessions taking place at the European Committee of the Regions, a maximum of two interpreted languages + English can be requested. Possibility of interpretation for more EU languages may be granted in the Albert Borschette Conference Centre and will be assessed in May/June.
REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
If you are a lead partner of an application (either "Partnership" or "Regional Partnership"), you might consider to participate as an associated partner in any other application.
No. Only regions, cities, towns or provinces can be part of a Regional Partnership. Associations, groupings or other parties cannot. Applications including other entities will be rejected.
(However, it remains possible to invite a representative of other entities to speak at your session.)
Should you wish to involve other entities as partners, we recommend you apply under the 'Partnership' category.
Yes, this year as a novelty Regional Partnerships will be able to choose at the time of application whether they prefer to hold their session at the CoR or at their own venue. Please note that as the room capacity is limited, the CoR reserves the right to reject sessions if necessary.
Yes, the maximum number of speakers for a 60 minutes workshop is 3, but representatives from the remaining partners can intervene as contributors from the audience. However, please do not forget to ensure interactivity with the rest of the audience. Regional Partnerships might take into account the 90-minute CoR political/policy workshop format which can accommodate 4 speakers + the moderator and which requires a politically elected representative among the speakers (same requirement for Regional Partnerships’ application).
No, it is not possible for two Regional Partnerships to apply together for one session. For the definition of a Regional Partnership, please consult the Guide for event partners, page 8. If the number of partners of the two partnerships together is not more than 8 - you may wish to merge and create a larger Regional Partnership.
The Partner Search Tool is an online form to be filled in by regional and local partners seeking to join a Regional Partnership or by an existing Regional Partnership looking for extra partners to apply to the EURegionsWeek. The contact details provided in the online form will be published on the event website (updated weekly), so that regions and cities can contact each other to partner up.
For further information, please contact euregionsweek@cor.europa.eu.
Regional Partnerships can apply for all formats described in the Guide for event partners.
The partnership must have a minimum of four and a maximum of eight regions or cities, towns or provinces from at least two countries, one of them from an EU Member State.
CoR MEMBERS
You can find the list of CoR members and their contact details on the CoR members page.
Yes.
Participation of CoR members and/or political representatives at EU, regional and local level is encouraged but it is not binding for “Partnership” proposals. However, the participation of at least one CoR member and /or political representative is a mandatory requirement for sessions organised by Regional Partnerships. This representative cannot be an EESC member. However, partners' coordinators are free to invite them or not.
The CoR member cancelled his/her participation to my session. What should I do?
Please contact the CoR at euregionsweek@cor.europa.eu.
COMMUNICATION
For data protection reasons, the contact details of the registered participants cannot be shared with the session coordinators. However, coordinators have access to the name and surname of the registered participants on the EURegionsWeek platform. If it is imperative for the organisation of your session (e.g. participatory labs for creating sub-groups), a one-off communication with organisational information might be prepared and disseminated via the joint secretariat of the event organisers (CoR and DG REGIO).
REGISTRATION
If you are the contact person for your session (lead partner coordinator), you will be automatically registered and a badge will be issued for you. If you have other colleagues helping out with the organisation of your session who need to be present on the day of the session, they have to register in order to have access.
If your session takes place at the European Committee of the Regions, Albert Borschette centre or it is a Regional Partnership’s session organised in a regional office in Brussels, registration will open on the event website on 1st July 2024. For the EURegionsWeek close to you sessions, the lead partners are responsible for the registration of participants and related logistics.
You can register for multiple sessions. However, it is not possible to register for sessions with the same date and timeslot.
EUREGIONSWEEK CLOSE TO YOU (Former "side events")
EURegionsWeek close to you sessions will take place at the venues or premises of the lead partner. The lead partner will be fully responsible for the organisation of the session, including the choice of having an onsite, online or hybrid event. The EURegionsWeek organisers are not responsible for any organisational, logistical or content-related aspects of these events.
Yes, you can apply for both. The EURegionsWeek sessions in Brussels at the CoR and Albert Borschette centre take place between 7 and 10 October 2024. The EURegionsWeek close to you sessions can be organised around Europe, between 7 October and 30 November 2024.
EURegionsWeek close to you sessions must be related to one of the four themes of the EURegionsWeek 2024. Speakers are chosen by the lead partner/coordinator. Applications are open from 28 February to 2 April, 12:00 CET.
The session coordinators are fully responsible for the organisation of their session. These sessions will take place in the region/province/city/town of the lead partner/coordinator, usually outside of Brussels.
Please see the Guide for event partners (point 14) and consult the EURegionsWeek close to you section where you can find further information.
A dedicated page about EURegionsWeek close to you sessions is available on the event website.
Yes, if your application is rejected, the EURegionsWeek organisers give you this possibility. You can express your interest in the application form.
NEWSLETTER
If you wish to receive updates on future editions of the event, you can opt in via the following link: EURegionsWeek newsletter registration page.
CONTACT
For any general questions and information regarding the event and/or the partners’ sessions, please contact our joint secretariat contact@euregionsweek.eu.
If you are organising a stand and/or a regional tasting and have a specific question related to them, please contact exhibition@euregionsweek.eu.
For inquiries regarding the EU Sessions and High-Level thematic Sessions, please contact the event organisers EURegionsWeek@cor.europa.eu or EURegionsWeek@ec.europa.eu.
