My Experience as an IVY Reporter for the Italian National Contact Point Interreg Euro-MED
Hello! I am Emirjeta, an IVY Reporter for the Italian National Contact Point (NCP) of Interreg Euro-MED Programme in Florence. I started this journey in May, and from the very beginning it has been immensely enriching. It allowed me to dive into the intricacies of regional cooperation and the EU Cohesion Policy, while working closely with a dedicated and inspiring team. The colleagues at Regione Toscana have been exceptionally welcoming and supportive, which has made my transition into this role smooth and enjoyable. The Interreg Euro-MED Programme The Interreg Euro-MED Programme is dedicated to fostering cross-border cooperation across the Mediterranean. Euro-MED brings together partners from 69 regions across 14 countries (10 EU Member States and 4 IPA countries) on the Northern Mediterranean shore, that have the same unified goal of creating a climate-neutral and resilient society that benefits all its citizens. The mission of the Euro-MED Programme is to build a lasting change in the Mediterranean by making the region smarter, greener, and enhancing governance among its stakeholders. The National Contact Point in Florence Regione Toscana is the Italian National Contact Point (NCP) for the Interreg Euro-MED Transnational Cooperation Program for the 2021-2027 programming period. The role of the NCP in Florence is pivotal in supporting the mission of the Programme, it provides essential information to national potential beneficiaries about the Programme, calls for projects, and the administrative requirements for submitting applications. The NCP also assists beneficiaries during project implementation, facilitating the communication and dissemination of knowledge, experiences, and project results. My experience so far… In my role within the NCP, I have been involved in various activities that have allowed me to contribute meaningfully to the Programme. I am helping with the creation of the Italian website for the Euro-MED Programme, writing short articles on specific topics, and disseminating news on social media. Additionally, I am assisting with the newsletter that will be shared in the following weeks. I have already participated in multiple meetings regarding the Programme and reported on them, gaining valuable insights into the workings of the Interreg Euro-MED. Notably, I have also taken part in very important and formative bilateral meetings organized by the NCP with beneficiaries and project partners. During these meetings, we provide assistance to those seeking help with creating and presenting their projects, as well as offering information and clarifications about the Programme and the various ways they can participate. These interactions have been instrumental in enhancing my understanding of project development and stakeholder engagement. Currently, the 5th call for project applications is open, and I am actively helping the NCP with the organization of the Italian Info day, an informative session for stakeholders and Programme beneficiaries. I am happy about my decision to become an IVY and am very grateful for this opportunity. I have been learning a lot so far, and I hope to continue in this direction. This role is not only enriching me professionally but it is also broadening my perspectives on international cooperation and sustainable development. I look forward to contributing further to the Programme and making a positive impact through my volunteering work. – Emirjeta Ibrahimi, IVY Reporter at the National Contact Point Italy, for the Interreg Programme Euro-MED Learn more about the Interreg Euro-MED Programme Click Here
Building Cooperation Bridges across the Danube: My Experience as an Interreg IVY in Romania-Bulgaria Programme
Greetings, Interreg community! ✨ My name is Kyriakos Kourtidis. I am a recent Master’s graduate in International and European Studies from Thessaloniki, Greece, and currently, I act as an Interreg IVY Reporter for the INTERREG Programme VI-A Romania-Bulgaria, based in Bucharest. My education has provided me with a solid theoretical understanding of the EU’s Economic, Social, and Territorial Cohesion Policy. Within this framework, having the intention to deepen my understanding and gain more experience in European Territorial Cooperation, I decided to join an Interreg Programme as an IVY Reporter. About the Programme The Interreg VI-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme supports the development of the cross-border areas, in Romania and Bulgaria by financing joint projects. What is the Programme’s main goal? The programme aims to enhance the cooperation between the two bordering countries, Romania and Bulgaria, with the goal to help the border areas overcome their similar development challenges. Who benefits from it? Under the Interreg Programme, people living in the border area between Romania and Bulgaria benefit from enhanced cross-border cooperation by working together on common challenges. This includes effective information exchange, improved accessibility across the frontier, flood prevention measures, risk management plans, preservation of natural assets 🌿, and tourism promotion, among other initiatives. My activities as an IVY As an Interreg IVY Reporter, I am hosted by the Managing Authority of the Interreg Romania-Bulgaria Programme together with another IVY, with whom we are based in the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, in Bucharest. As an IVY, my activities include: (1) Designing creative campaigns on social media in order to improve the Programme’s visibility and to increase stakeholder’s engagement. Notably, we launched a communication campaign with weekly Facebook posts, aiming to inspire interested parties to send their project proposals under the “Call for Proposals – An Educated Region”. 🎓 (2) Writing articles for the website/social media related to the programme’s and projects events, as well as communicating other aspects of the programme implementation. 💻 (3) Supporting the preparation, organization and communication of the public consultations on the future of Cohesion Policy for Interreg Programmes, post 2027. One notable mention of such an activity would be the consultation session with students at the Law Faculty of Craiova ⚖. Our team comprising of two Managing Authority representatives and the two of us IVYs Reporters presented to the students the Interreg Programme, informed them about the cross-border area and collected their views for the future development of the border area. Last but not least, taking the opportunity of this event, we the IVYs presented the IVY initiative, shared our experience with the young students 👨🏻👩🏻 and encouraged them to similarly embrace the Interreg Volunteer Youth initiative. (4) Taking part and supporting the Programme’s events. One very recent and relevant example of such an event was the kick-off meeting of the DISMAR project that took place in Ruse, Bulgaria. The DISMAR project is one of the strategic projects of the programme, which aims to enhance the safety of navigation and efficiency on the common Romanian-Bulgarian sector of the Danube River. 🌊 🚢 Don’t hesitate to follow the updates of the programme on Facebook, LinkedIn and the website. My two months experience as an IVY was complimented by my participation to the EUs Macro-Regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days, 2024, which took place in Brussels. In this event, I and other IVYs, acting as representatives of the initiative, presented to relevant stakeholders the possibility for them to host Interreg volunteers, as well. Most importantly, Interreg IVY offered me the opportunity to gain ownership of EU policies and contribute to EU cooperation. In conclusion, if I may paraphrase the final remark of Commissioner Elisa Ferreira during the Macro-Regional Strategy Days: we, the European youth, adhering to the value of cooperation – Europe’s birth certificate – should be proud of this, do it well, and make it visible! – Kyriakos, IVY Reporter for the Managing Authority Interreg Romania-Bulgaria Learn more about the Interreg Romania – Bulgaria Programme Click Here
Being an IVY at Interreg Flanders-the Netherlands
My name is Jip. I’m a 25-years-old IVY volunteer at the Interreg Flanders-the Netherlands programme. I have started in May, and now I am about a third into my IVY experience. Here, I see first-hand how interregional cooperation works and what it can do! Flanders and the Netherlands share not only a language but are also very alike in culture, and they share similar contemporary challenges and opportunities. It makes sense, therefore, that they work together to address these challenges. Over the past two months, I have been visiting the various Interreg projects that try to do so. These projects cover a whole range of topics. As an IVY, I assist with the public consultations and I visit projects and write articles about. Visiting these projects has been even more fun and interesting than I had thought they would be beforehand. This is mostly because of the enthusiasm of the project managers and the interesting topics they address. Among others, I have visited a project that is trying to reintroduce otters to Flanders and the Netherlands; a project that is trying to facilitate sustainable tourism right in a park right on the border between the two countries; and a project that trains health-care workers to become innovators at their own organization. Moreover, I have gone to castles and robotics fairs and I have been on boats and on peatery excursions. During these visits, I have spend a surprising amount of time outside in nature. The themes have been far and wide, and I have spoken with intriguing people and learned a great deal at each of these events. This experience has shown me how diverse, fun and important these Interreg projects and the programme are. Interreg facilitates important opportunities for cooperation that might otherwise have been overlooked. Moreover, I am directly witnessing the positive influence that the projects have on their environment. This has made the experience so far quite special. I still have four more months to go, and I am looking forward to more fun outings that are sure to follow! – Jip, IVY Reporter at the Joint Secretariat of Interreg Belgium-The Netherlands (Vlaanderen-Nederland) Programme. Learn more about the Interreg Belgium-The Netherlands Click Here
Enhancing Transnational Cooperation: My Journey with Interreg Atlantic Area
The main goal of the Interreg Atlantic Area programme is to support innovative projects that promote growth and address common issues faced by regions in France, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. This mission includes tackling challenges related to economic development, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion. By fostering cooperation between regions distributed by several countries, the programme aims to enhance the overall quality of life for the citizens who live and work there. As an Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) participant, I contribute to this mission by assisting in communication and outreach activities. Currently, my tasks include supporting the Citizen Consultation of the Programme Post-2027, which involves creating surveys and assisting in the development and communication of events, such as the “Building Tomorrow: Interreg Atlantic Discussed by the Next Generation” event held in Santo Tirso, in collaboration with our partners. The Interreg Atlantic Area programme encompasses all regions of Portugal and Ireland, as well as the Atlantic-facing regions of France and Spain, including Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Pays-de-la-Loire, Bretagne, Normandie, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, País Vasco, La Rioja, Navarra, Andalucía, and the Islas Canarias. The beneficiaries of this programme are diverse, including public and private sector organizations, research institutions, municipalities, and local communities. Partnerships are based on a quadruple helix approach, by addressing common challenges such as marine pollution, renewable energy, and sustainable tourism, the programme provides tangible benefits to these regions. Cooperation is at the heart of the Interreg Atlantic Area. Project partners from different countries work closely to share knowledge, expertise, and resources, driving joint solutions. This collaboration is facilitated through regular meetings, workshops, conferences, and joint actions, ensuring that each partner’s unique perspective and skills contribute to the success of the projects. I was particularly drawn to the Atlantic Area Programme because it includes my homeland, Normandy, and regions with languages, cultures, and histories I studied at the University. The thematic priorities of the programme resonate with my personal values and professional interests. Being part of this initiative allows me to engage with diverse cultures, contribute to meaningful projects, and develop my skills in a dynamic and supportive environment. What I enjoy most about my role is the opportunity to connect with people from different backgrounds and learn about the innovative solutions being implemented across the Atlantic region. The experience has been incredibly enriching, both professionally and personally. It has given me a greater appreciation for the importance of transnational cooperation and the positive impact it can have on regional development. By sharing my experience, I hope to inspire others to get involved and support initiatives that promote transnational cooperation and regional development. – Laurent, IVY Reporter at Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Norte (CCDR-N), in the framework of Managing Authority and Joint Secretariat Interreg Atlantic Area Discover more about the Interreg Programme Atlantic Area Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor Click Here
Reporter at URBACT – support the Interreg Cohesion Policy (post 2027)
With an international background as a French-Ecuadorian young woman, I am interested in how regions, and more specifically, cities can cooperate to co-design a better urban future. I am participating as an INTERREG Youth Volunteer (IVY) reporter at URBACT supporting the INTERREG consultation on the European Future Cohesion Policy (post 2027), its regional policy which aims to reduce disparities between Europe’s regions through cooperation and provides support to each region to foster their development. As an Interreg programme, URBACT implements Cohesion Policy at the local level by enabling cooperation and knowledge exchange among European cities. Organised within thematic networks to foster sustainable; inclusive, smart, and green urban development, URBACT support local action combined with EU learning. URBACT enables this knowledge exchange through networks. These bring together EU cities willing to exchange ideas and produce integrated local policies and actions with the help of peers, local stakeholders, and URBACT experts. URBACT is contributing to the INTERREG consultation on the future of the Cohesion Policy and territorial cooperation from a local, urban perspective starting with an online survey, which is running from 26 March to 31 July 2024. The outcome of the consultation will not only evaluate the current programmes’ performance, but also shape the next URBACT programme and inform the future Cohesion Policy. As an IVY Reporter, I am supporting the URBACT consultation, through communication, and organisation of workshops and discussions to collect data. My responsibilities include writing articles for the URBACT and INTERREG websites, creating social media content, and organizing and moderating workshops and discussions to collect qualitative data. Notably, I moderated the consultation events at the URBACT Lead Partner Expert meeting in Paris (May 15-16), the National URBACT Point in Utrecht (June 12-13), and the URBACT Monitoring Committee meeting in Ghent (June 27-28). Besides, as an IVY I am particularly interested in involving the youth in the consultation, Therefore, I co-organized consultation events with Brežice, host of the European Youth Event (EYE 2024), and Ghent, European Youth Capital 2024. The URBACT programme has always strived to respond closely to cities needs, and its method allows cities to cooperate and learn from each other to find innovative solutions to common challenges. To make a good case for the future of the URBACT programme, it is important to have as many contributions as possible from the consultation. Cities and citizens know best what they need to improve in their cities, so it is important that URBACT shapes its future programme together through the survey and the overall consultation. – Ana Francisca, IVY Reporter at Urbact Discover more about URBACT Click Here
My experience as an IVY Volunteer for the StrategyMedFor project, in Malaga
Hello everyone, I’m Meritxell! I’m more than halfway through my experience as an IVY volunteer for the StrategyMedFor Interreg EuroMED project, led by the the European Topic Center for Spatial Analysis and Synthesis (ETC-UMA), in Málaga, Andalucía’s sunniest and busiest city, at the heart of the Mediterranean. Allow me to share a bit about my IVY experience! The ETC-UMA is an international research center within the University of Málaga. Since 2011, ETC-UMA has been supporting the development of knowledge and tools to inform evidence-based policy. The team possesses wide expertise in ecosystem assessment and monitoring. It focuses on various environmental and socio-economic domains, including ecosystem management, environmental conservation, and territorial planning, all from a geographical perspective. StrategyMedFor is a cooperative initiative (2024-2026) aimed at developing a Strategy for the Sustainable Management of Mediterranean Forests (SSMMF). Mediterranean forests are renowned for their rich biodiversity and vital ecosystem services. However, these important natural resources face numerous direct and indirect pressures, increasing their vulnerability to disturbances and ecosystem degradation. Despite their increased coverage in recent decades, the condition of Mediterranean forests requires urgent action to enhance their resilience to global change through improved management. StrategyMedFor will contribute to the conservation and enhancement of these forests, addressing the needs and knowledge gaps in strategies and action plans for their sustainable management. The project’s outcomes will provide a common strategy and framework. Through collaborative efforts with partners, the project aims to establish a reliable database covering the entire Mediterranean basin, advancing collective knowledge and fostering better-informed decision-making. Where do I fit in this crucial mission? My tasks mainly alternate between communications work and support for project management. For example, I am currently transforming information about three project pilot sites, rich natural environments located in different parts of the Mediterranean, into an interactive StoryMap. By using the power of storytelling, we aim to create a communication product that turns a point on a map into a vivid real place in the minds of others, highlighting their beautiful landscapes, culture, specificities, and challenges. My routine at the ETC-UMA offices in Málaga is very enjoyable. Everyone is keen to help me when I’m lost, and they don’t hesitate to call me if they need my support. I really look forward to the coffee and lunch breaks, where I can always share a laugh with my colleagues. The team is very multicultural, and I relish finding cultural differences we can discuss. Cohesion policy is at the heart of the European Union’s strategy to reduce imbalances between countries and regions. It represents an important opportunity for young people. It is a pleasure to support European Territorial Cooperation and solidarity across the Mediterranean, helping to promote such an essential policy! – Meritxell, IVY Project Partner for Interreg Euro-MED project “StrategyMedFor” at the European Topic Centre – University of Malaga (ETC-UMA)
