European Week of Regions and Cities 2025

The European Week of Regions and Cities (#EURegionsWeek) is the EU’s biggest annual event dedicated to regional development and cohesion.

Organised by the European Commission’s DG REGIO and the Committee of the Regions, it brings together thousands of policymakers, practitioners, and experts to exchange ideas, spark collaboration, and showcase impactful initiatives.

For the 2025 edition, which will take place in Brussels on 13-15 October, the theme is 'Shaping tomorrow, together', with key focus areas including:

Cohesion and growth for the future
The right to stay: unlocking the potential of every territory
Cities building tomorrow

The week features an extensive programme including a high-level opening session, workshops, interactive sessions, a prize honouring young aspiring journalists, the #Cohesion Alliance event, the REGIOSTARS awards ceremony celebrating outstanding regional projects across the EU, exhibition areas with stands and tastings and much more. Plus, participation in the event is free of charge!

Where to find POLIS

During this exciting week, we will be organising a series of events, both within the official programme but also through our Working Groups and projects. Find out more below.

Official programme

As part of the official programme, POLIS is organising a workshop on 'Driving Change: bridging sustainable mobility and urban planning'.

Achieving a just energy transition is a key goal for cities, yet road transport, a top GHG emitter, presents a tough challenge. Urban access regulations (LEZs, ZEZs) and electromobility aim to reduce fossil-fuel vehicle use, but face barriers: limited urban space for infrastructure, misalignment with parking and planning strategies, and transport poverty. Electric carsharing can reduce private car use, supporting mobility hubs and integrating housing and urban planning. It can also play a role in future grid balancing needs. In this workshop, together with our members, we will explore innovative ways to help cities and regions shift to electromobility in an integrated way, connecting it with public space and housing.

When: Wednesday, 15 October 2025 | 09:30 - 10:30
Where: Square Brussels, Hall 300 | Brussels, Belgium
Featuring speakers:
- Harold Habousha, Bruxelles Environnement
- Clara Mafé, Housing Europe
- Bram Seeuws, Way To Go
Moderated by: Ivo Cré, POLIS

Working Group events

Exclusively for POLIS members, our Regions Working Group and Urban Nodes Taskforce will be organising a joint in-person event on 'Regional SUMP support and TEN-T obligations'.

The revised TEN-T Regulation recognises urban nodes as crucial components of Europe’s strategic transport network and connectors between local, regional, national, and trans-European transport systems. As multimodal hubs, they are expected to facilitate efficient passenger and freight movement, improve last-mile logistics, and accelerate the shift toward climate-neutral transportation. Through expert insights and examples, the session will explore how regional actors can actively support urban nodes in meeting the TEN-T regulation requirements through coordinated planning and strategic investment. Participants will gain insights into practical mechanisms and collaboration models that can enhance the impact and implementation of SUMPs.

When: 13 October 2025 | 14:00 - 18:00
Where: POLIS office | Brussels, Belgium

POLIS members are invited to register for the event in the Members' Area here.

Members' events

Lille Metropole's EU Office is organising the seventh edition of the Brussels Urban Talks, with a special focus on mobility. As in previous editions, the event will provide participants with the opportunity to pitch an idea, project, innovative initiative, or partner search related to mobility during a brief presentation lasting 5-7 minutes. Plus, Lille will present the GreenMo project, an ambitious urban mobility investment programme. We will also share our ongoing work on a major survey of travel habits in our territory and would like to hear about your best practices in this regard.

When: 15 October 2025 | 11:30 - 14:00
Where: Rue Guimard 9, 1040 Brussels, 5th floor
Featuring speakers:
- Isabelle Vandoorne, DG MOVE

To secure your attendance, please register by 21 September by emailing EUoffice@lillemetropole.fr.

Project events

Green Living Areas

During the week, the Green Living Areas Mission will host the second Institutional Policy Dialogue in Brussels, Belgium. These Dialogues are meant to serve as fora for policy partners of the Mission's Thematic Projects and key Euro-Mediterranean stakeholders, to exchange on concrete ways to implement, replicate, adapt and upscale public policy instruments at the local level. In this edition, they will showcase the policy work of selected Green Living Areas Thematic Projects, as well as mature policy instruments from external policy-makers, with a high replicability potential.

When: 15-16 October 2025
Where: POLIS office | Brussels, Belgium

This event is currently by invitation only. If you are interested in joining, please contact Claudia Ribeiro (cribeiro@polisnetwork.eu) and Sara Mecatti (smecatti@polisnetwork.eu).

LENS

Noise- and air pollution of motorcycles and other L-category vehicles are often-neglected significant problems, both in rural and urban environments. The EU-funded LENS project has analysed the emissions of several hundred L-vehicles, both in real-world driving conditions and in laboratory environments. The international consortium will present its findings and policy recommendations during its upcoming final conference.

When: 15 October 2025
Where: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs in Brussels (BE)

If you are interested in the impacts of L-vehicles and related mitigation plans, join the consortium and several international guests registering here.