<figure><img src="image_198.png" /></figure>

Distribution of media coverage by media type

<figure><img src="image_199.png" /></figure>

The trend of previous years continued, with half of the coverage collected having been published online, here including reports featured on TV and radio websites. The media in print format comprises 20% of the coverage, followed by media coverage disseminated by news agencies (15%), TV stations (11%) and radio (4%).

In contrast with the previous edition, the European Week of Regions and Cities 2016 was well covered by news agencies, with twice as many reports as compared to 2015. It is notable in particular that the articles published by the Portuguese agency Lusa were featured in other Portuguese media, such as Diário Digital, Porto Canal and RTP.

The scope of the media covering the event was mostly regional, including local media: 60% of the coverage falls into this category, similarly to previous editions; this ties in with the goal of communicating about Regional Policy more directly to the people and communities concerned.

Qualitative analysis of media coverage

The analysis shows that the reports included in the media coverage had a neutral and informative tone in more than 90% of cases. The rest of the reports showed a positive tone, with the French, Italian and Portuguese journalists in particular adopting a positive approach to the event and the

topics discussed. This is a slight overall improvement compared with the 2015 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities.

The event's topics attracted significant media interest. In particular ESI Funds, the simplification of the procedure and the possible upcoming changes in the allocation of the funds in the next programming period were featured in more than half of the reports analysed. The media reported on the European Structural and Investment Funds from a pronounced regional and/or national perspective, in many cases comparing the situation of the journalist's country with other Member States or focusing on the regional and local situation in terms of the use of funds. The possible suspension of ESI funding to Spain and Portugal, a hot topic at the time of the event, was among the top subjects in the reports from the two countries. The two other main themes of this year's edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities were also referred to in the media reports: the topic 'Sustained and sustainable growth' was mentioned in 27% of the reports analysed, while the 'Inclusive economic growth' theme was referred to in 22% of the coverage analysed.

The RegioStars Awards attracted significant media attention, as nearly 20% of all the reports analysed mentioned the RegioStars event or projects (a 4% increase compared to 2015). The journalists clearly situated the RegioStars within the context of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2016, as about 13% of the reports mentioned both 'RegioStars' and 'European Week of Regions and Cities' keywords. Journalists from the countries of the winners reported the most on the RegioStars Awards: 19 reports were gathered from Portugal, 13 reports came from Poland, 5 reports were published in Lithuania, one report from Denmark referred to the Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster, while one report from the United Kingdom referred to the Circular Ocean project. It is also worth noting that some of the countries with no direct relationship to the winners mentioned the initiative, such as Bulgaria and Romania (4 reports), Italy (2 reports), Cyprus, Denmark, Greece and Slovakia (1 report).

The journalists' visit to ESI Fund-supported projects in Molenbeek resulted in 19 reports from 11 different countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden). The overall content of the media coverage of the project visit can be categorised as
<figure><img src="image_200.png" /></figure>

referring to the stigmatisation of the area and its revitalisation, to which ESI Fund support contributed. Journalists took the opportunity to report on several initiatives supported by the European Regional Development Fund and put some of the projects under the spotlight, such as the social housing initiative Community Land Trust Bxl and the youth integration project ART2WORK.

Acknowledgement of the organising institutions is high, with almost half of the reports mentioning at least one of the organisers – the European Commission or the European Committee of the Regions. The personalities representing the two institutions also featured frequently in the reports, with European Commissioner Corina Crețu mentioned in 25% of the coverage and quoted in 9% of the reports analysed. Committee of the Regions President Markku Markkula was mentioned in 17% of the reports and quoted in 6% of the coverage analysed.

## Social media

There was a substantial increase in interest in our event (from 8 to 16 October), with over 33,500 mentions of the most relevant hashtags recorded on social media during the four days (#EUWRC and #EWRC 10,700, #regiostars 5,800, and the rest

mainly for #euurbanagenda #smartcities, #Esifunds, #circulareconomy, #socialprogress), potentially reaching over 31 million people. This is an excellent result, with an impressive increase in discussions, compared to the 7,098 mentions recorded in 2015.

Users took the opportunity of the #EUWRC to use several other hashtags, which focused attention on the whole event and its various workshops and benefitted all topics. It widened the impact of the European Week of Regions and Cities by ensuring that the event was referenced in online questions about other issues, such as open data, the EU urban agenda, cooperation, smart cities, innovation, the circular economy and social progress. We should also note an increased engagement in the different regions, and not only activities in the capital cities of EU, which was certainly due to the various local events taking place.

## EU Week Regions&Cities – total mentions

<figure><img src="image_201.png" /></figure>

USING #EUWRC IN EUROPE

<figure><img src="image_202.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_203.png" /></figure>

This year we introduced the daily reports which attracted a total of 11,781 unique page views, in addition to Storify (wrap-up of the whole event), which received 7,131 views.

The event saw a peak in interaction with the @EU_Regional Twitter account, as well as the addition of two hundred new followers (56,865 to 57,065 at the end of the event), a total Impressions of 1.1 million and a correct engagement with 2,000 link clicks, 2,300 retweets and 2,000 favorites.

The European Committee of the Regions' tweets, using the #EUWRC hashtag, yielded 6 million impressions. This helped the Committee gain 533 new followers during October. The Committee also gained 87 new followers on LinkedIn. There was an average 1% engagement rate on the 11 posts.

Through the 17 posts sent on Facebook promoting and during the event, 42,336 people reached and 10% engaged with the content. This led to 301 new page likes after the event.

Facebook.com/EuinmyRegion saw an increase of 76 new fans (7,989 to 8,065), and we were able to reach 6,155,588 people with the different posts, with an overwhelmingly positive reaction: 6,000 likes and loves.

The post that aroused the greatest interest was the video announcement of the RegioStars ceremony, reaching over 8,000 people.

<figure><img src="image_204.png" /></figure>

Reactions

Likes and other ways people react to your page posts.

<figure><img src="image_205.png" /></figure>
Evaluation

<figure><img src="image_206.png" /></figure>
Evaluation of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2016

The European Week of Regions and Cities 2016 focused on "Sustained and sustainable economic growth" (75 sessions), "Inclusive economic growth" (28 sessions) and "Making ESI Funds simpler" (25 sessions), which, together with the social events and media programme, attracted over 5.300 participants (excluding members of the European Committee of the Regions and a number of EU staff) to Brussels. The participants and speakers represented mostly EU, national, regional and local administrations, coming from 58 countries. In addition, there were 208 media and press representatives from 25 countries and some 170 session organisers, 28 Master Class students, plus RegioStars Award finalists.

Roughly half of the participants (48%) came from local, regional, national or EU administrations, while the remainder represented associations and private sector organisations (17%), academia (12%), EU institutions (12%) or press and consultants. Most participants (53% men, 47% women) came from Belgium (34%), followed by the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, France and Spain. Two out of three participants continue to travel to Brussels to attend, a high figure compared to other EU conferences. The busiest day was the second conference day, which had the most workshops, the official reception and the RegioStars Awards Ceremony.

According to the feedback received from participants, event partners, speakers and journalists who attended the Week, the event was a success. The online satisfaction survey results can be summarised as follows:

Of the participants (293 survey replies), the majority of respondents (60%) had attended up to 4 workshops. Half of the respondents were participating in the event for the first time, and the majority (76%) would participate at the European Week of Regions and Cities again. In general, the participants appreciated the high quality of the working sessions, with the quality of presentations rated as excellent (17%) or good (71%). The chair persons were appraised very highly, as excellent (23%) or good (69%), and most participants were also very satisfied with the quality of the debate, rated as excellent (16%) or good (58%). Those respondents who had participated in the Opening Session at the European Parliament and/or in the RegioStars Awards and official reception found these events mostly good or excellent. As for the communication tools, the novel "EUWRC App" was rated as very useful (34%) or useful (25%).

The media representatives (46 replies), most of whom represented national (50%) or regional (46%) media, also evaluated the event very positively. The media programme was rated as very interesting (52%) or interesting (35%), and the roundtable with Commissioner Cretu and President Markkula as very interesting (37%) or interesting (15%). In general, media representatives found the Opening Session interesting (very interesting 43%, interesting 33%).

The most appreciated session in the Media Programme was the expert panel with country specialists about how EU funds deliver in different member states, which was assessed as very interesting by 61% of respondents. The majority of media representatives (76%) felt that their expectations on learning more about EU institutions, policies – and particularly about Cohesion Policy, had been met, and appreciated the opportunity to interview VIP speakers, including the Commissioner and Regional Presidents, during the event (77%). Overall, the European Week of Regions and Cities was assessed as excellent (65%) or good (33%) by the media representatives.

The event partners, such as regional partnerships, were in general very satisfied with the event's organisation and outcomes, and a majority of them were in fact returning as partner organisers. Due to the small number of replies (9) these results will not be elaborated further at this point.

<figure><img src="image_207.png" /></figure>
## Registered participants' profile

<figure><img src="image_208.png" /></figure>

## Registered participants' country

<figure><img src="image_209.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_210.png" /></figure>

## Assessment of workshops and debates

<figure><img src="image_211.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_212.png" /></figure>
The European Week
of Regions and Cities in 2017

<figure><img src="image_213.png" /></figure>
European Week of Regions and Cities 2017

In 2017, the European Week of Regions and Cities (9-12 October, Brussels) will reach its 15th birthday. It is a moment of both looking back and looking forward, whilst tackling the challenges that the EU regional and urban policy should be addressing, both as of today, and over the coming decade.

The 15th European Week of Regions and Cities will take place just ahead of the publication of the Cohesion Report and ahead of the presentation of the EU multiannual financial framework 2020-2026. This offers the opportunity for the event to be one of the platforms where to gather and present the views of the regions and cities on both the budget and the subsequent legislative proposals, namely with regard to cohesion policy and rural development. As the debate on the cohesion policy cycle and on the EU budget post-2020 will develop, the European Week should be able to channel regional and local views and concerns and to inject them into the mainstream political discussion.

For more information on the European Week of Regions and Cities 2017, please see the event website: www.regions-and-cities.europa.eu.

<figure><img src="image_214.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_215.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_216.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_217.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_218.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_219.png" /></figure>
Thank you to our partners

<figure><img src="image_220.png" /></figure>
## Regional partnerships

### Europe of traditions

Basilicata Region (IT), Region of Galicia (ES), Region of Istria (HR), Kujawsko-Pomorskie (PL), Lazio Region (IT), Martinique (FR), Nordland (NO), North Portugal (PT), Opolskie Region (PL), Municipality of Tripolis (EL), Region Värmland (SE), Veneto Region (IT)

### Active regional co-operation in circular economy

Aalborg Municipality (DK), Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (DE), Lower Saxony (DE), Lower Silesia (PL), Northern Netherlands Provinces (NL), Schleswig-Holstein (DE), South Norway (NO), Southern England (UK), Stavanger Region (NO)

### Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion

Abruzzo Region (IT), Calabria Region (IT), Region of Crete (EL), Dubrovnik-Neretva Region (HR), Eastern Slovenia (SL), Emilia-Romagna Region (IT), Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region (IT), Marche Region (IT), Molise Region (IT), Puglia Region (IT), Sicily Region (IT), Region of South East Serbia (RS), Republika Srpska (BA)

### Regions connecting territories

Alentejo (PT), Extremadura (ES), City of Ljubljana (SL), Lodzkie Region (PL), Vysočina Region (CZ)

### EUSALP: Innovation and tradition

Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (IT), Bavaria (DE), Carinthia (AT), Lombardy Region (IT), Piedmont Region (IT), Land Salzburg (AT), South Tyrol Alpeuregio (IT), Trentino Alpeuregio (IT), Tyrol Alpeuregio (AT), Voralberg (AT), Western Slovenia (SL)

### Entrepreneurship education for economic growth

Karlovac Region (HR), Northern Ireland (UK), Olomouc Region (CZ), Podlaskie (PL), Presov Region (SK), Swietokrzyskie (PL), Umbria (IT), Varaždin County (HR), Autonomous province of Vojvodina (RS)

### Innofest - Festival driven innovation

Aberdeen City (UK), Bremen (DE), Province of Drenthe (NL), Province of Friesland (NL), Halland (SE), North Denmark (DK)

### Regions and cities for circular economy

Çankaya Municipality (TR), Central Denmark (DK), Centro Region of Portugal (PT), City of Maribor (SL), Navarre (ES)

### Sustainable solutions in the field of circular economy regarding the Strategy of Europe 2020

City of Bielefeld (DE), Deux Sèvres Council (FR), City of Essen (DE), Gironde Department (FR), Hradec Kralové Region (CZ), Province of Liège (BE), District of Lippe (DE), Silesia Region (PL), Walloon Brabant (BE)

### Smart cities – Smart ambitions

Basque Country (ES), (Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Vejle, Odense) Danish 5 Pack (DK), Gdansk (PL), (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling) Scottish Cities Alliance (UK), (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku, Oulu) 6Aika (FI)

### Regions for simplification

Région Centre-Val de Loire (FR), Észak-Alföld (HU), Mazovia Region (PL), Murcia (ES), Saxony-Anhalt (DE), Sunderland (UK), Region of Valencia (ES), Wales (UK)

### Cities and regions for effective energy solutions

Province of Barcelona (ES), City of Ghent (BE), Region of Hanover (DE), Liverpool City (UK), Malmö (SE), Wielkopolska (PL)

### Smart partnerships for new skills

Principality of Asturias (ES), Ave Region (PT), Castile and León (ES), East of England (UK), Mid-Norway (NO), Nilufer Municipality (TR), Normandy (FR), Region Västra Götaland (SE), Warmia-Mazury (PL), West Norway (NO)

### Local authorities promoting synergies between ESI Funds and H2020

East Netherlands (NL), Hauts-de-France (Nord Pas de Calais-Picardie) (FR), Kent (UK), Madrid Region (ES), North-East Romania (RO), Province of West-Flanders (BE)

### Rail Baltica

Helsinki City (FI), Helsinki-Uusimaa Region (FI), Jonava City (LT), Kaunas City (LT), Riga City (LV), Tallinn City (EE)
## Border Competence - Early start in the neighbouring language

Frankfurt (Oder) (DE), Free State of Saxony (DE), Jelenia Góra County (PL), Liberec Region (CZ), Lower Austria (AT), Municipality of Słubice (PL)

## EU urban regeneration – Sustainable cities for better future

Aydın Metropolitan Municipality (TR), Bucharest-Ilfov (RO), City of Lodz (PL), Lubelskie Voivodeship (PL), Lubuskie Region (PL), City of Maastricht (NL), Pomorskie Region (PL), City of Rijeka (HR)

## Innovative cities and regions for new mobility services

Aragon (ES), Liverpool City Region (UK), Stuttgart Region (DE) Tampere Region (FI), Valletta (MT)

## Capital cities and regions network

City of Amsterdam (NL), Berlin-Brandenburg Capital Region (DE), Bratislava Self-Governing Region (SK), Brussels Capital Region (BE), City of Budapest (HU), Greater London (UK), Île-de-France (FR), Oslo region (NO), Capital City of Prague (CZ), Vienna (AT), City of Zagreb (HR)

## Sustained and sustainable growth strategies in areas around major urban centres

Frankfurt Rhein Main (DE), Osijek-Baranja County (HR), South Moravian Region (CZ), Surrey (UK), Val-d'Oise (FR)

## Sustainable Innovation in less urban areas in the North

Highlands and Islands (UK), Jämtland-Härjedalen (SE), Lapland (FI), Norrbotten (SE), Tromsø (NO), Västerbotten (SE), Västernorrland (SE)

## Intermediate authorities for waste to energy

Caceres Province (ES), Castellón Province (ES), Hainaut Province (BE), León Province (ES), Luxembourg Province (BE), Orense Province (ES), Sevilla Province (ES), Staffordshire (UK), Terni Province (IT), Valencia Province (ES)

## Other partners

### 13 Directorates-General of the European Commission:

- Directorate-General for Climate Action (CLIMA)

- Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CONNECT)

- Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (EAC)

- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL)

- Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (HOME)

- Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

- Directorate-General for Energy (ENER)

- Directorate-General for Environment (ENV)

- Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW)

- Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (JUST)

- Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR)

- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD)

- Joint Research Centre (JRC)

## European Committee of the Regions (CoR)

- European People's Party Group (EPP)

- Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group (ALDE)

- European Alliance Group (EA)

- European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR)

- Directorate B, Legislative Work 1: NAT, ENVE and CIVEX Commissions

- Directorate C, Legislative Work 2: COTER, ECON and SEDEC Commissions
Thank you to our partners

Association of European Schools of Planning

City of Schiedam

City of Thessaloniki

European Association of Development Agencies

European Association of Research and Technology Organisations

European Leader Association for Rural Development

EU-Representation Office of Carinthia

Eurochambres

European Association of Public Banks

European Committee of the Regions' EER initiative

European Economic and Social Committee

European Executive Agency for SMEs

European GNSS Agency

European Investment Bank (JASPERS, FI-COMPASS)

European Long Term Investors

European Regional Science Association

Harghita County Council

Interact Programme

International Board of Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

Interreg Europe

JA Europe

JADE – European Confederation of Junior Enterprises

Krapina-Zagorje County

LDNET

Métropole de Lyon

Mission opérationnelle Transfrontalière

Regional Studies Association

European Federation of Local Government Chief Executives

URBACT III Programme

Urban Innovative Actions
These proceedings are a compendium of reports of most of the 137 workshops and events held in Brussels during the 14th European Week of Regions and Cities (10-13 October 2016). Jointly organised by the European Commission, Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, and the European Committee of the Regions, the event brought together over 187 regions and cities from all over Europe, and more than 5000 participants and 700 speakers.

Presentations, speeches and videos can be found on the European Week of Regions and Cities website: www.regions-and-cities.europa.eu

The European Week of Regions and Cities is a Brussels-based four-day event which gives the opportunity to all stakeholders to stir debates about good local, regional and cross-border governance and management of EU funding.

<figure><img src="image_221.png" /></figure>

European Week of
Regions and Cities

Brussels

10-13 October 2016

#EUWRC

<figure><img src="image_222.png" /></figure>

Directorate General for
Regional and Urban Policy
B-1049 Brussels
www.ec.europa.eu/inforegio

<figure><img src="image_223.png" /></figure>

Rue Belliard 101
B-1040 Brussels
www.cor.europa.eu

ISBN 978-92-895-0904-6
doi:10.2863/066043