Knowledge of the territory, proximity to potential beneficiaries, and flexibility—these are some of the key advantages of having EGTCs (European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation) manage the Small Project Funds (SPF) under the Interreg programmes. This was the central theme of the event held yesterday, 15 October, in Brussels: “Small Projects, Big Impact: Putting Citizens at the Heart of Cross-Border Cooperation.”

The experience of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation GO (Gorizia, Nova Gorica, and Šempeter-Vrtojba) through the SPF GO! 2025 Fund (Interreg Italy–Slovenia) was shared in the morning with participants attending the thematic workshop organised as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities, held at the Jacques Delors building in the European Quarter. This international event, held annually by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), showcases cities and regions that have successfully created growth and jobs, implemented EU cohesion policy, and demonstrated the importance of the local and regional levels for good European governance.

The EGTC GO delegation, composed of director Romina Kocina and project managers Lara Devetak and Micaela Passon, responsible for the SPF GO! 2025 Fund, took part in the workshop co-organised with two other EGTCs: EGTC ViaCarpatia, operating between the Košice region and Borsod county (Slovakia–Hungary), and the EGTC Euregio Meuse-Rhine, working along the urban corridor between Aachen, Maastricht, Hasselt, and Liège, spanning Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. The event, also supported by the European Commission, was introduced and moderated by Simona Pohlová, Deputy Head of the Interreg Unit at DG REGIO, and featured a contribution by Maria Sioliou, Programme Manager from the DG for Regional and Urban Policy.

“Today’s event was an important moment for exchange and dialogue, allowing us to reaffirm how these small projects are accessible to citizens and small associations, while also being sustainable,” commented Romina Kocina. “We have already funded 56 projects, and with our latest call—which is closing in these very days—we've seen considerable interest. For us, this confirms that there are ideas and projects, and above all, a strong will to implement them together in a cross-border area.”

Looking ahead to the next programming period 2028–2034, the workshop “Small Projects, Big Impact: Putting Citizens at the Heart of Cross-Border Cooperation” highlighted the strategic value of small-scale projects as tools for strengthening cross-border cooperation at the local level. The event provided an overview of the implementation status of SPFs and the experiences gained across different European regions, showing how small-scale initiatives can deliver tangible and lasting results, especially in areas where larger programmes often fail to reach.

The discussions also pointed to the need to develop more targeted evaluation tools capable of accurately measuring the impact of these projects on the social and cultural fabric of the communities involved. Participants further emphasized the key role of citizens, youth, and small associations, who—thanks to the SPFs—can become active agents in European cooperation. Today, more than 80 EGTCs operate across Europe, underscoring the growing importance of these mechanisms in building meaningful connections between territories and people.

The recording of the workshop is available at the following link