CELEBRATING EUROPE´S DAY TOGETHER WITH INTERREG EUROPE AND DG REGIO
May is the month of Europe. Every year the European Union commemorates the 9th of May to celebrate peace and unity among the 27 Member States. EU Institutions and local EU offices in Europe and all over the world organize a variety of activities and events for all ages. This year, SCALE UP was invited by the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) to celebrate Europe's Day together with the Interreg Europe team and representatives of the DG for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission.
Rosa Escamilla, an Interreg Youth Volunteer (IVY) who is working on SCALE UP, represented the project in this occasion. She was able to immerse in a discussion on territorial cooperation and exchanged thoughts and ideas on European interregional projects and the future of the IVY initiative.
From SCALE UP we wanted to convey that the social, economic and territorial cohesion policy that is worked in many Interreg Europe projects is one of the fundamental axes of the development and growth of the EU. One of the best examples of this is this project, whose mission is to contribute to European competitiveness and accelerate regional economic growth through the improvement of policy instruments linked to business growth and robustness through continuous cooperation between six regions of Europe: Murcia ( Spain), Northern Hesse (Germany), Athens (Greece), Lazio (Italy), Lublin (Poland) and Nottingham (United Kingdom).
It was also highlighted how European cooperation is the basis for advancing in the economic, technological and environmental challenges that we face. Cooperation is the basis of the existence of the EU itself. Without cooperation there would be a total disconnection between states, regions and cities, and therefore, disconnection between citizens.
When we translate this abstract idea into concrete projects such as SCALE UP we can truly understand this concept of solidarity-based growth and generate an ever more complete and complex Europe where all public and private actors are in constant collaboration. The SCALE UP Project has been running for two years now, 2 years where all the activities are interlinked and framed in a logical path to help and boost SMEs and regional business. If regions work together, we all move forward at the same time. All this leads to a full acceleration of growth and mutual benefit.
During the session, both the European Commission and Interreg Europe emphasized the essential role of young people in the short and long term in the European regional project.
As Rosa Escamilla said during one of the interventions “The future and the consolidation of this great project depend on the greater or lesser involvement of young people in the European Union and the attention to each of its fundamental policies. The 21st century is facing a technological revolution and an absolute environmental challenge. European cooperation is the basis for moving forward in this period, and young people must be part of it. We are highly prepared generations, born hand in hand with technology and aware of the issues of climate change. Interregional Cooperation is the main instrument through which we can get involved in all these challenges ahead ”.
From SCALE UP we want to celebrate with all of you Europe´s Day, a commemorative day that reflects the work and effort that this great project carries out every day of the year.
Let's keep growing together from the most essential level of the UE, the interregional one.
You can watch the video recording here.
