The reflection process on the future Cohesion policy (post-2027) has started across the EU.
Discussions are taking place in various experts and stakeholders’ groups, in events and debates. To promote this reflection process, the European Commission has invited all European Territorial Cooperation Programmes to join the INTERREG consultation 2024 on the future Cohesion policy (post 2027). All INTERREG programmes are asked to contribute to the consultation by delivering own consultation activities and submitting a harvesting report to the European Commission by the end of December 2024.
On the basis of the findings, the European Commission will present the harvest of the consultation and first ideas for the future Cohesion policy to the large public at a dedicated event in Gorizia/Nova Gorica (SL/IT) in spring 2025.
URBACT Programme is not an exception and will contribute to the INTERREG consultation and has started its own consultation process with an EU survey. The online survey is running from 26 March to 31 July 2024 and is available here. While the survey is targeted to cities of any size and their needs, it is also open to the general public.
In tandem with the online survey, a series of consultation events and discussion rounds (ca. 10-12 in total) will take place to address citizens, particularly young people, in the course of the summer 2024. These events/workshops will take place at several levels (programme, national, network and local level) and target different groups (cities in general, URBACT beneficiaries, other URBACT stakeholders, citizens and young citizens in particular). URBACT is supporting these events by providing additional expertise.
Ultimately, the results of the survey will be presented to the public and submitted to the European Commission to feed the discussion on the future Cohesion policy and its support for cooperation among cities.