Time and location
The 23rd edition will take place from 13 to 15 October 2025 in Brussels, mainly at:
- CoR venue: Jacques Delors Building (JDE), Rue Belliard 101, 1040 Brussels
- DG REGIO venue: SQUARE Brussels, Mont des Arts, 1000 Brussels
Some sessions may be held at other EU institutions.
Regional Partnerships may also host events at their Brussels offices at their own expense.
Motto and themes
The motto for #EURegionsWeek 2025 is Shaping tomorrow, together.
This edition will focus on three key thematic areas:
Cohesion and Growth of the Future
The entire modernisation agenda can be tackled under this theme, establishing a link between well-rooted cohesion policy, values and new growth plans. This theme is linked to the political priorities of the EU, particularly sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, as well as delivering together and preparing our Union for the future.
The focus of these sessions should be on how to design a modernised cohesion and growth policy, working in partnership with national, regional and local authorities, so that the policy is:
- aligned to wider EU priorities
- focused, simple and impactful
- helping to mobilise reforms and investments across the Union, including in its border and outermost regions
The Right to Stay: unlocking the potential of every territory
All citizens should have the right to stay in the place they call home. These sessions should be about how to support what a community needs, so that people want to stay: public services and private activities, education and skills, health, transport and digital connectivity.
The sessions should:
- discuss how to effectively organise key services
- present good examples from practice
- allow mutual learning across regions and cities
- address challenges faced in different parts of Europe, including the border areas
Other areas that can be addressed under this theme include:
- a place-based approach and tackling regional disparities
- providing tailor-made solutions to regional and local challenges
- supporting regions to catch up, reverse depopulation and address brain drain
Cities building tomorrow
This theme offers the opportunity to explore how to strengthen cities as engines for innovation, growth and competitiveness, and how to boost their resilience and sustainability.
These sessions can exchange good practices, tackle common challenges, address new topics, explore collaboration between cities within and across national borders, and in this way help articulate a vision for the future of cities.
Sessions are welcome to focus on:
- housing
- resilience
- climate action and preparedness
- digitalisation
- mobility
- social inclusion and equality
- quality public services for all
- other relevant topics
Programme
In 2025, the #EURegionsWeek will feature a variety of sessions, networking, and activities designed to maximise engagement and interactivity:
EU Sessions are coordinated by the event organisers, and include:
- The Opening Ceremony in the European Parliament hemicycle
- The REGIOSTARS Awards ceremony celebrating outstanding projects
- The Megalizzi–Niedzielski Prize, which honours young aspiring journalists
- High-level thematic sessions featuring prominent speakers
- The Cohesion Alliance meeting
- The joint REGI-COTER meeting
Partners' & Regional Partnership sessions: the organisers collaborate with partners to create content for #EURegionsWeek. Sessions and activities, aligned with the year's thematic areas, are coordinated by the partners after a rigorous application and selection process.
Networking opportunities: including exhibition, tastings and evening gatherings, ensuring a dynamic and impactful experience for participants.
Local & regional authority networks: the #EURegionsWeek 2025 will highlight networks like Young Elected Politicians (YEPs) and EU Local Councillors. Selected members join in Brussels for dedicated programmes, featuring tailored sessions and exclusive activities.
Media programme: the #EURegionsWeek 2025 welcomes journalists to engage with key stakeholders in Cohesion Policy. The media programme includes expert meetings, site visits, panel discussions and interviews. Journalists interested in attending and covering the event are encouraged to reach out for accreditation and further details at media@euregionsweek.eu.
#EURegionsWeek close to you: the #EURegionsWeek close to you sessions bring the event close to communities all over the EU. Applicants who cannot or do not wish to organise their session in Brussels during the #EURegionsWeek can apply for a local session anywhere in Europe and beyond, while benefiting from the event promotion, branding and visibility. The #EURegionsWeek close to you programme will run from from 13 October to 30 November.
Important: partners selected to organise #EURegionsWeek close to you sessions have full autonomy in organising their sessions. They are entirely responsible for the content, organisation, and management of their event (i.e. the online platform, if any, and participants registration, processing of personal data, the agenda and invitation of speakers and moderator, etc.), as well as any promotional actions (via social media, press, and web).
The #EURegionsWeek organisers may in no way be considered responsible for any organisational, logistical or content-related aspects of the #EURegionsWeek close to you sessions.
Session formats
The 2025 edition offers a variety of session formats to foster engagement, collaboration and knowledge sharing:
- Interactive Sessions: participatory activities like Hackathons, Innovation Sprints and Data-Driven Debates, for hands-on problem solving.
- Political/Policy Debates: a chance for political leaders, policymakers, local authorities, elected officials and MEPs to exchange ideas, gather feedback and develop strategies on Cohesion Policy.
- Workshops: collaborative sessions designed to share experiences and best practices while fostering collaboration.
- EURegionsTalk: short, engaging sessions designed to inspire discussion and showcase innovative ideas, like PechaKucha and TED-style EU Talks.
- Exhibitions & Networking: stands showcasing EU projects, funding and expert knowledge, and European regional gastronomy tastings.
