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#EURegionsWeek – Conducting joint campaigns on Cohesion policy across European regions

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Join our EURegions Talk on ‘Conducting Joint Campaigns on Cohesion Policy across European Regions‘ next Wednesday, 14 October from 18:00 – 18:30 CET, part of DG-REGIO’s Media Programme within the European Week of Regions and Cities! By presenting the steps, achievements, and challenges of the “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite” campaign – we will follow-up and continue further our successful work on the promotion of the benefits of European cohesion policy among citizens.

As you may recall, Together for Cohesion is a wide-reaching communication campaign co-financed by DG-REGIO, and ran from March 2019 to July this year by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) in cooperation with the Media Consulta International Holding (mc Group) and with the strong involvement of six flagship regions [Alba (RO), Catalonia (ES), Csongrad-Csanàd (HU), Timis (RO), Trentino (IT), and Varazdin (HR)]. Through the organisation of multiple local and international conferences and webinars, training sessions, interviews with local stakeholders and citizens, our aim was to raise awareness of the real-life benefits of cohesion policy for citizens, as well as to empower the policy’s main beneficiaries (citizens and stakeholders) as primary actors engaged in the communication of the policy.  

The interactive EURegions Talk “Conducting Joint Campaigns across Europe” will be a great occasion to involve the broad and diversified European audience in a journey through the six European regions, the activities, and the stories of cohesion projects that fuelled the campaign. Participants will gain valuable first-hand insights into running an EU-wide campaign on cohesion policy and on the pivotal role that cooperation among regions and partnerships between local/regional authorities and citizens and stakeholders play in delivering an effective communication campaign, especially when major external constraints arose (as the COVID-19 outbreak in the case of the Together for Cohesion campaign).

The presentation will be led by Birgit Sandu, European Project manager at AER (Assembly of European Regions), and attendees are welcome to join via Zoom.

Do not miss this opportunity, REGISTER HERE before Wednesday 7th October!

If you are facing some difficulties in registering for the events of the #EURegionsWeek, this video will guide you throughout the process!

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Together4Cohesion comes to its end: A Journey throughout its Road and Prospectives

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The campaign #Together4Cohesion is now concluded and we want to go through the long road performed. At the same time, we hope that our actions were meaningful in generating a spark among all actors involved within cohesion policy persuading them to continue showing its benefits. To this end, we want also to share sustainable tools that can support practitioners in this long-lasting exercise, as well as our commitment to continue promoting cohesion policy.  

Since April 2019, AER in cooperation with mc Group and in partnership with six flagship regions [Alba (RO), Catalonia (ES), Csongrad-Csanàd (HU), Timis (RO), Trentino (IT), and Varazdin (HR)] have been coordinating and implementing a widespread communication campaign on the benefits of European cohesion policy co-financed by DG-REGIO (European Commission). The campaign “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” was aimed at raising awareness of cohesion policy and structural funds as major tools to implement social and economic investments fostering balanced growth among European regions through the active involvement of the policy’s main beneficiaries, i.e. citizens and stakeholders.

After sixteen months of campaigning, we have reached the end of this journey across regions, projects, and people. It is time now to look back at the road from the hill and to share the achievements of Together for Cohesion. The path was exciting but yet not without its difficulties. As various activities, the campaign had to face major constraints posed by the outbreak of Covid-19. Despite the challenge, the campaign’s team elaborated on alternative solutions enabling to continue and ultimate the mission.

Visibility Events and Activities

We have actively engaged in promoting debate around the theme of cohesion policy through both international and local events in the six flagship regions. The campaign was officially launched at AER General Assembly in Larnaca  (5th June 2019) with a dedicated Knowledge Sharing Workshop; it was presented at both AER Committee’s Plenaries in Podcetrtek  (25th September 2019) and the 37th session of the Local and Regional Authorities Congress of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (28th-31st October 2019). We concluded our international engagement with a final webinar on “Communicating European Cohesion Policy” (16th July 2020), where we shared hints and practices acquired during the campaign, as well as launched discussion on the current use of structural funds to counter the Covid-19 effects and the perspective of the next MFF.

Alba and Timis (RO)

In parallel, the campaign engaged citizens, stakeholders, and public authorities at the local level within the six flagship regions. Alba County inaugurated the series of Together for Cohesion’s local events through the Apulum Agraria Fair (20th September 2019), where farmers, producers, and policymakers exchanged about the local products of Alba and discussed the benefits of cohesion policy. Students in the Alba County have been informed about the opportunities that cohesion funds brings about for employment, career guidance and development at the second local event of the region, the Career Management Conference (20th-22nd November 2019). The third event was held by the Timis County Council, a conference on “The Benefits of Cohesion Policy for European Union Citizens” (25th February 2020) gathering representatives of public institutions and non-governmental organizations to discuss the pivotal role of cohesion investments for the development of the region. Additionally, the County held a drawing competition for children focused on “The Europe where I would like to live in”/ “A greener Europe”.  Lastly, both Romanian Counties produced and disseminated a series of videos showing how cohesion funds have supported local activities in various thematic fields.

Csongrád County (HU)

In Csongrád County, the campaign Together for Cohesion served as a basis to launch important institutional exchanges among mayors on experiences, results, and plans regarding cohesion funds through two Professional Forums for Mayors of the Csongrád County  (11th December 2019 and 30th June 2020). Beyond institutional discussions, the County launched reflections among children through the drawing competition and award ceremony in Szeged on climate awareness (23rd June 2020).

Generalitat de Catalunya (ES)

Within the scope of the campaign, the Generalitat de Catalunya triggered debates around crucial themes related to cohesion policy through two webinars. The first webinar, “ICF Eurocredit COVID-19 line” (27th May 2020), explained how this instrument can support companies affected by the crisis. The second webinar gathered representatives from the public administration to reflect on the management of public resources through a gender perspective (22nd June 2020). Lastly, a video showcasing the various benefits that Structural and Investment funds bring about in the region was disseminated via social media in order to reach a wide audience.

Province of Trento (IT)

Visibility actions in Trentino took an innovative shape. The Province launched a series of four TV episodes on cohesion policy providing viewers with a detailed explanation of what cohesion policy is, focusing at both the local level and broader European level. The first three episodes presented a specific Operational Programme, a local project, and an interregional project. The last episode focused on the benefits of cohesion funds for local stakeholders. Finally, space was given to inform citizens and companies about how ERDF and ESF funds have been re-addressed to support the COVID-19 relief through a dedicated article and infographic.

Varaždin County (HR)

The series of local events in Varaždin had a sparking start at the Splendid Ball in Varaždin (31st January 2020), where ambassadors, Parliament, and Civilian Guard members exchanged on the benefits of cohesion policy. On 13th February 2020, the International Conference on “ESI Funds beyond 2020”  involved private and public stakeholders from Croatia, Austria, and Slovenia to debate on the future of cohesion policy during the next European budgetary period. The event was followed by another international conference on “Entrepreneurship Education” (5th March 2020) attended by professionals working in the education and entrepreneurship sectors willing to enhance the connection between these two fields, considering it pivotal for the economic growth of the region. To conclude the local mission, the Varaždin County produced and broadcasted on television a short movie showing the impact and achievements of cohesion policy in the region.

Messengers of Cohesion – the Voices of Citizens, Stakeholders, and Third Parties

Together for Cohesion was based on a bottom-up approach attaching core importance to the involvement of cohesion’s policy main beneficiaries as the main voice of the campaign. To this aim, workshops, trainings, and webinars were organized in Alba, Catalonia, Csongrad, Trentino, and Varazdin to offer entrepreneurs, journalists, project managers, local decision-makers, and other actors engaged with cohesion policy the opportunity to boost effective communication skills.

Entrepreneurs and project managers opened – physically or virtually – the doors of their activities to show how cohesion funds have supported the foundation or expansion of their local business. Journalists visited the Axa Porcelaine in Alba Iulia, a small family business that through cohesion funds grew and expanded its sales to the European market becoming the second-largest manufacturer of porcelain in Romania. Luigi Calabrese, R&D Manager at Kirana Laser Startup in Trentino, testified the fundamental role of European funds when the company was launched, pivotal for its consecutive expansion in the international market, and collaboration with research centers of excellence as the CERN in Geneva.

Moving from support to business to health services, the General Hospital Varaždin has presented the ongoing project aimed at establishing unified day hospital and surgery. The Hospital Vall d’Hebron, in Catalonia, showed how cohesion funds have supported a major digital transformation improving the quality and the access of the services provided by the hospital. We have also heard from local authorities in Timis how the modernization of the County Hospital emergency unit financed by the EU increased the receiving capacity of 25% enabling better flow and comfort for patients and families and improved working conditions for the staff.

Through a virtual visit at the Extreme Light Infrastructure Attosecond Light Pulse Source (ELI-ALPS) in Szeged (Hungary), we testified how cohesion policy promotes the development of research infrastructures needed to study the most elementary and fastest processes through long-term investments in three different countries – Hungary, Romania, and the Czech Republic.

Targeted stakeholders from the six-flagship regions were also interviewed to show the contribution of the EU and cohesion policy to core policy fields as tourism (here and here), youth involvement, gender equality, handicraft, and agriculture.

Lastly, Together4Cohesion opened the floor of its campaign to third parties around Europe involved with cohesion policy and willing embark in our campaign through their success stories. Read all the third parties’ stories here!

Let’s continue to communicate Cohesion Policy beyond Together for Cohesion

Although the campaign is finished, triggering debates on European cohesion policy and raising awareness about its benefits among citizens and stakeholders shall become a long-lasting practice. We have designed a toolkit including an e-learning video and a set of recommendations to support practitioners in effectively performing this task. Both instruments are available in English and the official languages of the flagship regions under the Toolkit section of Together4Cohesion.eu.   

Being European cohesion policy a core field of action for the Assembly of European Regions, we will continue to launch discussions and inform our members on the matter through the creation of a dedicated hub within our website. The latter will serve to collect and prioritize policy briefs, position papers, and good practices concerning the policy.

Hence, as usual, stay tuned!

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Together4Cohesion strengthens Children’s Thinking on Climate Change: Drawing Exhibition and Award Ceremony in Csongrád County

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We may think that children are not yet mature enough to have a say in major political debates but, as shown by the “Fridays For Future” strikes all over the world,  this is not the case – especially when it comes to climate change and the future of our planet. Their thoughts are clear, their demands are spoken laud, and it is important that their voices are heard and encouraged.

This is why the Csongrád-Csanád County Government, within the Cohesion Calendar of the project Together for Cohesion, has given these young actors a space to communicate their views through a drawing competition on climate change.

As pointed by the President of the Csongrád-Csanád County Assembly,  László Gémes, during the award ceremony held on June 23: “As the President of the Csongrád-Csanád County Assembly, I consider it important that saving energy, water, and natural goods become a part of our children’s lives, and that they know and use climate-friendly technologies such as renewable energy, collection or, for example, composting“.

Through the competition, children were encouraged to express by means of colors and fantasy what climate protections means to them, what it is possible and needed to do to save our planet, and what they would like to change in the behaviors of themselves and of adults to make our environment more livable and sustainable.

As a good indicator of children’s enthusiasm and willingness to communicate their views on climate protection, around 600 art-works were sent.  A high professional jury was called to the difficult duty of evaluating and ranking the best works. The jury included László Gémes, President of the Csongrád-Csanád County Assembly, Péter Kertész, Director of the Ópusztaszer National Historical Memorial Park and Balázs Papdi, a professional photographer from Szeged.

Children and parents were all invited to the award ceremony and the exhibition of the top 50 drawings held on June 23 at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Agóra of Szeged. The award ceremony was followed by a flash mob and a workshop consisting of an interactive and playful climate lesson run by Dr. Ágnes Gulyás, a lecturer at the Department of Climatology and Landscape Geography of the University of Szeged.

The exhibition will be opened in the Albert Szent-Györgyi Agóra of Szeged for one week, and all the paintings have been digitized and uploaded in the online exhibition available on the website of the County Government. We encourage you to visit the online exhibition so as to not miss the opportunity of discovering how children wish their planet to be!

Visit the online exhibition here and here! And check Together for Cohesion website to be updated an all the upcoming activities and stories of our campaign to raise awareness on the benefits of cohesion policy for citizens and stakeholders!

Photos’ Credits: Csongrád-Csanád County Government

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Second Csongrád County Mayor’s Professional Forum

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You may remember the highly successful first Professional Forum held in December 2019. Here comes the second! On 30 June 2020, the County Government of Csongrád-Csanád will hold the second Csongrád County Mayor’s Professional Forum.

Together4Cohesion is approaching its final stop on the route to raise awareness of European cohesion policy and its benefits for the regions through the “European cohesion calendar”! Indeed, the 2nd Professional Forum will take place on 30 June in Szeged, at the Tisza River Restaurant and Event Boat, and this will be the last local event of our communication campaign!

Event PageHere
RegistrationHere before 25 June 2020

Programme

9.00: Registration
9.30: Welcome speech by Mr László Gémes, President of the General Assembly of Csongrád County
Topic: “Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite” project, and Area and Settlement Development Operational Program
9.40: Alpár Gyopáros, Government Commissioner for the Development of Modern Settlements
Topic: Information about the Hungarian Village program
10.20: Gábor Oláh, Deputy State Secretary for Regional Development Programs
Topic: Current news on the Area and Settlement Development Operational Program

Coffee break

11.30: Dr Tünde Juhász, Government Commissioner, Csongrád-Csanád County Government Office
Topic: Information on the tasks arising from the name change of Csongrád-Csanád county
12.20: Dr Miklós Dukai, Deputy State Secretary of the Municipality
Topic: Current situation affecting local governments and future development opportunities
13.00: Lunch

What’s next?

In the coming days, we will share the outcomes of the two local events that were held this week:

Despite the fact that our journey is coming to its end, we want to continue to be a hub for the dialogue on and promotion of the benefits of cohesion policy!

Hence, we invite you to check out our Cohesion Calendar that will continue to be updated with other upcoming events organized (virtually and physically) all-over Europe by projects, organizations, and regional and European authorities!

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

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Together4Cohesion: Responding to the challenges of communicating cohesion policy.

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The final conference of “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” took place online on 16 June 2020. The webinar gathered 115 participants including policymakers at various levels of government, project managers and various other stakeholders all involved in the implementation of cohesion activities and willing to learn more about its communication.

The attendees had the opportunity to acquire or strengthen their knowledge about cohesion policy, including insights on the next programming period, as well as on how to effectively communicate its actions and benefits.

Started in April 2019, the Together for Cohesion project will soon reach its end. AER, in cooperation with mc Group, have been actively engaged in communicating about European cohesion policy and its benefits through an active communication campaign which included, among the main activities, a dedicated cohesion calendar, workshops, training, and wide media coverage.

Enriched by these experiences and learning opportunities, the webinar was a chance to share what has been learned during the project, as well as to gather new insights on how to communicate about cohesion policy that can be applied by all actors engaged in similar activities. A highly diversified panel of experts involving politicians, regional practitioners, commission officials, and communication experts from across Europe shared their insights and experiences on the subject.

The webinar was moderated by Mr Mathieu Mori, AER Secretary-General.

The discussion was launched by the enlightening words of Mr Michiel Rijsberman, Regional Minister from Flevoland & Chair of the AER Task Force on Cohesion Policy. The speech emphasised the importance of cooperation in order to communicate cohesion policy. Accordingly, cooperation among EU countries, but also among European institutions, can play a key role to counter Euroscepticism and other threats affecting communication. In this sense, the Together4Cohesion campaign has been a meaningful push in spreading the benefits of cohesion policy.

The discussion continued with the presentation of Mr Jan Pycha, expert of communication and Senior Project manager at mc Group. Given his broad expertise in the field of effective communication strategies, he shared relevant tips on how to communicate challenging and abstract topics, as cohesion policy. Abstract topics pose a challenge to communication in that they can be usually difficult to understand by a non-technical audience. To overcome these difficulties, it is relevant to first ask friends, colleagues external to the topic, and to prioritize and simplify the communication.

General theory and hints were followed by concrete examples and practical know-how from two of the regions participating in Together for Cohesion. First, Ms Chiara Vivaldelli, European Project Manager at the Province of Trento, and representative of the Province for the project Together for Cohesion shared difficulties and successes in informing citizens about cohesion policy. She explained that one of the main challenges is the distance that the citizens can feel between them and the European institutions. Nonetheless, through a series of effective examples, she showed how regional authorities can play a pivotal role in lowering this perceived gap. Then, Ms Cornelia Carmen Madaras, Advisor at the Foreign Affairs Office of the Alba County Council, and representative of the County for the project Together for Cohesion shared her experiences with partnership and its importance and implementation in the communication of cohesion policy. She explained that partnerships allowed for better access to knowledge and the sharing of best practices in their contribution to a common goal.

Finally, Ms Diego Villalba de Miguel, Deputy Head of the Communication Unit of DG-REGIO European Commission presented the citizens’ knowledge of the policy and the current and future use of cohesion policy funds. His presentation shields light on how cohesion funds have been deployed to respond to the current COVID-19 crisis, as well as the perspective of the next budget. Before the conclusion from Mr Mathieu Mori, a fruitful Q&A session was held during which the audience could ask questions via the platform to all the panellists.

All presentations are available in the follow-up article on Together4Cohesion website!

What’s next?

Stay tuned, for those of you who missed the webinar or would like to have a sustainable takeover of the lessons shared, we will soon circulate an e-learning video summarising the inputs of the webinar!

Lastly, in the coming weeks, more activities will be organised by the regions involved in the project:

We invite you to check out our Cohesion Calendar to be updated on upcoming events! You can also have a look at the success stories gathered from projects funded by the Cohesion policy around Europe.

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Generalitat de Catalunya’s Webinar on the necessity to feminise the management of public resources

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On 22 June, the Generalitat de Catalunya is holding a webinar to discuss the necessity to feminise the management of public resources. The event is held in the context of the European Cohesion Calendar of the project Together for Cohesion and will target public authorities representatives.

The webinar will be held in Catalan.

It will start with a presentation from Lluís Juncà, General Director of Economic Promotion, Competition and Regulation, followed by an instructional welcome from Pere Aragonès, Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy and Finance. Mercè Brey, consultant and speaker specializing in diversity and inclusive leadership, will present her paper titled: ‘Més enllà del gènere, una realitat possible’ (Beyond gender, a possible reality). A round table to debate and reflect on the impact of the gender perspective on the management of public resources will follow. Various panelists will take part in the discussion:

  • Anna Tarrach, Director General of Budgets, Department of the Vice Presidency and of Economy and Finance.
  • Mercè Corretja, General Director of Public Procurement, of the Department of the Vice-Presidency and of Economy and Finance.
  • Ariadna Rectoret, director of the Public Employment Service of Catalonia (SOC), of the Department of Labor, Social Affairs and Families
  • Núria Espuny, Director General of Transparency and Open Data, of the Department of Foreign Action, Institutional Relations and Transparency.
  • Mireia Mata, Director General of Equality, in the Department of Labor, Social Affairs and Families.

The event will end up with a conclusion from Alba Vergés from the Minister of Health.

Event Page

What’s next?
In the coming weeks, more activities will be organised by the regions involved in Together for Cohesion. We invite you to check out our Cohesion Calendar to be updated on upcoming events! You can also have a look at the success stories gathered from projects funded by the Cohesion policy around Europe.

Visit together4.cohesion.eu

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Webinar in Varaždin on communication and cohesion policy

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We know how to implement EU-funded projects, but do we know how to communicate about them? Effective communication strategies for how to make EU projects more appealing to the wider public were shared at the webinar held in Varaždin on 29 May 2020. Read on to learn more!

The webinar was organised by Varaždin County, a flagship region of the project “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!”, and the Alpheus agency from Zagreb. The workshop was designed to share insights on “How to communicate about the projects financed by instruments of Cohesion Policy”. Representatives of local and regional governments and other public institutions, as well as private entrepreneurs from Varaždin County virtually gathered to listen to:

  • Larisa Križan Breljak, Deputy Head of Varaždin County Department in charge of Regional Development and European Affairs;
  • Sofija Babić, Senior Consultant from the Alpheus agency;
  • Ivana Ipša, Director of VOP digital marketing agency; and
  • Marina Klačmer Čalopa, PhD, Vice Dean for Management and Human Resources at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics.

The speakers explained the importance of communication and presented the means of communication, especially online, during the implementation of EU funded projects – particularly within Cohesion policy. The discussion focused on the following:

Objectives and importance of the communication about the Cohesion Policy (by Larisa Križan Breljak)
“A key fact to emphasise is that citizens are the final beneficiaries of the Cohesion Policy. Communication on Cohesion Policy funded projects seems sometimes too complicated and focused on numbers instead of feelings and stories about how the lives are improved thanks to the Cohesion Policy. Together4Cohesion is based on the bottom-up approach, where local stakeholders share their experiences and lessons learned to other potential beneficiaries in several European regions.”
Projects and campaigns communication by using social media (by Ivana Ipša)
“No one can deny the importance of digital marketing and social media in contemporary communication and the importance of good content in order to attract followers and supporters of a certain brand or the initiative. When it comes to communicating European funded projects on social media, it is needed to share quality, clear and simple messages that can easily reach the targeted audience and evoke the feelings that people can relate to.”
The projects run by the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin and their impacts (by Ms Marina Klačmer Čalopa)
“Projects run by the Faculty and funded by the Cohesion Policy were presented as well as their impact on the education in the region, new studying programmes developed by the Faculty and the exchange of knowledge and experience between the students. The Faculty has been promoting their projects via different means like visual identity, web pages, newsletter conference presentation and word of mouth by project beneficiaries. The conclusion of the presentation was that if a project is not disseminated, it is non-existent.”

What’s next?

In the coming weeks, various activities will be organised by the regions involved in the project. We invite you to visit Together4Cohesion.eu to know more about it, including stories like this one, and check out our Cohesion Calendar to be updated on upcoming events!

We also invite you to join our webinar to discuss with EU Commission Official about the perspective of cohesion policy and to learn how to effectively communicate cohesion policy activities through the inputs from communication experts and regional practitioners. Do not miss this final event on 16 June 2020 – visit the event page and register!

First photo by Miguel A. Amutio on Unsplash; Second photo by Varaždin County.

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Learning about Communicating Cohesion Policy: Join the Webinar

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Join our webinar to discuss with EU Commission Official about the perspective of cohesion policy, and to learn how to effectively communicate cohesion policy activities through the inputs from communication experts and regional practitioners.

June 16th from 14:00 to 15:00

For more than one year now, the communication campaign Together for Cohesion has been a major driver in the communication of cohesion policy’s benefits for its citizens and stakeholders.

As the path was rich in experiences and learning opportunities, we want to share what we have learned as well as new inputs on cohesion policy and its communication through the webinar ‘Learning about Communicating Cohesion Policy’.

The webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to acquire or increase their knowledge about cohesion policy, including first-hand insights on the next programming period directly from Diego Villalba de Miguel (Official of the European Commission), as well as on how to effectively communicate its actions and benefits.

The agenda of the event includes:

  • Opening Remarks
    • Michiel Rijsberman, Regional Minister from Flevoland & Chair of the AER Task Force on Cohesion Policy (TBC)
  • Cohesion Policy from the European Perspective
    • Diego Villalba de Miguel, Deputy Head of the Communication Unit of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission. 
  • Effective Communication on Cohesion Policy
    • Jan Pycha, Senior Project Manager and Team Leader at mc Group and partner of the project Together for Cohesion 
  • Learning from Together4Cohesion’s Regions 1) Difficulties and success factors in informing citizens
    • Chiara Vivaldelli, European Project Manager at the Province of Trento, and representative of the Province for the project Together for Cohesion  
  • Learning from Together4Cohesion’s Regions 2) Partnership – its importance and implementation in communicating cohesion policy
    • Cornelia Carmen Madaras, Advisor at the Foreign Affairs Office of the Alba County Council, and representative of the County for the project Together for Cohesion
Event Page
Register
Together4Cohesion.eu

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Webinar – Learning about Communicating European Cohesion Policy

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Join our webinar to discuss with EU Commission Official about the perspective of cohesion policy, and to learn how to effectively communicate cohesion policy activities through the inputs from communication experts and regional practitioners.

Background

‘Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!‘ is a communication campaign co-financed by the Directorate-General of Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission and coordinated by AER  in cooperation with mc Group. For more than one year we have been actively engaged in raising awareness about the real-life benefits of cohesion through the direct involvement of citizens and stakeholders.

About

The webinar will provide participants with the opportunity to acquire or increase their knowledge about cohesion policy, including insights on the next programming period, as well as on how to effectively communicate its actions and benefits.

Participants

The webinar is designed to offer a learning experience to all the actors engaged with cohesion policy and its activities at all levels of government, this means European, national, regional and local authorities, citizens, and stakeholders.

Speakers 

  • Michiel Rijsberman: Regional Minister from Flevoland & Chair of the AER Task Force on Cohesion Policy (TBC)
  • Diego Villalba de Miguel – Deputy Head of the Communication Unit of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy 
  • Jan Pycha: Senior Project Manager and Team Leader at mc Group and partner of the project Together for Cohesion 
  • Chiara Vivaldelli: European Project Manager at the Province of Trento, and representative of the Province for the project Together for Cohesion  
  • Cornelia Carmen Madaras: Advisor at the Foreign Affairs Office of the Alba County Council, and representative of the County for the project Together for Cohesion

Moderator: Mathieu Mori,  Secretary-General of AER

*****

Please register for Learning about Communicating European Cohesion Policy on Jun 16, 2020 2:00 PM CEST at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1226878362675290891

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Event Password: together4cohesion

Agenda Click Here
Concept Note Click Here

 

How to communicate about projects in the online space: online workshop in Csongrad County

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As a part of the “Together for Cohesion: let’s rEUnite”, a series of workshops are being organised throughout its six flagship regions to provide citizens and stakeholders with useful advice on how to communicate about projects. Read this article to know more about the webinar organised in Csongrad County!

One of these workshops was held on the 28 April 2020. Eighteen stakeholders of EU cohesion, either beneficiaries of EU funding or companies interested in receiving EU funding, based in Csongrad County (Hungary) took part in this webinar. The theme of the workshop was how to communicate about projects in the online space.

The rapporteur, György Dreisziger, gave a presentation on branding the use of social media, and how organisations working with cohesion funding in the region can improve their branding and social media communication. After a quick introduction, the Cohesion Fund was explained. A lecture on online marketing opportunities and channels was given as well as some marketing tips for the duration of the epidemic. A Questions & Answers session at the end of the workshop enabled the participants to interact with the tutor and bring the conversation further.

Despite the Covid-19 situation, the event was a real success and shows that we can connect in times of social distancing and use technology to promote regional economic development.

If you want to be part in this project, have a look at this Call for Third Parties.

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

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Stakeholder engagement: the essence of “Together4Cohesion” communication campaign

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Together for Cohesion makes the stakeholders’ voice louder! We have defined a detailed plan identifying targeted stakeholders that have benefitted from cohesion policy in each flagship region. Now, we are ready for them to embark on our communication campaign!

Stakeholders are key actors in the development and implementation of European cohesion policy and projects. As such, they can play a major role in the communication of the outputs and real-life benefits of the policy. This is the reason why stakeholders are the essence of the project and “Together4Cohesion” communication campaign. The involvement of pertinent stakeholders is the key to the action, and therefore a strategy has been carried out.

Stakeholders at the core of “Together4Cohesion” communication campaign

“Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” aims to raise awareness of the importance of cohesion policy among citizens and stakeholders and turn them in active players within the regional, national, and European dialogue on cohesion policy.

To this aim, our communication campaign “Together4Cohesion” is based on a strong synergy of the actions and voices of the main beneficiaries of the policy: Regions, citizens, and other stakeholders.

To obtain the most significant outcomes, we established an elaborate communication strategy. Essential steps have been undertaken in order to identify stakeholders’ outcomes, as: Target the right public, deliver the most impactful messages, and implement the most effective approach. However, an effective strategy must consider also variables, such as conscientiousness of challenges, public’s stance and relational impacts that each initiative has with critical stakeholders.

For the communication campaign to produce a significant impact, it is crucial to follow a defined plan in order to propose and obtain approvals, feedback and assessment. Together for Cohesion has adopted the so-called “management by objectives”. In a nutshell, before, during and after the communication campaign, four steps are realised. Each of them can be broken down into measurable objectives in order to inform and shape the plan framework. Those steps are the following: analysing the issue, developing strategy, implement the strategy, and monitoring and evaluation. Adopting this strategy enables to identify the key stakeholders for the communications. That is what the stakeholder engagement plan is all about.

Engaging relevant stakeholders in the communication campaign

The stakeholder engagement plan aims to identify targeted key stakeholders for policy areas that are covered by Cohesion Funds for each region participating in the project. The purpose is to collaborate with onboard stakeholders with past-experience in cohesion policy-related activities.

As Together For Cohesion is a campaign linked to the Cohesion Policy, it is necessary to identify the key stakeholders according to the five main policy areas of interest, that is to say: Tourism, Youth Involvement, Gender Equality and Pay Parity, Handicraft and Agricultural Development. Moreover, the five most common categories of stakeholders have been considered: Public Authorities, Enterprises, Academia, NGOs/CSOs, Media and Communication Outlets. In collaboration with the regions taking part in the project, key stakeholders have been listed for each of them according to the policy areas and their level of engagement in different stages of the campaign. Their involvement has been clarified in accordance with the steps of the communication strategy.

Once the stakeholders are identified, the following stage begins, and the various stakeholders will become active players in our communication campaign. Among other activities, they will take part in events and training, act as Ambassadors of cohesion, share their success stories and contents linked to the Cohesion Policy.

What’s next?

Stories from our stakeholders and their involvement in the activities of the project will be shared soon on Together for Cohesion website. Visit the project website to make sure that you don’t miss anything!

Beyond our targeted stakeholders, we want to hear your voice and share your stories too! Together for Cohesion has launched a call for third parties! Check out the call and contact us by May 20, 2020!

Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash

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Call for Third Parties: Join Together for Cohesion

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The consortium of the project “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” is seeking third parties willing to embark on a very stimulating communication campaign focused on projects and activities implemented in the framework of EU cohesion policy. Through this call for third parties, we want to identify local or regional authorities, private companies, NGOs, and other stakeholders that have a success story of a project or initiative (co-)financed by the European cohesion funds, and that are eager to share it within “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” communication campaign.

About the Project

“Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!” is a communication project co-funded by the European Commission-Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy. The project started on 1st April  2019 and will run for 16 months. It is coordinated by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) as leading partner in cooperation with the ‘media consulta International Holding AG’ (mc Group).

Together for Cohesion’s aim is two-fold: on one hand, we want to raise awareness about the importance and the real-life benefits of programmes, projects, and services founded through the cohesion policy funds. Complementarily, our campaign is based on a bottom-up approach that seeks to empower the main beneficiaries of the policy and to make their voice louder. Hence, we aim at encouraging citizens and stakeholders’ active involvement in cohesion policy to turn them in active players in the regional and national dialogue on cohesion policy.

For one year now, we have been a major hub for the collection and dissemination of success stories of cohesion funded projects and activities at both local and international levels. We have collected best practices in the communication on the use of cohesion policy funds by eight regions, organized and participated in international conferences and knowledge-sharing workshops.

Throughout this time, we have been working in strong cooperation with Together for Cohesion’s flagship regions: Alba (RO), Catalonia (ES), Csongrad (HU), Timis (RO), Trentino (IT), and Varazdin (HR). Public authorities of the six flagship regions have been communicating cohesion policy through a series of local events in each region. We have provided public authorities and stakeholders in the regions with exceptional learning opportunities about how to effectively structure their communication activity through interactive workshops trainings. Citizens and targeted stakeholders that have benefitted from cohesion funds have been actively engaged in our campaign as Ambassadors/Messengers of cohesion by telling their stories, bringing their testimonies, participating at the events, and disseminating our achievements. Visit AER and Together for Cohesion websites for detailed information about all the initiatives implemented until now. 

In the coming months until the end of the project, we will continue implementing the above-mentioned activities, as well as launch new meaningful actions. We are producing videos about the activities of Together for Cohesion and short documentaries on success projects; establishing partnerships with local and national media outlets that will give to cohesion policy and its projects widespread visibility; organizing the project’s final event (webinar); and give visibility to the efforts of third parties.

About Third Parties’ Involvement: Main Activities

Together for Cohesion is opening the floor to the stories of third parties too. We know that success stories of projects and initiatives funded by European cohesion policy are many and involve all the regions in Europe. Hence, we are calling for local or regional authorities, private companies, NGOs, and other stakeholders that have benefited from EU cohesion funds to become active members of our communication campaign.

To this extent, we would like you to contribute in this way:

  • Share with us your story, pictures, or videos of your local project funded by the EU and of your organization. We will then publish it on the dedicated page on the Together4Cohesion website (here).
  • Support the dissemination activities by spreading the media content produced within the campaign on your social media with the #Together4Cohesion!  

Benefits of Joining Together4Cohesion

By joining Together for Cohesion campaign, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Give visibility to your projects and organisation
  • Benefit from the learning experiences of the training workshops on how to better communicate cohesion policy
  • Be involved and regularly updated on the upcoming activities of Together for Cohesion
  • Be updated by AER on future cohesion and other EU funding opportunities
  • Interact with the AER wide network
  • Make a difference by raising awareness of European cohesion policy!

How to express your interest

If you are willing to be actively engaged in the project “Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!”, please contact Birgit Sandu, Together for Cohesion project manager, at [email protected] by May 20th, 2020.  

Call for Third Parties

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International Conference on Entrepreneurship Education: The last Together4Cohesion local event in Varaždin

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Together for Cohesion is moving ahead with the organization of the local events in its flagship regions! After the Splendid Ball and the International Conference on ESI Funds, Varaždin County draws the curtains with its third and final appointment in the Cohesion Calendar.

Entrepreneurship is fundamental to trigger the economic potential of regions and local authorities, and as such, to boost cohesion among the regions of Europe. Of equal importance is the sharing of existing knowledge and experiences among regions. This is why the Varaždin County organized an International Conference on “Entrepreneurship Education”.

The conference took place on March 5th in Varaždin and was organized by the Varaždin County and the Faculty of Organisation and Informatics in cooperation with the Public Institution for Regional Development of Varaždin County. It was held during the European Week of Small and Medium Enterprises, inaugurated by the Local Initiatives for Employment in Varaždin County LEPEZA VŽ – an EU-funded project aiming at promoting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills.

The event was attended by around 40 professionals working in the education and entrepreneurship sectors, among these policy-makers, heads of education institutions, and other interested stakeholders. Participants had the chance to exchange about the education system and entrepreneurial skills in Croatia by a panel composed of renewed experts in the field. Among these, the guest of honor Ms. Petra Sippola, PhD from the Seinäjoki University (South Ostrobothnia in Finland, an AER member region).

  • Panel of the Conference

The discussion started with the opening remarks of the dean of the Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, Ms. Nina Begićević Ređep, and Varaždin County Prefect, Mr. Radimir Čačić, who highlighted the importance of further boost entrepreneurship competence in the county and more general in the country. The necessity was shared also by Ms. Sunčica Oberman Peterka, representative of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor team Croatia. However, as presented by Ms. Lidija Kozina – Head of the High school Ivanec and member of the Working Group for experts and principles for the implementation of the curriculum reform – important steps have been already undertaken through the curriculum reform in Croatia.

At the same time, the link between an entrepreneurship educational background and the decision to work in the business sector is not easy to define. According to Ms. Nina Korent from the Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, graduates usually launch an entrepreneurial project after at least 5 years of work experience. This time gap makes the connection difficult to establish.   

Insights on how to enhance entrepreneurial skills came directly from Finland too. Ms. Petra Sippola (Seinäjoki University) presented the Finnish educational system and models for encouraging entrepreneurial thinking. It emerged the importance of encouraging creativity and problem solving from an early age. This is particularly relevant as the entrepreneurial thinking concerns all the spheres of life, and not only the business activities.

Lastly, a good example of a young entrepreneur was given. A high school graduate that, together with his team, developed an application enabling people to play and learn various subjects. The application was soon exported in Slovenia, and its success was confirmed by the increased learning results of the students that used it.

What’s next?

Although the series of local events in Varaždin has come to an end, upcoming activities in all the flagship regions are on the agenda. Visit AER and Together for Cohesion websites to be updated on what is going on!

Next local events in Together for Cohesion flagship regions are coming too (in virtual format)! Check the Cohesion Calendar to be sure that you do not lose anything!

Photos credits: Varaždin County

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Communication of European Funds using Social Media: Lessons from Together4Cohesion Training Session in Trentino

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Keen to know about how to better communicate the actions undertaken with EU funds in social media? We have something interesting for you!  Read the article to know what are the lessons from the dedicated training organized in Trentino within the project Together for Cohesion: Let’s rEUnite!

Stakeholders are major actors in the implementation of Cohesion policy actions, and, as such, their effective communication about the benefits of the policy is essential! This is why Together for Cohesion is launching a series of workshops trainings in its flagship regions offering stakeholders high-quality learning opportunities on how to better communicate.

On January 23rd, the Province of Trento organized the training course “The Communication of European Funds using Social Media”, which was held by IFOA Professor Alessio Conti, an expert in Digital Marketing, Branding Strategies, and social media.

The course was attended by 20 stakeholders directly involved in information and communication activities related to EU funds. Through presentations and practical exercises, participants gained excellent insights on how to better communicate their EU funded actions in an ever-changing and digital world, and how to be an effective actor within the new arenas of communications – social media.

As presented, the communication of European funds and projects is not an easy task. Yet, there are some core aspects that if properly addressed can make a tangible difference:

  • Language: Technical language, acronyms, highly specific words (e.g. operational program, thematic objective, to name a few) are difficult to understand for a non-specialized audience. Online and offline communication on the website, media outlets, and social media must employ a language that is easy and fast to absorb by the general public.
  • Partnership: One of the core aspects of the European funds is that they are a tool jointly managed by actors at different levels (vertically and horizontally). Partnership shall also be one of the cornerstones of the communication around these activities: Involving all the different actors in the communication of the impact and results gives solidity and sustainability to the project and multiplies the outreach of the message.
  • Endorsement: Third-party endorsement is one of the most effective marketing strategies: Give the floor to third parties to communicate about the benefits of a product/services. This is particularly relevant within cohesion policy: The stories of the beneficiaries of the policy are a very incisive and persuasive tool.

What’s next?

Other workshops and trainings for stakeholders will be organized soon in the other flagship regions in a virtual format.

We will keep you posted with new insights from these learning exchanges!

Photo Credits: First photo from Unsplash; second photo from the Province of Trento

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Tips and Hints from the Together4Cohesion Workshop in Alba Iulia

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Do you want to learn more about new media’s effective communication strategies? Together4Cohesion is organizing a series of workshops training throughout its six flagship regions to provide citizens and stakeholders with useful ‘tips and hints’ on good communication techniques. Given the very positive feedback received by the participants to the workshops’ organized so far, we want to share all these precious tips with you all!

Read the article to know about the workshop held in Albia Iulia on “Branding Yourself: Tips for Building a Strong Brand Image in the New Media Era”.

On 21 February, the workshop training “Branding Yourself: Tips for Building a Strong Brand Image in the New Media Era” took place in Alba Iulia with the coordination of the Alba county and mc Group.

The event gathered 30 representatives from local businesses, all keen to learn and exchange about strategies for effective communication on the new media, and especially to apply these tips to their work activities.

Photo Credits: Conililyl Judetean Alba

The workshop consisted of interactive presentations and practical exercises addressing core aspects of an effective brand’s communication strategy:

1. Creation of brand identity in four steps:

  • Step 1: Define your SMART objective: The objective should be Specific; Measurable; Attainable; Relevant, and Time-based.
  • Step 2: Delineate your Buyer Persona: Understand what are of your targeted audience’s features.
  • Step 3: Determine your company’s current market position: Unique selling proposition – USP – the benefits deriving from the offered goods/services for the people who enjoy it.
  • Step 4: Communication Platforms: Be active on the different communication platforms.  

…and produce content that is relevant, answers to people’s needs, and generates emotions!

2. The use of new online communication tools

New media and their impact are constantly growing. Yet to make use of the full potential offered by this wide-range of platforms, your communication activity should be:

  • Well-organized: Define your company’s online communication strategy – including its SMART objective – and plan in dully advance your posts (consider the possibility of using existing dedicated applications).
  • Informed: It should be aware of your clients’ general features and preferences, as well as of the pros and cons of communicating through each platform.
  • Targeted: Use the channels that you consider the most suited for your company, and adapt the posts to the specificities of each media.

It is always worth remembering the impact of a well-designed website. Clients will build their opinion about the company upon this!

3. The development of the relationship between local businesses and press

If you want to have a meaningful presence in the press and journalists interested in your business,  it is important to:

  • Develop and tell the story behind your brand: Who you are, what change you want to trigger, what makes you different from others, what benefits you bring to your clients and what the latter think about your products/services.
  • Be organized: Develop and implement an editorial plan for your brand, and prepare a ‘press-kit’ containing your brand’s story and potential subjects that can be relevant.
  • Be active: Make yourself known in your community and speak with people, engage with colleagues and stakeholders by participating in networking events and organizing online and offline events.
  • Be proactive: Look for presses and journalists working with similar businesses, contact them and propose your-self and your brand (do not wait for them to become aware of your presence).
  • Be innovative: Innovation is always a journalists’ favorite word.  

What’s next?

Stay tuned! We will share soon ‘tips and hints’ about “Communicating EU Cohesion Policy through Social Media” from the Together4Cohesion workshop held on January 23rd in Trentino!

Together4Cohesion workshops will go ahead! Our flagship regions are working hard to organize them in a virtual format (as webinars).

We will keep you posted!

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