Good morning and welcome to the press conference about the European Week of Regions and Cities starting today.

Let me just recall that this 3 day event brings to Brussels thousands of stakeholders from cities and regions across Europe to discuss the implementation and future of the EU cohesion policy.

I would like to welcome here with us Raffaele Fitto, who is the Executive Vice President of the Commission for Cohesion and Reforms,

and Kata Tüttö, who is the President of the Committee of the Regions. Welcome.

I will first give the floor to our speakers for their introduction and then we'll invite, you to, to give your questions. EVP please, the floor is yours. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome.

I am very pleased to open the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026.

1st of all, I would like to thank President Tüttö for being here today.

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the European Commission.

For the next 3 days, Brussels becomes the home of Europe's regions and cities.

Thousands of representatives from regions, cities and local authorities, together with the experts,

businesses and civil society, are here to meet, to discuss and to exchange.

This afternoon we will open the week in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament with President Metsola,

President Costa and former Commissioner Katainen, together with representatives of the Committee of the Regions.

Tomorrow, at the Committee of the Regions, we will hold high level sessions, including one on the right to stay.

On Wednesday at the square, we will discuss how cohesion policy can help build a more competitive Union.

And at the end of the week,

the Restar Awards will recognize the best cohesion projects from across Europe,

a changing world, a changing Europe.

We meet at a moment of deep change.

The world is changing, Europe is changing, our territories are changing.

Worldwide we see geopolitical tensions, economic pressure,

rapid technological change and demographic challenges.

Europe is working to protect its citizens, its economy,

its prosperity and its security in a much harder world.

Our regions and territories are going through transitions that open new opportunities while asking us to make sure that every place can benefit from them.

In this unpredictable world, Europe is not standing still. Europe is acting.

We are using the tools we already have with the pragmatism and the determination to shape the future of the Union.

Our goal is clear Europe must never again find itself behind in development or dependent on others for what is essential. Europe has learned the lesson.

We learned it during the pandemic and we learned it with the energy crisis.

We learned that we are stronger when the European, national and regional levels work together.

This is what we will talk about this week the future and how to build the strength that lasts. Our answer simplification and effectiveness.

The world is complex and it moves fast. Our answer is simplification, flexibility and effectiveness.

This is our recipe to make the regions stronger and Europe stronger.

Simplification, flexibility and efficiency have guided our work to modernize cohesion policy.

First, with the midterm review, we gave Member States the possibility,

on a voluntary basis to redirect the resources to today's priorities housing,

competitiveness, defense, energy, and water. The response from the ground was remarkable.

Territories chose to reallocate close to EUR €35 billion.

This showed us that flexibility and simplification are the right direction to modernize cohesion policy.

Second, with the territorial strategies we adopted this year for the regions on the eastern border,

for cities, for islands, for the outermost regions and our work on the right to stay.

Each territory is different, each needs answers that fit its reality.

All this work leads to the next Multiannual Financial framework, where a modernized, more efficient and more flexible cohesion policy,

able to respond to the needs of citizens will be a central part of the national and regional partnership plans.

Strong regions, strong Europe, it is a broad message. This week we focused on two directions. The first is the right to stay.

We are working on a strategy and our dialogue is intense,

not only with the regions, but directly with the citizens.

In some European villages, the post office or the bank is open only 2 days a week. Health services are hours away.

Young people leave because they see no future at home.

No one should be forced to leave their community because services have disappeared,

because there are no good jobs, because housing is too expensive or because connectivity is poor.

People should be free to live, but never forced to leave.

We are working to give these people more opportunities where they live. The second direction is competitiveness. Competitiveness is the other side of cohesion.

Europe cannot be competitive if part of its territory is left behind.

Cohesion means giving every territory the tools to grow and develop infrastructure,

skills, innovation, good jobs.

Here again, we learn from the midterm review,

through which EUR €15 billion were redirected to competitiveness.

Competitiveness is a demand that comes directly from our territories from the ground.

This is what we intend to do help every territory unlock its full potential,

because a strong Europe is built in its regions.

Ladies and gentlemen, a long and intense week lies ahead of us.

We look forward to seeing you at the debates and thank you and I wish you.