Cohesion policy is the main instrument used by the European Union in order to promote social and economic growth, foster convergence between the different regions, and improve the quality of life on the ground. Since 2021 we have been reporting on the challenges faced by the regions of South-Eastern Europe and on initiatives which were promoted thanks to cohesion funds, first with the Work4Future projects and then with Energy4Future. The ‘Cohesion for Climate’ project continues to look at cohesion policy and related challenges, focusing in particular on interventions in the field of environment: prevention of natural disasters, land management, conservation of protected areas and species, and so on.
OBC Transeuropa collaborates in the Cohesion for Climate project together with Il Sole 24 Ore, ISSiRFA/CNR, Monithon and PressOne.
ENVIRONMENT Waste: Adriatic focuses on circular economy
Marta Abbà | 17/6/2025If there is something that unites all those who overlook the same sea, it is the waste that ruins it. Six countries overlooking the Adriatic have joined forces in the European project Bluecircle to minimize its presence on their beaches
ENERGY Winds of change in the Adriatic for offshore wind energy
Marta Abbà | 5/6/2025Obtaining renewable energy from the wind by installing turbines in the open sea will be increasingly necessary, but so is respecting biodiversity. In the Adriatic, this challenge is still open: the Beyond project was born to win it, starting from Italy and Croatia
EUROPE European territories in search of ecological transition
Ornaldo Gjergji | 27/5/2025The EU Just Transition Fund supports the European regions most affected by the abandonment of fossil fuels, financing green innovation, job retraining and environmental clean-ups. Its implementation, however, is proceeding very slowly
EUROPEAN UNION Cohesion, the importance of EU funds in Bulgaria
Federico Baccini | 26/5/2025From education to workforce retraining, national programmes can attract investment and support the development of disadvantaged areas. An interview with Zornitsa Roussinova, President of the Economic and Social Council of Bulgaria
COESION Zoos in Bulgaria, an ecosystem in transition
Sofia | Francesco Martino | 22/5/2025Overcoming the controversial legacies of the past and finding a new role, between education on respect for nature and conservation of endangered species: the challenge for Bulgarian zoos in this interview
EUROPE EU, delays in spending cohesion funds
Lorenzo Ferrari | 13/5/2025European states and regions are having issues using the 526 billion Euros made available to them by the cohesion policy for 2021-2027. A challenge of a technical nature that however also has a strong political value
EUROPE EU, less cohesion and more defence?
Brussels | Federico Baccini | 29/4/2025According to the European Commission, cohesion policy should invest more in defence companies and infrastructure useful for military purposes. However, the decision is up to national and regional authorities
COHESION Climate risks, EU funds for South-East Europe
Lorenzo Ferrari | 29/4/2025Thanks to cohesion funds, the EU states of south-eastern Europe are implementing many projects to prevent or combat floods, fires and other risks related to the climate crisis. Namely, the commitment by Greece and Cyprus stands out
Austro-Hungarian spas in Romania
1/4/2025Băile Herculane is among the oldest and most popular spas in Romania. It reached the peak of its splendour in the second half of the 19th century, when the region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
TOURISM Romania, the rebirth of a spa town
Lorenzo Ferrari | 1/4/2025After decades of severe decline, the historical spa town of Băile Herculane is gradually flourishing again. The credit goes to the efforts by a group of young people who mobilised to save the heritage and reclaim the spaces, and to EU funds
INTERVIEW Cohesion funds, a Slovenian experience
Bruxelles | Federico Baccini | 24/3/2025EU funds can have a real impact on the lives of citizens and local communities, provided they are spent taking into account the specific needs of each territory. Interview with Jasna Gabrič, former mayor of Trbovlje
COHESION Romania, transhumance guardian of biodiversity
Marta Abbà | 11/4/2025The traditional passage of shepherds and sheep tramples the ground but does not destroy biodiversity – rather, it creates spaces and opportunities to make animals, plants and even people more resilient. A researcher studied it in the lab and in the Romanian mountains where she grew up
ENVIRONMENT Alps, imagining the mountain beyond the snow
Marta Abbà | 12/3/2025Many low- and mid-altitude ski resorts, due to global warming, remain without snow, but not necessarily without tourists. There are ways to reinvent the mountain: an ongoing cross-border project, BeyondSnow, helps some Alpine resorts understand how to do it
COHESION EU, the potential of renewables for local development
Ornaldo Gjergji | 5/3/2025In the European Union there is enormous potential for the production of renewable energy, still only partially exploited. It is concentrated above all in rural regions: with adequate investments, it could create a precious opportunity for development
EUROPE EU Cohesion Policy, the risks of centralisation
Brussels | Federico Baccini | 29/1/2025The temptation to centralise the management of EU cohesion funds is a mistake, argues economist Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, who has edited a report on the future of this policy for the European Commission. An interview
AGRICULTURE Italy-Slovenia, vineyard alliance against the climate crisis
Dobrovo v Brdih | Marta Abbà | 28/1/2025Increasingly hot summers and crops at the mercy of extreme events challenge growers in cross-border areas. In the face of the certainty of climate uncertainty, forces and data are being joined with the European AI-GRAPE project, created to introduce digitalisation into viticulture
WILDLIFE Bulgaria, a sanctuary for the red-breasted goose
Filippo Sconza | 3/1/2025Native to Siberia, the red-breasted goose winters on the western coast of the Black Sea. Threatened by poaching and climate change, this endangered species has benefited from various conservation projects in Bulgaria in recent years
EUROPE Cohesion policy, the requirements of the Economic and Social Committee
Brussels | Federico Baccini | 23/12/2024Ahead of the discussions on the future EU budget, we interviewed Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, on the principles that should guide the way cohesion funds are delivered
DIGITAL EU, Internet connections are getting faster and faster
Ornaldo Gjergji | 7/1/2025In the last five years, the average speed of Internet access has quadrupled in Italy, in line with improvements that have occurred throughout Europe. However, some territories risk being left out: public investments in broadband supported by the EU are essential
EUROPE Cohesion Policy, big changes on the agenda
Brussels | Federico Baccini | 5/12/2024The new EU budget is starting to take shape. Cohesion funds could flow into a single National Plan, and the disbursement of funding could be tied to the implementation of specific reforms
This material is published in the context of the ‘Cohesion4Climate’ project, co-funded by the European Union. The EU is in no way responsible for the information or views expressed within the framework of the project; responsibility for the content lies solely with OBCT.
