EU Regions Week opens in Brussels on 12 October with a message that cohesion policy is a strategic investment in Europe’s future. The 24th European Week of Regions and Cities runs until 14 October under the motto Strong regions, strong Europe, and it arrives just as the EU argues about how much money regions should receive in the 2028-2034 budget.

The programme is organised around three days of debates and workshops. The opening ceremony takes place on Monday in the hemicycle of the European Parliament, partner sessions run at the Committee of the Regions and at the SQUARE convention centre used by the Commission’s regional policy department, and high-level sessions follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Formats range from 90-minute policy debates to 30-minute EURegionsTalks, and a Close to you programme carries local events across Europe until 20 December.

The most visible moment is the REGIOSTARS Awards ceremony on 14 October. The competition, created in 2008 by the Commission, recognises projects financed by the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund or Interreg programmes. A jury of academics selected 25 finalists across five categories: a competitive and smart Europe, a green Europe, a connected Europe, a social and inclusive Europe, and a Europe closer to citizens.

Public voting also matters during EU Regions Week. The People’s Choice vote has been open online since 3 September and closes at midday on 14 October. Finalists include projects on rural connectivity, digital innovation and housing for marginalised communities, which shows how cohesion money reaches small places far from the capital cities. Such stories are the political currency of EU Regions Week, because they let regional leaders prove that the funds deliver visible results.

Behind the showcase sits a hard budget argument. Regional and local authorities fear that cohesion funding could be folded into national plans and squeezed by new priorities such as defence and competitiveness. The European Council discusses the multiannual financial framework on 15 October, only a day after the week ends, and President António Costa has called October a decisive phase with the aim of reaching key elements of a deal by the end of 2026.

EU Regions Week therefore doubles as a lobbying exercise. Regions will use the sessions to press for a strong, locally managed cohesion policy, while the Commission will stress simplification and results. Themes such as demographic pressure, skills shortages and housing are likely to recur, since they affect areas that feel left behind and that often decide national elections.

For readers who follow EU budget politics, EU Regions Week is worth watching for what ministers and commissioners say off the record as much as on stage. If the awards, the debates and the leaders’ summit send a consistent message, regional policy may keep its place in the next budget. If they do not, the EU Regions Week slogan of strong regions and a strong Europe will face a very difficult negotiation in 2027.