EU territorial cooperation, environmental challenges and enlargement

The webinar will focus on the EU cohesion policy and its link with the EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans in the field of environment looking in particular at the contribution of communities of practices. 

It is part of the work carried out over the past year by CeSPI and OBCT , which explored the potential of European territorial cooperation programmes and projects to promote transnational cooperation in the Adriatic-Ionian area and, consequently, to foster European integration from the bottom up, developing practical knowledge and strengthening interactions between the actors involved.

Around the project implementations there are communities of practices that are formed among professionals, experts, technicians, civil servants and civil society. The event will thus provide an opportunity to discuss the preliminary findings of the research study produced to understand the extent to which the Enlargement process can receive an push from the bottom up, by the group of professionals that work on concrete issues in the field, in this case in the environmental protection.

Acknowledging the importance of citizen-oriented communication, the webinar will also examine how media coverage of cohesion policy – particularly in relation to addressing climate and environmental challenges – can strengthen citizens’ identification with the EU and boost their support for it.