On Tuesday, October 10, the challenges of the Gorizia/Nova Gorica cross-border area took center stage in Brussels at the European Week of Regions and Cities, the largest event on cohesion policies organized annually by the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions.  

Yesterday afternoon's official program included speeches by Aleksander Jevšek, Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development of the Republic of Slovenia; Barbara Zilli, Councillor for Finance of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia; and Romina Kocina, director of EGTC GO, as part of a workshop entitled "A European Capital of Cross-Border Culture: New Challenges for Cohesion Policy" moderated by Cinzia Dellagiacoma, project manager of the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR).  

The workshop illustrated the opportunities and challenges facing the cities of Nova Gorica and Gorica, which together won the title of "European Capital of Culture 2025" turning the initiative into a best practice of transnational cooperation for the first time.  In order to with this joint project in the best possible way, integrated programming has already been initiated to combine the various related European funding, creating synergies between funds within the 2021-2027 programming. 

However, there are cross-border administrative obstacles that affect this common path and cannot be solved without legislative action.   

As early as late September, the EGTC GO organized an international meeting in Gorica on overcoming the bureaucratic problems of cross-border spaces, where the shared call for the creation of the so-called "GO! Borderless square": a special legal zone for the Transalpine Square/Trg Evrope (thanks to the European project B-solutions).  

Yesterday's discussion in Brussels started from the now decade-long experience of cooperation between the three cities (in addition to Gorizia and Nova Gorica, also Šempeter-Vrtojba) to arrive at current needs.  

Speakers spoke on this subject. In particular, Slovenian Minister Aleksander Jevšek highlighted how cross-border investments have led in the cross-border area to enhanced services, new infrastructure and mobility interventions.   

Friuli Venezia Giulia Councillor Barbara Zilli proposed convening a table bringing together economic and institutional actors in the area as a quick and concrete way to overcome some of the impasses highlighted during the meeting.  

EGTC GO director Romina Kocina emphasized the importance of continuity in cross-border work, i.e., the need for constant work with institutions and private actors at all levels, to continue to gain experience, to be listening to the changing needs of the territory and to constantly seek new solutions.   

Cinzia Dellagiacoma summarized the meeting on Gorizia/Nova Gorica - intended also as an example for other cross-border territories - with these key expressions: focus on the territory, investment, participation both horizontally and vertically, and dialogue. 

Instead, EGTC GO President Paolo Petiziol will speak today at the meeting entitled "Breaking down barriers to cross-border cooperation," in dialogue with Martin Guillermo Ramirez, secretary general of the Association of European Border Regions; Florian Lochne, project manager of the Lower Austria Health Agency - Healthacross Initiative; Andriy Sadovyy, Mayor of Lviv; and Slawomir Tokarski, director of DG REGIO of the European Commission.  

#EURegionsWeek 2023: A cross-border European Capital of Culture: new challenges for Cohesion Policy  

10/10/2023, 14:30 - 15:30  

RECORDING OF THE MEETING: https://frontend.cor.smv.cloud/en/sessions/reference/euregionsweek-2023-a-cross-border-european-capital-of-culture-new-challenges-for-cohesion-policy