My name is Lara Beatriz Kotviski, and I hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Development and International Cooperation from Sapienza Università di Roma. Throughout my academic trajectory, I developed a strong interest in the concept of governance, particularly in how, in an increasingly interconnected world, challenges such as climate change transcend national borders and require international cooperation to be effectively addressed.
Through my experience in the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) at the Italian National Contact Point of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme, I was able to observe this dynamic in practice, particularly in how countries, regions, and institutions work together to address shared issues.
The Euro-MED programme brings together 14 countries and 69 regions across the Mediterranean area around four main priorities: promoting greener living areas, protecting natural heritage, strengthening an innovative economy, and enhancing sustainable tourism. These priorities are implemented through a multi-level governance model based on transnational partnerships, ensuring coordination, shared responsibilities, and concrete territorial impact.
In my very first week, I participated in a National Committee, where representatives from Italian regions, ministries, and other national authorities define priorities to be brought to the Monitoring Committee. The Monitoring Committee, in turn, brings together representatives from participating countries to take strategic decisions, such as project approval and resource allocation. This provided me with a concrete example of how such governance mechanisms operate in practice within European cooperation.
As an IVY Reporter, I also worked on the communication activities of the National Contact Point, contributing to increasing the visibility of the programme through content production, such as thematic newsletters focused on project progress, challenges, and results. These activities are part of the “results amplification” strategy, which aims to ensure that developed solutions are replicable and generate impact beyond the funding cycle. In this context, I further deepened my understanding of the concept of “capitalisation”, understood as the transfer and reuse of knowledge across territories.
I also supported the organisation of institutional events such as the Interreg Euro-MED Forum, as well as the planning and follow-up of other initiatives. In this context, I contributed ideas that were later implemented, including the development of a content plan with an editorial calendar to structure communications around strategic themes.
Another example was the design of a webinar aimed at promoting the IVY initiative among programme project partners. It brought together testimonials from volunteers and host organisations to illustrate how the initiative works in practice and its benefits.
At the end of my experience, I participated in the European Youth Week at the European Parliament, where I presented the IVY initiative to other young people. It was a very inspiring moment.
Overall, this experience significantly broadened my understanding of European cooperation and its practical implementation, while also reinforcing the importance of Cohesion Policy in regional development. It also highlighted the strategic role of programmes such as IVY in preparing young professionals to continue and strengthen existing initiatives.
Finally, I consider this experience a fundamental starting point in my professional path. I intend to continue working in international cooperation, driven by a strong belief in its role in promoting sustainable development for all.
– Lara, IVY Reporter at Regione Toscana, for the Interreg project D4LA, under the NCP Italy Interreg Euro-MED.
