Over 190 regions and cities partner up for OPEN DAYS 2014

​Some 192 regions and cities from 31 countries are partnering up with the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission to help organise the 12th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities: OPEN DAYS 2014.

Ireland is represented by County Cork. The UK is represented by Birmingham, City of Liverpool, East of England, East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire, Liverpool City Region, London, North-East England, Northern Ireland, Scotland/Highland/Inverness, Southern England, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.

This year the largest event on regional and urban policy will be the occasion to hear how Europe's local and regional authorities are getting on in launching their investment plans for the programming phase 2014-2020. Under the slogan 'Growing together - Smart investment for people', over 100 workshops and debates will be held from 6 to 9 October in Brussels, whilst another 200-300 local events are foreseen throughout the autumn all over Europe. About 6 000 local, regional, national and European decision-makers, experts, academics and business representatives will experience a real market place for exchange and debate on regional and urban development.

The OPEN DAYS 2014 programme of workshops and debates will be structured around three thematic priorities: connecting regional strategies; building capacity; territorial cooperation.

The event will foster exchange about those thematic priorities that are compulsory for shaping EU co-funded regional growth strategies for the time period 2014-2020. There will also be the opportunity to look into new instruments such as Integrated Territorial Investments and Community-led Local Development, financial instruments, the new European Territorial Cooperation programmes and the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-regional Strategy to be adopted during the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

In addition, the OPEN DAYS University Master Class will again gather students and early career researchers in the field of regional policy from all over Europe.

The programme will be published on the OPEN DAYS website on 8 July, when registration starts.

You can still apply to organise an OPEN DAYS local event!

You would like to inform your citizens on European issues in connection to the OPEN DAYS? Organise an event locally, and we will promote it on our website

Practical information: how to organise a local event?

The lists of selected partners and partnerships can be found on the event's website .