by InTrieste
As global challenges continue to reshape economic and political landscapes, European leaders gathered in Friuli Venezia Giulia this week to discuss the future of the European Union’s cohesion policy. Officials underscored the importance of greater flexibility in funding programs to ensure their continued relevance in an evolving geopolitical environment.
The Interreg GO! Conference, held in Gorizia’s Verdi Theater, brought together approximately 600 local, regional, national, and European policymakers. The event was attended by several high-profile officials, including Massimiliano Fedriga, president of Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Raffaele Fitto, European Commission vice president for cohesion and reforms, Marta Kos, commissioner for enlargement, and Aleksander Jevšek, Slovenia’s minister for cohesion and regional development.
Fedriga, in his opening remarks, emphasized the increasing significance of cross-border cooperation. “In an era of great change and global tensions, the role of Interreg can only grow stronger,” he said. “We must ensure more effective governance, more flexible tools, and greater investment in raising citizen awareness of the vast opportunities that cohesion policy offers.”
The Interreg program, designed to promote collaboration across European borders, has been in place for 35 years. It has supported infrastructure projects, economic initiatives, and cultural exchanges across the continent. Fedriga described the policy as “indispensable for territorial development” and highlighted how Friuli Venezia Giulia has long served as a “natural laboratory of cross-border collaboration.”
The host city, Gorizia, which will share the title of European Capital of Culture 2025 with its Slovenian counterpart, Nova Gorica, was cited as an example of successful cooperation. Fedriga said the joint designation was a testament to “a history of collaboration that has broken down barriers and fostered reconciliation among nations and minorities.”
A key topic of discussion was the need for program adaptability, particularly in light of rapidly changing economic and geopolitical conditions. Fitto called for a reassessment of existing EU-funded programs, warning that initiatives outlined in 2022 may no longer align with today’s realities.
Barbara Zilli, Friuli Venezia Giulia’s regional finance minister with responsibility for Interreg Italy-Slovenia, echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of “updating programming to reflect a constantly evolving Europe.” She advocated for greater flexibility in EU spending policies, allowing regions to adjust projects over time rather than adhering to rigid, long-term plans.
Both Italian and Slovenian officials emphasized the importance of sustained investment in cohesion policy, amid concerns that funding allocations could face reductions. Fedriga and Jevšek expressed optimism that the European Commission would continue to support regional cooperation initiatives.
The conference underscored the enduring role of cohesion policy as a cornerstone of EU integration, with leaders agreeing that sustained cross-border collaboration remains essential to tackling shared challenges such as economic development, innovation, sustainability, and mobility.
As European policymakers prepare for the next round of funding negotiations, the calls for greater flexibility and responsiveness in cohesion programs are expected to shape discussions in Brussels in the coming months.
