The 2022 EU Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) shows that, in most countries in Europe, there is a large gap between the capital region and the rest. This gap between a country's capital region and other regions is completely contradictory to the EU's cohesion and solidarity policy. With this side event during the European Week of Regions and Cities, ORU Fogar wants to highlight the need to reinforce territorial balance policies within the most centralised states.
- Territorial | Rural | Cohesion
- Code: 10PL23473
- Jacques Delors building, Atrium 5
Practical information
- When
-
Tue 10/10/2023, 09:30 - 11:00 CET
- Where
- Jacques Delors building, Atrium 5
- Type of partnership
- NONE
- Format
- Participatory/Political lab
- Theme
-
Retaining talent for regional growth
- Language
- English
- Website
-
https://www.regionsunies-fogar.org/en/
- Social media
-
@ORU/FOGAR
@ORUFOGAR
@ORU_esp
@ORU_fr
@ORU/FOGAR
@orufogar
@orufogar9795
Partner
Document
eu-regional-competitiveness-index-2-(1_0
Reporting
Session summary
The speakers at the event “How to reduce the competitiveness gap between the capital regions and the rest of the regions”, organized by ORU Fogar during the European Week of Cities and Regions, pointed out that there are “national policies” that not only reaffirm centralism, but rather they dilute the cohesion policies promoted by the European Union. The event had been scheduled to talk about the figures made public by the 2022 Regional Competitiveness Index which showed that, from Ireland to Romania and Bulgaria; and from Finland and Sweden to Greece and Portugal, throughout Europe, there is a huge competitiveness gap between the capital regions and the rest.The most forceful of the speakers was, without a doubt, Jorge Núñez, director of Cohesion and European Budget of the CPMR (Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions), who began by denouncing that, both in the political and academic debate, “the concept of cohesion”, a term that had been key in the creation of the European Union. Núñez went further and stated that many “national plans”, in the most diverse areas, misconfigure the cohesion work done by the European Union, for example, with cross-border projects.
Quotes
-
The concept of "cohesion", a term that had been key in the creation of the EU, has disappeared. Many "national plans" disfigure the cohesion work done by the European Union, for example, with the cross-border projects.
Investing in borders not only generates greater development processes than in any other area, but also increases the value of integration.
The gap between capital regions and other regions can be reduced by building appropriate infrastructure and making investments throughout the territory.
We need to feel European cohesion and we need to feel it in all parts of the map.
