European Week of Regions and Cities 2026
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 2026 edition, which will take place in Brussels, Belgium, on 12-14 October 2026, the theme is 'Strong regions, strong Europe'.
Building strong regions lies at the heart of cohesion policy, yet regions across Europe face various challenges: from common geopolitical pressures to specific territorial challenges, from demographic change to economic developments, from skills shortages to the need to strengthen essential services.
As challenges differ, so too must solutions: they should be place-based and tailored to local and regional needs. This year’s European Week of Regions and Cities will be an important opportunity to exchange ideas, grow partnerships, and share experience on how cohesion policy can help every region succeed.
Register now for the partner sessions
Until 30 September, registrations are open for the partner sessions. POLIS and our members will be present at the event, and invite you to join us! Find out more below.
POLIS and member sessions
POLIS member Intermunicipal Community of Douro, together with POLIS and Magellan Circle, is organising an EURegionsTalk session on 'Reinventing Mobility in the Douro'.
In the Douro, reinventing mobility means creating better connections across a territory shaped by distance, terrain and dispersed communities. This talk shows how this UNESCO World Heritage Site is rethinking mobility through on-demand transport and stronger cooperation between municipalities, creating more flexible ways to connect people to healthcare, education, jobs and public services. Facing challenges shared by many rural regions across Europe, the Douro offers an inspiring example in the European debate on how regions can play a stronger role in developing mobility solutions that are better adapted, smarter and fairer, leading to competitiveness and greater territorial cohesion.
- When: Tuesday 13 October 2026 | 15:00 - 15:30 CET
- Where: Jacques Delors building, JDE 60 | Brussels, Belgium
Other member sessions
Additionally, POLIS members are participating in various sessions during the EURegionsWeek, bringing their expertise across a wide array of topics related to sustainable mobility and urban planning. Find out more below.
- Building sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities with local digital twins.
- Description: What if you could simulate the impact of new square designs, road networks, urban heat or flooding in an interactive 3D environment? Drawing on the Interreg North-West Europe project Twin4Resilience, Catalin Turlica will present how digital twins could make it possible.
- When: 12 October 2026 | 09:30 - 10:00 CET
- Where: Jacques Delors building, JDE 60 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Catalin Turlica, Project Manager, City of Brussels
- Imagine your city or region without public transport: Exploring the role of mobility in social inclusion, economic activity and regional resilience
- Description: Public transport is often taken for granted, until it stops working. This workshop explores how EU strength depends on resilient regions and cities and the public transport systems that keep them moving. Register here
- When: 12 October 2026 | 09:30 - 11:00 CET
- Where: Jacques Delors building, JDE 70 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Alberto Alonso Poza, Director, EMT Madrid
- Local strengths, shared futures: municipal partnerships with Ukraine in action
- Description: This workshop highlights how partnerships with Ukraine create mutual benefits, as municipalities share strengths and address common challenges.
- When: 12 October 2026 | 11:00 - 12:30 CET
- Where: Jacques Delors building, JDE 52 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Colin Beheydt, Director-General, City of Bruges
- Building inclusive community preparedness and resilience in the age of disasters
- Description: This session explores how cities and regions can close the resilience gap by ensuring resilient housing, early warning systems, awareness and crisis communication reach everyone, especially children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and those most exposed to misinformation.
- When: 12 October 2026 | 11:30 - 13:00 CET
- Where: Jacques Delors building, JDE 63 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Andriy Sadovyy, Mayor, Lviv city council
- A stronger and competitive Europe is a greener Europe: Cities and regions leading the way
- Description: Recent geopolitical events have increased the urgency for the EU to strengthen the resilience of its socio‑economic model, based on strategic open autonomy, economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability.
- When: 13 October 2026 | 09:30 - 11:00 CET
- Where: Jacques Delors building, JDE 63 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Kieran McCarthy, Councillor, Cork City Council
- Elina Rantanen, Deputy Mayor, City of Turku
- Bridging the divide: How tailored mobility solutions build a stronger, more connected Europe
- Description: The session will highlight how inclusive mobility is essential for building a more resilient and united Europe.
- When: 14 October 2026 | 9:30 - 11:00 CET
- Where: Office of the Northern Ireland Executive Brussels, 180 Chaussée d'Etterbeek | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Paul van de Coevering, Professor, Breda University of Applied Sciences
- Strong democracies, strong regions: youth participation as a driver of local governance
- Description: The session will highlight how inclusive mobility is essential for building a more resilient and united Europe.
- When: 14 October 2026 | 9:30 - 11:00 CET
- Where: Square Brussels, Hall 400, Mont des Arts | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Albert Martin, Project Manager, Barcelona City Coucil
- Shaping Europe’s industrial future: a regional debate on turning plans into action
- Description: This debate offers a timely opportunity to bring regions together to exchange views on the future Industrial Acceleration Act and the European Chemicals Industry Action Plan.
- When: 14 October 2026 | 09:30 - 11:00 CET
- Where: Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to the European Union, Rue de la Loi 227 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Jaume Duch, Minister, Government of Catalonia
- Gaëtan Poelman, Representative, Government of Flanders - Chancellery and Foreign Office
- Too many visitors, too little space? Managing tourism mobility in cities
- Description: This interactive workshop, organised by the EU Urban Mobility Observatory, invites you to explore how cities and regions can better manage tourism flows through integrated mobility planning. Register here
- When: 14 October 2026 | 11:00 - 12:30 CET
- Where: Square Brussels, Hall 300 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Françoise Guaspare, Representative, Ile-de-France Europe
- Nina Nesterova, Professor, Breda University of Applied Sciences
- Age-inclusive territories: addressing ageism for stronger European cohesion
- Description: This session will exchange best practices, demonstrating that tackling ageism is not only a social imperative but also a strategic opportunity to promote meaningful ageing, boost competitiveness, foster innovation, develop intergenerational fairness, and strengthen territorial cohesion. Register here
- When: 14 October 2026 | 11:00 - 12:30 CET
- Where: Square Brussels, Hall 100 | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Lora Vidović, Head of Unit, City of Zagreb
- Driving competitiveness and inclusiveness in intermediary cities: Supporting the Right to Stay in the EU
- Description: Building on two OECD-EU projects, this session will explore how to strengthen the competitiveness of intermediary cities while ensuring all residents have access to opportunities.
- When: 14 October 2026 | 11:00 - 12:30 CET
- Where: Square Brussels, Studio 214+216, Mont des Arts | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Josie Vranken, Project & Programme Manager, City of Ghent
- No child left behind: building bridges to adulthood (EU Anti-poverty strategy and strengthened European Child Guarantee)
- Description: This workshop will explore how local and regional actors can build more integrated, youth-friendly pathways around young people at key transition moments.
- When: 14 October 2026 | 11:00 - 12:30 CET
- Where: Square Brussels, Hall 400, Mont des Arts | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Dennis de Vries, Deputy Mayor, City of Utrecht
- SYNERGY - Regions Powered by Innovation Intelligence & Funding. From Regional Assets to European Strength: Making Territorial Diversity Count.
- Description: To unlock Europe’s full potential and strengthen its strategic autonomy, regional linkages must improve, and structural barriers must be addressed through coordination. Discover the SYNERGY project and how it examines funding synergies, governance, and functional links shaping performance. Register here
- When: 14 October 2026 | 16:00 - 17:30 CET
- Where: Square Brussels, Hall 300, Mont des Arts | Brussels, Belgium
- Featured POLIS members:
- Ruud van Raak, Head of Unit, City of Rotterdam